PA, 1991, 1st edition. 240 pp, photos. By the time he was 17, rock-climber Herr had soloed on Bugaboo in western Canada and set a new record in Yosemite. In January, 1982, he and a friend set out to climb Mt. Washington. Lost for three days in a vicious storm, they were severely frostbitten when discovered by a search-and-rescue team, one of whose volunteers was killed in the effort by an avalanche. Herr's lower legs were amputated; his companion lost a foot and fingers on one hand. In her inspiring account, Osius, editor of Climbing magazine, follows Herr, now a graduate engineering student at MIT, through agonies of guilt and depression to rehabilitation and reentry into the world of climbing.
A story that is engrossing and inspiring. Rock climbing was Hugh Herr's sport and passion, and at age 17 he was considered one of the best. In 1982 he and a companion became lost during a blizzard on Mount Washington and assumed they would die. After three bitterly cold days on the mountain, they were rescued, but one rescuer died trying to save them. Herr had massive frostbite that eventually resulted in his legs having to be amputated. Following a period of despondency, he resolved to try climbing again, which he learned to do with the help of prostheses. Now he is involved in making artificial limbs for others. This is an extraordinary story of survival and the growth one experiences when put to the test. Photographs emphasize the amount of strength needed for this sport. One of the best handicapped-awareness books available. Hardcover, DJ, Fine.
