Within Reach: My Everest Story

Mark Pfetzer

ISBN 10: 1439511837 ISBN 13: 9781439511831

Publisher: Paw Prints 2008-07-10, 2008

Synopsis

In May 1996 the media scrambled to document the gripping story of sixteen-year-old Mark Pfetzer's expedition to Mount Everest. Not only was he the youngest climber ever to attempt the summit, he also witnessed the tragedy documented in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, in which eight climbers perished in a sudden storm. Within Reach is Mark's extraordinary account of this experience and of his triumphs over several other challenging peaks. At once triumphant and tragic, this story will be an inspiration to climbers, athletes, and armchair enthusiasts alike.

About this title

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

About the Author:

Mark Pfetzer is a well-known inspirational speaker and personality in the sports world. He has appeared in Time magazine and on CBS This Morning, ESPN, NBC Nightly News, and Good Morning America. Pfetzer is the author of Within Reach: My Everest Story, a book about his experience climbing Mount Everest during a deadly storm when he was just 16. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jack Galvin is a bestselling author known for cowriting the young adult book Within Reach: My Everest Story. He has been a writing teacher for more than 40 years.

About this edition

• Publisher: Paw Prints 2008-07-10
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1439511837
• ISBN 13: 9781439511831
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 224