Monday, March 7, 2011

Into Thin Air (pgs. 29-57)

Jon finally decides to tell the beginning of the story when he is aboard on the flight looking at various mountains from the windows. He also mentions Rob Hall and how successful of a tour guide he is even though his prices for the journey are ridiculously large. The group he is traveling with is composed of doctors, lawyers, and postal workers from various parts of the world. Rob Hall and his partner Gary Ball have been climbing mountains since their late teens. They climbed the Seven Summits in an astonishing 7 months. However, when they accomplished this feat they were afraid sponsors were going to drop their financial support so that lead both of them to becoming tour guides. Gary Ball eventually died from a brain malfunction involving the high altitudes he was constantly involved with. Rob Hall charges 65,000 dollars per person, but this ridiculously prodigious amount is a guarantee to reach the top and stay alive on this difficult journey.When discussing the base camp, I thought it was interesting how the medical clinic would not go past base camp and just chilled there. Krakauer discusses Sherpas and the various stereotypes given to them by the mountain climbers. As they proceed to make it to base camp, Jon becomes friends with Doug Hansen and Andy Harris. Hall and Harris start to foreshadow a conversation that there is a disaster on Everest that is about to occur and all the inexperienced climbers will suffer. Little did they know.... it is about to come.
This book keeps getting better and better. No matter what you do it keeps you in. This  will never lose your interest and I like that kind of qualities in a book. Some people may be able to relate to the devotion and dedication of all these climbers. It may also appeal to those who are interested in adventure and seeing the world and its natural structures.

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