Imager, You done good!! In my opinion, you showed excellent judgement and a sense of responsibility when you stayed with your overburdened companion. I realize that the four who continued to the bottom are friends but, IMHO, they should have been more aware and more solicitous of the less experienced members of the party. They should not have just walked off and left you.

Now that you know what to expect, you can plan a reprise for next year.