The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt
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Book Reviews of The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
Book Review: Anatoli Boukreev (1958-1997)
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Mountain Man
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is Anatoli Boukreev's rebuttal of Jon Krakauer's criticism of Boukreev's actions on May 10, 1996, when three teams attempted to summit Everest. Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," of course, was the first of the two books published, was a best seller, and arguably is better written, and for these reasons many will consider Boukreev guilty until proved innocent. This book presents evidence, which I find compelling, that the actions of Boukreev that Krakauer criticizes were not irresponsible, rather that they were part of a plan, approved by Scott Fischer, to get Boukreev from the summit to Camp IV quickly to retrieve additional oxygen cannisters for the clients. Even before this book appeared, writer and mountineer Galen Rowell took to task Krakauer's treatment of Boukreev in his Wall Street Journal review of ITA. And in 1997, a year after the tragedy on Everest, The American Alpine Club's award committee unanimously voted to extend the Club's prestigious David A. Sowles Memorial Award to Boukreev. Clearly, there are many among the ranks of mountineers who do not share Krakauer's critical view of Boukreev's actions on Everest on May 10, 1996. Above I noted that ITA is arguably better written than this book. That is not to say that I found this book poorly written: I did not. Indeed I found this book provided more insight into the strategy of climbing a mountain such as Everest. Boukreev comes though in these pages as quietly heroic and a man truly happy only when climbing: a mountain man. I have no doubt that Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were of the same mould. For the most part, however, their clients - people ready and able to pony up the sixty-grand that it took to put themselves in harm's way and thus secure cocktail party bragging rights - are of a different mould altogether. Mountain man or dilettante, Everest embraces all. Bottom line: If the subject of the disastrous expeditions to Everest in May of 1996 interests you, then you should read both "Into Thin Air" and this book.Book Review: At first, i had NO intention of reading this book!
Summary: 4 Stars
As we all know, Anatoli is the villian of "Into Thin Air". Initially, I didn't even want to read Anatoli's side of the story. I'm glad I did.As others have stated, this book should be read in contrast to "Into Thin Air". After reading "The Climb", I now find this book as a more definitive account of the tragedy of 1996. The book asks a very important question: Why did Krakauer spend so much time dissecting the actions of Anatoli? all the clients of Scott Fisher's team (which Anatoli was a guide) made it back alive, while Rob Hall's expedition (which Krakauer was a client) lost 2 clients, a guide, and the expedition leader himself (with another client losing several limbs). I think Krakauer should have spent more time looking into the actions of his expedition leader than Anatoli.
However, i dont want to get too much into the Krakauer/Anatoli/Dewalt war-of-words that went on throughout 96 and 97. What i found so much more interesting about "The Climb" is a more personal account of what went on that fateful night. Most of the account is from the mouths of the climbers themselves. The debriefing transcript at the end of the book, when most of the members of Scott Fisher's team discussed what happened (the discussion occurred several weeks after the tragedy) not only is very descriptive of what happened during the ascent, while the climbers were on top of the world, the descent, getting caught in the storm, the "huddle", and the rescue, but it also gives insight into the personalities of the climbers. This is a VERY fascinating book--the everest book that i now find myself reading over and over again. Anatoli was a true hero.
Book Review: Difficult to read alone, but essential for Everestophiles
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Another perspective.
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is great for what it is...the recollections of a professional mountain climber during the ascent and subsequent rescue of commercial expeditions on Everest in 1996. It's written in a matter-of-fact style that doesn't dally so much on the personal shortcomings of the participants. When the authors do bring criticism against individuals (almost always Krakauer or Pittman), it seems misplaced. The Adventure Consultants expedition is frequently referred to as "Krakauer's" even though he was only a client. And I think that only Krakauer is referred to as a "climber-client" and not merely as a "client" implying that he had some responsibility when things went bad. Personally, I didn't think "Into Thin Air" was that critical of Boukreev. No one can question that Boukreev's actions saved the lives of 3 others that had no hope. Thankfully the book doesn't spend much time heaping accolades on Boukreev or on placing much blame. In the end, it was individual decisions that led to the tragedies...tragedies that could have been even worse.
The response from DeWalt to Krakauer is forgettable, but the transcription of the debriefing tapes gives even more views as to what went on. The quotes from Boukreev and Lopsang, while occasionally difficult to understand, provide the most insight.