Another tidbit, someone on the climbers' forum who was part of the summit rescue team said that in the large cave where James was found, there was not enough equipment, or the right kind of equipment, to survive for any amount of time up there in the cold and at altitude. I guess the fact that they packed only for a fast and light climb ended up leaving them in a very precarious situation.
Collecting and reposting these snippets from roamer_1 for clarity:
What seems most likely is that the first "cave" they found was a protected belay position or anchor-end for a traverse, and that James was there awaiting his turn (perhaps on belay). Perhaps a piece of the cornice broke away, perhaps there was a slip, or an avalanche...
While James survived, he was horribly injured and left his station without collecting his various gear, and made his way to the only shelter available- The snow cave from the previous night.
If those picks are James' (which is likely), the fact they were both out indicates he was healthy at the time, and using two arms. I believe he was on belay, and something happened to sweep the line down the hill with enough force to hurt him if his hand/arm was caught in a coil.
If they were on a long line, belay can last quite a while, so it is not uncommon to shelter the position and pull out your ground pad to sit upon while one belay...
The ice axes are what bother me. nobody would leave them behind on purpose. They come in pairs and are used in each hand. One sinks each axe into the snow/ice, then kicks in each foot. It is awfully hard going without one's axes, especially if breaking new route. The only time they would be laid aside is by the belayor, as he is anchored off, and they are not necessary then. If they are James' axes, he was probably on belay.