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Resources on Climbing Everest
The following resources are
those who are interested in the climbing culture on Everest. There is
a good deal of information in each of the books and videos detailed.
Books
Everest: Mountain Without Mercy by Broughton Coburn
By far the best book about climbing Everest that I have ever seen. The
narrative details the experiences of the IMAX film crew as it attempted
to film the mountain and several climbers, including Tenzig Norgay's son,
during different stages of an expedition. The crew got caught up in the
tragedy of 1996. The pictures are amazing! There are several valuable
and informative sections on the cultures and people of the region.
Into Thin Air by
Jon Krakauer
Krakauer's best-selling account of the 1996 tragedy. Very dramatic narrative.
Krakauer sounds very bitter and guilt-ridden at times, so it can be difficult
to read. The difficulties of so many inexperienced climbers on the world's
highest peak are detailed.
The Climb by Anotoli
Boukrev
Anyone who read Into Thin Air must certainly read this account of the
1996 tragedy. Boukrev offers a different account of what happened, often
contradicting Krakauer. This book is valuable for describing the harsh
conditions of the mountain.
Sir Edmund Hillary: To
Everest and Beyond by Whitney Stewart
This book is designed for younger readers, so middle school students will
find it useful. Stewart describes the life of the famous New Zealand bee-keeper
who reached the summit with Tenzig Norgay. Hillary's later expeditions
and efforts to help the people of the Himalayan region are included.
Ghosts of Everest: The
Search For Mallory and Irvine by Jochen Hemmleb, Eric R. Simonson,
and Larry A. Johnson
George A. Mallory is the Englishman credited with saying that he wanted
to climb Everest "because it is there." He set off for the summit
from Camp V with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine in 1923, and they
were not seen again. Mallory's body was discovered in 1999, but Irvine
and his camera remain missing. The book is primarily focused on Mallory's
life and the expedition that found him in 1999.
Videos
"Everest"
The famous IMAX film directed by David Breashears, so it would be most
effective seen on an IMAX screen. Breashears films several climbers as
they try for the summit after several of their friends die in 1996. The
images are breathtaking.
"Return to Everest"
In this National Geographic video, Sir Edmund Hillary returns to the Himalayan
region many years later to try to help the people there, building schools
and other ventures.
"Nova: Into the Death
Zone"
IMAX director David Breashears returns to Everest as a participant in
a scientific study of the effects of high-altitude climbing on the brain.
It is a revealing account of the damage the body sustains at high-altitude.
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