Customer Reviews

Everest: The West Ridge

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Jon Krakauer's provocative critique of the 1996 storm deaths on Everest aroused in many an insatiable interest in the mountain. For others, like me, who are in this position and who would like to extend their knowledge of the mountain and its climbs further back in history, I recommend Dr. Hornbein's account of his climb and traverse of Everest by the West Ridge. Dr. Hornbein was part of the first American expedition to Everest in the 1960s and, together with Willi Unsoeld, was the first to climb Everest by the west route.

The historical nature of Dr. Hornbein's account is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. Because The West Ridge was written in the mid-1960s, its perspective is very different from the post-1996 Everest books, providing insight into the minds, drives, and cultural attitudes of the true mountaineers who "opened" Everest, rather than the "me-too" climbers who have come after. For this and for Hornbein's direct, spare narrative style, Everest: The West Ridge is exciting and well worth the read.

On the other hand, the book suffers from a stoic heroicism which feels dated and which robs the story of some its narrative power. During the climb, Hornbein experienced a dramatic storm high up on Everest's west ridge and later, on the descent after his summit, was forced to spend the night high above the South Col. Although these events are included in the narrative, they are recorded in a such a matter-of-fact fashion that one unfamiliar with the modern Everest literature would not understand Hornbein's incredible feat in surviving these adventures. While a reluctance to describe these events may evidence an admirable modesty, it does not make for the best possible story. However, neither this nor some shortcomings in the editing alter the significance of Dr. Hornbein's accomplishment or diminish the excitement of the tale that he tells. The book is a terrific addition to any Everest library.

This is the story of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition which made mountaineering history. It saw the first Americans summit Everest via the South Col. It also saw the first climb of Everest by anyone via the West Ridge route, previously believed to be unclimbable.

Not only did Thomas Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld summit Everest via the West Ridge, they traversed the mountain and descended via the South Col route. They were, however, forced to bivouac in the death zone at 28,000 feet without any food, supplemental oxygen, or shelter.

One would think that such a dramatic turn of events high on Everest would be riveting to read. Wrong! Unfortunately, this is the one problem with this book. The story is told in a very dry, dull fashion. It is as if Hornbein were talking about flossing one's teeth rather than about a segment of mountaineering history of which he was an integral part.

Nevertheless, this is a high quality paperback with forty-eight terrific photographs that are sure to delight Everest junkies everywhere. No mountaineering library should be without this book, which recounts with detail one of the most significant climbs in the history of the Himalayas.

This classic mountaineering volume was written at a time when Himalayan mountaineering was entering a new and exciting phase - a purer seduction of the mountain, where more aesthetic methods and lines of ascent override the basic urge to reach the summit (and nothing else). Tom Hornbein was definitely cast into this new mold, although at the time he was probably not aware of it. This expedition, which was on many occasions threatened with defeat, succeeded in a mountaineering tour de force. Not the ascent by the "yak route", but by pushing a route up one of the most formidable ridges anywhere in the Himalayan chain and traversing the mountain back along the south-east ridge. Without the grit and determination of Tom and Willi, this would have been just another ascent of Everest to add to the ever-growing list. Their dream was borne out in the end. Tom's open and unprepossessing prose is a refreshing change from the pithy accounts of yesteryear, giving the reader more insight into the inner workings, and tensions, of any large mountaineering expedition. A must read for any serious mountaineering scholar.

Willie Unsold and Tom Hornbein would not rest until they attempted the West Ridge of Mt. Everest and traversed to the other side. Barry Bishop and Lute Jerstead arrived on the summit in mid afternoon and waited for Tom and Willie, but started down without them. What happened that night high on the mountain is mountaineering legend. In all but a hand full of nights on Everest, they would have died from the wind and cold. That night the mountain was calm and windless, and they survived. This story from 1963 is as gripping as the first moon landing in 1969. To all who seek adventure in the high mountain world, Everest, The West Ridge lives on.

I first read this book in the summer of 1969, and it is anything but dry or boring. Hornbein's matter-of-fact narrative does nothing to diminish the drama and the risk inhering in any attempt on Everest, but especially one in which the climbers descend by a route which is completely new to them. Hornbein also worked very hard to select incredibly beautiful photographs and inspirational quotations from some of the most famous mountaineers of all time. These, combined with the narrative of his own personal odyssey on the West Ridge, make this book into a truly inspirational piece of literature. Those who require sensationalism and hyperbole will not like this book, but those who recognize the drama inhering in any "point of no return" decision to continue going on up will see that no hyperbole is required. The narrative of events is compelling, especially if one has ventured into the high mountains and feels their majesty with both awe and respect--and sometimes terror. For some reason this book changed my life, and those who respond to challenges with the desire to do something worthwhile with their own lives will see in mountaineering a metaphor for every great and risky enterprise.

I started this book yesterday and stayed up until 3am to finish it. I admit I had not read it before, and I am completely sincere when I say its the best mountaineering book I've read. Fantastic writing. Great pacing. Great descriptions, an appropriate amount of introspection. Something tells me that if I'd read this book 20 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble.

I recently published my own climbing memoir, Beyond the Mountain, and have to say that I am in awe of how well Hornbein did putting together this amazing tale. As one who knows the difficulty of trying to put things down simply and honestly, my hat's off to Tom Hornbein.

This book is awesome. It describes a large and successful American expedition that gets up Everest by two different routes. Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld lead a climb up the West Ridge of Everest. The West Ridge had never been attempted before and it has only been done a few times since. At one point they leave the ridge and Hornbein describes a reconnaissance where they walk for hours across the North Face of Everest, to reach the bottom opening of what is now known as the Hornbein Couloir. A true wilderness adventure. I would have loved to see more photos from inside the couloir but at that altitude just hiking is enough of an effort. Unsoeld manages to take many awesome photos anyway. That they did this with oxygen is even more impressive to me because the logistics of such an attempt are very difficult. They encounter a considerable amount of real rock climbing at an altitude that had certainly never been tried before. The point where they can no longer go back down is also described. They have to go up and over in a desperate bid for survival down the (to them) unknown South ridge route in the coming night. There they encounter teammates who were desperately freezing as they waited for them in the dark. They must survive an extremely cold night out in the thin air. A truly remarkable book. My introduction to Willi Unsoeld who seems to be a force in himself. Amazing.

This book tells the history of the 1.st ascent via West Ridge of Mount Everest by Thomas Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld, both members of the 1963 american expedition lidered by Norman Dyhrenfurth that also putted the first american(Jim Whittaker) on top of Mount Everest.

They set out to climb Everest by the traditional route via South Col, but somewhere along the journey to base camp a group of climbers decided that a new route would be the biggest thing still to be accomplished in Himalayan mountaineering, among them were Hornbein and Unsoeld.

Hornbein became a fanatic about summiting Everest via The West Ridge through a couloir and with the support of Unsoeld, Barry Corbert,Al Auten, Dick Emerson and some good sherpas, he did it.Corbert and Auten pioneered a route to Camp 5W, followed by some sherpas and by Hornbein, Unsoeld and Emerson. From camp 5W Hornbein and Unsoeld attacked the summit, summiting it at 6:15 p.m. on may 22 1963, them they traversed the mountain and descented via the south col route at night. On the descent they actually found two other climbers(Barry Bishop and Lute Jerstad - that summited that same day)and spent the night out with them at 8000 mt. The rest is mountaineering history.

This classic book is a must have in any mountaineering collection and a must read to anyone who is interested in this subject.

Note: The only fatality during the expedition was Jake Breitenbach who died in the khumbu icefalls while leading a reconnaissance team. The couloir that Unsoeld and Horbein used to reach the summit is still known as the Hornbein Couloir.

A detailed account of a great mountaineering feat. The tensions between the team is fascinating. Because the sheets the mountaineers were required to fill in about what they were feeling by the team psycologist were left behind before the final push the most interesting part of the account is related in the thinest detail. A shame cos it knocks the gloss off what would otherwise be truly a 5 star book.

While reading Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", I couldn't help but notice how frequently he quoted passages from "Everest: The West Ridge". I now know why. Tom Hornbein gives us his fascinating personal account of the 1963 American expedition to the tallest mountain in the world. The mountain, its weather and even members of the expedition present Hornbein with a myriad of challenges which would have defeated most. He also generously shares with us the spirit and pleasure that is Willi Unsoeld. This is a story as grand as the mountain itself