In chapter 18 of Into Thin Air,
Krakauer explains the attempt of three Ladakhis’s climb to the summit. The
conditions were so bad on the mountain that they thought they had reached the
summit at 4:00 P.M., when really they were 500 feet below the summit. That’s why they never passed Hansen, Lopsang,
or Hall at the top. In such harsh
conditions like these, other teams are not looking to help; they need to
survive themselves. Shigekawa says, “We were too tired to help. Above 8,000
meters is not a place where people can afford morality” (253). This is hard to
think about in our society because we all would like to help people who are
hurt, but up in such high altitudes with less oxygen and high winds, it’s
unrealistic. Three of the Indian men (Smanla, Morup, Palijor) were found dead
on May 17th, and they were left where they fell.
Without guides, Krakauer’s team
needed someone to lead. Stuart Hutchinson, a medical researcher from Montreal,
decided to step into the position. One morning, Hutchinson stumbled on the
bodies of Namba and Beck. They were twenty feet apart from each other and only
their hands and feet were sticking out of the ice. Miraculously, they both were
breathing, but Hutchinson could tell they weren’t going to make it, so he left
them. He was shaken, but he made the right decision. Later, Beck somehow
survives and makes it back to camp. Boukreev also goes back to find Fischer
from seeing Weathers alive, but by the time he returns Fischer is dead. With
the death count rising altitude getting to everyone’s head, it’s hard to stay
sane in difficult situations. I like this quote by Krakauer; he says, “I
wondered if I had begun the downward spiral into the nightmarish territory of
the mad” (257). It explains how Krakauer realizes he is making mistakes that he
usually wouldn’t make, questioning his sanity.
In chapter 20, everyone makes it
down to Camp Two and find plenty of resources they needed. A helicopter came
and landed. It first took Gau because he seemed to be in worse shape than
Weathers, but the helicopter came back for Beck shortly. Krakauer realizes what
he had been through in the past 72 hours. It’s hard for him to comprehend, but
he gets through it and makes his way down to the Icefall. In the final chapter,
Krakauer has a hard time dealing with everything that had happened on the
mountain. He begins crying and doesn’t want to deal with any of the reporters.
He speaks to Rob Hall’s wife and has a more difficult time talking about him
than she does. Krakauer ends the chapter with facts about the other
expeditions. Would you go on a trip like this if you knew how much it would
impact your life emotionally?
-April Cust
I agree with April's thoughts on the conclusion of Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". The journey has been very traumatizing for Krakauer and, I believe, will forever imprint him with the memories that will haunt him for the rest of his life. The people and experiences he's had on the mountain will change his outlook on life and the people he meets. I can't imagine how this kind of trip will affect me, personally, but after this I know Krakauer has lots of courage and strength that many will never experience.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written summary of chapters 18-21 in "Into Thin Air". I was surprised that they did not have guides with them. I know in that situation the only thing to do is keep on climbing but I would be incredibly nervous. We have read about many deaths throughout these chapters. If I were to have to witness that many dead bodies I do not know how I would mentally deal with it. With harsh weather conditions, they all begin to go a bit insane. I can only imagine how mentally drained I would be and I would have an extremely hard time dealing with it.
ReplyDeleteApril is on point with her summary of these chapters. This journey has been a long and tiring adventure for Krakauer and his expedition team. This will forever change his life. I agree with April when she says, "Krakauer has a hard time dealing with everything that had happened on the mountain. He begins crying and doesn’t want to deal with any of the reporters. He speaks to Rob Hall’s wife and has a more difficult time talking about him than she does." I can't imagine how these people really feel or what they truly went through. I don't think I could ever do something like this because I feel as if it is selfish. People need to think about how their actions effect the lives of others, especially their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of chapter 19 is really depressing to me because Shigekawa passed the three dying climbers and says that at that high altitude you can't afford morality. Of course its a statement made from his perception because not everyone would agree with that. There is for sure a more humane person out there that would of stopped to give aid. Then at the end of the novel Krakauer talks to Hall's wife and she is offering him emotional support instead of vice versa. I find this interesting because i would assume she would be the one in need of support since her husband is gone. Mrs.Hall is a emotionally strong woman and shows hows good and strong people can be.
ReplyDelete