The Tibetans, living on the north of the great mountain, called it Jomolungma, or “Goddess, Mother of the World.” The Nepalis, residing on the south, used a name with similar connotations: Devadhunga, or “The Seat of God.” Even then, however, the peak’s native names were much more descriptive. In 1865, nine years after Sikhdar’s computations had been confirmed, Andrew Scott Waugh, the Surveyor General of India at the time, bestowed the name Mount Everest to Peak XV, in honor of his predecessor, Sir George Everest. In 1852, using trigonometric calculations, a brilliant Indian Bengali mathematician named Radhanath Sikhdar (Rad-han-ath Seek-dur) came to the conclusion that the so-called Peak XV of the Himalayas was the highest in the world, with a calculated elevation of exactly 29,000 feet above sea level, a number slightly revised by modern surveys to the currently accepted altitude of 29,028 feet, or 8,848 meters. That’s right: get ready for a chilling firsthand account of one of the deadliest disasters in the history of climbing Everest. Jon Krakauer was a member of the most infamous one, and “Into Thin Air” tells his story. 'A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism.In the spring of 1996, 30 distinct expeditions were on the flanks of Everest, the highest mountain in the world. 'Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time.' - Wall Street Journal One of the inspirations for the major motion picture Everest, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Keira Knightley. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape.Īs the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end.
Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day, eight people were dead. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest, when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended in the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history.
0 kommentar(er)
