Into Thin Air
A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer · first published 1996
78% recommend20% neutral1% critical
Why HN recommends it
First-person account of the 1996 Everest disaster, weaving in the mountain's history, the author's own climb, and the effects of commercialization and novice climbers; suits adventure readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds...Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Ta
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Sherpas were on all the big western expeditions that I know of. Their names are just usually dropped when talking about it, which is a shame. I recently read Krakauer's Into Thin Air and appreciated that he treated the sherpas on the expedition as fellow humans. They figured as important as anyone else in the story. He was also careful when talking about past climbs to mention all…
on “A Nepali team has made the first winter ascent of K2” ↗Into Thin Air. http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/038... Amazing story, super inspirational, and lots of great history. My wife and I both loved this book and could not set it down.
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why” ↗…come back down being carried by their friends, with lungs full of fluid, brain damage, black fingers/toes/hands/feet/noses which need to be amputated, or other serious injuries. A fantastic read is "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, which covers a really bad year for climbing on Everest.
on “A 13-Year-Old Takes On Everest, and Sets Off a Debate” ↗For a gripping first hand account of the danger and sheer lunacy of today's Mount Everest, I highly recommend "Into Thin Air", by Jon Krakauer http://books.google.com.au/books?id=upIXVwLhGj0C
on “Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies” ↗Can't reach the page, but the submission title made me want to share an on-topic book recommendation - Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer. [1] It's a very sad, but thrilling, account of a catastrophic journey up Everest. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/067...
on “Intrade CEO dies climbing Mt. Everest” ↗…includes pictures of the ill-fated expedition and so subtlety foretells aspects of the outcome. I recommend listening to it first, then buying the book. For real life adventure lovers I also recommend Into Thin Air about climbing Everest and the movie, Mountains of the Moon about the explorer/translator Richard Burton [1]. [1] https://www.adventure-journal.com/2016/06/historical-badass-...
on “Shackleton's Medical Kit (2012)” ↗…of hiking/climbing. What you think you would do while sitting on a chair in front of your computer is not necessarily what you would've done were you actually there. I recommend reading something like Into thin Air [4] to get a better perspective on what happens on those climbs. [1] http://www.alpineascents.com/everest.asp [2] http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/everest/ [3] http://www.adventureconsultants.com/adventure/FAQEverest/ [4]…
on “Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies [2010]” ↗If you haven't read them already, I really recommend the following two books: "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer was the first book to critically explore the "Death Zone" and the state of mountaineering on Everest generally- It was written in 1997, but is just as relevant now. "Dark Shadows Falling"…
on “Nepal bans solo climbers from Mount Everest” ↗Some people like extreme situations. I remember the John Krakauer Book _Into Thin Air_, about an Everest disaster, made me want to climb it -- I haven't. It's the whole "yeah people die, but it won't be me" attitude. I remember coming out of Saving Private Ryan thinking "that looks like…
on “Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies” ↗…eight-thousander [1]. Annapurna got %38 (2007 figures) [2] and K2 got %25 [3]. For some interesting discussion on Everest fatalities, try this one [4]. "No shortcuts to the top" by Ed Viesturs and the well known "Into thin air" by Jon Krakauer are two good books on the subject, if you want to read more. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2 {4]…
on “Two Billion Pixel Photo of Mount Everest (can you find the climbers?)” ↗I recommend reading both the books - "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev, and "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Climb_(book) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_Thin_Air
on “Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies [2010]” ↗Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer If you like reading adventurous books, i'd recommend it. This one is about the Mt. Everest expedition of a group of people and the disaster that fell upon them. You're Surely Joking…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?” ↗This reminds me of a great book I read, "Into Thin Air"[0]. If you're interested in getting a first-hand account of climbing Everest, and what effect novice climbers have had on it, definitely give it a read. [0]https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/03...
on “Man dies on Mount Everest during cryptocurrency promotional stunt” ↗The writing in this article reminds me of Jon Krakauer (of Into Thin Air fame). Actually, this article got me into reading about extreme sports, which got me to Krakauer, who I consider one of the finest American non-fiction writers.
on “Raising the Dead (2005)” ↗I can’t recommend “Into thin air” by John Krakauer enough. A true story written with naked emotion by someone who experienced the life altering disaster on Everest. It’s all too relevant right now with another recent calamity on Everest.…
on “Ask HN: Recommend one book I need to read this summer?” ↗