The primary error is almost always in judgment and making bad decisions. The victim was very frank about his bad decisions. But people make bad decisions a lot, and sometimes things happen that are out of your control, and you need the basic equipment to keep yourself alive. He stated that he did not want to carry a "40 pound backpack" and most of our posts have been about how much lighter and smaller than that you can get and still provide good protection. Carrying insufficient gear was not the "real problem", but he could improve the gear he carries and be safer and more survivable. That is the intent of these posts.

It is not an either/or proposition. You need to have good training, pay attention and make good decisions. But you also need to be "equipped to survive", especially at such altitudes and in winter.