Trapped Inside A Glacier

An American scientist is in the Himalayas when the ice suddenly gives way, plunging him 70 feet into a crevasse. He survives, suffering 15 broken bones and internal bleeding. But if he can't climb out, that crack in the ice will become his grave.

- Nicholas Hune-Brown

JOHN ALL unzipped his tent, poked his shaggy blonde head out into the thin alpine air and took in the view. The sun sparkled off the freshly fallen snow on the jagged peaks and crags of Mount Him lung. It was just before 10 a.m. on 19 May  2014—a perfect morning in the Himalayas.

All, a 44-year-old scientist, had come to Nepal on a research expedition to collect snow samples for his study on pollution. His two climbing partners had retreated down to base camp until one of them could recover from a stomach ailment. They were expected back in a day or two, but for now, All was alone at 20,000 feet.

Climbing solo in the Himalayas is never advisable, but All’s plan was to remain cautious, stick near camp and begin collecting samples. But first, he was dying for a cup of coffee.

He grabbed his snow axes and walked towards a flat area a short distance away that looked like an ideal spot to gather fresh snow to melt for water. The temperature was between 25°C and 30°C. After weeks at high elevation, that felt positively balmy, so All was dressed lightly in wind pants, a thin jacket over a T-shirt and hiking boots with crampons—metal spikes that help climbers traverse icy terrain. He took a step and then another. Suddenly the ground gave way beneath him, and he plunged into darkness.