This book is about Beck Weathers who was on the expedition in May 1996 to Mount Everest when a storm blew in and trapped several climbers and killing 8 climbers, some where the best high altitude climbers in the world! He was also in the book "Into Thin Air" that I last read.
Basically Beck was climbing Everest and had some issues with his eyes that prevented him summiting and as he waited where he was instructed to do so by his leader, a severe storm blew in and the conditions were beyond extreme. As he waited the storm basically became so bad that as other climbers were coming down the from the summit he decided he would head back down to the lower camp or else he was going to freeze to death. As a group of climbers grouped together they lost there bearing and didn't know which way to return to camp. They eventually all huddled down and stayed in one place as rescue teams were looking for them in the in blinding conditions. Hours pasted and when they were found the rescuers could not take all the climbers back to camp due to some had lost the ability to walk, which means you basically get left behind. It's every climber for them self and if you cannot man your own power you are in deep trouble and most certain to be left to die only because it is impossible for any rescue climber to carry any other climber at 25,000 feet plus! So Beck was left in the storm to die because he could not walk and he laid there for 22 hours.
Then something inside him woke him up and he got up, blind, frostbit hands and he walked to camp, saving himself. The story goes back into Beck's life and talks about his personal life and how he back involved in climbing as well as it reveals his family life, his wife, son, daughter, in-laws and friends that all have parts in the book, almost like an interview.
It is an easy read and very interesting how Beck survived where he should have died and been #9. How he lost his hands and all the recovery surgery's he underwent to piece him back together after the several frostbit areas and how his life changed after all this.
Amazing, fascinating and intriguing!
Mount Everest!!!
rockon'
3 comments:
I love these kind of books! I might have to read it!
These are the types of books that I love to read. Into Thin Air was one of my favorites by far.
Another book you may like is Krakauer's book about Pat Tillman, "Where Men Win Glory". I thought this was one of the most compelling I have read in a long, long time.
that sounds crazy. i'll check it out!
Post a Comment