The Climb

By: Anatoli Boukreev, G. Weston DeWalt

Narrated by: Lloyd James

The Climb is a true, gripping, and thought-provoking account of the worst disaster in the history of Mt. Everest: On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by experienced leaders attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world, but things went terribly wrong. Crowded conditions on the mountain, miscommunications, unexplainable delays, poor leadership, bad decisions, and a blinding storm conspired to kill. Twenty-three men and women, disoriented and out of oxygen, struggled to find their way down the southern side of the mountain. In the dark, battered by snow driven by hurricane-force winds, some of the climbers became hopelessly lost and resigned themselves to death. Anatoli Boukreev, the head climbing guide for the West Seattle-based Mountain Madness expedition, refused to give up hope. Solo, climbing blind in the maw of a storm that continually threatened his life, Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death.©1997 by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt; (P)1998 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Boukreev was true hero on Everest. You will appreciate this through this account.

I read John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air before and felt that his portrayal of Boukreev was unjust. This is a critical read to better understand the full picture of a very complex situation in an incredibly difficult and dangerous place. In my eyes, Boukreev was a hero.

A classic

This book is a great mountaineering classic. It shares Anatoli's true story of what happened on Everest in 1996, unlike other stories that have surfaced (like Into Thin Air). It is honnest, and it helps understand what happened without blaming anybody and staying humble (once again, unlike Into Thin Air).

Counterbalance to Krakauer

I was surprised by Anatoli's vulnerability. The fact that he was baffled and hurt by Krakauer's characterization of his actions during the '96 Everest tragedy was something I hadn't considered. And I also question why Krakauer did that when he had Anatoli's and Scott's reasoning behind Tolis decision to return to Camp 4 ahead of the clients.If you've read Into Thin Air, you should also read this book.

Must Read!

Interesting and entertaining, I've listened twice now. Must read to get full perspective of 1996 disaster. Much more believable account than that of 'Into Thin Air.' Boukreev should be remembered as a hero.

The Climb

The details of the 1996 Everest tragedy told from the perspective of Boukreev fills in so many details. I loved listening rather than reading. He really was a hero. I have great respect for him and the climbers who died during that season. I agree that it was the perfect storm, some factors of which were out of control. I’m sad to hear Boukreev died a year later.