Within Reach: My Everest Story [Hardcover]

Mark Pfetzer (Author), Jack Galvin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

Two years ago, every media giant from ESPN to Good Morning America scrambled to document the inspirational true story of fifteen-year-old Mark Pfetzer, the youngest climber ever to attempt the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest and most coveted peak. Now, as Mark prepares to embark on yet another record-breaking feat--to become the youngest ever to lead an Everest expedition--he shares his extraordinary personal story. Like Jon Krakauer's best-seller Into Thin Air, an account of another climbing party on the mountain at the time, Mark's personal saga is filled with both triumphs and setbacks. Details of his fascinating and careful preparations as well as a moment-by-moment account of the climbs are included in a suspenseful and fast-paced first-person narrative. Readers will marvel at Mark's determination through high-altitude and ice training as well as the arduous daily workouts; they'll sympathize with his fatigue as he carries nearly twenty extra pounds of schoolbooks to Advanced Base Camp. They'll also feel the adrenaline pumping when they accompany Mark past the ever-shifting Khumbu Icefall, over three-hundred-foot crevasses, and up into the high-altitude Death Zone. When his father is stricken with cancer back home, Mark's story also becomes an eloquent testimony to the unbreakable bond between father and son. A full-color insert includes photographs that capture moments from the expeditions, as well as breathtaking shots of the Tibetan landscape. A sure pick for aspiring climbers and athletes, Mark's story offers an exhilarating promise for all young readers: Any goal can be within reach, if you reach far enough.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although Within Reach is targeted at young adults and written in a young man's voice, the writing (by coauthor Galvin) is engaging, and the story is rewarding enough to interest any mountaineer.

Pfetzer, 18 at the time of publication, describes his summits of a number of peaks worthy of a climber twice his age, including Huascarán, Aconcagua, Ama Dablam, Kilimanjaro, and Cho Oyu. He tells at length of his two expeditions to Everest, where he reached 25,000 feet from Tibet and 26,000 feet from Nepal. Purists may sneer, as all these climbs were commercial, guided expeditions--but heck, the kid was only 14 or 15; how else would he get there? And, though a paying client, he was unusually well prepared: a karate black belt (at age 11), courses in NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) and high-angle rescue, full EMT (emergency medical technician) training (even though he was too young to be licensed), in addition to being in top physical condition, which he rigorously maintained.

Pfetzer has regularly sought out older, more experienced mountaineers as mentors--somewhat rare for a teenager--and thanks them publicly for their teaching and wisdom. His love of climbing and determination to succeed are inspirational for all ages. --Donna DeShazo

From Publishers Weekly

In May 1996, Mark Pfetzer at age 16 was the youngest climber on Mount Everest to reach 26,000 feet, and his gripping autobiography focuses exclusively on his mountain climbing achievements. Recounted in diary format, Pfetzer's dense but taut story opens during the 1996 Everest expedition, then jumps back to a 1992 advanced camping trip, when his passion for climbing first ignited. An advertisement for a mountaineering trip in Nepal sparks his imagination and determination (he must raise $5000 for the excursion), and the experience starts Pfetzer off to the farthest (and highest) reaches of the globe, on to Peru, Ecuador, Tanzania and finally to Mount Everest. Even though he fails to reach the summit on either of his two Everest trips (the second of which takes place during the fatality-filled 1996 expedition described by Krakauer in Into Thin Air), Pfetzer does set an altitude record for his age. While some of his inspirational comments about going for one's dreams come off as a bit condescending, and a few of the descriptions and metaphors have an adult flavor, readers are sure to be fascinated by the suspenseful storytelling and the wealth of insider details. For instance, at high altitudes climbers can break a rib just by coughing; those who reach the summit often urinate on the peak to commemorate the event. Even readers with no interest in rappelling will likely be swept up in the details of the people and places Pfetzer meets in his travels. A glossary and a chapter by chapter "Cast of Characters" will help readers unfamiliar with the world of climbing. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525460896
• ISBN-13: 978-0525460893
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,300,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a pretty good book., December 25, 1999

By 

Lauren Haumesser (Walnut Creek, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Within Reach: My Everest Story (Hardcover)

This is the second book that I have read on Everest, (one when I was nine, one now at age 11). It was also the one I enjoyed more. I liked how it was written in journal form, because for people my age it made it eaiser to read. The book was very suspenceful in some parts. It amazed me was how Mark (the person the book was written about), had climbed so many mountains when he was 14, 15, and 16. But, my favorite feature that the authors included was a 'cast of characters'at the back of the book. The 'cast of characters' included a chapter number, and then listed all of the people mentioned in that chapter. Next to the peoples names were a couple of sentences about where they were from, and what they were like. This was very useful because Mark, went on so many expeditions. Another reason I liked this book so much is because of the sense of humor in it. All and all, this was a pretty good book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Within Reach" was the Best Book I've Read in a Long Time!, December 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Within Reach: My Everest Story (Nonfiction) (Paperback)

"Within Reach" by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin was a very good book. In fact, it was one of the best books I've read in a long time. At first when this book was suggested to me, I thought "Wow. Another boring non-fiction book about some guy climbing Everest. Whoopee." But I was wrong. I loved "Within Reach"! I suggest it for anyone interested in a good read. Even if you don't like non-fiction or adventure books, I think this book's for you! I took this book to all my classes at school and brought it home every night, sneaking a read when I was supposed to be doing my homework - that's how much I really couldn't put this book down! I loved following Mark's journeys in mountain climbing, and I hope there will be a sequel soon about his 1999 Everest and Andrea Doria expedition! (The Andrea Doria is a sunken cruise ship that a group [including Mark] is going to explore, 240 feet undersea!) And Mark, if you're reading this, I'm sorry about your dad.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiration, February 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Within Reach: My Everest Story (Hardcover)

I saw Mark speak last Fall when the book first came out and I was very impressed with his maturity and poise. Both of these qualities are apparent in his book as well. His story is inspirational to both young adults and adults! When most of us say "Wouldn't it be great to try ___" Mark actually does. The book is structured like a diary and you follow Mark from his first rock climb to Mt. Everest and everything in between. I recommend it to anyone who has is interested in Everest and one young man's determination to reach the summit.