Climbing Mt. Everest is so easy a child could do it, and most likely there is a line of children cueing at what’s left of the Hillary Step at this very moment. What was once considered the “Third Pole,” has been reduced to a sideshow for Instagramers, debutants and YouTubers keen on back slaps and bot love. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but it sure feels like the soul of mountaineering, at least on Everest, has been extinguished.
Next time you are at REI, tell the salesperson you are thinking of attempting a “Maurice Wilson,” and then explain you signed up for discount flight lessons.
Most likely, they will have no idea what you are talking about because to most people Maurice Wilson was a historical footnote at best. But Ed Caesar’s “The Moth and the Mountain: A True Story of Love, War, And Everest” sets the record straight about who this man really was and what he was almost able to accomplish.
Wilson was a survivor of WWI’s trench warfare, a hero in fact, but this doesn’t mean he didn’t leave without scars, both mental and physical. Semi-lost, confused and keen for adventure, Wilson became obsessed with Everest. He formed a radical plan. Learn to fly, fly to Everest, land on the lower slopes, and then hike to the summit; alone. A nearly endless supply of obstacles stood in his way, but Wilson was undeterred. Eleven months later, he stood at the base of the monster and took the first steps toward realizing his goal.
We live in a world of the phony brave. We live in a world of influencers. Reading about someone like Wilson, regardless of how crazy he was, makes one realize just how far down the “Road of Facade” we have gone as a species. Wilson suffered enormous loss and personal trauma, and yet somehow nearly managed to pull off the impossible. Did he summit Everest alone? No, but he did everything else he set out to do. And he did IT IN THE 1930s!!!! Image flying from London to India in 1933 after JUST having learned to fly. His plywood Gypsy Moth airplane, a paper map and handheld compass as his only navigation. No compression socks, sports gels, Gore-tex, sunscreen, fleece, GPS, or livestream from basecamp. No helicopter rescue, sherpas to set ropes, or bottled oxygen. What Wilson did would crush 99.9% of modern “adventure” athletes.
I loved this story. And Wilson deserves respect for his fortitude and perseverance. His ideas about life, spirituality, and fasting were also bizarre yet fascinating. If he were alive today, I would invite him to a knot tying class at REI. Seriously, a great story and worth your time. Get it, read it.
Comments 16
Great description of a book, about the adventurers of the past and the current banality. It caught my attention, I’m already uploading it to my Kindle. My grandfather fought in the trench of Dolomites, in the WWI, I have his diary where he described his journey. I always think about the hardships they experienced at that time, which marked their character forever.
I have read about that campaign in the Dolomites. Of all the fronts in that terrible war, that must have been the very worst, with the exception of Gallipoli. He must have been a brave man. I also try to remember the hardships my grandparents and parents faced with grace and stoicism before I get too upset about the shabby quality of foam on my cappuccino at the local cafe.
Author
Yes. I find myself complaining about my cycling recovery. What a brat.
Author
I can’t even imagine WWI trench war. Pure insanity.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said about this book, Dan. A fantastic story and what a character Maurice Wilson was.
Author
Yes, we need more of him.
And here I was feeling heroic yesterday for making it to the gym, adding time to my treadmill, and another plate to my weights. And you come along and burst my accomplishment bubble with Maurice Wilson, his plywood plane, and Mt. Everest adventure! Man, what a cool dude.
Author
Yes, scale can be daunting. But, do what we can. What is the other option?
This is a fantastic read! Great one to keep on the shelf.
Author
Agreed.
Great review, both salty and inspiring. Downloading it now and looking forward to reading it. As you point out, this is a man who’s not known widely, certainly not to me, until now. Thanks.
Author
Yes, had never heard of him. Ultimately, didn’t end well but the guy was a doer. Makes me look like nothing.
Also available as an audiobook, and on Spotify so you don’t have to get in bed with Jeff Bezos to hear it.
Author
Nice!
Dan, you’re gonna make my TBR list a mile long, I’m definitely not complaining about it, though.
Author
That’s my plan! For everyone.