The summit was a sequence of small decisions

On 18 April, the column left Base Camp with a simple instruction: move what could be moved, and measure what could not. Above the Icefall, every litre of oxygen and every minute of daylight became part of the route.

At altitude, logistics became the argument

By the South Col, the plan had narrowed to weight, weather, and breath. Hillary checked the stove; Tenzing checked the line. They left before dawn with one spare bottle, a small flag, and enough certainty to take the next step.