Things did not end well.
I have zero interest in climbing the high mountains, nor do I want to visit the “Death Zone,” before I’m at least 80 and preferably while I’m poolside in Boca, but for some reason I love reading about these places. Andy Hall’s “Denali’s Howl” documents a deadly event that went down on the slopes of America’s wildest peak. What I gained from this book is a better understanding of weather patterns in the region, as well as a myriad of things in regard to climbing this peak. I didn’t know the particulars about why this peak is so deadly and why the weather and storms are the way they are.
I tip my hat to the people who played this game. The guys who perished were normal men doing something they loved to do. They knew the risks, but it makes the reality of that first radio call saying “We found a body,” no easier to read about. If you like adventure stories with a painful ending then this book is for you. And frankly there is good that comes from this tale. Better preparation for subsequent expeditions, better rescue planning and the story of the man (the author’s father) who said “No,” to the park service when they wanted to end climbing on Denali.
Comments 4
Your posts keep extending my summer reading list, Daniel. Have you seen the film Meru? Pretty intriguing as well.
Author
Mark,
Yes I have. Loved it. Jimmy Chin is an amazing guy. I don’t know him, but he’s consistently doing great things. NO interest in climbing anything like that, but love the fact others do.
Hi Dan, stop stop stop! My wishlist on A..zon extends my life’s reading capacity… Thanks again for that. I will have to shift from reading newspaper’s news in print to essays and books. (Haha erlebnis! )Which is more than sane nowadays, the news of the world would make a man jump off this globe.
Author
Reiner,
I quit reading papers and mags and only do books now. I can’t watch the news either. Books slow down the process but you learn a lot more of what actually happened! This is a good one. On another good one now…