Perished in blizzard in vain? - a book review on "Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Everest Disaster" by Jon Krakauer

May 10th 1996 Mount Everest, Nepal. Two commercial expeditions and one non-commercial expedition all start their journey towards the roof of the world before sun rise. Some turn back before the summit but those who successfully ascent Everest are hit by a deadly blizzard that costs eight people their lives. Jon Krakauer is one of the survivors who lived to tell the tale. This is my review on his account of the tragedy ”Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Everest Disaster”.

At the time when the tragedy took place on the world’s highest mountain, I was a five-year-old with no worry of tomorrow so I don’t recall any news of it. I base my opinion on National Geographic’s Seconds from disaster –series’ episode on Everest disaster, Everest – the 2015 feature film and on ”Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer.  The story of what happened on Everest on that day is recorded at least three times by the survivors. Other two accounts are written by Beck Weathers and Anatoli Boukreev. Unfortunately, I haven’t got either of the other two books in my hands yet.

Jon Krakauer is a journalist who took part on a guided expedition on Mount Everest led by Adventure Consultants’ Rob Hall in the spring of 1996. Krakauer’s mission was to write an article for Outside  magazine on guided ascents on the world’s highest mountain. After everything that happened up there, he felt he needed to get things straight in his head so he could leave that fateful day behind him. ”Into Thin Air” was first published in 1997, only a year after the disaster. It has inspired a TV movie Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997). In my hands I have an updated second edition from the year of 2000.

Now after reading the book I’m feeling very confused and not sure of what I should think. One thing I’m sure of is that in my opinion those eight people who died, died in vain. It was eight fucking unnecessary deaths that could have been prevented. What really caused disaster was a series of bad choices, incapability of doing as agreed and eventually the bad weather.

Language in the book is very vivid and really brings the surroundings and people close to the reader. When reading ”Into Thin Air” I felt like I would have actually been there on Everest and known these people, the survivors and those who perished. In my opinion Krakauer manages to tell the story remarkably well considering that sometimes he leaps from the moment present to the moment past. Somehow, the story at some points became so personal that it felt impossible to tell what was Krakauer view of what happened and what was my opinion on the events. I was so mad about two Sherpas not being able to co-operate which led to the fact that ropes on the Balcony and Hillary Step weren’t fixed as agreed. I really disliked Ian Woodall for his attitude and behaviour. I have always had difficulties in bearing arrogance and ignorance. Behaviour of Mountain Madness guide Anatoli Boukreev made raise my eyebrows many times. I wondered how on Earth did Fischer ever hire him as a guide. He seemed to be ignorant of the clients and their struggles and went his own way. Despite all his flaws, I do agree with Krakauer that Boukreev’s attempt to rescue climbers trapped just outside the High Camp was an act of heroism. Without the effords of Anatoli, Sandy Hill Pittman and Charlotte Fox would have probably died as well.

”Into Thin Air” also gave me new light on the main guides, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, involved in the 1996 tragedy. Krakauer describes Rob as a calm person who doesn’t take unnecessary risks and demands his clients to obey him in any circumstances. Unlike Fischer - an enthuastic and a reckless climber who had had many close calls during his years in mountaineering. Now, I didn’t know either of these men but I’m convinced that Krakauer analysis on their personalities reflecting in their company’s names: Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness. Yet it disturbs me why they both died. From what I have learned from Seconds from disaster and Into Thin Air I think both Hall and Fischer were under great pressure to get their clients to reach the summit. Even though they did co-operate to ensure their clients’ safety, they were rivals. Krakauer believes that his and Sandy Hill Pittman’s presence might have afflicted as well. A journalist and a celebrity ascending Everest. If they successfully ascended and got down alive it would mean more clients and money for the companies in the next season. So both of the men pressed on. Where Hall had apparently decided to get Doug Hansen up and down Everest safely and finally died of exposure, Fischer exhausted himself and paid for it with his life. Both ignored the turn-around time in process.

Jon Krakauer’s ”Into Thin Air” is emotionally a hard book to read. But at the same time it is interesting and keeps the reader in it’s grasp from beginning to the bitter end. It made me realize that even though I have fantasized of Everest for a long time I shouldn’t go. Knowing myself – I’m as stubborn as an ass – I, too, would probably perish in vain because I couldn’t stand the defeat. Thank God, I’m afraid of high places so I will never be a mountaineer. I would definately recommend people to read ”Into Thin Air” just because it’s available.

I think next on my reading list are ”Left for dead: my journey home from Everest” by Beck Weathers and ”The Climb” by G. Weston DeWalt / Anatoli Boukreev. That is if I can find Boukreev’s book either in English or in Finnish.