Left for Dead by Beck Weathers

[rocketsocks]

Has anyone read this book? Just saw it the other day, look forward to checking it out. I've read John Krakauer's account of the 96' Mt. Everest Tragedy "Into Thin Air" and Anatoli Boukreev "The Climb" of the same incident, and did not know Beck Weathers chronicled his take on the events. Are there any other books out there authored by the folks that were there? these are the only accounts I know of.

http://www.amazon.com/Left-Dead-Jour.../dp/0440237084

[fiddlehead]

I remember reading another one by David Breashears, a climber and video guy who was making the IMAX film "everest" at the time.

[HooKooDooKu]

I haven't read Beck's book (or Anatoli's), but I've read "Into Thin Air" and I've seen the extended interviews with Beck Weathers that are part of the bonus material on the IMAX DVD "Everest". The IMAX movie only touches on Beck's story, but the bonus material goes on for either half-an-hour or a full hour detailing his story.

[Ricky&Jack]

I believe I read that theres another movie being made based on the same "Into Thin Air" event.

[Marta]

http://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Eve...Matt+Dickinson

Matt Dickinson was on the North Face during that 1996 storm season. Pretty interesting book.

While Into Thin Air presents a very convincing account of events, I thought The Climb was a good rebuttal. One of the takeaway thoughts from that was recognizing the difference between catering to your clients and educating your clients so they can take care of themselves. As a parent, as a colleague at work, and as a sometime hiking/backpacking mentor, I prefer Boukreev's approach.

[Marta]

I remember reading another one by David Breashears, a climber and video guy who was making the IMAX film "everest" at the time.

I remember reading that one, too. I must have gotten it from the library because I don't own a copy. According to that account, the IMAX team dumped a lot of resources into the search and rescue, which wasn't really acknowledged in Into Thin Air.

[rocketsocks]

I remember reading another one by David Breashears, a climber and video guy who was making the IMAX film "everest" at the time.

Cool, I'll look that one up.

I haven't read Beck's book (or Anatoli's), but I've read "Into Thin Air" and I've seen the extended interviews with Beck Weathers that are part of the bonus material on the IMAX DVD "Everest". The IMAX movie only touches on Beck's story, but the bonus material goes on for either half-an-hour or a full hour detailing his story.

As Marta mentions, it's a good rebuttal to into thin air, as there was some tensions between the accounts of the two authors.

I believe I read that theres another movie being made based on the same "Into Thin Air" event.

Been a while since I've seen it...good movie, gave me some visuals to reinforce what I'd read.

http://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Eve...Matt+Dickinson

Matt Dickinson was on the North Face during that 1996 storm season. Pretty interesting book.

While Into Thin Air presents a very convincing account of events, I thought The Climb was a good rebuttal. One of the takeaway thoughts from that was recognizing the difference between catering to your clients and educating your clients so they can take care of themselves. As a parent, as a colleague at work, and as a sometime hiking/backpacking mentor, I prefer Boukreev's approach.

Will look that up as well. And I agree, while they are two different stories/accounts, one really needs to read both to know the whole story. That's why I'm interested in Becks book, perhaps there's a third opinion to round out and add too an even more definitive telling, Thanks.

[rafe]

I've read "Into Thin Air" a couple of times. Beck's miraculous survival and subsequent evac. off the glacier is part of the story. I guess Krakauer has his detractors, but he does spin a good yarn. His stories are always interesting, esp. his climb of the "Thumb" in Alaska, and several of the stories in "Eiger Dreams."

[rocketsocks]

I've read "Into Thin Air" a couple of times. Beck's miraculous survival and subsequent evac. off the glacier is part of the story. I guess Krakauer has his detractors, but he does spin a good yarn. His stories are always interesting, esp. his climb of the "Thumb" in Alaska, and several of the stories in "Eiger Dreams."

I agree, he has a good voice too, liked it so much bought the audio version to listen to while I walk, it's packed so full of information I never get tired of listing to it. Also purchased "The Climb" to help fill in some blanks, cause for what ever reason was having a hard time reading that one...I dunno, some writting just don't click for me, good story though. That said the audio book "The Climb" is the most horrendous recording...terrible, it's scracthy, echoie, ( for lack of tech. terms) and during certain parts you can actually hear other people talking in the back ground like a telephone phone bank...crazy they put it out like that...I can't in all honesty recommend it...most sellers let you listen to a bit before you buy...perhaps I should have done that one this one, but I didn't.

[Tipi Walter]

Of course like everyone else I read Krakauer's Everest book and then Boukreev's book and finally got around to Beck Weather's excellent read. Six degrees of separation now occurs.

Beck is from Texas, and I lived in Wichita Falls TX between 1962-69 when my Dad was Chairman of the Music Department at then MU (now Midwestern State University). Beck also lived in Wichita Falls at the time, and played clarinet in the MU band. Weird thing is, my Dad was not only the chairman but also the professor of clarinet and I myself played clarinet with both the university orchestra (as a high school student) and Joe Haddon's sight reading band, and I was active in '66-67-68, the same time as Beck Weathers. (I even played in the Wichita Falls Symphony for one year in 68).

Anyway, I was going thru some old band programs from the time and saw Beck Weather's name as a clarinetist. This was when he had his nose and all his fingers (sorry, couldn't resist). Very strange, and so my Dad probably knew him.


Here's my Dad in '65 at MU entertaining the Faculty Wives Club---not a bad job.


Here's a pic of Beck, at bottom, in the MU 1968 Yearbook, the Wai-Kun.

[rocketsocks]

It truly is a small world, funny how when ya hear somethin, sometimes the lights go on. cool story!

[Sarcasm the elf]

I remember reading that one, too. I must have gotten it from the library because I don't own a copy. According to that account, the IMAX team dumped a lot of resources into the search and rescue, which wasn't really acknowledged in Into Thin Air.

If I recall, Krakauer did briefly bit graciously mention that the IMAX team jeopardized their own film's success by providing large amounts of their bottled oxygen and supplies to the rescue effort. He also mentioned that the teams's crew found a landing spot for the rescue chopper and helped to guide them in because they had experience with that sort of operation.

[T.S.Kobzol]

wow. resurrected. I read both Krakauer's and Boukreeev's books. Krakauer flawed dumping on Boukreeev put him on my naughty list. I have not bought another book from Krakauer since.

Some morons really touch my nerve - in those cases I choose to vote with my wallet. Bryson is another example. The dude is a good writer but I did not buy another book from him since he threw trash all over the trail and laughed about it.

[Tipi Walter]

wow. resurrected. I read both Krakauer's and Boukreeev's books. Krakauer flawed dumping on Boukreeev put him on my naughty list. I have not bought another book from Krakauer since.

Some morons really touch my nerve - in those cases I choose to vote with my wallet. Bryson is another example. The dude is a good writer but I did not buy another book from him since he threw trash all over the trail and laughed about it.

The Krakauer/Boukreev debate is a hot one and had Boukreev not died on another mountain after the '96 debacle it would still be going on and probably at a higher intensity. It's so apparent that Krakauer returned to the South Col during the storm and didn't dare leave his tent, a problem worth discussion, whereas Boukreev took off several times in the face of bad conditions to look for those left for dead. Maybe certainly Krakauer was NOT going to let "their epic" become "his epic".

[HooKooDooKu]

The Krakauer/Boukreev debate is a hot one and had Boukreev not died on another mountain after the '96 debacle it would still be going on and probably at a higher intensity. It's so apparent that Krakauer returned to the South Col during the storm and didn't dare leave his tent, a problem worth discussion, whereas Boukreev took off several times in the face of bad conditions to look for those left for dead. Maybe certainly Krakauer was NOT going to let "their epic" become "his epic".

I read one of the later copies of "Into Thin Air" where Krakauer added an epilogue detailing the feud between the two of them.

I'll admit that I have not read "The Climb". But taking Krakauer's comments with a grain of salt, it seems that at the end of the day, the debate was all about guides using (or not using) Os.

As I see it, Krakauer called Boukreev a hero. But at the same time, Krakauer faulted Boukreev for acting more like an adventurer rather than acting as the guide he was being paid to do. As Krakauer say it (and how I have to say I see it based on what I've read), Boukreev was acting more like an adventurer by challenging himself to climb without Os rather than concentrating on being a guide and using Os to allow him to be at his strongest. Yet from what I understand, Boukreev tried to defend himself saying that climbing without Os allowed him to do a better job. I see that a baloney.

At the end of the day, I think fewer people would have died that day if Boukreev would have been using Os. But I've got to admit, Boukreev's best retort was that none of his clients died that day.

[lemon b]

When a tough gentleman like Weathers takes the time to write about an event like that storm I am going to read the Book. Have found out about several enjoyable reads on White Blaze. Into Thin Air was a good read as was the Outside Mag short story on the trip.

Wasn't there a famous Russian climber who also survived that storm?

Sometimes I wish when I was younger that climbing was something I had the courage and determination to explore. Just recently read about a K-2 climb. Guess K-2 is alot more difficult than Everest.

That climbing sub culture sure is elite as far as mental and physical toughness. Must admit I do feel envy not being at their level in the mental toughness. One also must have to have a super IQ in obtaining that skill set.

[Tipi Walter]

That climbing sub culture sure is elite as far as mental and physical toughness. Must admit I do feel envy not being at their level in the mental toughness. One also must have to have a super IQ in obtaining that skill set.

Elite climbers? Everest claimed the lives of 16 sherpas in the latest mountain epic and what did the "western" climbing clients do? Ended their season! Mental and physical toughness?? Naw, without the sherpas hauling gear and placing ropes and carrying oxygen bottles, the clients couldn't hack it and bailed. I blame the guide services for "outsourcing the risk" to the sherpas. In fact, I was so steamed hearing the bail-out news that I wrote this screed in a recent trip report (I was out on a backpacking trip when the avalanche occurred).

NEWS
Many dead on Mt Everest near Khumbu and an avalanche off the West shoulder of E. In peak season E is climbed by around 500 to 600 people. There are "morning rush hours" of clients. All of the dead are sherpas and one guide says, "Western clients outsource the risk." I believe this quote is from Grayson Schaffer.

EVEREST UPDATE
All the deaths this time were sherpas and no "westerners" or climbing clients supported by sherpas. In my opinion the "western" clients want all the glory with half the risk. Why don't they hump their own crap up the mountain like Messner did on his solo trip? Are the clients so weak that they can't haul all of their own gear and do it on repeated trips like the sherpas now do for these seemingly lazy clients? Maybe the Mother Mountain hates to see her breasts becoming a for profit commercial endeavor-squeeze and a high dollar mastabutory self aggrandizing ego trip. Maybe she takes offense at such business. I know I'd be very upset if the Nutbuster trail on the upper Slickrock Creek trail was turned into a business enterprise and guided by profit and high numbers of clientele brought in to "have the experience" along with a couple hundred helicopter overflights.

It's obscene but when humans get involved with a wilderness like Everest , well, what do you expect? They always ruin a good thing. Just look at the road up to the top of Clingmans Dome or Grandfather Mt or the RV highway rolling thru Yellowstone or the hiway going thru Glacier NP or the motorcycle racetrack of the Cherohala Screamway or the cog railway and road to Mt Washington. I guess for Mt Everest, sherpas and oxen are the "cars" allowing questionable clients to get their summit with half the work, and of course the guide services go along with the crap." END O RANT

[HooKooDooKu]

Wasn't there a famous Russian climber who also survived that storm?

That would be Boukreev.

He was a guide with Mountain Madness. Krakauer faulted him for going up the mountain as a guide, yet not utilize bottled oxygen. As the disaster started to unfold, Boukreev was responsible for saving many lives. Boukreev didn't like how he was portrayed in Krakauer's book, "Into Thin Air", and had someone help him right the rebuttle "The Climb". Boukreev was later killed in an avalanche climbing another mountain before Krakauer and He could resolve their differences.

[jeffmeh]

But Walter, without the Cog many of my young hiking students would have been deprived of the experience of consummating their attainment of trail manhood with a peanut butter, jelly, and Cog ash sandwich.

[T.S.Kobzol]

I read one of the later copies of "Into Thin Air" where Krakauer added an epilogue detailing the feud between the two of them.

I'll admit that I have not read "The Climb". But taking Krakauer's comments with a grain of salt, it seems that at the end of the day, the debate was all about guides using (or not using) Os.

As I see it, Krakauer called Boukreev a hero. But at the same time, Krakauer faulted Boukreev for acting more like an adventurer rather than acting as the guide he was being paid to do. As Krakauer say it (and how I have to say I see it based on what I've read), Boukreev was acting more like an adventurer by challenging himself to climb without Os rather than concentrating on being a guide and using Os to allow him to be at his strongest. Yet from what I understand, Boukreev tried to defend himself saying that climbing without Os allowed him to do a better job. I see that a baloney.

At the end of the day, I think fewer people would have died that day if Boukreev would have been using Os. But I've got to admit, Boukreev's best retort was that none of his clients died that day.

boukreevs clients all survived. As a guide he took care of his group, saved a few of them too. He then saved more clients of the other group. Could he have saved more? What is he the St.Bernard?