Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest DisasterAnchor Books, 1998 - 378 pages When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds... "Into Thin Air" is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step by step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has his readers shaking on the edge of their seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is is about Everest that has compelled so many poeple--including himself--to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense? Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement. |
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acclimatization altitude Anatoli Boukreev Andy Harris arrived ascent Athans Beck Weathers bottled oxygen Breashears breathing Camp Four Camp Three clients climb Everest climbers climbing Sherpa Cotter crampons descend Dorje Doug Hansen Ed Viesturs feet Fischer's team fixed line fixed ropes glacier Hall's team Herrod Hillary Step Himalayan ice ax Icefall IMAX Jangbu John Taske JON KRAKAUER Kangshung Face Khumbu later leader Lhakpa Lhotse Face looked Lopsang Lou Kasischke Madsen Makalu Makalu Gau Mike Groom minutes morning moun Mountain Madness Nepal Ngawang night peak Pete Schoening Pheriche radio reached the summit Rob Hall rock route Sandy Pittman says Scott Fischer Seattle Sherpa Sherpa Nepal sirdar slope snow South African South Col South Summit Southeast Ridge started storm summit of Everest supplemental oxygen Taiwanese teammates tent Tenzing Tibet tion told turned Viesturs waiting walk who'd wind Woodall yaks Yasuko Namba