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The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
The Climb Tragic Ambitions on Everest
Author: Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt
As the climbers of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster vanished into thin air, one man had the courage to bring them down alive... — On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by expert leaders attempted to scale the world's largest peak. But things went terribly wrong. Crowded conditions, bad judgement, and a bitter storm stopped many climbers...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780312965334
ISBN-10: 0312965338
Publication Date: 7/15/1998
Pages: 297
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 47

3.6 stars, based on 47 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
"One of the most amazing rescues in mountaineering history, performed single-handedly a few hours after climbing Everest without oxygen by a man some describe as the Tiger Woods of Himalayan climbing."-Wall Street Journal.

This is another account of the ill fated 1996 Everest distaster that Jon Krakauer wrote about. Anotoly is a climbing stud and fully documents how he went about assisting in the rescue of numerous individuals in the danger zone. It's not as good of a read as Krakauer's book, "Into Thin Air," but a good read nonetheless.
reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a story of the famous May 10th 1996 Mt. Everest expedition told from the perspective of Anatoli Boukreev, head mountain guide for Mountain Madness (run by Scott Fisher). His love and respect for the mountain show through. His concern for safety and his efforts that saved 3 people make this book unique.
maurac23 avatar reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on
Helpful Score: 1
excellent first person account of climb to everest.
buzzby avatar reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 6062 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is an account from an expedition done at the same time as the one in Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air."
Sandiinmississippi avatar reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 265 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
'96 climb on Everest and the fatalities and injuries spurred a lot of books. I found this one the most informative. It made sense and was well written. Diagrams also showed positions on the mountain and how the pile-up of lost climbers started. I found the information about the business side of mounting a client-based climb fascinating. Compared to Jon Krakauer's rather thin account, this one has a lot more detail and makes sense in terms of motivations. Strange that a mainly Russian speaking, non-author seemed to have more insight into the clients than a professional adventure writer! Exciting book.
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rubberducky avatar reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 79 more book reviews
Interesting in the context of another perspective on the 1996 Everest disaster, but it frequently reads like a 255 page disclaimer. If you're interested in understanding what went wrong on Everest in 1996, there are several firsthand accounts - this book included - both written & in film. I suggest looking at all of them that are available to you, with an eye to understanding, rather than to assigning blame.
reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 191 more book reviews
This is an excellent book for anyone who likes adventure and climbing. An intense story of the climb up Everest, the terrible storm that happened and the tragic consequences. An incredible story of the heroism of this one climber. Well written by one of the greatest mountain climbers of all time.
WyomingAnne avatar reviewed The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest on + 9 more book reviews
In 1996 one of the worst mountain climbing disasters that ever occurred on Mt. Everest took place. This tale of death and near death has been told and retold a number of times. With too many people who have paid large sums of money trying to reach the top, disastrous weather conditions, and bad judgments, loss of life was inevitable. It can be argued, that some of these deaths were needless, and that other actions would have brought other outcomes. If you are going to read only one book about this disaster, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is considered one of the best, and if I had to choose between Krakauer's book and Anatoli Boukreev's The Climb, I would choose Into Thin Air. Still, there are often two sides to a story, and Krakauer heavily criticized the actions of Boukreeve in his telling. The Climb gives you another perspective on what happened, showing Anatoli Boukreeve as more of a hero than someone who could have done more as Krakauer alleges. He stepped into the storm and rescued three of his own clients, bringing them down alive in a raging storm. Yet, could he have saved others? People who were not part of his expedition? This is the crux of the criticisms levied against Anatoli. This book, in many ways, feels like Anitoli trying to defend himself against Krakauers criticisms, but if you would like to hear more of the story, from another point of view, then I would recommend reading this book. When you are done, you can try to make your own judgment on what really happened.


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