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Title: In the Zone: Epic Survival Stories from the Mountaineering World by Peter Potterfield ISBN: 0-89886-482-8 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1996 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 (10 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Gruesome, Gripping, but Not Well Written
Comment: This book is made up of stories where "what's the worst that can happen?" does. The first, an Alaskan mountaineering epic, leaves the reader amazed that the lone survivor made it; the second, about Scott Fischer on K2, leaves the reader amazed at Fischer's having survived as long as he did; and the third, Potterfield's own story, spawned much heated discussion and controversy among climbers. Clearly, Potterfield fell because he lost his grip on the rock, but why did he fall to the end of the rope? Did his belayer drop him...? That would certainly explain why he doesn't analyze the accident in more detail. In any case, the last story is the best, not only because it explodes those dearly-held beliefs in fainting before impact, but because it gives a detailed chronicle of a difficult high-angle rescue. Unfortunately, Potterfield does not write very well, but I suspect most readers will hardly notice.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent, first hand accounts.
Comment: Because I know I will never attempt to climb a high altitiude mountain, I find myself browsing the mountaineering section of my favorite bookstore. This time I found a book that hit the nerve in my body which is so wanting of adventure, triumph and heartbreak, but only vicariously. The book, In The Zone, tells us about the all consuming desire to reach an almost unreachable goal- the top of the mountain. K2 is the second highest point on earth and the most deadly. The story is told about two men waiting and attempting for weeks to reach the summit. Why? For purely selfish reasons. Perhaps to prove to themselves that they CAN do it (even if one of them did dislocate his shoulder and was seriously compromised), or just to say they were there.
In the Denali range, on a mountain called Foraker, three friends start off for what seems to be your basic quickie- 3-4 day mountain climb by 3 strong experienced climbers. It ends in tragedy. There are two other stories in this book. One is about the author himself.
The mountains are not sanctuaries, those you carry on your back in the form of a tent and a few other articles of food and clothing. The mountains are a big, challenging death trap, unless one is very lucky.
As a surgical RN at a busy Northwest trauma hospital, I'm intimately familiar, and rather callous, to some horribly injured bodies. Having read the stories of these expiditions I find it incredible that people sometimes survive in the face of blinding windstorms, snowstorms, freezing cold, burning sun and on and on. Most of all, these folks are an inspiration to celebrate life. A must read for those who seek adventure
Rating: 4
Summary: Three Good Reasons To Stay At Sea Level
Comment: The first story, that of Colby Coombs on Alaska's Mount Foraker, is the most intense of the three. An avalanch swept Coombs and his two partners off the side of the mountain, incredibly he survived and, dispite injuries and lost equipment, managed to walk out under his own power. Motivated not simply by a desire to live but by the knowledge that if he died too his dead partners' friends and families would never know what had happened to them. Bullheaded persistance in the face of physical pain worked for Scott Fischer on K2 but on Everest in '96 the same trait caused his death. As for Mr. Potterfield's own story, I personally think it's quite reasonable for him to focus on the rescue rather than the cause of the accident. A mistake was made certainly but what's the point in placing blame? Far more important - and more interesting - is the skill and effort that went into rescuing him. I can't say I noticed any problems with his writing style either.
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Title: Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition by John Roskelley ISBN: 0898867398 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David F. Breashears, Jon Krakauer ISBN: 0684865459 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Beckoning Silence by Joe Simpson ISBN: 0898869412 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson ISBN: 0060730552 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: January, 2004 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills by Steven M. Cox, Kris Fulsaas, Mountaineers ISBN: 0898868289 Publisher: Mountaineers Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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