Into Thin Air

Awhile ago I finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and have only recently written a review for it.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mt. Everest is the highest mountain on Earth with it's peak at 29,035 feet high (from the National Geographic Society). Many have reached the top, but more have tried and failed. Into Thin Air is somewhere in-between success and failure. The story is from the point of view of the author, Jon Krakauer, and how he takes part in the climb of Everest.



Into Thin Air takes place in May of 1996, and starts with the aspirations of Jon Krakauer. In his youth he enjoyed climbing and reached the peak of many low altitude mountains. He dreamed of climbing Everest one day, but as he got older he became involved with other things and, for the most part, stopped climbing. He got married and became a journalist. He went for years without climbing, but when he got a chance to climb Everest he took it without missing a beat. Outside magazine wanted him to do an article about the "mushrooming commercialization of the mountain." Jon ended up going with Rob Hall's team* and soon flew to Tibet to meet with them. They started the acclimatization process (or getting used to the thin air on the high mountain).



The ascent to the peak went well for the most part. The greatest problems they had were with cooperating with other teams. This continued through most of the climb upward. They argued about who would climb first, which path to take, and other things like that. It wasn't until they reached the peak that the serious and more dangerous problems began.



Nobody recognized the storm clouds that appeared right before the final ascent to the top for what they really were. Most of the climbers could not think straight from the lack of oxygen at the high altitude. Almost all of the climbers on Rob Hall's team reached the top, but they had started the climb later than they had planned and everyone climbed at their own pace. The team became spread out across the top of the mountain, and when the storm hit many became lost. The wind blasted across the mountain at temperatures well below zero. Some of the climbers froze after becoming to cold to move farther down the mountain. There were a few amazing survivors who were miraculously saved, but the climb was a disaster.



Jon Krakauer tells this story with as many details as possible. He interviewed many people who survived soon after the climb and used pictures in the book that he took himself on the mountain. This was something that I really liked about the book. I also liked out Jon didn't so much judge people on their personality or how they looked as much as their climbing skill and past experiences. On page 39: "I wasn't sure what to make of my fellow clients. In outlook and experience they were nothing like the hard-core climbers with whom I usually went into the mountains." It was also really inspiring to read about how some of the clients worked their hardest to get to the top and to survive. On page 264: "Although Beck was blind in his right eye and able to focus his left eye within a radius of only 3 or 4 feet, he started walking directly into the wind..."



I think that this book was written for people who wanted the most full account possible of what happened in May 1996. Others who might want to read it include action readers or those interested in taking up mountain climbing. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy an action/adventure book. There is lots of foreshadowing and building up of suspense. It also teaches a couple of concepts: 1. There is a significant difference in the air we breath and the air higher up in the atmosphere and 2. You can spend your whole life doing something and still not completely be prepared for it. If I were able to ask the author one question it would be: How do you feel about the experience you had now?



*At first, Jon was going to climb with Scott Fischer's team, but Outside magazine received a better offer from Rob Hall.



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