The overall punishment in this novel comes in two parts. The first part is a massive storm; which causes the second part: mass loss of life. The storm could be seen as Sagaramatha's punishment for humanities' transgressions, while the loss of life could be seen as just a result of their actions.

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The choices made in phase one resulted in Everest killing "twelve men and women in the spring of 1996, the worst single-season death toll since climbers first set foot on the peak seventy-five years ago." (Into Thin Air page 283). This loss of life is only the death toll for the course of the book. According to The Sun, Everest has claimed a total of 307 lives since 1922. This is the punishment for hubris and disrespecting Mount Everest. People die because they underestimate the mountain, or overestimate themselves.