“The first feelings of panic built up as I stared wildly from one crevasse to another. Had we gone above or below that one? Or was it that lower one? I couldn’t remember. The harder I tried the more confused I became, and eventually I was weaving a contorted and terrifying path, unsure of where I was heading.” Simon says. Frantic thoughts of confusement plague Simon’s thoughts. The tone of this passage is tense and psychotic. Simon is tired and alone and unsure of what his next move is. Paranoia dominates over any of his sane thoughts, creating a downward spiral of thoughts, distracting him from his reality. The words ‘I was weaving a contorted and terrifying path’  has the impression that Simon is almost doubting his own survival, simply because he mentally cannot handle what has been laid onto him. Emotive language such as, panic, confused, weaving, contorted, terrifying and unsure provide an example of Simon’s uncertainty of what he should do.

“It was a lonely place to rest. In the huge chaos of the moraines, I had sat down to rest at the one spot where I would be reminded. We had sat in the same spot six days earlier. All our keen excitement, and the healthy strong feel in our bodies, had become an empty memory.” Simon says. This quote has a set mood of reflection on the yet to be ominous situation they were in. The vibe Simon gives off by saying this is, empty, bitter and mournful. He believe’s cutting the rope was the right decision but he also wishes it was different. The word choice of ‘Empty memory’ gives the tone of how quickly a situation can change. For example, 6 days earlier they were excited and energetic to climb Siula Grande and now Simon is currently mourning Joe’s death. Simon is reminding himself of what he had to do to survive, as life was proved precious to him. The repetition of talking about the past sets the tone for the passage. It does this because Simon is referring back to everything they/he had done in spot he is sitting.