Near Death in the Mountains: True Stories of Disaster and Survival (Vintage Departures Original) (Paperback)

by Cecil Kuhne (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School—Although new technology and techniques make mountain climbing more accessible, it is still a dangerous sport that attracts a small number of people. This collection of excerpts from a variety of mountaineering books includes stories from well-respected professional climbers, weekend climbers with experience, and those forced to climb by circumstance, such as the survivors of a plane crash in the Andes. Each vignette includes a summary at the beginning and a follow-up at the end. Readers may be frustrated by the nature of the selections, as it often seems that part of the story is missing, and it is often necessary to have a passing knowledge of the vocabulary and techniques of climbing to appreciate the narrative fully. On the other hand, for armchair adventurers, the tales are awe-inspiring and can drive interest in discovering the rest of the stories.—Mary Ann Harlan, Arcata High School, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
“He wrapped the rope around his body, got ready to rappel and leaned back. Standing about five feet from him, I heard a sharp scraping, Suddenly Ed was flying. I could see him fall, wordless, fifty feet free, then strike the steep ice below…he was sliding and bouncing down. He passed out of sight, but I heard his body bouncing. There wasn't a chance of his stopping for 4,000 feet.”
—From David Robert's The Mountain of My Fear

In these thrillingly true tales of narrow brushes with death, Cecil Kuhne has amassed a wide range of stories that show the awesome power of the mountains. Spanning five continents, from the frosty tip of Mount McKinley in the dead of the winter, to the unexplored vastness of the Himalayas and beyond, this is a pulse-pounding collection of disaster and survival at the top of the world.

Also featuring:

• Joe Simpson's Touching the Void—An inspiring story of a climber who topples into a icy crevasse and, though crippled, starving and frostbitten, still manages to crawl to rescue.

• Jon Krakauer's Eiger Dreams—Reaching the limits of his own climbing skills, the author makes a crucial decision whether to brave the treacherous higher altitudes or return to base.

• Nando Parrado's Miracle in the Andes—The stunning first-person account of a Peruvian rugby team's airplane crash in the Chilean Andes and their harrowing journey down the mountain for help.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307279359
• ISBN-13: 978-0307279354
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #187,583 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The stories are written by people who survived expeditions and are relating their harrowing experiences, November 17, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

When you climb a mountain as a kid, it's just a hill or a sand dune which does not pose much danger. When you grow up and decide to climb an unbelievable mountain for thrills risking your life, it is just plain nuts! Cecil Kuhne has collected some really awesome accounts in Near Death in the Mountains. The stories are written by people who survived expeditions and are relating their harrowing experiences.

Each episode takes you on a different climb, whether on a glacier, an impossible face of sheer rock covered in ice, or across a snowfield which has crevices hundreds of feet deep laying in wait like an ominous booby-trap.

There is one commonality among the collected stories, safety! Though there were many near death experiences, and some actual deaths described, it was not because they ignored caution. Rather, it was wind, ice, snow, or hidden dangers. One climber's death was caused by a hernia which could not be treated on the mountain. A doctor, part of the climbing team, could not save her. An unusual burial was devised by the group and she was given last rites as though at sea. They wrapped her in a bag and let her fall gently down the mountain to a hundred foot field of snow. For their safety and survival reasons they could not bring her back.

There is a short coming in this anthology which you discover when you start reading them. It is the special terminology of mountaineers. Having a good vocabulary and a dictionary will not assist in understanding this jargon. After reading several of these breathe-taking adventures you understand what an ice ax can do and how essential it is to all climbers. Some gear which they attach to their boots, have the same purpose, but the type used is dictated by the terrain.

Compulsion to read the next chapter is very strong. Once you get the flavor of the book, you cannot stop reading. Hot summer days are best when you read about all this snow and ice. Keep an eye out for Kuhne's next book in February (2009) titled Near Death in the Arctic; I sure will!

Clark Isaacs
Reviewer

5.0 out of 5 stars The Highs and Lows of Mountain Climbinb, July 28, 2008

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Near Death in the Mountains is not for the squeamish!

Can you imagine being stranded in an ice cave at eight thousand feet, the raging wind gusting in excess of 100 m.p.h., frostbite swelling your hands and feet so badly you can't even dress yourself, you become delirious from lack of water, and are unaware of the passage of time? These conditions can be part of the countless, serious conditions the mountain climber may encounter.

Near Death in the Mountains features some stories well suited to the seasoned veteran, who can appreciate the detailed and technical accounts. (I was mostly lost.) Aspiring climbers can learn a great deal from these comprehensive and broad narratives.

The book also includes accounts more suited to the adventure reader. The vividness of description brings the rugged mountain peaks clearly to your mind. The terror of the wind comes alive as you hear its furry and feel the intense cold encompass the exhausted climbers. The possibility to freeze your fingers, nose, or toes in only moments of exposure becomes a startling reality.

Near Death in the Mountains lays it all on the line, with distressing accounts of carelessness, gung-ho attitudes, or over-confidence resulting in the loss life or limbs. However, extraordinary courage, strength, and endurance in the pursuit of a dream give others a positive picture of the sport.

Don't forget an extra blanket. There is a blizzard between the pages and you'll soon be engulfed!

After you read this book, its impact will affect you for the rest of your life!

Armchair Interviews agrees.