A seasoned mountaineer is commissioned by a popular outdoor publication to document the increasing commercialization of Mount Everest. His curiosity piqued, he joins an expedition, which turns out to be one of the most catastrophic in the mountain's history. The team he joins is led by a company known as Adventure Consultants, whose role is to expedite the acclimatization process to the extreme altitude and guide the climbers safely to Everest's peak.

The expedition is divided into multiple camps: Base Camp and four others positioned at various altitudes. After weeks at Base Camp, the team embarks on several trips to the higher camps to hasten their adaptation to the high altitude. In May, they finally set out for the summit. The mountaineer chronicles his journey, detailing the experiences of his teammates and guides, and mapping out the timeline of their time on the formidable mountain. The climbers find the altitude hard to adjust to, each dealing with exhaustion, weight loss, and slow movement. Their experience varies greatly, with some well-equipped for the challenge, while others are amateurs heavily reliant on their guides.

Tragedy truly strikes in the latter part of the journey. The group leader sets a 2:00 pm deadline to reach the summit and turn back, but this is largely disregarded. Only a few, including the mountaineer, make the deadline, with others, including the team leader, reaching the peak as late as 4:00 pm. A storm hits soon after, leaving various members stranded, lost, and ultimately leading to fatalities. Through a miracle, one climber presumed dead manages to return to camp and survives the ordeal, though he suffers profound injuries. In all, the expedition results in 12 deaths, leaving the mountaineer haunted by the experience.

In the aftermath, he publishes the commissioned article but feels compelled to delve deeper into the events of the tragic expedition. Through extensive research and interviews with survivors, he writes a more comprehensive account, aiming to present an accurate and thorough narrative of the harrowing events. His reflections on his own survival and the loss of life he witnessed lead to a redefinition of his own mortality and a lasting sense of survivor's guilt. Despite potential backlash, he is determined to share the full scale of the tragic, heroic, and selfish actions that occurred during their attempt to conquer Everest.