This book, which details the tragic summer of 1986 when 13 people died on K2, is a somewhat tepid story, that is filled with too much of the author's marginalized attempts at self-pity, but does manage to capture a trace of the tragedy that unfolded that year.

Jim Curran never makes it far up the mountain, (only slightly higher than advanced base camp) and spends far too many pages talking about his trouble with skiing the glacier and his climbing difficulties, and far too little time capturing the drama unfolding at 8000+ meters. For instance, when Wanda Rutkiewicz decends through a storm that claims half her climbing team, we have maybe two or three paragraphs of the author's perception of her egotism and 'obsession' with 8000 meter peaks, and very, very little detail or reporting on what actually occurred on the mountain.

The later disasters, which involved his close friend Alan Rouse, are described and detailed more thoroughly, but again, too much of his own self-pity intrudes on what otherwise would have been the finest part of the book.

All in all - if you are interested in learning about some of the peopole involved in that summer of tragedy, it's worth reading. If you are looking for an adventure/mountaineering book, then there are better alternatives.

This book, which details the tragic summer of 1986 when 13 people died on K2, is a somewhat tepid story, that is filled with too much of the author's marginalized attempts at self-pity, but does manage to capture a trace of the tragedy that unfolded that year.

Jim Curran never makes it far up the mountain, (only slightly higher than advanced base camp) and spends far too many pages talking about his trouble with skiing the glacier and his climbing difficulties, and far too little time capturing the drama unfolding at 8000+ meters. For instance, when Wanda Rutkiewicz decends through a storm that claims half her climbing team, we have maybe two or three paragraphs of the author's perception of her egotism and 'obsession' with 8000 meter peaks, and very, very little detail or reporting on what actually occurred on the mountain.

The later disasters, which involved his close friend Alan Rouse, are described and detailed more thoroughly, but again, too much of his own self-pity intrudes on what otherwise would have been the finest part of the book.

All in all - if you are interested in learning about some of the peopole involved in that summer of tragedy, it's worth reading. If you are looking for an adventure/mountaineering book, then there are better alternatives.

This book, which details the tragic summer of 1986 when 13 people died on K2, is a somewhat tepid story, that is filled with too much of the author's marginalized attempts at self-pity, but does manage to capture a trace of the tragedy that unfolded that year.

Jim Curran never makes it far up the mountain, (only slightly higher than advanced base camp) and spends far too many pages talking about his trouble with skiing the glacier and his climbing difficulties, and far too little time capturing the drama unfolding at 8000+ meters. For instance, when Wanda Rutkiewicz decends through a storm that claims half her climbing team, we have maybe two or three paragraphs of the author's perception of her egotism and 'obsession' with 8000 meter peaks, and very, very little detail or reporting on what actually occurred on the mountain.

The later disasters, which involved his close friend Alan Rouse, are described and detailed more thoroughly, but again, too much of his own self-pity intrudes on what otherwise would have been the finest part of the book.

All in all - if you are interested in learning about some of the peopole involved in that summer of tragedy, it's worth reading. If you are looking for an adventure/mountaineering book, then there are better alternatives.

As a fellow mountaineer interested in climbing the mountain myself, I found the information in this book very helpful. It is a solid piece of mountaineering literature with something for every adventure enthusiast. If you are thirsting for high country adventure epics like this one (albeit on a much smaller scale), you should also explore "Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection", also available at Amazon.com.

Ten years before the 1996 climbing disaster on Mt. Everest, 13 people died on the world's 2nd highest mountain -- and far greater climbing challenge -- K2. Although this book isn't as dramatic or well written as Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, it's still an excellent book full of true to life adventure and tragedy.

Part of this is due to the fact that the adventure genre wasn't quite as developed or palpable in 1987. Part of it is that few of the characters are described in any depth. But mostly, the problem was that Jim Curran was there to film the expedition and never had any intention of summiting. Had he attempted to climb K2, I'm sure the story would have been richer.

Aside from being a great account of the tragic 1986 season at K2, Curran's book has the quality of masterfully weaving the author's sense of humor with his deeply felt emotions about lost friends.

While some may argue that Curran was not at the forefront of leading the climbing on any of the expeditions, his keen sense of a filmmaker allows him to tell a very human story. In the great tradition of English mountaineering tradition he tells with wit and humor about the scrambles in putting the expedition together. His storytelling about the trials and challenges in the walk-up to base camp is equaled in its jovial spirit perhaps only by Greg Child (see "Thin Air").

When true drama begins to unfold with the death of Casarotto, Curran does not simply "recount" the casualties -- his voice is full of passion, heartache and doubt. His reflections upon the dangers of mountain climbing are deeply felt.

A highly recommended read!

This book is about the 1986 season on K2 when there were several casualties. It is written in a funny and self-deprecating tone, which is refreshing given the usual self-aggrandisement tone of mountaineering adventures. Of course, the author is not an accomplished mountaineer, but rather an observer who happens to be on the mountain.

He does spend a bit too much time going through the full description of characters on the mountain that season, the first since Pakistan allowed climbers back after a long hiatus. However, I guess it is best to err on the heavier side of character development, so it is okay. It is a quick fun read, if not life-changing like many mountaineering books seem to try to be.

I bought this book because many of the reviews gave it 4-5 stars. I personally found it boring and was tempted more than once halfway through to stop reading it. The first half of this book reads more like a Who's Who Amongst Mountain Climbers, mostly describing the different teams and climbers (and which mountains they've climbed) at Base Camp and climbing K2. I was hoping for more in-depth insight into well-rounded and interesting characters, rather than just a running commentary (full of pure speculation) of who is on the mountain and what is supposedly going on up there. It was confusing keeping track of everyone and which team they were with, etc.

I was also curious about the author's somewhat dismissive attitude toward Reinhold Messner's achievements. Curran dismissively attributes that Messner's ability to climb the high peaks without oxygen is due to his choosing the easiest route. Whether true or not, who is Curran to knock the achievements of one of the best climbers out there? This guy (Curran) doesn't seem to write any better than he climbs, either.

On a more positive note, my interest was captured after most of the British team disbanded, leaving only Al Rouse and Jim Curran. The story picked up a bit after that. While the events that unfolded were tragic, this is not the most gripping mountaineering account out there.

I would not recommend buying this book unless you are intested in a running commentary and general speculation of the various expeditions to visit K2 during the summer of 1986 from someone who spent the bulk of his time at Base Camp.