1997. 320 pp, color photos, maps. Anatoli Boukreev was Scott Fischer's head guide on the tragic Everest climb in May 1996, and one of the strongest climbers of his time. This is his story of those events, often in confliuct with Jon Krakauer's version in INTO THIN AIR. Hardcover with No dust jacket, VG condition.
This is a first-person account of the tragic climbing experience in May 1996 on Mount Everest that left eight hikers dead and several others struggling to stay alive. Boukreev, a top-rated high-altitude climber originally from the Soviet Union, uses notes and memories recorded only five days after the tragic events to tell what happened on the world's highest mountain. He writes partly in response to other best-selling accounts (e.g., Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air).
No storm could be as devastating as that in May 1996 on Everest that robbed eight climbers of their lives. However a ferocious literary storm was unleashed when the survivors and spectators of the disaster began to publish their testimony
When Krakauer published his superb account “Into Thin Air” some read into it a possible suggestion that Anatoli Boukreev, the lead guide on Scott Fischer’s expedition, had forfeited the safety of his clients to add to his already considerable climbing achievements and had also not acted like a proper guide e.g., descending to Camp IV before his clients.
The overall effect was to demonstrate that Boukreev's role was heroic, not opportunistic. Initially when it first came out there was a suggestion that the purpose of the book was to salve Boukreev’s conscience whereas now it is genuinely recognised that Boukreev when the disaster struck performed a truly heroic role and his superhuman efforts saved many lives. The result is a detailed, day-by-day description of a disaster that was waiting to happen.
Sadly Boukreev did not live long to enjoy the restoration of his reputation. In the winter of 1997, Boukreev was attempting to climb the south face of Annapurna I when he was swept to his death in an avalanche.
