on march 23, 1963, breitenbach was killed in the collapse of a serac in the khumbu icefall just above everest base camp. the members of the expedition decided to proceed. dyhrenfurth's style of leadership being democratic and team-oriented, he called a meeting, discussed the tragedy, let everyone speak, and when the decision was made to continue, the team remained intact. dyhrenfurth's leadership style included a "commitment to consensus", and he was considered by those who have studied the expedition a "huge asset to the team".