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A Bolt from the Blue: The Epic True Story of Danger, Daring, and Heroism at 13,000 Feet
From the author of A Wall of White , the thrilling account of a spectacular mountain rescue after six climbers are struck by lightning.
FIVE INJURED CLIMBERS. TEN SEASONED RANGERS. ONE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE.
On the afternoon of July 26, 2003, six vacationing mountain climbers ascended the peak of the Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Rain and colliding air currents blew in, and soon a massive electrical charge began to build. As the group began to retreat from its location, a colossal lightning bolt struck and pounded through the body of every climber. One of the six died instantly, one lay critically injured next to her body, and four dangled perilously into the chasm below. In riveting, page-turning prose, veteran journalist Jennifer Woodlief tells the story of the climb, the arrival of the storm, and the unprecedented rescue by the Jenny Lake Rangers, one of the most experienced climbing search-and-rescue teams in the country.
Against the dramatic landscape of the Teton Range, Woodlief brings to life the grueling task of the rangers, a band of colorful characters who tackle one of the riskiest, most physically demanding jobs in the world. By turns terrifying and exhilarating, A Bolt from the Blue is both a testament to human courage and an astonishing journey into one of history’s most dangerous mountain rescues.
FIVE INJURED CLIMBERS. TEN SEASONED RANGERS. ONE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE.
On the afternoon of July 26, 2003, six vacationing mountain climbers ascended the peak of the Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Rain and colliding air currents blew in, and soon a massive electrical charge began to build. As the group began to retreat from its location, a colossal lightning bolt struck and pounded through the body of every climber. One of the six died instantly, one lay critically injured next to her body, and four dangled perilously into the chasm below. In riveting, page-turning prose, veteran journalist Jennifer Woodlief tells the story of the climb, the arrival of the storm, and the unprecedented rescue by the Jenny Lake Rangers, one of the most experienced climbing search-and-rescue teams in the country.
Against the dramatic landscape of the Teton Range, Woodlief brings to life the grueling task of the rangers, a band of colorful characters who tackle one of the riskiest, most physically demanding jobs in the world. By turns terrifying and exhilarating, A Bolt from the Blue is both a testament to human courage and an astonishing journey into one of history’s most dangerous mountain rescues.
- GenresNonfiction
244 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 16, 2016
Ugh. clearly not written by a climber, or someone who spent much time researching climbing. While the story is compelling, the writing is not. I wish the author had taken more time to learn about the sport she was writing about.
August 12, 2024
Great book. I hated putting it down. I was drug into the story so easily, especially because the grand teton NP is my new favorite parks; within the last several years. This summer, my husband wanted us to climb Moran, but I'm not experienced in that kind of climbing, and reading too many rescue and recovery books has made me fear climbing beyond sport climbing.
I loved the details behind each person in the story and of the jobs. It kind of made me want to summit, but my fear would probably win out in the end.
I loved the details behind each person in the story and of the jobs. It kind of made me want to summit, but my fear would probably win out in the end.
November 28, 2023
The story is epic. The rangers. The climbers. The pilots. Everyone is a part of this story.
Three stars because I do feel the writing was dragged on long with backgrounds and added in feelings and thoughts that seem at best memories and at worst guesses. The event itself happens in the final 1/4 of the novel.
Three stars because I do feel the writing was dragged on long with backgrounds and added in feelings and thoughts that seem at best memories and at worst guesses. The event itself happens in the final 1/4 of the novel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews