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A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Una Crónica Personal de la Catástrofe en el Mt. Everest

A seasoned mountaineer is commissioned by a popular outdoor publication to document the increasing commercialization of Mount Everest. His curiosity piqued, he joins an expedition, which turns out to be one of the most catastrophic in the mountain's history. The team he joins is led by a company known as Adventure Consultants, whose role is to expedite the acclimatization process to the extreme altitude and guide the climbers safely to Everest's peak.

The expedition is divided into multiple camps: Base Camp and four others positioned at various altitudes. After weeks at Base Camp, the team embarks on several trips to the higher camps to hasten their adaptation to the high altitude. In May, they finally set out for the summit. The mountaineer chronicles his journey, detailing the experiences of his teammates and guides, and mapping out the timeline of their time on the formidable mountain. The climbers find the altitude hard to adjust to, each dealing with exhaustion, weight loss, and slow movement. Their experience varies greatly, with some well-equipped for the challenge, while others are amateurs heavily reliant on their guides.

Tragedy truly strikes in the latter part of the journey. The group leader sets a 2:00 pm deadline to reach the summit and turn back, but this is largely disregarded. Only a few, including the mountaineer, make the deadline, with others, including the team leader, reaching the peak as late as 4:00 pm. A storm hits soon after, leaving various members stranded, lost, and ultimately leading to fatalities. Through a miracle, one climber presumed dead manages to return to camp and survives the ordeal, though he suffers profound injuries. In all, the expedition results in 12 deaths, leaving the mountaineer haunted by the experience. 

In the aftermath, he publishes the commissioned article but feels compelled to delve deeper into the events of the tragic expedition. Through extensive research and interviews with survivors, he writes a more comprehensive account, aiming to present an accurate and thorough narrative of the harrowing events. His reflections on his own survival and the loss of life he witnessed lead to a redefinition of his own mortality and a lasting sense of survivor's guilt. Despite potential backlash, he is determined to share the full scale of the tragic, heroic, and selfish actions that occurred during their attempt to conquer Everest.

Into Thin Air

Hacia el Aire Delgado

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Touching the Void

Tocando el Vacío

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Alone on the Wall

Solo en la Pared

The Freedom of the Hills

La Libertad de las Colinas

Mountaineering

Montañismo

Mental Training For Climbers

Entrenamiento Mental Para Escaladores

The Rock Warrior's Way

El Camino del Guerrero de Roca

Psychovertical

Psicovertical

The West Ridge

La Cresta Oeste

Everest

The Art of Ascent

El Arte de Ascenso

Drawn

Dibujado

Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing

Enfoques psicológicos para la escalada de rocas óptima

Vertical Mind

Mente Vertical

Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber

Recuerdos de un Escalador de Rocas en Yosemite

Camp 4

Campamento 4

North America's Most Inspiring Women Climbers

Las Mujeres Escaladoras más Inspiradoras de Norte América

Women Who Dare

Mujeres que se Atreven

The Golden Age of Polish Climbing

La Edad Dorada de la Escalada Polaca

Freedom Climbers

Escaladores de Libertad

A Memoir of Hanging On and Letting Go

Una Memoria de Aferrarse y Dejar Ir

Learning to Fly

Aprendiendo a Volar

The Conquest of the Great North Faces of the Alps

La Conquista de las Grandes Caras Norte de los Alpes

Starlight and Storm

Luz de Estrellas y Tormenta

How to Understand the Injuries and Overuse Syndroms of Rock Climbing

Cómo Comprender las Lesiones y Síndromes de Sobreesfuerzo de la Escalada en Roca

One Move Too Many

Un Movimiento Demasiado

15 Best Climbing Books of All Time

Into Thin Air

A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Touching the Void

Alone on the Wall

Mountaineering

The Freedom of the Hills

The Rock Warrior's Way

Mental Training For Climbers

Psychovertical

Everest

The West Ridge

Drawn

The Art of Ascent

Vertical Mind

Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing

Camp 4

Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber

Women Who Dare

North America's Most Inspiring Women Climbers

Freedom Climbers

The Golden Age of Polish Climbing

Learning to Fly

A Memoir of Hanging On and Letting Go

Starlight and Storm

The Conquest of the Great North Faces of the Alps

One Move Too Many

How to Understand the Injuries and Overuse Syndroms of Rock Climbing

Sources

What To Read Next

15 Best Climbing Books of All Time

Into Thin Air

A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Touching the Void

Alone on the Wall

Mountaineering

The Freedom of the Hills

The Rock Warrior's Way

Mental Training For Climbers

Psychovertical

Everest

The West Ridge

Drawn

The Art of Ascent

Vertical Mind

Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing

Camp 4

Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber

Women Who Dare

North America's Most Inspiring Women Climbers

Freedom Climbers

The Golden Age of Polish Climbing

Learning to Fly

A Memoir of Hanging On and Letting Go

Starlight and Storm

The Conquest of the Great North Faces of the Alps

One Move Too Many

How to Understand the Injuries and Overuse Syndroms of Rock Climbing

Sources

What To Read Next

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