Dark Summit: The True Story Of Everest's Most Controversial Season (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
The title may sound sensationalist, but this book is the opposite of that, which was very refreshing (especially after finger-pointing and uninformed diatribes about bad mountaineering ethics seemed to have become the standard whenever the David Sharp case comes up). I enjoyed Heil's writing style (philosophical, at times even lyrical, but also extremely precise and never romanticising) and his well-founded research, but most of all I appreciated the lack of judgement and his choice to simply present as many of the facts as he could establish and let them speak for themselves. A highly engrossing read. This book tells of the deadliest climbing season since the infamous season of 1996. Nick Heil describes the difficult trek up the infamous Mt. Everest which stands at an astonishing 29,029 ft. The treacherous climb consists of dizzying altitudes, crevices that can be up to hundreds of feet wide, and the ever present threat of avalanches. The scary situations that the climbers face on their way up the mountain made me realize that climbing a mountain that size is completely different than I thought it was. In order to climb Mt. Everest you have to be in great physical condition and you have to be able to withstand extreme conditions including negative temperatures and winds that can reach over 100 miles per hour. This book is a great example of the feats that climbers can accomplish when they put their mind to something. Having the will to climb Mt. Everest is impressive on its own but being able to climb the entire mountain is just amazing and I think that Nick Heil told a wonderful story about the treacherous climb.
What do You think about Dark Summit: The True Story Of Everest's Most Controversial Season (2008)?
Considering I have no interest in climbing this was an interesting and thought provoking read.
—Aldee233
Makes Everest sound even less appealing than "Into Thin Air", but still tempting.
—zxcmnb
I really enjoy books about the Mount Everest climbs.
—maria
