Welcome to Litsy!

Summer 1985, & two young mountaineers, Joe & Simon, set off from camp to climb a route no-one had conquered before. After several days they reached the summit with a few minor issues, but when setting off back down Joe has a catastrophic accident resulting in him breaking his leg. Disaster! Although Simon initially tries to belay Joe down the mountain, a snow storm develops which results in him having to leave Joe for dead.

The risk and costs of a climbing adventure gone wrong in a remote Alaskan mountain range for 2 climbing couples. Unfortunate but interesting.

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Every now and then I like to read some #nonfiction Into Thin Air is one that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. I finally found it in the library.

Krakauer was on an assignment to Mt Everest, to write an article for Outdoor Magazine. He joined a guide led by Rob Hall. A mix of weather, inexperience among climbers in the group, poor decisions and a lack of communication, mostly due to lack of oxygen, the trek became fatal.
Date nite to Royal Spice, a local Nepalese/Indian restaurant. I had Newari Khaja with goat, naan, and Nepalese rice pudding. #FoodandLit

⭐️⭐️⭐️ In the 1996 Everest disaster, Dr Beck Weathers was discovered so near death, it was not wise to risk more lives for a fruitless rescue attempt. Hours later, he miraculously arrived at camp. These are the details he recalls. It‘s an incredible story of perseverance, and a bold, selfless rescue. It‘s also very much about his flailing marriage and the part mountaineering played in his often being an absent father / husband.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the most elite mountaineers in history tells his account of the 1996 Everest disaster. As a guide for Seattle-based Mountain Madness, his was to ensure the safety of their clients. Jon Krakauer is a bit critical of Boukreev‘s decisions, as is documented in Into Thin Air, so this is Toli‘s version. Another fantastic Everest memoir. I won‘t take sides. They both had traumatic experiences and valid memories. The epilogue made me cry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What started as an article for Outside Magazine turned into the deadliest day on Everest (at that point), and a totally different experience ensued. The article expanded into this incredible memoir, perhaps as an act of catharsis. I first read this 14 years ago and loved it just as much now. Harrowing, sad, and incredible.

Highly recommend all of Krakauer‘s books! His “Under the Banner of Heaven” is what got me interested in cults.

A re-read for me, but perfectly timed for when it‘s cold and the wind is howling. This is the book that started my love affair with high altitude climbing stories and it still holds up almost 30 years after publication.

A beautifully written book on the history of mountains and mountaineering. MacFarlane has invested a great amount of research and emotion in writing this book and it is a must-have in every mountain-lover‘s library. The book delves into how mountains were perceived 200-300 years ago and traces the evolution of mountaineering in the West‘s imagination to the present day. A must read with exquisite prose.

This was a very harrowing story that makes you doubt the sanity of anyone who summits Everest. The story was well written, but a little bit rambly at times switching between 1996 and previous expeditions, at times this was lightly annoying because I wanted to hear more about what happened in 1996, but I understand that a lot of context needed to be set so that the layman (like me) could understand mountaineering terms.