As the trekkers struggle with the arduous terrain, the division of alliances among them becomes noticeable. When the Mountain's Keeper observes the group's slow pace, she offers a proposition to help them stay on track to reach the summit in time, but not without both individual and collective consequences.

As the trekkers hit the halfway mark on their journey and venture toward the snow line, a divide in pace emerges within the group. After a daunting rappelling obstacle down a 500-foot vertical rock face, the group learns that they have broken a fundamental rule of THE SUMMIT – that the group must travel together at all times – and having ignored the Mountain's Keeper's repeated warnings, must endure the game-changing consequences.