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Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season
written by Nick Heil
Studio : Henry Holt and Co.
by Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date : 2008-04-29
Publisher : Henry Holt and Co.
Released : 2008-04-29
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780805083101
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 12 reviews)
List Price : $26.00
Our Price : $14.53
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Product Description |
The inside story of the deadly 2006 climbing season on Everest On May 15, 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall’s death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter. If David Sharp’s death was shocking, it was hardly singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the commercial operator who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain’s north side—and who some believe was partly accountable for Sharp’s death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus. Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiraled out of control. |
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This is how a book on the subject should be written |
About a year or so ago I read Michael Kodas [High Crimes] and gave it
a bad review. The reason was that the journalist - Michael Kodas - was
so much in the book that any objectivity disappeared.
Anyways, in the comments to my review somebody suggested this book.
And, yes, this is the way these stories should be written - the
author is not in the picture, the writing is engaging and interesting,
I think he is trying to be as objective as possible, his research
in preparation for this book is extensive. Bottom line - a great book as
far as my opinion goes.
My only note is that the author explains some things about
altitude sickness, about Everest, etc, that I already know based on
previous books, so this was a little boring for me - but this makes the
book more self-contained and thus I think this was the right thing to do.
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Well-researched and very well-written |
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A stunning addition to the Everest bookshelf, Heil writes about the 2006 climbing season, the second-deadliest since the 1996 disaster. This time, there was no crippling storm and no stranded teams - but forty people walked past a dying man just below the summit without stopping. Heil presents a thorough and amazing look at what the circumstances were, and ponders the question - what ethics exist at the roof of the world? |
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Page turner, balanced review |
I just finished this book, which was interesting enough to finish in under a week. It seemed to be a balanced treatment of the subject, and I liked the contrast of the author just wanting to get back to his tent at base camp rather than continue to look for a drunk, compared to what it must be like in the death zone.
I do disagree with a couple of pages where he waxes for the good old days of gentlemen climbing with high ethics etc. The book about the Americans first successful climb of K2 paints a bit different picture of the good old days. In particular the author of that book relates how they feared they would be doing a body recovery rather than a summit. To their surprise, the "body" was walking down on their way up! He related how they could not help him since they did not bring a rope! Not sure how they intended to do a body recovery. Somehow he walked down, while the other two summited. The rest of that book is filled with intrigue as they jockey for position to be one of the few who might get a summit chance, probably similar to Brice's experience with the British team, which this book just hints at?
Not mentioned when talking about what effort, risk and expense should be made (or can be made) to save someone on Everest, is how some die nearby for lack of a few dollars of antibotics, or at least that is what one person who worked over there in a decompression chamber told us, though even he did not draw that comparison.
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Another interesting climbing book |
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I was interested to learn of one of the more recent years on Everest where events ended tragically. I wasn't familiar with this particular story until I read the book. It's another good book for my collection. |
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Its the truth...I was there. |
First off, let me talk about my qualifications to write this review. My name is Brett Merrell and I was on Mt Everest in 2006 as part of the Himex expedition written about in this book. I am writting this review so that you people can buy a book knowing that it tells and accurate story.
Nick Heil has restored my faith in journalists. This book is accurate and 99% objective. Nick tells the true story of Everest and the people that live in its shadow. Not since "Into Thin Air" have I read a book that paints such a clear picture of the good, bad and ugly of Mt Everest. Although my personal opinion of Russ Brice and the Discovery Channel is completely negative, I can say that Nick's description of Russ Brice is mostly accurate.
Attention readers! If you want a book that tells the truth about an Everest expedition then buy this book! Nick spent countless hours of research. He asked all the tough questions and he actually became part of the 2007 Himex expedition and climbed to 23500 feet on Mt Everest. Most importantly, Nick Heil took all the facts and emotions and then documented them accurately with heartfelt words.
BUY THE BOOK. It is a real Everest story. I received nothing and will receive nothing for writing this review.
Brett Merrell
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