For those who daydream about adventures in the great outdoors, Jon Krakauer is the author for you. April’s Climate Read celebrates Mother Nature in the extreme.
On April 21, Climate Reads was hosted by Conrad Anker, one of the most prolific explorers and mountaineers alive today; and Dr. Fred Campbell of the 2020 Reel Rock film Black Ice.
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men & Mountains
No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska’s notorious Devils Thumb.
In Pakistan, the fearsome K2 kills thirteen of the world’s most experienced mountain climbers in one horrific summer. In Valdez, Alaska, two men scale a frozen waterfall over a four-hundred-foot drop. In France, a hip international crowd of rock climbers, bungee jumpers, and paragliders figure out new ways to risk their lives on the towering peaks of Mont Blanc. Why do they do it? How do they do it? In this extraordinary book, Krakauer presents an unusual fraternity of daredevils, athletes, and misfits stretching the limits of the possible.
From the paranoid confines of a snowbound tent, to the thunderous, suffocating terror of a white-out on Mount McKinley, Eiger Dreams spins tales of driven lives, sudden deaths, and incredible victories. This is a stirring, vivid book about one of the most compelling and dangerous of all human pursuits.
Praise for Eiger Dreams
The author of Into Thin Air “has taken the literature of mountains onto a higher ledge.” —New York Times Book Review
“Armchair adventurers can’t ask for better entertainment than this tour of the legendary locations of mountaineering and the eccentric climbers who gather there.” —Publisher’s Weekly
Conrad Anker has been pushing the limits of mountaineering for the last 30 years, evolving into one of America’s best alpinists. The Bozeman, Montana-based father of three is one of the most prolific explorers and mountaineers alive today.
At age 59, Conrad’s resume continues to grow, having notched the long-awaited first ascent of the Meru Shark’s Fin in India with partners Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk in 2011, which led to the Sundance-winning documentary, Meru. Conrad has climbed Everest three times, including a 2012 trip with National Geographic to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of the mountain. On his most famous Everest climb in 1999, he discovered the remains of George Mallory, one of the two British climbers who died attempting Everest in 1924, helping to shed more light on one of mountaineering’s most famous mysteries. But for many years, one of his greatest passions has been down in the valley—specifically the Khumbu Valley of Nepal. In more than 25 years of expeditions to Nepal, Conrad and his wife, Jennifer Lowe-Anker, have developed deep relationships with the Sherpa people and founded the Khumbu Climbing Center in Phortse, Nepal, which provides a variety of safety training courses to high altitude workers.
Equally at home in Antarctica, the Himalaya or his home ice in Hyalite Canyon in southwestern Montana, Conrad continues a deep appreciation for wild places that was passed on from his father and grandfather who hailed from Big Oak Flat, California, just outside Yosemite National Park.
At home, Conrad serves on the boards of the Protect Our Winters, The American Himalayan Foundation, The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation and One Family Memphis.
Dr. Fred Campbell is a data scientist and holds a PhD in statistics from Rice University. His climbing career began after breaking his neck in a college football accident ended his football career. He is now a North Face athlete, mentor for underrepresented STEM enthusiasts, and climbing instructor. He was recently featured in Black Ice, one of the short films in the Reel Rock 15 film series.
Jon Krakauer is the author of eight books including Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and most recently, Missoula. He has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, “Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.” From www.jonkrakauer.com.
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