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

"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)

Editing Problem?

Some sentences were repeated, on occasions more than once. Some words and even sentences have been cut out. Overall a very decent audiobook,

Compelling read/listen.

Gripping and tragic. I already knew about some of this story, but despite knowing the outcome, I was still compelled to keep listening.

Nicely read

Some of the narrator's attempts at New Zealand or Australian accents are quite laughable, falling closer to Irish, but his performance was quite good nonetheless. Excellent treatment of the emotions conveyed in the book.

An objective account and a good read.

this comes across as a much better read than climbers who write books, this is an author who happens to climb. as such, it makes for a much better story. good lessons here in hubris and the compounding effect of (seemingly) insignificant actions.

Still my favorite, 30+ books later

As I think back over the over 30 books I've listened to since joining Audible, this was my first listen and is still my favorite.

Call it voyeurism, curiosity, or whatever you like, but how many times do you get to hear a story from someone who witnessed it first hand and is such a powerful storyteller? Krakauer is gritty, circumspect, and at times raw in this gripping narrative, and to hear him read it makes this a true gem in the audiobook library.

One bit of practical advice, though. While Krakauer does an excellent job of describing the climb and the disaster, as someone with no knowledge of Everest, I found that a little accompanying research on the Internet illuminated his descriptions. I have since purchased a hardback copy of the book and there are maps and photos in there that bring one more level of depth to the book, but I was able to see a lot of the same information by researching the events online.

Crazy Story

Hearing the story of the tragedy directly from John was amazing. I think we can all take away something from his experience.

excellent book & excellent reading

I read the book last year and decided to re-read it on Audible. I'm glad I did. the reading of Into Thin Air was very well done! harrowing story told with compassion.

Very well told version of what happened.

The author was very detailed with the months leading up to, what happened during, and the months after the horrible storm that caused so many deaths on Mount Everest during the climbing season in 1996. I felt like I was there with him at many times. Such a tragedy that occurred. Well worth listening to. I bought the book after watching the film about the tragedy.

Detailed accounts of a horrific accident

He does an amazing job of bringing you into the story and it makes you feel like you were beside him on the journey. What a heart wrenching story to tell. Human adversity and pushing your limits...wow!

Spellbinding

So well written that I could almost feel the cold, hear the howling wind, and feel fear of being left alone on the dangerous track to Everest's summit.

Amazing. Frightening. Breath holding suspense. The best 'trip' to Everest!
This is as close to climbing any huge mountain, as I ever wish to be.