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To: Serb5150
A number of Freepers mentioned a book called 'Into Thin Air'

Another account of the same climb is called, The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest (Mass Market Paperback) by the Russian climber Anatoli Boukreev.

Boukreev was the Russian climber who went out an rescued other climbers. His feat was almost super human in that he was going out in a subzero blizzard on the highest mountain in the world, having not slept for days, with very little to eat and with little or no oxygen.

14 posted on 06/08/2006 4:28:43 PM PDT by Mr. Brightside
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To: Mr. Brightside

I wouldn't bother with "Into Thin Air". It was written by Jon Krakauer, who was on Everest that day in '96 when so many climbers died. He writes of himself walking right by climbers who were stranded on the mountain and leaving them to die.

Boukreev was climbing with another party that day. He rescued several people off of the mountain, climbing without air so others could have the O2. He was roundly criticized by Krakauer for his efforts to help other climbers. Krakauer badly maligns Boukreev in "Thin Air", although several other climbers had nothing but praise for the man.

"Climbing High" is another book on this climb, written by Lene Gammelgaard, a Danish woman who was in Boukreev's party. It's written in a sort of stream-of-consciousness style that is a bit off-putting, but her respect and admiration for Boukreev is obvious.

Despite Krakauer's very public (and profitable) criticism, the American Alpine Club awarded Boukreev their highest honor that year for his rescues on Everest.

Anatoli Boukreev died in an avalanche on Annapurna on Christmas Day, 1997.


29 posted on 06/08/2006 5:42:28 PM PDT by Gwaihir
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