Two mountaineers died in an unsuccessful attempt to scale the Choga Sar in the Himalayas. That ill-fated expedition is now the subject of a libel trial. Captain Piers Bowman who led the climb alleged in a TV documentary that the men died as a result of the cowardly and negligent behaviour of fellow climber Dennis Wainwright. Wainwright argues the allegations were false: he behaved completely properly in dreadful conditions and the men's deaths could not have been prevented. He suggests Bowman has made the claims because he is unable to cope with failure and is looking for a scapegoat.

Dr. Abel tells the court about the benefits of oxygen at altitude but refuses to be drawn on Dennis Wainright's case. Capt. Bowman reiterates his accusation of cowardice. He claims that Wainwright lied about Nielsen dying in a fall.

Joseph Berenson says climber Stephen McPhail had been dead for days despite a lack of evidence. John Lloyd accuses Bowman, Berenson and Westlake of conspiring to apportion blame on Wainwright for Bowman's failures that led to two deaths.