The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2 [Paperback]

Rick Ridgeway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

The personal story of the 1978 American team who, following five failed attempts by previous American teams, gained the summit of K2.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Last Step goes paces beyond the usual mountaineering expedition story." -- Adventure Travel

"The final approach has all the suspense and excitement the reader can bear...A gripper." -- Publisher's Weekly

About the Author

Rick Ridgeway has climbed in the United States, the Andes, Antarctica, and the Himalaya and was a member of the successful 1976 American Bicentennial climb of Everest. He has been involved in a number of outdoor and climbing films and television specials as cameraman, rigger, and climber. He lives in Ventura, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898866324
• ISBN-13: 978-0898866322
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Excursion Guides

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE LAST STEP...MORE LIKE THE LAST STRAW!, September 17, 2000

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2 (Paperback)

Without a doubt, this is one of the most riveting mountaineering books around. Not for the climbing, which is in and of itself gripping, but for the slice of human drama found in the deterioration of relationships amongst various members of the expedition. At times, one is mesmerized by the bad behavior displayed at such high altitudes! One would think that these expeditioners were on Melrose Place, rather than fighting for their place in mountaineering history on K2, one of the most perilous mountains in the world to ascend.

Central to all the squabbling, was the love trangle which developed on the expedition, which was perceived by some of the expeditioners to be an extra marital affair in progress. Though this later proved to be true, at the time it was the source of much denial and hard feelings. It further split the team, which was already divided over who would be chosen to summit, and eroded already existing friendships, while preventing new ones which might have otherwise developed.

On top of all this, add in poor weather which caused them to spend about sixty seven days on the mountain, mostly at altitudes over eighteen thousand feet, and you have a recipe for disaster. These expeditioners, however, managed to become the first Americans to ascend K2.

Their success in achieving their objective, despite the trials and tribulations which they endured, is testament to their fortitude in putting aside petty, mean spirited concerns and inter-personal conflicts. This painstaking account of the first time summit of K2 by Americans is a must read for all climbing enthusiasts and readers of this genre.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Combination of Soap Opera and High Adventure, June 29, 2000

By 

Martina "Martina" (Los Angeles, Ca., USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2 (Paperback)

This terrific climbing book combines the larger stories of a struggle to climb the "world's hardest mountain," K2, with a smaller soap opera about a very diverse group of people trying to acheive a goal without driving each other crazy.

From a distance, one might see a cohesive group of climbers, pulling together through the interminable months-long task of hauling supplies and tents up through a series of ever-higher camps, one step up, and then two steps down. But closer up, Ridgeway describes in fascinating detail, how the expedition dissolved into competing cliques, and how selfishness and teamwork collided. There's even an extra-marital love triangle.

While this book is not as much of a page-turner as Into Thin Air, it is one of the finest mountaineering books out there; a must read in this genre.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The last step -- or the last straw?, October 18, 2002

By 

M. Ragen "searagen" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Step: The American Ascent of K2 (Paperback)

Ridgeway describes the epic story of the first successful American climb of K2 in 1978. K2, the second highest mountain in the world, has always presented unique challenges due in part to its remote location and in part to its degree of difficulty.

There are two fascinating aspects to this climb that are explored in great detail. The first key sub-plot tells the story of the organizational and personal issues that emerged as the expedition dragged on week after week. The schism that developed between the four aggressive climbers (Ridgeway, Reichardt, Wickwire, and Roskelley) and the other climbers demonstrates the pressures that can grow within any small group of people, friends or not, when they are subjected to incredible physical demands, differences of opinions, and the need to wait out the inevitable storms. With some of the challenges they faced, it is remarkable that the entire team continued to carry loads up the mountain day after day and that they were ultimately successful in putting four climbers at the top.

The second sub-story describes the route selection process by the lead climbers at the top of the mountain. They were exploring a new route in difficult conditions. Ultimately, this culminates in the decision, whether forced by equipment failure or by choice, by three of the four climbers to make for the top of K2 without the use of supplemental oxygen - a feat that had never been completed before. At the same time, the almost hallucinatory description of Wickwire's emergency bivouac at 28,000 feet is a compelling story of his determination to survive.

This book is a great read for those interested in the history of mountain climbing.