Into Thin Air

Into Thin AirBy: John Krakauer

Into Thin Air recounts the doomed Mount Everest climb in 1996. Jon Krakauer is sent in the expedition to Everest on behalf of Outside Magazine. He flies out to the mountain and begins his training to acclimate to the high altitudes of the mountain. His training consisted of climbing from Base Camp to higher camps and back down with his team. Jon's team, Adventure Consultants, is lead by the experienced Rob Hall. Jon's training began with hikes to higher grounds than back down. The short treks allowed him to avoid acute mountain sickness, which could have spelled a painful death for him. Unfortunately, other climbers fell ill to the violent illness. Jon wasted no time and avoided being completely sick. He was fortunate to only have lost a few pounds before traveling up to the summit, as he needed all of the energy he had. He progressed, slowly but surely, up the rugged terrain of the mountain and made his way to the fourth base camp. From there, he summitted and rushed back down to the camp. This was not the case for all of the climbers. Many members of Jon's team and other teams took a little bit longer and went out of order to reach the summit. Dozens fought for their survival with limited oxygen and hurricane force winds at the highest peak on Earth. Into Thin Air honestly and accurately recounts Jon's emotions and survivor's guilt after the storm that killed men and women he befriended and talked to days before. He returned home haunted by the men and women who perished in the storm, compelled to write a book about his daunting experience.

Summary

About the Author

Jon Krakauer is an adventure writer who has traveled the world and has written multiple articles and books. His works include Into the Wild, Under the Banner of Heaven, and Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Jon was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and began mountaineering at age eight in Oregon.

Characters

The main characters include the author Jon Krakauer, wealthy adventurist Sandy Pittman, the loyal and selfless guid Rob Hall, seemingly invincible guide Scott Fischer, fellow client Doug Hansen, sherpa Lopsang and and Russian guide Anatoli Boukreev.

Into Thin Air is set on Mount Everest, in Nepal. The book is written in 1996, the deadliest climbing season in Everest's history. Jon Krakauer and his team make their way up to the summit of Mount Everest in order to document and conquer the unpredictable beast that is Mount Everest.

Into Thin Air is a fantastic book. It delivers the same emotions that one may expect to have at their favorite movie. The book is well researched, so no good or bad deed goes unnoticed throughout the story. Jon Krakauer put all that he could into one book in great detail about the tragic events on Mount Everest in 1996. The painful details of death, camraderie, and individual leadership are all noted in the book. It is a wonderful book and not easy to set down.

Recommendation

Setting

'"Pestige was earned by tackling the most unforgiving routes with minimal equipment, in the boldest style imaginable'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtmcU_kyCIw