In chapter 1 of Into Thin Air, Krakauer jumps
right into the middle of the story which takes place on Mount Everest on the
Nepal side. We later learn that Krakauer is a journalist working for Outside who decided to take on the
challenge of climbing Mt. Everest to really make the story more interesting.
This chapter reveals to the reader the difficulties a climber goes through when
ascending a mountain this large. He writes about separated ribs and how hard it
is to breathe without a good supply of oxygen. He went on explaining about his
insufficient supply of oxygen left in his tank when he reached the summit. He
quickly began climbing back down the mountain, but when he reached a 7000 foot
abyss called the Hillary Step, a team of climbers were going up so he had to
wait for a while. The next chapters started in chronological order.
In
chapter 2, Krakauer explains the discovery of Mount Everest. In 1865, Peak XV
was named Mount Everest by Sikhdar. He also shares who the first people to
reach the top were. On May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing were the first men to
reach the top of the enormous mountain. I thought it was interesting to learn
how much money climbing companies would charge to climb Mount Everest. Its
thousands and thousands of dollars, and you’re putting your life at risk; it
just seems crazy to charge that much.
The
real story begins in chapter 3. Krakauer begins training for his climb so he is
fit and experienced enough to take on the biggest mountain there is. He meets
his climbing instructor, Rob Hall and a couple of the other people in his
group. He debates whether or not he can trust his guide; I mean he is putting his
life in the hands of Hall basically. Then in the next two chapters he tells us
about the beginning stages of the climb. He goes through the acclimatization
process. I’m looking forward to reading about the rest of Krakauer’s climb up
to the summit.
-April
I agree with April's evaluation of "Into Thin Air" so far! I first thought that the earlier chapters were like a waste of time. But after thinking about reading the backstory behind Mount Everest, I realize how much this mountain affected Krakauer's life. All of the struggles and dangers he went through climbing that mountain completely altered his life. Krakauer's in depth look behind the past of Mount Everest and those who attempted to climb before him. Maybe learning more about Mount Everest brings him some kind of closure; maybe understanding more about the very thing that caused him so much trauma. Sometimes trying to reason with facts about it helps the individual come to terms with what actually happened to him.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with April's reflection on chapters 1-5. Soon as I started reading this book I began to think on how crazy this expedition really is. Imagine doing what Krakauer and his team did or going through why they did. Its unbelievable. All of the fears, dangers, and struggles Jon Krakauer went through climbing the mountain really affected the rest of his life. I agree with April when she says, "This chapter reveals to the reader the difficulties a climber goes through when ascending a mountain this large. He writes about separated ribs and how hard it is to breathe without a good supply of oxygen." When I read about this in the book, my mind was wandering. I really can't even picture how severe the conditions were on top of Mt. Everest. Imagine having limited food, sleep, and oxygen. How would you feel?
ReplyDeleteI too agree with April's reflection of chapter 1-5 of Into Thin Air. Jon Krakauer is what one would call a "dare devil". He gets thrill out of climbing mountains. He endures harsh conditions having limited resources such as food, water, oxygen, and sleep. I would never be able to do what he does. I could not imagine facing such sever conditions without having my basic needs met. I am also afraid of heights. He lives for the rush and excitement of climbing mountains. To do this, you have to be a strong person both mentally and physically.
ReplyDeleteKrakauer is the definition of a dare devil and is in this for the love of mountaineering as well as the thrills of being able to say he has climbed the worlds tallest mountain. A small point was made that in order to be able to successful peak Everest you must trust the ones in your team as they must trust you to. I think that this tale that takes us into very think air with go into how far human relationships will go even when suffering from lack of starvation, illness, and lack of oxygen. I can't even imagine climbing a mountain half the size of Everest so I'm not sure how so many people have done it so far. It almost inspires me to want to do it thought because its such and unbelievable feat to have accomplished. I am looking forward to finishing the book.
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