Into Thin Air

A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Philip Franklin

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in 57 hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, 20 other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top. No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds.

Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.

Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist and author of the best seller Into the Wild. On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world.

A rangy, 35-year-old New Zealander, Hall had summited Everest four times between 1990 and 1995 and had led 39 climbers to the top. Ascending the mountain in close proximity to Hall's team was a guided expedition led by Scott Fischer, a 40-year-old American with legendary strength and drive who had climbed the peak without supplemental oxygen in 1994. But neither Hall nor Fischer survived the rogue storm that struck in May 1996.

Krakauer examines what it is about Everest that has compelled so many people - including himself - to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.

Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement. Into the Wild is available on audio, read by actor Campbell Scott.

©1997 Jon Krakauer (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

Winner, Margaret A. Edwards Award (Alex Awards), 1998

"Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time...a book of rare eloquence and power that could remain relevant for centuries." (Galen Rowell, The Wall Street Journal)

"No added dramatics are needed for the listener to imagine the high-altitude cold, fear, bravado and sense of total isolation felt by all who were trapped beyond help, as well as by those who survived. Franklin’s emulations of the multinational voices of guides, clients and Sherpas bring one still closer to the action." (AudioFile)

small audio bug

a few times the audio looped for a few seconds. Minor annoyance but otherwise great performance and gripping story.

Saddest moment of human existence

Right up there with the death of Christ (He was resurrected 3 days later). The Story, warts and all, was very well written; the narrator was also very good.

A well-written memoir and an interesting read.

A well-written memoir and an interesting read. Throughout this book, I often asked "Why put death at such a close range?" Climbing Mt. Everest is a high risk pursuit and danger is an essential component of the game, without it, it's just another trifling diversion. Mortality has been conveniently a hypothetical concept, an idea to ponder in the abstract ... until 12 people died at close range.

Very painful

Warning: there is no happy ending. I knew very little about the details of this event, and now the details give me nightmares.

great story, I've listened multiple times!!!

this is an amazing true recounting of a tragic loss upon the greatest mountain. I enjoyed this story years ago and have listened multiple times again.

Tragic

My biggest takeaway is that Ian Woodall is a garbage human. Overall, this was really interesting (I also went on to see the movie Everest). At times, it’s a bit hard to follow all the characters and trails, so I imagine reading the text version of this book could be helpful especially if it includes a map of the mountain. Krakuer’s story has all the elements of a gripping tragedy and remains relevant today as more and more people attempt to reach summit.

Tragedy

The story is compelling.

Understand that each person had a different experience.

The narrator mispronounced a few words, I wish I’d written them down, each time it pulled me out of the story.

Loved this book!

This story is almost too fascinating to be true! I also greatly enjoyed Jon Krakauer's book "Into the Wild". This book is even more intriguing as Krakauer lived the experience and tragedy. His level of humility and critical self-analysis at the end of the experience was refreshing.

great book

I love this book. Just as good as Into the Wild. There are a few audio issues in this version. It repeats sentences a few times but not a big deal.

Hopelessly addicting

Mountaineering is terrifying, anxiety inducing, and strenuous but, damn, does it make for an incredible book.