Date finished 02 Jan 2021
Recommendation: 7/10
This is an account of the 1996 Everest disaster by a journalist who was with one of the groups. Eight climbers lost their lives; the author attempts to get to the heart of what happened up there. It’s rarely a single mistake that creates these events. In this case we learn about the commercialisation of Everest, the danger of inexperienced climbers paying to be taken up, the competition between tour groups and the myriad of human errors that happen when the brain is starved of oxygen. As fascinating as the subject is, the book is brilliantly written, with an engaging build up and a pace that keeps the page turning. This one went quickly.