Chapter 5: “Thursday, 24th January 1991” – The Ascent to Camp 1

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Harold’s letter to Harriet recounts the team’s first day of climbing from Base Camp to Camp 1. The ten-member group—including Naoko, Bettan, Palmer, the Warden, Thomas, Jet, and three soldiers—sets out at sunrise. Already exhausted and struggling with altitude, Harold experiences a hallucination of Naoko with a purple bruise on her face that later appears for real. The narrative shifts to a long flashback: Harold recalls his early relationship with Naoko, his social awkwardness, their adoption of a traumatized Chilean boy named Santi, and a moment of spiritual belief during a bath with Santi. Back on the mountain, Naoko suddenly screams and tries to unclip from the rope; Bettan slaps her to silence her. After the confrontation, the team crosses a treacherous icefall. Jet slips, and Bettan rescues him. A falling ice pillar shatters the ridge; Harold nearly falls into a crevasse but is saved by Thomas. On the far side, Harold spots two figures on the ice—mysterious climbers. Naoko recognizes them and walks toward them, only to fall into a widening crack. Bettan leaps after her and pulls her to safety. The team reaches Camp 1 at dusk. Harold decides to keep his visions and the mysterious figures to himself, unsure whom to trust.

Key Events

The team departs Base Camp at sunrise; Harold is already exhausted and hallucinates Naoko.
Harold’s flashback reveals his past with Naoko: their first meeting, his disastrous attempt to cook, their adoption of Santi, and a moment of religious belief.
Naoko suffers a breakdown, screaming “It watches” and trying to unclip; Bettan slaps her.
Harold confronts Bettan, who reveals he knows about Harold and Naoko’s former relationship.
The team crosses an icefall; Jet slips and is rescued by Bettan.
A collapsing ice pillar snaps the safety rope; Harold is saved by Thomas.
Two mysterious figures appear on the ice; Naoko walks toward them and falls into a crevasse.
Bettan dives after Naoko, catches her midair, and is pulled up by the team.
The group arrives safely at Camp 1; Harold writes his letter and resolves to keep his visions secret.

Character Development

Harold (the narrator): The chapter deepens his backstory, revealing his social awkwardness, his love for Naoko, and his long struggle with faith. The flashback shows a vulnerable, guilt-ridden man who eventually finds a kind of belief through his relationship with Santi. On the mountain, he is torn between gratitude and resentment toward Bettan.
Naoko: She remains a fragile but determined figure. Her sudden outburst (“It watches”) and her fixation on the two figures suggest she carries memories or trauma from the earlier expedition. Her silence and dissociation hint at deeper psychological damage.
Bettan: Initially presented as crude and cold, he demonstrates extraordinary physical skill and reflexiveness during the rescues. His slap is brutal, but later he risks his own life to save Naoko. The chapter complicates him: he is both antagonist and protector.
Thomas: Quiet and steady, he saves Harold from falling and shows a reflective, almost philosophical side during the journey.
Palmer: The colonel reveals her knowledge of Harold and Naoko’s relationship, suggesting she has done extensive background research on the team.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Evidenced Here

Memory and Trauma: Harold’s flashback and Naoko’s hallucinatory visions highlight how the past intrudes on the present. The mountain seems to trigger suppressed memories.
Belief and Doubt: Harold’s recounting of his religious journey—from childhood nostalgia for faith, through imitation, to a genuine moment with Santi—parallels his current uncertainty about the mountain’s reality.
Sacrifice and Heroism: Bettan’s two rescues re-frame him as a skilled leader willing to risk death for his team, even as he remains emotionally distant.
Isolation: Harold’s decision to keep his visions secret underscores the theme of isolation—both physical (the mountain) and psychological.
The Unseen Presence: Naoko’s shout (“It watches”) and the two mysterious figures suggest something (or someone) is watching the climbers, heightening the suspense.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 5 is the novel’s first major expedition segment and the longest sustained action sequence so far. It anchors Harold’s emotional history, showing the reader why Naoko matters to him and how his past shaped his present. The dramatic icefall crossing, the collapsing pillar, and the double rescue raise the stakes physically, while the hallucinations and the two figures on the ice introduce a supernatural or time-twisted mystery. The discovery that Harold’s initial vision of Naoko’s bruise happened before it actually occurred suggests the mountain distorts time—a crucial thread for the rest of the novel. This chapter also establishes Bettan as a complex leader and sets up the tension between pragmatism (Bettan) and empathy (Harold) that will drive future conflicts.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Harold hallucinate Naoko with a bruise on her face before Bettan actually gives her that bruise?
Harold’s hallucination may be a glimpse of the future—a sign that the mountain’s environment or the altitude is causing temporal anomalies. This is reinforced by Harold’s observation later: “I had seen that bruise before, on the climb. This had already happened.” It suggests the mountain does not obey linear time.

2. What causes Naoko to scream and try to unclip from the rope?
Naoko shouts “It watches. You should not be here, all of you.” She appears terrified of an unseen entity or her own memories of the previous expedition. Her behavior is erratic and dissociated, as if she is reacting to something only she (or the mountain) can perceive.

3. How does Bettan’s rescue of Naoko change Harold’s view of him?
Harold feels momentary gratitude (he thanks Bettan) and calls him a “hero.” However, Bettan’s cold dismissal—“Fuck off”—immediately re-establishes Harold’s resentment. Bettan’s technical competence does not override his abrasive personality; Harold still struggles to trust him.