The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest

This is a great book, but you have to be in the right headspace to enjoy it. When I first purchased this book, it was right after reading Into Thin Air. Jon Krakauer is a masterful writer who seamlessly paints vivid scenes with smooth execution and flowery soliloquy. After reading his work for awhile, I got accustomed and spoiled. Anatoli’s personal recollections in his second language and Weston DeWalt‘s explanations are *much* more literal, blunt and to the point. It does provide an excellent perspective of the events, but you should not go into it expecting Krakauer’s level of detail and smooth transitions. When I first started reading it after Into Thin Air it felt so “clunky” that I couldn’t continue. And I think this side effect has had a negative impact on the overall review of this book. Now that it’s been a few months and I’m back to reading it again, I feel that it is well written in its own way and I can appreciate it much more. It’s definitely worth the read to get Anatoli’s perspective. He was truly a hero.

I'm not `into' climbing books but I do enjoy reading tales of humans striving against the odds. Having read Jon Krakauers book Into Thin Air about the unfortunate events of the 1996 climbing season on Everest it seemed appropriate to read the account of the same climb by Anatoli Boukreev (written with G. Weston DeWalt). Those in the know will understand that Krakauer was quite damning of Boukreevs decisions on the climb that saw several deaths amongst climbers and several others permanently damaged by frostbite. This book is in many ways Boukreevs right of reply. Hence it's a book you really should read if you've read Krakauers account to which I'll take the liberty of comparing it to directly for much of this review given they seem somehow intertwined. As to the book itself: The writing style is not as breezy as the Krakauer work. That books writing style is breezy and easily digested. The Climb on the other hand comes across as more stilted. Now I don't blame Boukreev for that, after all he would have been a native Russian speaker presumably and his real talent seems to have been as a great mountaineer - one of the finest of his generation in fact. So no, it is DeWalt that must bear the brunt of my criticism of pointing out how the book does not flow and demands a more indulgent reader. The Climb assists the reader with a few useful maps and a clutch of photos that tend to humanise things somewhat. And similarly to the Krakauer book there is plenty of praise for the commitment, bravery and tenacity of many of the members of the various expeditions. There is also a heck of a lot of respect for the simple fact that there is so little margin for error or ill luck in the extreme areas of the planet. On the other side of the ledger The Climb does enunciate rather well an alternate telling of the events of 1996 and does greatly allow for the reader to get a fuller understanding of some of the issues facing the expedition and the way things unravelled so tragically. The book goes into the thinking of Boukreev who was obviously one of the fittest and most important members of either the Fischer or Hall teams and certainly a man of great bravery and whatever your view of some of his decisions (after reading both books) several people must owe their lives to a quietly stoic and very self contained man who while perhaps not a `people person' took his duties seriously as a matter of personal honour. One aspect of this work I didn't like was the long epilogue discussing the ongoing feud between Krakauers and Boukreevs telling of events. Boukreev himself succumbed to an avalanche while climbing in Nepal on Christmas Day, 1997. One the one hand his passing should have caused Krakauer to `pull his head in' as we say in Australia, but despite his protestations that it was his duty to do continue to repudiate things Krakauer was saying I couldn't help feeling there was some unsavoury grandstanding going on. I would heartily recommend anyone who has an interest in climbing works but particularly anybody who has read Into Thin Air. Despite the stilted writing and the long addendum at the end I felt I had a far more rounded understanding of what was at the end of the day a tragic event that showed the power of nature but also the power of the humans contending with it.

I am currently very interested in the Everest tragedy and as part of that, I am reading as many memoirs of the event as possible. I already knew about the existing conflict between Krakauer’s (Into Thin Air) and Anatoli’s memoir but I wanted to give them both a chance to voice their opinions. I truly loved reading Boukreev’s memoir. He provided an inside look at mountain climbing that I had not been aware of before. The main portion of the book is simply describing events as he remembers them. He doesn’t place blame on anybody for what occurred that day and he doesn’t question that actions of others (like a certain Jerkauer does in his book). It appears that he just wants to have his voice heard and to share his story about what happened. He also wanted to pay tribute to those who lost their lives that day. Scott Fischer and Rob Hall were very important people in the commercialization of mountain climbing and this tragedy affected Boukreev deeply, as well asthe loss of Namba, who Boukreev felt deep personal guilt over. In this version of the book, there are several documents after the book actually ends which are interesting to read. An In Memoriam for Boukreev who passed away in 1997 and a few responses to Krakauer’s book. Krakauer does not come off well in this part. It’s very respectfully done, but to me, Krakauer comes off as kind of like an arrogant baby. What we have to remember with these memoirs, is that it is all memories. At that altitude and given the events of the day, memories can become eschewed. It’s very likely that these men remembered the story differently, but to them, it was the truth. Overall, this was a very interesting read. I loved hearing Boukreev’s perspective on the events and about his experiences both that day and otherwise. He’s not the bad guy, and he felt he was represented in that way and this gave him an opportunity to show that he’s not. He’s responsible for having saved at least 3 people that day. That doesn’t sound like a bad guy to me. If you’re interested in the Everest disaster, this should definitely be one of the memoirs that you check out!

I got interested in this tragedy while watching the Everest movie. In the movie Anatoli Boukreev was depicted as the most experienced and courageous of all the guides. After reading lots of negative reviews (comparing the book from Krakauer - a journalist and an amateur who was also on the expedition but didn't help anyone even when asked directly) I was even more curious what was really behind all the criticisms. Generally, I prefer accounts of events by a professional rather than an amateur, because professionals simply have more experience and can forsee problems which escape amateurs (and also understand things better). Before addressing criticisms, I liked the book very much. I found it a very captivating read an thought it was fantastic to glimpse into how a professional mountaineer is thinking. The first criticism was the language of this book. I found this criticism really petty and unworty. I mean, seriously? This is an account of true events, not a poetry book. I found nothing much wrong with the English. So he/s a Khazahstani climber and doesn't speak English well. So what? The story is narrated for most part by a native speaker, there is just some of the original dialogue to illustrate the difficulties he had with communication on the mountains. The second criticism of Boukeerev was that he climbed withot oxygen - not true - he took one bottle, but gave it to another guide who needed it badly. The third criticism was that he rushed down the mountain. Would they rather he stayed on the mountain and died? Everyone who was rescued would die if he did that, because no one wanted to help him when he went to rescue other clients. I think his reasoning (clients were running out of oxygen, so he needed to get some) is logical and absolutely correct. He was the fastest after all. I think there are many people who could have done things differently, but not Boukeerev. He was professional througout. I think a lot of these criticisms come from American personality - everyone must speak their language, when buying services, some think they buy their guides life ect. Everest is a huge and dangerous mountain. People who are incapable to climb without fixed ropes or to take care of themselves or carry theor own gear/oxygen should never in the first place be let on the mountain. And hiring a guide doesn't mean he has to die for you. Human life cannot be bought (as a journalist on the expedition obviously thought). Why should a guide be dictated by clients to do things like his clients (with practically no clue what should be done) think it should be done? Bollocks...guides should be listened to. But last of all, I think criticism of Boukeerev is simply wicked and most likely due to him being a foreigner = non English speaking. No American seems to criticised. I find that unfair. Boukeerev was simply considered by some only a sherpa, even though he was the most experienced guide of all three expeditions on the mountain on that day.

This book provides a much more balanced and reasonable account of what happened on Everest in 1996. I read Krakauer's book first and am so glad I read this one too!!!! Krakauer's book seems to be villainizing people, which is terrible considering that nobody wanted this tragedy to happen. I absolutely loved Anatoli's account and after reading both, this one is just just so much more real and genuine. Anatoli seemed like a great human being and an absolute beast in the mountains! Well written and wonderful read.

Hélas disparu trop tôt, Boukreev apparaît dans ce livre complètement différent que l'image qu'en veut donner Krakauer....Sa philosophie, sa vision de son sport, son souci de la sécurité, son dévouement envers les autres en fait quelqu'un d'attachant...et de respectable...C'est un héros reconnu puisqu'il a reçu une récompense du Clup Alpin aux USA pour avoir sauvé des vies au péril de la sienne....Son attitude de respect, de regret vis à vis de Scott Ficher ou de Yosuko Namba montre à l'évidence qu'on est loin du personnage dessiné par Krakauer.....Merci à Weston Dewalt d'avoir permis à cet homme de réfuter les accusations mensongères de Krakauer....Sans Boukreev, combien de morts y aurait-il eus? Toutes les décisions prises par lui ce jour là sont bien éclairées, et logiques et avérées dans les faits!

I've been waiting twenty odd years to read this book - took that long to get to Kindle. Fascinating to finally hear first hand (with assistance from DeWalt) from Anatoli about the ill fated 96 Everest climb. The unedited text from the conversations between the authors gives great insight into boukreevs experience on Everest. He comes across as an honest man, with integrity, and thoroughly dedicated to climbing. Such a shame a shadow remains after the character assassination that Jon Krakauer inflicted on him. The argument between krakauer and DeWalt - that's well documented in the book - is unedifying, remains unresolved (as it will forever!?) and seems ultimately to reflect the egos of krakauer and DeWalt with boukreev the bemused and exasperated bystander.

和訳本はある図書館の保存倉庫に辛くも残っていた。手許に置きたいが中古本はプレミアム付いて高額かつ入手難。それならこの際英語の原書にチャレンジしてみるかと購入。 時はかなり過ぎ去ったが、エベレストでのこの大量遭難の実話、とりわけブクレーエフの立場からの話に興味を惹かれている。自分にとっては宝になりうる本。