here's another prospect theory.....perhaps kelly had trust and faith in his fellow climbers in their recovery efforts that he didn't want to worry his family so he didn't call immediately. he tried to wait it out waiting on help to return, thus, when he realized help was either taking too long with his worsening condition or possibly not coming, he notified his family. we know he didn't tell them he was hurt thus again shielding them of the reality of his true injured condition other than not doing well.
has anyone has thought more about the comment of two sets of footprints being close together like possibly someone was helping an injured? do you think there was any possibility that in the same situation as kelly got hurt, another one of the climbers did as well? which only left 2 of them and an explanation as to why some equipment was left behind in one of the caves. we know the statements from the phone call say kelly said brian was in town looking for help and nikko was on an airplane. possibly he could have meant brian went down to look for help and nikko was on an airplane meaning he didn't survive, but yet was shielding telling his family of this info so they didn't worry or possibly a bad connection and airplane or avalanche? i personally don't think he was that incoherant. i agree with some of the other posters who said he was coherant enough to dial the correct #'s, say what he had left in his food pack, etc. to be so far off on the airplane comment.