Here is a concise summary of the story:
**Title:** The Day I Almost Died
**Story:** The narrator recounts a near-death experience from 2008 when he and his friend Graham attempted to climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere (22,841 ft), with minimal preparation, no guide, and no GPS. Despite extreme altitude sickness, exhaustion, and passing their designated turnaround time, they pushed to summit, crossing the line from risk to recklessness. They successfully reached the top on Christmas Day but not without severe physical costs. The narrator reflects on the stupidity of their actions, driven by a reckless desire to prove themselves, and acknowledges the immense luck in their survival. For a brief moment (4:06 p.m., Christmas Day 2008), they were the highest humans on Earth, as the Himalayas were in winter.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences:
1. The narrator climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with friends, including Graham, in 2007.
2. After Kilimanjaro, the narrator and Graham decided to climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere.
3. Aconcagua is 22,841 feet tall, located in Chile, and considered an incredibly dangerous mountain.
4. In January 2009, just days after the narrator and Graham left the mountain, five climbers died on Aconcagua.
5. The narrator and Graham had minimal preparation and no training before attempting to climb Aconcagua.
6. They chose to climb without porters, guides, or GPS, relying on a map and pencil.
7. Their goal was to summit the mountain on Christmas Day, 2008.
8. The turnaround time for their climb was set at 2:00 p.m., but they exceeded this time to reach the summit.
9. The narrator experienced altitude-related blackouts and extreme fatigue near the summit.
10. Despite being two hours past their turnaround time, they successfully summited Aconcagua on Christmas Day, 2008, at 4:06 p.m.
11. At the time of their summit, they were the tallest humans on Earth, as the Himalayas (the only taller mountain range) were in winter, preventing climbers from ascending.
12. Graham took a bad fall on the descent but was not seriously injured.
13. The climb had a profound impact on the narrator, who reflects on the recklessness of their decision and the potential costs to their health and safety.