Have anyone read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer?
Its about climbing mount Everest and how things went terribly wrong up there.
If you have, did you like it or not?

thanks

Alex

Redflare,

Loved the book. I picked it up after watching the ABC Movie and assorted nmews reports. Beck Weathers (the Doctor with frostbite) lives in the DFW area so our local papers carried extra material.

I found his story to be inspiring - he seemed to have willed himself to survive.

Krakauer doesn't pull a lot of punches in the book - particularly when questioning the judgement of taking inexperienced people up to the mountain because its the 'in thing" (i.e., the NY socialite who was 'carried' and dragged up the mountain by the sherpas when they could have been working on more useful tasks).

After reading it, I gave up my dream of climbing Everest. I'm not going to be in the condition needed to complete the trip, and I'm darned if I would put others' lives at risk just so that I could brag about it.

It is a good book but you will need to read The Climb by Anatloi Boukreve (I think I blew the spelling on that). Into Thin Air put a lot of accusation Anatoli's way and he was more of a hero than a JK reports.
Climing 8000 meter peaks will never be safe even when it is relatively easy.

I just got back from the base camp after few weeks in Everest region. I read the book as it is probably mandatory handbook before you leave for Nepal. I worked out of base camp for a while with Himalayan Rescue Group and I saw condition of climbers that were coming down after attempting to clear the path or carry over supplies to camp 2 and 3 for final push later. I saw what lack of O2 can do and being paramedic in NYC I found how typical stuff we do in back home could not be done due to shortage of equipment or manpower. It seems that everyone has an opinion about "Into thin air". It seems that everyone loves to be a monday morning quarterback. Yes mistakes were made and it seems that pride costed people lives and limbs. But it happens everyday on Everest and we just don't hear about it. It is my dream to climb Everest one day but that can wait. Getting to the top is 1/3 of the fun. Trying to get back down is a totally different story and that's where problems start. Ethics, honor and friendship have little different meaning up there. People are driven up by their need of personal accomplishment and most likely after group pays $70000 for a climbing permit very few would give up the spot to help somebody since it would most likely cost them the ascent. Also sherpas are needed since they carry the supplies and lead sherpa is in charge of the route which even if laid out by previous team it is still better to be cleared thru by experienced guide. When I was on the mountain about 10 climbers died and 3 sherpas.


As a matter of fact two days before I left Australian climber was left behind to die by his teammates and was found by American climber Dan Mazur who gave up his chance to climb Everest so he can save this guy. This called for review of ethics and practices of high priced expeditions. Will it change something? No. But after endless talks with climbers both who made it and didn't it's not how much you can endure. It is about knowing when to quit.

I watched 2 shows recently on Everest (Insomnia - they were back to back and finished at 4am). Anyway, the first one went into some amazing ethical questions faced by climbers on their way up running into dying climbers. I was continually amazed at the situational ethics and, in particular, the ability to rationalize the fact that if someone was 'near death' that it was just as ethical to move forward and leave them behind as if they were dead. Simply incredible.

The second one then went into how on a historical expedition to find out if Hillary wasn't truly the first to the top saved 2 sets of climbers from death (1 did die on the mountain, but he was too far gone I guess).

I can't believe the incredible hubris that is involved in climbing Everest. In the Death Zone, there are a lot of people who have no business being up there. Money alone is why they even get the chance at bragging rights.

It takes a hardened soul to do what these people did, and from the sound of it, it's business as usual on the rock. I wouldn't ever want to put myself into a position where I might have to make the choice between completing a very expensive personal goal and saving another person's life. I know which I'd choose. Even though these people have to live with their choices, I find it to be an impressive show of will. And I suppose that in reality, those who died had nobody to blame but themselves. They know what they are getting into when going up. I find it all rather fascinating.

I agree with Brian, read both for sure. If you really want to get a perspective on Everest climbing and where it has degenerated to, read Americans on Everest from the 1963 Expedition, Everest, the West Ridge, Everest, North Face and the book on the 1953 expedition Conquest of Everest. Today it is fashionable and there are "guide" services that will do the logistics to get nearly anyone to Everest for a price. While I can totally understand the desire for a person to want to reach the summit of Everest, I also feel many do not earn the right to get there by years of hard work learning mountaineering techniques and being invited to be on an expedition. Many mountains are available to "climbers" today, all for a price and not much emphysis on skills and ability.
Many that attempt Everest today pay around $70K plus the puchase of personal equipment to get there. Consider also that most novice ( and many expert) mountaineers are not always in any physical or mental state to be helpful to a stranded climber when they are at 27,000 ft plus. It is amazing to me how someone can even consider a rescue at those altitudes with little or no help. Not to mention the loss of their own chance which they paided a considerable sum to attain.
To understand the evolution of high-altitude climbing, read the 1953 and 1963 books, then read a current one such as Into Thin Air. The periods of acclimitization and the oxygen provided to modern Everest climbers is way below the levels that the original climbs were accomplished. Sure, there have been many now that have been to the top of the world without any oxygen but to someone that has been over 20,000 feet without oxygen, I cannot imagine going 9,000 feet higher over more techincally challenging terrain!
If you really want a perspective on Himalayan climbing, read some books on Annapurna and K2, both far more techincally difficult than Everest. Thankfully, no one offers climbs of those peaks for a price. They have maintained their appeal as mountains for true mountaineers.

There's a lot I have never understood about fools and money.

Just within the past few weeks, a local woman finally made it to the top of Everest... on the third try. So that's about $120,000 plus equipment? To climb a rock?

"Because it's there" isn't good enough. I doubt that the "challenge" or all the other reasons usually offered have much to do with it. If the status value were removed, how many people would be climbing Everest?

Is it any different from the sorry people who feel the need to buy expensive cars, uncommon breeds of dogs or cats, or exotic pets or $15,000 watches, or a big hulking AWD SUV that doesn't have a scratch on it? Isn't it just another pathetic way to say, "Look at me! Look what I did! Look how wonderful I am!"?

I've heard that the trail to the top of Everest is littered with dead bodies. When I hear of yet another person dying trying to "conquer" Everest, I just shake my head and wonder at the pathetic people who have such low self-esteem that they are driven to do something that is so.... inconsequential.

$120,000 to feed your ego and impress your friends.

Pathetic.

Sue

I agree. We'll remember Hillary and Norgay because they were the first, and Mallory and Irvine because they died trying to be the first. The current crop are just tourists. Ugh.

Having just finished "Into Thin Air", I'm resurrecting this post. I'm not going to pass any judgments on the people, but rather am more interested in the equipment that is used on an Everest expedition. Obviously, I'm never going to buy an oxygen system, or most any of the other gear they use, but am curious about what makes and models of gear are up to that task.

I did a little googling, and found this company. Hopefully this will give you a starting point in your research...