Charlie Hench sets himself a big challenge before he turns 50--to hike alone through the Sierra Mountains. Things get off to a good start, but when Charlie reaches an elevation of 9,000 feet, a snowstorm suddenly blows in. The amateur hiker is soon out of his depth, lost in a snow-covered landscape, when his foot slips and he crashes over the side of the mountain, landing on a tiny ledge that saves him from falling 500 feet to his death. Alone, trapped, badly injured and freezing, it will be days before anyone even knows Charlie is missing. How will he possibly survive?