Deception and illness. Separation and doubt. Icy cold, abyssal emptiness, and lurking death. In the merciless snows of the Himalayas, Charles Dubouloz and Symon Welfringer discover that the joy of life can be found, perhaps above all, on these perilous paths.
On their first expedition to Manaslu, their illusions collapse. The prestige of fourteen peaks over eight thousand meters loses its luster. Our two mountaineers abandon symbols in search of the very essence of their passion.
They find themselves at the foot of Gyachung Kang, a mountain as terrible as it is magnificent. Despite being forty-eight meters shorter than the famous giants, it remains ignored. It is here that the art and daring of the new mountaineering pioneers can fully express themselves. As fate would have it, illness temporarily separated them. But they discover that unexpected beauty is often revealed in the unexpected. When bad weather strikes at the dawn of success, at the end of effort and talent, friendship, laughter and willpower triumph over all.