Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Into Thin Air by Krakauer

I've read all the books on the 1996 Everest season - "Left for Dead," "The Climb," and "Into Thin Air." All great reads and in order to get a true sense of what it was like, you have to read all three of them...also check out the film "Everest" which was originally done for IMAX and can be found on DVD. The film was done by MacGillivray Freeman.

A few other books I'm fond of are:

"The Boys of Everest" by Clint Willis (as already mentioned above)
"No Shortcuts to the Top" by Ed Viesturs
"Annapurna" by Maurice Herzog
"Dark Summit" by Nick Heil
"High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed" by Michael Kodas
"The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest" by Conrad Anker

These are just to name a few...

you left out a few:

Lene Gammelgaard "Climbing High"

Beck Weathers "Left for Dead"

Matt Dickinson "The Other Side of Everest"

Cathy O'Dowd "Just for the Love of It"

Ken Vernon "Ascent and Dissent"

David Breashears "High Exposure"

Broughton Coburn "Everest, Mountain without Mercy"

Kenneth Kamler "Doctor on Everest : Emergency Medicine at the Top of the World: A Personal Account of the 1996 Disaster"


For quite a long time, I was transfixed by the events of 1996, and was involved with discussion groups that parsed everything written about it. I've met with Jon Krakauer, Beck Weathers, Lene Gammelgaard, Goren Kropp (prior to his untimely death), Ed Viesturs (for whom I'd arranged a speaking tour sponsorship) at length, and David Breashears.......all of whom were on the mountain that day, and corresponded with Sue Thompson, Bruce Herrod's girlfriend.

I'm not sure that I want to go back over the ground that I covered for several years, rehashing the opinions that I'd formed after the above. I'll just say that there is still a lot of info that has not been disclosed, and that it is complicated.

I will say that one of the upshots of Krakauers book, was that some practices on the mountain have changed somewhat, such as the practice of some guide companies of accepting people that they know have no chance of summitting, and not ordering O's for them....although charging for the supplies that don't exist. Krakauer exposed a number of "dirty little secrets" of the elite mountaineering community, and he got slammed because of it (although it was not discussed directly). He was functioning as a journalist on that mountain, and had an experience much like some journalists experience in war.

Wow, I hadnt heard that Boukreeve died. After reading his book recently, I feel like I know him. That is sad news. In his book, one of the Sherpas who was on the 96' team was also killed in the mountains. It really makes me realize just how small and fragile we humans really are.

One of the best practices adopted after the 1996 events was the addition of radios to all clients and guides. Things can get real crazy on summit day and it was wise for the major outfits to start giving radios to all their clients and guides.

I also feel that you have no business being on Everest unless you ascended at least one other 8000+ meter peak and have an extensive climbing resume. I know of several outfits that require you to have training, a climbing resume and keep the ratio of guides to clients smaller for better safety on the mountain.

What we do on Whitney and other 14,000 footers is not as dangerous as what happens to the body/mind at 26,000+ feet, but it still carries risk and I wish more people would be smarter about that. This year will be my first attempt at Whitney, but I've done Yale, Princeton and Pikes Peak in CO - all above 14,000 feet. I'm also doing the required training, training, training and continuing to research, discuss and understand everything that can happen at higher altitudes.

I wish everyone a safe year of climbing on the mountains and hope you take the necessary steps to ensure a safe trip!

MtMike: >A few other books I'm fond of are:

"The Boys of Everest" by Clint Willis (as already mentioned above)
"No Shortcuts to the Top" by Ed Viesturs
"Annapurna" by Maurice Herzog
"Dark Summit" by Nick Heil
"High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed" by Michael Kodas
"The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest" by Conrad Anker

These are just to name a few... <

I just finished watching "Touch the Top of the World" -- based on the autobiography of Erik Weihenmayer, the first and only blind man to summit Everest. I would definitely add it to your list.

B

Thanks Bee - will do!

And any of the other books on the expeditions to search for evidence of Mallory/Irvine's final climb.

If you've read Annapurna by Maurice Herzog, you might find True Summit: What Really Happened on the Legendary Ascent on Annapurna by David Roberts interesting as well.