The Climb

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling
Review: I'm sorry to say what everyone else has said, but do not read this book without having read Into Thin Air. if you've read that, then definitely read this. The Climb is, in many respects, Anatoli Boukreev's defense against Jon Krakauer's accusations. Krakauer portrays Boukreev as a self-concerned guide who didn't protect his clients. While I loved Into Thin Air, Krakauer shouldn't make such assumptions. The Climb rightfully restores Boukreev's integrity, and it is a wonderful read. The language may not be as elegant as Krakauer's, but this book has more credibility to it. Also, Krakauer glosses over Boukreev's forays into the storm to rescue several climbers, and Boukreev describes those fascinating events in great detail. Anatoli Boukreev was a true hero and anyone will enjoy The Climb

Rating:
Summary: Difficult to read alone, but essential for Everestophiles
Review: As with most of the reviewers, I shall compare this book with Into Thin Air. I will echo the sentiments of others who say The Climb is not as well written or as lucid. It does, however, contain a good deal of information that is lacking in Krakaur's account.

I must differ from other reviewers in some points, however. I never felt that Krakaur blamed Boukreev overly harshly when reading Into Thin Air. After having read The Climb, I have not changed my opinion. The fault seems to lie with Mother Nature (and perhaps Hall and Fischer). I do, however, faintly echo the complaint of some reviewers of Into Thin Air with this book - it seems a little self-serving to me. Krakaur at least gave the appearance of being impartial, and this book has the disadvantage of being a rebuttal at times (both because it was written after and also because I read it after).

I recommend this book, but not solely on its own merits. As numerous mountaineers have pointed out, the brain doesn't work correctly at 9km of elevation, so reading multiple versions of the same story is necessary. This book certainly fills an important spot, but if you only read 1 account of this fateful Everest expedition, I would have to recommend Into Thin Air. BTW, the IMAX Everest film also has some good material on this trek, for those interested.

Rating:
Summary: Honesty Should Matter
Review: If you take the time to study all that has been written about Everest 96, it is difficult to accept Krakauer's concept of Anatoli as villian. I'd guess that the language barrier is a greater villian. Another villian is the effect of compounded bad decisions. I would not be surprised if the draft version of Into Thin Air had Rob Hall and Scott Fischer as primary villians, only to be replaced by Toli after the editor told Jon that it's poor form to pick on the dead. I used to read every Krakauer book or magazine article but now that I know he's willing to tell "little lies", I won't bother. I'd rather sift through Dewalt's drivel in order to get the facts written by Toli that have to guess how much I can trust Jon.

Rest in peace, Anatoli. I know you did your best in a bad situation.

Rating:
Summary: The Climb is the best book about the 1996 tragedy on Everest
Review: The Climb was my favorite book i read this year besides the Harry Potter books. The Climb is a retelling of the tradgedies on Mt. Everest in 1996. Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt join up to write The Climb. It explains about The Mountain Madness team of 1996 led by Anatoli Boukreev, trying to summit, and interfacing with difficulties, illness, and even death. The Climb describes the day of May 10, which is the day that a bad storm hit and something happened but I cant say what because you have to read it, like no other i have read before. The Climb also tells you about the good things too! Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt have made a very wise decision to team up on this book, The Climb. I would recomend this book to anyone that likes to mountain climb, is interested with the history and facts about Everest, or who would just like a very good read that touches you with more than just a sad paragraph. Thank you for your time and I hope that I have been helpful!

Rating:
Summary: What a crock
Review: This is a terrible book. Poorly researched, poorly written, littered with errors (which DeWalt and Boukereev critcize Jon Krakauer for), the two collaborators lose their credibility trying repeatedly to attack Krakauer with innuendo and smearing rather than with facts. Boukereev deserved all the criticism he got from "Into Thin Air," and then some. As Beck Weathers said in his book, Anatoli had forsaken his duties as a guide, selfishly reaching the summit and then rushing down. He abandoned the clients that were his responsibility, a responsibility for which he was paid handsomely. Martin Adams was standing right there with him at the Hillary Step, and Anatoli left him behind to find his own way down (and Adams nearly didn't). While Boukereev performed heroically that night, such heroics might not have been necessary if he had stayed with the clients and breathed bottled oxygen. All the verbal gymnastics in the world (and Weston's not much of a verbal gymnast - or a reporter or writer) won't change the facts.

Rating:
Summary: Anatoli Boukreev (1958-1997)
Review: This is a book to be read in conjunction with Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. The Climb is not the smooth literary masterpiece woven by Krakauer and, reading like a raw chronological documentary, tends to catalogue detail at the expense of a clear overview of the situation. Told alternately, and often tautologically, by both DeWalt and Boukreev, the rival expedition's account emerges viscously from a disjointed amalgam of primary quotes. At times DeWalt's interaction with the mountaineering material sorely lacks the credibility and authority of one who was actually there. Though ostensibly clinging to Boukreev's own philosophy that no one factor can be blamed for the tragedy, DeWalt comes dangerously close to inappropriately vilifying Rob Hall's team whose slower and older members did indeed cause delays.

Krakauer left readers an impression of Boukreev as the guide who "cut and ran" at the critical time - acting as an irresponsible awkward individualist, inattentive of his clients. The Climb includes crucial correspondence between Boukreev and Outside magazine (for whom Krakauer was working) that fields Krakauer's criticisms, exposing his invalid arguments and lack of communication with Anatoli himself. The transcript of an interview with Boukreev about the rescue at the South Col, left in Anatoli's imperfect English, provides a gritty authentic insight into the chaotic situation at Camp IV during the storm and leaves me in awe at Boukreev's phenomenal strength, perseverance and selfless rescue efforts which are here (finally) paid their due.

Boukreev's self-reproach and deeply felt regret at being unable to save the lives also of Yasuko Namba and Scott Fischer find an outlet in the final chapters. In the Epilogue: Return To Everest - which unfortunately reads somewhat transparently as a promotional chapter for Anatoli's formidable skills as a 'mountain consultant' to the 1997 Indonesian Expedition - he wrenchingly pays tribute to the storm victims.

Essential reading for anyone with a personal interest in Boukreev's reputation, The Climb restores his actions to the heroic status which they undoubtedly merited. What the tale lacks in literary skill it makes up for by industriously creating a three-dimensional and believable image of Boukreev that astounds. "I am not a superman" (p244), writes Anatoli. After reading this book I would have to disagree.

Rating:
Summary: Events that happened in May of 1996
Review: "The Climb" recounts the events that happened in May of 1996. Three expeditions attempted to climb Mt. Everest on the Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay in 1953. Crowded conditions slowed their progress. Late in the day, twenty-three men and women, including expedition leaders Scott Fischer and Rob Hall were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disoriented and out of oxygen, climbers struggled to find their way down the mountain as darkness approached. Alone and climbing in a whiteout, Anatoli Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death.

Anatoli Boukreev does a great job of describing the events that happened tothe expedition. Boukreev is able to accomplish with vivid imagery. With the use of imagery the reader is able to feel connected to the extreme events that went on during the expedition. Boukreev tone defends his actions during the expedition and explains to other climbers that he did the right thing at theright time. With his use of tone the reader is able to feel and experience the things that happened to him during is expedition. This book is very exciting and fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: Secrets above 29,000 feet
Review: A lot of controversy has been said of both books, this one and Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". however, this one seems to deal a lot more with what really happened. Without the intention of painting a picture of someone who claims to have done everything possible to prevent the tragedy from happening (as done by Krakauer), this book seems to reveal more of the facts. My advice is read both and decide for yourself. I would start with this one!

Well written this is a easy page turner. You will find that like me, you just can't put the book down.

Rating:
Summary: Another view of the disaster......
Review: I feel that "The Climb" (TC) is a must read for anyone who is interested in the events surrounding the 1996 Everest tragedy. Having said that I would also recommend reading "Into Thin Air" (ITA) first. From a literary standpoint ITA is very well written, as opposed to TC, and does a very good job of "setting the stage" for TC. After reading ITA you will be starving for all of the facts on the tragedy that you can find and the lack of writing fluidity in TC will not be as distracting. One word of caution - ITA attempts to make sense of the tragedy and offer up "who is to blame". Reserve forming an opinion until after reading TC. I am not saying that ITA is wrong and TC is right or vice versa. I just think that you need to read both before arriving at your own opinion.

Although not as well written as ITA, TC fills in important details not offered in ITA. It also offers a rebuttal to author Jon Krakauer's accusations in ITA. The rebuttal is good but at times becomes repetitive.

I liked the inclusion of a transcript of the Mountain Madness Everest Debriefing Tapes at the end of TC. If nothing else I think it sheds important light on the lack of English communication skills of Sherpa guides and Boukreev that could have severely hampered coordination efforts both before and after disaster struck.

TC and ITA together will answer many of your questions but neither will answer all of your questions. We all know that if ten people witness an accident everyone of them will most likely recall the events differently. That is why lawyers like hard evidence as opposed to witnesses, much less drunken (hypoxic) witnesses. I think this scenario holds true for both TC and ITA. There is not much "hard evidence" just a bunch of drunken witnesses.

With the above statement in mind I feel that the ultimate blame must fall to Rob Hall and Scott Fischer for not enforcing/setting turn around times. Did Fischer tell Boukreev to descend to camp IV to be prepared for an emergency? Does Krakauer's (ITA author) hint at negligence on Boukreev's part stand up? You decide.

Rating:
Summary: Great story!
Review: This book seemed better organized than 'Into Thin Air'. I enjoyed this book because it was laid out in a way in which you can keep track of the individuals. I think readers should read both this book and 'Into Thin Air'. There are different accounts from two different people (as would be expected) and both books seem very realistic. I didn't think this book bragged about any deeds in particular. 'The Climb' struck me as a true story from one person's viewpoint.