That's a really good book. I completely forgot about it until now, but I think I'll read it again!

Have you read Simpson's "Touching the Void"? It was made into a movie last year, but don't watch that- READ THE BOOK! It's awesome!

I also highly recommend the Accidents in North American Mountaineering series.

http://www.americanalpineclub.org/knowledge/publications-acc.asp

Morbid fascination maybe, but learning from the mishaps of others is some of the best kind of learning there is (next to learning them yourself.)

The one I remember best is the guy who needed to relieve himself during a snowstorm and didn't want to leave his tent, so he used an empty Foster's can. You can imagine what happened (>.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touching_the_Void

Arrived today, just in time for the weekend. Didn't know you were into the mountain thing, Justin.

Gen, you mentioned that book before. I really should get around to reading it. Did see the film, which I thought was very good myself.

Into The Wild is an incredible book. Touching the Void is also very good. I'd recommend watching the film first (since it is very true to the book yet more suspenseful) then go back and read the book for backstory.

After reading Into Thin Air, you should read The Climb, which is another point of view of the whole '96 disaster. My former copy is floating around somewhere in the 'Nog. I can track it down if you want it.

Would love to read that one too, Ted. (The Salon link in the post is Krakaeur's rebuttal of The Climb and the spat that ensued--well worth a read although it gets fairly bitchy).