RetiredF4
It's entirely possible they would push the boundaries of 'normal' hand flying, but in this case, as I mentioned, ahead and a tad to the right is the highest point, and that timeline at say, 230kts, is better counted in seconds rather than minutes.
It does seem the aircraft had attained, or nearly so, its requested alt. I just don't buy guys of this caliber making a fatal assumption that the valley would have an open end. I think they both thought they were to the side of the main mass.
(Obviously opposite sides, from respective view-points.)
There is still the possibility of a serious malfunction at a crucial moment.
We are reliant on black box information to get much further, and in particular, voice recordings, but this thread has already been of great value to those with a sincere desire to learn.