Wow, this last page is golden! Great posts!
I do agree that some (especially the GM) might consider everyone dying in the Mountains a downer, but I really love the narratives of Roleplaying Games as they remind me of the old “Story Without a Hero”-comics, were you could really be surprised! (And actually get involved emotionally) 
I also think that hard choices is what define characters.
(I’ll just remind everyone that I wasn’t even fishing for a test, but I do agree that something other than “You all die” could have been a cooler failure clause.)
Also, it’s not fair to expect the GM to have a 100% record in determining intent, Ob., failiures, etc…
I was a cool scene, which we still reference. (The player with the wet clothes earned a trait.)