mountain climbing

I have long admired climbers for their singleness of purpose and puzzling assessment of risk. Dwindling food reserves. Lack of oxygen. Numb toes. Incoming avalanche. Keep climbing!

Offering a first ascent, Mount Meru attracts climbers with an insatiable hunger to test their mettle. I was expecting to witness an arrogant expedition. What I saw instead was less a story about adversity and triumph than one about the relationships between climbers. Meru poignantly captures the subtleties of human interaction when partners experience the unfortunate – keeping in mind these folks court misfortune.

Fifteen years ago in early May, several climbers lost their lives near the summit of Mt. Everest during an unexpected and brutal storm.  Hampered visibility, oxygen deprivation, and a wind chill index of 100 degrees below zero prevented these climbers from returning to a lower base camp.  Exposure, fatigue, misinformation, radio malfunctions, disorientation, sickness, and failed rescue attempts also contributed to the loss of life.  Among the deceased were two prominent and seasoned guides, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer.  Jon Krakauer, a survivor of Rob Hall’s expedition team, made it to the

This book, about the disastrous 2008 ascent of the Himalayan peak K2 which claimed the lives of 11 climbers and severely injured 2 others, is a riveting account of ambition, human error and heroism in one of the most punishing and unforgiving environments on the planet. Bowley tells the story of that year's climbing season, the teams from around the world that assembled to attempt the climb, and the challenges that ultimately defeated so many veteran climbers over a terrible three-day period.

The subject matter invites comparison with Jon Krakauer's wonderful book "Into Thin Air", but the two