▁Second , ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁had ▁about ▁three ▁hours ▁of ▁o xygen ▁each ▁and ▁the ▁sum mit ▁was ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁hours ▁away . ▁It ▁is ▁conce iv able ▁( though ▁unlikely ) ▁that ▁Mall ory ▁might ▁have ▁taken ▁Ir v ine ' s ▁remaining ▁o xygen ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁sum mit . ▁ ▁A ▁much - more - prob able ▁scenario ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁reached ▁First ▁Step ▁at ▁about ▁ 1 0 : 3 0 ▁am . ▁Mall ory , ▁seeing ▁the ▁tre acher ous ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁traverse ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Step , ▁went ▁it ▁alone . ▁He ▁recon no iter ed ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁clim bing ▁cru x ▁and ▁decided ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁for ▁him ▁that ▁day . ▁He ▁returned , ▁picked ▁up ▁Ir v ine ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁decided ▁to ▁clim b ▁the ▁First ▁Step ▁for ▁a ▁look ▁around ▁and ▁to ▁photograph ▁the ▁complex ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Step . ▁It ▁was ▁when ▁clim bing ▁this ▁small ▁prom ont ory ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁sp otted ▁from ▁below ▁by ▁Od ell , ▁who ▁assumed ▁that , ▁since ▁they ▁were ▁asc ending , ▁they ▁must ▁therefore ▁have ▁been ▁on ▁the ▁Second ▁Step , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁difficult ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁would ▁still ▁be ▁clim bing ▁from ▁so ▁low ▁down ▁at ▁a ▁time — five ▁hours ▁late — that ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁turn - around ▁hour . ▁Des c ending ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁Step , ▁the ▁two ▁continued ▁down ▁when , ▁at ▁