Comment 2, in response to Katherine -Lexie

Although I also believe that Rob Hall was an amazing guide and mentor, he didnt end up being a man I would have trusted. Throughout the novel, Hall showed many great signs of leadership and knowledge. For example he was considerate of all of his climbers and was always worried about their needs and how they were doing. He showed knowledge in many ways, such as the fact that he knew exactly which day he wanted to reach the summit because he thought the weather would be perfect. However, even Hall made some horrible decisions that would cost his and another's life. Before his team reached the summit, Hall set a clear turn around time for any one who didn't reach the summit before 2 pm. Ironically, hall broke his own rule when he was overtaken by guilt and ego in order to get his client Hansen up the ridge. Earlier in the book, Jon explains that Hall had convinced  Hansen to try to climb Everest again, and this shows that he may have felt forced to actually get him to the top, even if it meant breaking his own rules. As Jon said,"In any case, Hall did not turn Hansen around at 2 pm, or, for that matter, at 4, when he met his client just below the top. Instead, according to Lopsang, Hall placed Hansen's arm around his neck and assisted the weary client up the final forty feet to the summit"(237). Although Hansen payed thousands of dollars to reach the summit, he also trusted Hall to get him down alive safely. Today, if he were alive, Hansen would have been thanking god that Hall made the correct decision. Instead, Hall let his ego, as well as guilt take over is ability to make clear and safe decisions. Had hall been trustworthy and followed his own rules, both men could have been alive today.