On the Ropes

Russell Brice's team of amateur climbers face their first big test. He's set them a five-hour deadline to climb 2,000 feet to the first high camp at the top of a punishing ice cliff. They've each paid $42,000 to summit Everest, but if they fail the time trial they’re off the team and there are no refunds.

Guide Dean Staples is clear about the rules, and is shocked by Betsy's lack of experience. "I think she's quite underprepared because she didn't really know what she was letting herself in for," he says. "You've got to basically be able to get to the North Col in under five hours, and if you can't, then you're not on the summit team."

The climbers from Kazakhstan that the team saw fighting for their lives in the Death Zone the day before are still missing. They radioed for help at 3 a.m. and Russell sent a team of Sherpas to search for them, but there's been no word. Then just after dawn, the radio crackles into life. They've been found in one of Russell's tents, but they're in a bad way.

As Sherpas try to rescue the Kazakhs high on the mountain, the expedition climbers set off for Camp 1. Almost immediately, British climber Rod Baber is in trouble. He's struck by a crippling headache, which could be the first warning sign of acute mountain sickness or even cerebral edema – a swelling of the brain that can kill within minutes.

L.A. journalist Betsy Huelskamp is also struggling to make the five-hour deadline. By any normal standards she's incredibly fit, but the air at 21,000 feet contains less than half the oxygen at sea level and it takes a huge effort just to put one foot in front of the other. Betsy is already in the firing line after Russell discovered she wasn't as experienced a mountaineer as he'd thought, and he's assigned one of his guides to shadow her every move.

Rod Baber just makes Camp 1 within the deadline, but he's in a bad way and faces a very long, uncomfortable night at altitude. As night falls, the Kazakhs arrive at Advance Base Camp alive and aware of how lucky they've been to survive.

Two days later the expedition must climb even higher to acclimatize their bodies to the extreme altitude. Betsy has been allowed one last chance but is it a step too far?

PHOTO: Betsy Huelskamp during her practice climb. Hikers practiced climbing skills with rope support at ABC (Advanced Base Camp).