Total Failure: The Mountain That Got Away
In 2014, Emily Harrington set out to climb the tallest peak in Southeast Asia. She had to turn back with the summit in sight.
by Geoff Brumfiel
Jun 07, 2017
3 minutes
It was time for Emily Harrington to make a choice.
Harrington is a professional climber. In 2014, she was trying to reach the top of the tallest peak in Southeast Asia, a little-known mountain called Hkakabo Razi, that had only been successfully climbed once before.
"We were on this ridge at about 18,100 feet. and it just dropped off on both sides about 4,000 feet," Harrington recalls.
She could see the summit from the narrow ridge, but one of the more experienced climbers warned her: the final route to the top
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