What Exactly Happens After You Die? This Guy Has Some Answers.

The summer he was 16, Sebastian Junger tried to save the boy who was trapped under the ice, but the boy wasn’t there. Seb—that’s what everyone called him—was climbing high in the Alps with a group of kids his age, part of a summer outdoors camp typical for teenagers in France, where his family lived at the time. Seb was a good climber. He was comfortable out there, the ice thick under his crampons, his body—strong and experienced for his age—sweating in the cold mountain air. Ice ax in his hand, rope wrapped tightly around his waist, intertwined with the rest of the group. They made their way down a particularly nasty ice chute, a slippery gully that would be the most challenging few hundred yards of the multiday trip. It was tricky for him and even for the guide. But they made it, steadily and carefully, to the bottom, where they rested on a large rock outcropping. They were taking off their crampons and drinking water when they heard voices from the top of the gully. It was a group of two dozen French boy scouts, a couple years younger, and Seb could see that they were going at it all wrong: disorganized, underequipped. Then one of the kids who was farther back slipped and slid into the others, triggering a human avalanche down the chute, a ghastly mass of arms and legs and snow and ice hurtling out of control to the bottom. Within seconds, the boys crashed just a few yards in front of Seb and his group, landing headfirst in a deep pile of heavy, wet snow, limbs sticking out at grotesque angles. Seb’s group could hear the muted screams of the boys buried underneath. “Trois minutes,” Seb’s guide said. Three minutes. That was how long the children could breathe under there before they would die. [View in Browser]( [Men's Health]( [SHOP]( [MVP EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Alternate text] [What Exactly Happens After You Die? This Guy Has Some Answers.]( [What Exactly Happens After You Die? This Guy Has Some Answers.]( [The summer he was 16, Sebastian Junger tried to save the boy who was trapped under the ice, but the boy wasn’t there. Seb—that’s what everyone called him—was climbing high in the Alps with a group of kids his age, part of a summer outdoors camp typical for teenagers in France, where his family lived at the time. Seb was a good climber. He was comfortable out there, the ice thick under his crampons, his body—strong and experienced for his age—sweating in the cold mountain air. Ice ax in his hand, rope wrapped tightly around his waist, intertwined with the rest of the group. They made their way down a particularly nasty ice chute, a slippery gully that would be the most challenging few hundred yards of the multiday trip. It was tricky for him and even for the guide. But they made it, steadily and carefully, to the bottom, where they rested on a large rock outcropping. They were taking off their crampons and drinking water when they heard voices from the top of the gully. It was a group of two dozen French boy scouts, a couple years younger, and Seb could see that they were going at it all wrong: disorganized, underequipped. Then one of the kids who was farther back slipped and slid into the others, triggering a human avalanche down the chute, a ghastly mass of arms and legs and snow and ice hurtling out of control to the bottom. Within seconds, the boys crashed just a few yards in front of Seb and his group, landing headfirst in a deep pile of heavy, wet snow, limbs sticking out at grotesque angles. Seb’s group could hear the muted screams of the boys buried underneath. “Trois minutes,” Seb’s guide said. Three minutes. That was how long the children could breathe under there before they would die.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Change Up Your Fatherhood Game With Our 2024 Dad Gear Awards]( [Change Up Your Fatherhood Game With Our 2024 Dad Gear Awards]( [From rugged running strollers to throwback Lego projects, here's your toolbox for fatherhood.]( [READ MORE]( [This Military-Inspired Workout Program Builds Strength and Muscle]( [This Military-Inspired Workout Program Builds Strength and Muscle]( [This plan from former Army officer and trainer Erik Bartell is designed to challenge you to be your best.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Take Up to 50% the Best Course Essentials From Amazon’s Golf Sale]( [Take Up to 50% the Best Course Essentials From Amazon’s Golf Sale]( [Save big on brands like Under Armour, Adidas, Callaway, and more.]( [READ MORE]( [If You Want to Be Our Next Ultimate Guy, the Time to Apply Is Now]( [If You Want to Be Our Next Ultimate Guy, the Time to Apply Is Now]( [Find out how you could get featured in our December issue.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [61 Cool Gifts for Dads That Will Arrive by Father's Day]( [61 Cool Gifts for Dads That Will Arrive by Father's Day]( [These gifts are way more creative than ties.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [14 Movies You Had No Idea Were Based on Comics]( [14 Movies You Had No Idea Were Based on Comics]( [Some of the most original movies out there (including both 'Old' and 'Oldboy'!) have drawn inspiration from surprising sources.]( [READ MORE]( The Best of Men's Health [The Ultimate Guide to Staying Fit for the Rest of Your Life]( [The Ultimate Guide to Staying Fit for the Rest of Your Life]( [READ MORE]( [This 4-Week Workout Program Will Shred Your Dad Bod]( [This 4-Week Workout Program Will Shred Your Dad Bod]( [READ MORE]( [READ MORE]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Prevention Embrace Your Emotions]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Men's Health is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779