I've read Roskelley in years past. Not sure offhand of the others you mention. I've read, and met Chris Bonington at the American Alpine Club in NYC.Originally Posted by Cheap Shot
I've read Roskelley in years past. Not sure offhand of the others you mention. I've read, and met Chris Bonington at the American Alpine Club in NYC.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I’ve read Blood on the Risers a long time ago. It’s a good book. Into Thin Air was outstanding. Sadly it shows what happens when safety protocols in a dangerous environment aren’t followed.
Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
Into Thin Air was outstanding. Sadly it shows what happens when safety protocols in a dangerous environment aren’t followed.[/QUOTE]
The failure to follow the safety protocols was, sadly, the mistake that doomed them. However, IMO, the attitude (it can't happen to me/us) that enabled them to THINK they could get away with it was the final straw. They MIGHT have survived IF the perfect combination of horrible weather and the aforementioned breach of protocols hadn't occurred simultaneously. Jon Krakauer has taken much flak for writing the book so soon after the tragedy. It would seem possible that he just might have saved some lives by doing so. Again, FWIW, only my opinion.
Last edited by 11B10; 04-10-2019 at 06:17 PM.
No the fault is mine, and my poor communication skills. I agree Krakauer is a great writer. My issue with "Into the Wild " was he seemed to glamorize and ignore poor decision making, incompetence, and perhaps a slightly mentally challenged young man.
It was a well crafted story but I disagreed with Krakauers interpretations and explanations. Sometimes it seemed he was writing more to get a movie deal than tell the truth.
However, there is no doubt Krakauer did infinitely more research than I've done, and I could be not only wrong but doing a disservice to Krakauer and the unfortunate young man the story was about.
Some other mountaineering books I've enjoyed
https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Void...s%2C222&sr=8-1
Touching the Void
"Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.
The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall, but crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching base camp hours before Yates had planned to leave." from amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Conquistadors...s%2C198&sr=8-1
Conquistadors of the Useless Lionel Terray
" If my library was to somehow catch fire and I could save one book, the long out of print Conquistadors of the Useless, by Lionel Terray, would be it. The great news for readers is that this classic book has finally been reissued by The Mountaineers...[Terray] is someone you will wish you had a chance to know and learn from -- about nature, the mountains and the human spirit. Explore magazine"
The failure to follow the safety protocols was, sadly, the mistake that doomed them. However, IMO, the attitude (it can't happen to me/us) that enabled them to THINK they could get away with it was the final straw. They MIGHT have survived IF the perfect combination of horrible weather and the aforementioned breach of protocols hadn't occurred simultaneously. Jon Krakauer has taken much flak for writing the book so soon after the tragedy. It would seem possible that he just might have saved some lives by doing so. Again, FWIW, only my opinion.[/QUOTE]
I crossed paths with one of the people that survived the climb and is in the book, Lou Kasischke. Mr Kasischke turned back from summitting when he could have made it.
A number of years afterward he along with a couple hundred other people and I were a participating at a noncompetitive XC ski event. What I remember about him was how humble and encouraging he was with other participants who were struggling physically on the course. He was an elite endurance athlete who dialed it down for the benefit of others. Very much a class act who elevated those around him.
I crossed paths with one of the people that survived the climb and is in the book, Lou Kasischke. Mr Kasischke turned back from summitting when he could have made it.
A number of years afterward he along with a couple hundred other people and I were a participating at a noncompetitive XC ski event. What I remember about him was how humble and encouraging he was with other participants who were struggling physically on the course. He was an elite endurance athlete who dialed it down for the benefit of others. Very much a class act who elevated those around him.[/QUOTE]
So glad you had the opportunity. He does sound like a class act.
Last edited by 11B10; 04-10-2019 at 08:29 PM.
For climbing/mountaineering books: If you can find it, grab "The Great Climbing Adventure" by John Barry. British author with a very British sense of humor and stiff upper lip outlook. I could only find it on Amazon UK though. It was published in 1985 and is out of print for a while. Also "We Aspired" by Pete Sinclair, https://www.amazon.com/We-Aspired-La.../dp/1607815656 , about American mountaineering particularly in the Tetons. There are some comments that the "published on demand" version at Amazon has some glitches so choose wisely. And, anything be David Roberts.
Thanks for recommending it. Matterhorn has to be one of the best books that I have read in years.
If we have to march off into the next world, let us walk there on the bodies of our enemies.
Very welcome, Stephanie. Glad to hear this.
There's nothing civil about this war.
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