Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest

Former Navy air rescue swimmer Brian Dickinson was roughly 1,000 feet from the summit of Mount Everest—also known as “the death zone”—when his Sherpa became ill and had to turn back, leaving Brian with a difficult decision: Should he continue to push for the summit or head back down the mountain? After carefully weighing the options, Brian decided to continue toward the summit—alone.

Four hours later, Brian solo summited the...