Into Thin Air

[Quillback]

May 10 and 11 will be the 30 year anniversary of the Mt. Everest ascent and attempted ascent that cost the lives of 8 people.  The book Into Thin Air is a good read of that day and of the whole process of making that climb.  

[Devan S.]

I really enjoy reading and watching mountaineering. Is it ridiculously unsafe? yes. Dumb? Maybe but its intruiging and I get why people do it. I've always wanted to trek to Everest base camp(no desire to go beyond) but feel like my opportunity and desire as diminishing. 

There are tons of really really good videos(hi def, great sound, no music) of Everest summits on youtube. 

[Nick Adams]

7 hours ago, Quillback said:

Into Thin Air

Here's an article Krakauer just wrote about how Everest has changed since then. It's insane.

Article

[ness]

I read that many years ago. Good book!

[dpitt]

9 hours ago, Quillback said:

May 10 and 11 will be the 30 year anniversary of the Mt. Everest ascent and attempted ascent that cost the lives of 8 people.  The book Into Thin Air is a good read of that day and of the whole process of making that climb.  

Great Book,  John Krakauer was on a morning program this AM and said, he thought all his Everest Guide buddies where going to hate him when he published the book, thinking business would drop because of the danger. He said,  "I was wrong",  they thanked him, business boomed.  There is also an updated version of the book out.   

He also wrote "Into the Wild" good book too. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Al Agnew]

I'm reading "A Walk in the Park", by Kevin Fedarko, right now.  It's about hiking the length of the Grand Canyon, which he and friend did in segments.  To hike the whole length of the canyon is probably on a par with Everest.  Everest climbs have been done by hundreds of people at this point; less than 30 people have ever hiked the length of the canyon.  They started out with extremely poor preparation, and if they hadn't been hiking with 4 other people who were experts, they would have probably died in the first segment; as it was they had to be helped by the others and eventually rescued by one of the others arranging by satellite phone for a paramedic to hike down from the rim and meet them.  That's as far along as I've gotten.  It appears that they learned their lesson and will be well prepared for the next segment.

When Mary and I did our river trip through the length of the canyon, we saw two hikers traversing a ledge a few hundred feet above the river.  We did it in October when the heat was manageable; I can't imagine hiking in the canyon in the warm months.

[Quillback]

I just read A Walk in the Park a few months ago.  It's a good read, very interesting.