Book Review: Into Thin Air
One of the best narratives I’ve come across lately, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a must-read for adventure seekers and dreamers alike. Chronicling the 1996 Mount Everest disaster in which a record number of people died, Krakauer combines his personal perspective as a climber on the trip with his journalism skills to create a book that I couldn’t put down. In fact, I haven’t been so absorbed in a book since Three Cups of Tea.
Home in Seattle, Washington, Krakauer received a call from Outside magazine, wanting the journalist to visit Everest Base Camp. Interested in an on-site report on the effects of the commercialization of Everest, the editor made an offer that dredged up childhood dreams; as a boy Krakauer had often envisioned himself climbing to the peak of the world’s tallest mountain. Realizing that Base Camp wouldn’t be good enough, to go so far only to be stopped short of achieving his boyhood dream, Krakauer tried negotiating to be sent to the summit. Initially, the magazine denied his request; the outlay of nearly $60,000 crossed their budgetary threshold. Several months later, however, Outside magazine again called Krakauer- they had arranged to trade advertising space for his spot on a climbing expedition. His dreams of summiting Everest were about to come true.
His book takes the reader on a journey from Seattle to Kathmandu into the foothills of Everest. The adventure takes off during the ten day hike to Base Camp, slowly acclimatizing to the changes in altitude. Once in Base Camp proper, the preparatory period began, making forays up and down the lower reaches of the summit: Moving between Camps One, Two, and Three, returning to Base Camp between each trek, again acclimatizing the climbers’ bodies to the oxygen depleted air above 20,000 feet.
It was during this time that the various politics, competitive natures and ulterior motives of some of the expeditions present that summer came to light. Krakauer does a masterful job of stripping away the veneer of what seems a simple objective on the surface- to climb the mountain and return safely. And for most expeditions at Base Camp that year, that was the true goal. Yet, some of the expedition leaders had motives that went beyond the safety of their clients and the integrity of their stated missions. For some it was publicity to increase business (Krakauer wasn’t the only journalist on Everest that year); for others it was prestige; for another expedition leader it was about using misappropriated funds for his own benefit.
The strife that arose due to these conflicting motives was apparent before the summit attempts started. And while most leaders attempted to work together to increase safety for their clients, some were unwilling to play ball, caring only about their own endeavors. Even with the subtle foreshadowing uncovered by the mismatched personalities and objectives, only in retrospect do the warning signs glare at us like neon lights. For no one could have predicted what was to happen the night of May 10th.
Three teams left Camp Four, the final rest stop before the summit bid, in the hours just after midnight. Making their way up the mountain, the volume of people caused traffic jams at tricky spots that required climbers to move through one at a time. In other places, delays in installing safety ropes caused other slow downs. Some climbers burned through their supplemental oxygen supplies too quickly, requiring guides to share their tanks, and still other expedition members were overly exhausted from the preceding weeks of preparation. Stronger mountaineers moved faster, were soon too far ahead of their group, and had to stop to wait for the others to catch up; weaker climbers fell behind, slowing the entire group down. All-in-all, the ascent was taking too long. At the appointed turn around hour, only six climbers out of the thirty four that had left Camp Four that morning were at the top of the world. But the guides didn’t turn anyone around. The groups kept inching their way up.
That afternoon, a storm silently worked its way over the peak, obscuring the route back to safety. Some of the faster expedition members were able to make it back to camp (they were well ahead of the group when the storm broke), but the slower climbers were caught out in the blizzard overnight. It had moved in so swiftly and silently there was little anyone could do but hunker down in whatever shelter was offered and wait for the storm to break. Completely exhausted from the exertion of ascending and descending the highest mountain in the world, the climbers could barely stay awake. Those with some stamina left in them attempted to keep the others moving, to keep their blood flowing, in an attempt to keep them from succumbing to the intense negative temperatures. Freezing winds ripped through their clothes, and the terror of dying on the exposed mountain pushed the extent of their sanity.
By the time the storm broke, late that night, only one climber was capable of movement. He found the camp, called for a search party, and collapsed in his tent. Most of the other hikers had already passed out, drained, from their return hours earlier. And Camp Four was still high enough that oxygen was scarce, causing lethargy in even the heartiest mountaineer. One guide went alone to search for the lost climbers, but he could only bring back those who could move under their own power. Going out again in the morning, taking a larger search party with him, they were able to rescue a larger number of the debilitated climbers. But not everyone was alive at that point. It was around this time that Krakauer’s expedition realized three members of their group were even higher up on the mountain, stranded in place by the severe storm. Those three never made it down. Other groups suffered losses as well. All told, Everest took the lives of twelve climbers in the month of May, 1996.
This story is interesting from so many perspectives. It makes a great case study in ethical considerations including expedition leadership, man’s desire to conquer nature, the qualifications of climbers, the treatment of pristine environments, and one’s duty of care to others in need. And while the event itself was catastrophic and tragic, moving, inspirational stories arose from the ashes. At least one person, Beck Weathers, was left for dead on multiple occasions; yet, he managed to pull himself away from the brink and return to camp under his own power. The attempt to move him down the mountain and obtain medical care started a chain reaction of more amazing feats and individual bravery that transcended my expectations. Quite frankly, it gave me a spark of hope that in our individualistic culture of today, people still care for each other.
And while I have no (nor have I ever had) personal drive to summit Mount Everest, this story has inspired me to visit Nepal, to make the trek from the foothills, through the local villages, to Base Camp. I want to experience the Sherpa culture, explore the unique region, and soak in the unspoiled beauty Krakauer described in the first few chapters of his book. Though the event was a tragedy, I can’t help but be inspired and motivated by this incredible story.
