The Other Side of Everest: Climbing the North Face Through the Killer Storm - Softcover

Dickinson, Matt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0812933400 ISBN 13: 9780812933406

Publisher: Three Rivers Press, 1999

Synopsis

This dramatic tale of the storm that hit Mount Everest in the spring of 1996 will resonate with anyone fascinated by life on the outer edge of physical and psychological limits. Before the killer storm subsided, some climbers reached the summit, others abandoned their quest, and twelve people froze to death. Matt Dickinson, a filmmaker and a novice climber, chose that fateful May for his first ascent of Everest, up the treacherous North Face. His story is one of discovery, tragedy, and personal triumph--told, literally, from the other side of the world's tallest peak. It will be cherished by all readers eager to experience adventure, from their armchairs to their own base-camp bivouac.

About this title

Review:

On May 10, 1996, a paralyzing storm killed 12 climbers on Mt. Everest, disfigured many others, and put the peak back on its lofty throne. While the disaster on the South Face has received nearly all of the publicity, most notably in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and Anatoli Boukreev's The Climb, The Other Side of Everest details a novice's remarkable ascent through that same storm on the colder and more difficult North Face. With alarming details, author and cameraman Matt Dickinson describes the horror of the extreme altitude and crippling storm: the hunger, pain, fear, and exhaustion. At one point, the party comes face to face with failure: "As we stepped over the legs of the corpse to continue along the Ridge, we crossed an invisible line in the snow--and an invisible line of commitment in our own minds." For most of the journey, it must be said, Dickinson is uncomfortable with himself and his surroundings. But his honesty is refreshing. Through his travails, he develops a reverence for a mountain that demands respect, and as a result, the occasional moments of epiphany so central to the genre still retain a ring of truthfulness. Adventure buffs will welcome this addition to the Everest library. --Ben Tiffany

From the Back Cover:

"White-knuckle time on the summit ridge."
--Newsweek

"Dickinson has an eye for meaningful detail and storytelling talent -- a rollicking, insightful and harrowing ride."
--The New York Times Book Review.

Gripping -- the action more than lives up to its promise. Dickinson takes the reader through the steps of his climb with humor, wisdom, and a minimum of bravado -- a thought-provoking exploration of nature and man's will to master it.
--Los Angeles Daily News

"Dickinson brings the fresh perspective and wide eyes of the novice to mountaineering's most enduring saga -- the result is an absorbing narrative that vividly portrays, step by agonizing step, his slow climb to the summit."
--Mercator's World

About this edition

• Publisher: Three Rivers Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0812933400
• ISBN 13: 9780812933406
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 233