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After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy—One Survivor's Story
Near the top of Mount Everest, on 10 May 1996, eight climbers died. It was the worst tragedy in the mountain's history. Lou Kasischke was there. Now he tells the harrowing story of what went wrong, as it has never been told before - including why the climbers were desperately late and out of time. His personal story, captured in the title AFTER THE WIND, tells about the intense moments near the top. These moments also revealed the love story that saved his life.
328 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
127 people are currently reading
1453 people want to read
About the author
Lou Kasischke
1 book3 followersLouis Kasischke has lived his entire life in Michigan, but his enduring love of the mountains and alpine endurance sports have taken him to many remote parts of the world, on all seven continents.
Lou's education includes a Bachelor of Arts ·degree in business and a Juris Doctor degree in law from Michigan State University. Risk management was the major focus of his business degree from MSU. Already as a student, Lou was fascinated by risk, risk evaluation, and the concepts of taking and managing risk. For a career centered in finance analysis and law, he also became a certified public accountant and earned an advanced Master of Laws degree.
Lou's work career experiences were multi-dimensional. In law, this included 35 years with Dykema Gossett, a national law firm, as a specialist in corporate and tax law and in representing venture capital businesses. He authored a leading book on corporate law and was selected by his colleagues for all editions of The Best Lawyers in America, which represents about one percent of the nation's lawyers.
In business, Lou was a chief executive officer and a director and advisor to several major corporations on business and legal matters. His professional career, especially as a lawyer and a venture capital advisor, often focused on taking high-stakes business risks, managing risk, and making decisions with far-reaching consequences. This part of Lou's life made his several decades as a serious mountain climber a natural extension. And it also explains his perspective and the important purpose that led him to closely examine, analyze, and explain what went wrong on Everest and his experience of being there, based on the facts that matter and not on the sensational and irrelevant.
Lou is retired from law and business and lives with his wife, Sandy, on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. He remains active with alpine sports and other endurance challenges in the great outdoors.
Lou's education includes a Bachelor of Arts ·degree in business and a Juris Doctor degree in law from Michigan State University. Risk management was the major focus of his business degree from MSU. Already as a student, Lou was fascinated by risk, risk evaluation, and the concepts of taking and managing risk. For a career centered in finance analysis and law, he also became a certified public accountant and earned an advanced Master of Laws degree.
Lou's work career experiences were multi-dimensional. In law, this included 35 years with Dykema Gossett, a national law firm, as a specialist in corporate and tax law and in representing venture capital businesses. He authored a leading book on corporate law and was selected by his colleagues for all editions of The Best Lawyers in America, which represents about one percent of the nation's lawyers.
In business, Lou was a chief executive officer and a director and advisor to several major corporations on business and legal matters. His professional career, especially as a lawyer and a venture capital advisor, often focused on taking high-stakes business risks, managing risk, and making decisions with far-reaching consequences. This part of Lou's life made his several decades as a serious mountain climber a natural extension. And it also explains his perspective and the important purpose that led him to closely examine, analyze, and explain what went wrong on Everest and his experience of being there, based on the facts that matter and not on the sensational and irrelevant.
Lou is retired from law and business and lives with his wife, Sandy, on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. He remains active with alpine sports and other endurance challenges in the great outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
March 15, 2015
Having read "Into Thin Air" and lived in Seattle during that tragic time in 1996, and having climbed Mt. Rainier (though this is walk in Central Park compared to Everest) I was anxious to read Lou's account, if nothing more than he was quiet about it for over 11 years.
I can't say that the writing is professional or noteworthy because it isn't. It his raw and uncensored (and with the benefit of time and reflection) journal of all that happened. All that happened that was wrong, that could have been prevented. Ego and furthering of one's career and media hype will make you choose differently than you might normally do when faced with crisis. And there was plenty of blame to go around, although most you could point a finger toward died. Hard to be critical then.
Still, I read it in one sitting. It is repetitive and jarring in the telling but the honest and haunting feelings of fear, extreme hunger and lack of oxygen were felt throughout. Recommended for those who read Jon's book.
I can't say that the writing is professional or noteworthy because it isn't. It his raw and uncensored (and with the benefit of time and reflection) journal of all that happened. All that happened that was wrong, that could have been prevented. Ego and furthering of one's career and media hype will make you choose differently than you might normally do when faced with crisis. And there was plenty of blame to go around, although most you could point a finger toward died. Hard to be critical then.
Still, I read it in one sitting. It is repetitive and jarring in the telling but the honest and haunting feelings of fear, extreme hunger and lack of oxygen were felt throughout. Recommended for those who read Jon's book.
December 29, 2014
This book is essentially a love story between the author and his wife, interrupted by a climbing expedition to Mount Everest, and the "1996 Tragedy" made famous by the book "Into Thin Air." This book is a touching story of the author's love for his wife and the way that relationship impacted his decision to turn around on summit day, often told via faxes back and forth from one to the other. Kasischke is refreshingly honest in his criticisms of Scott Fisher and Rob Hall's decision on summit day in 1996. An important caveat is that this book lacks much of the background material on the various 1996 Everest expeditions provided by "Into Thin Air" or "The Climb." I would recommend reading both of those books first for context on the events of 1996 before reading this one. The pencil drawings in the book are really excellent, and for that reason I have bumped the review "up one star."
March 22, 2018
Interesting account of the 1996 tragedy. I Liked the extra details about the climbing route that I don't recall having been in other books. This spends most of the time on the events leading up to and the day of the summit push. During the 2 days of the storm he was in Camp IV in his tent with little contact with anyone else, so this does not include any specifics about those two days.
He doesn't hold back on his criticisms of the decisions made by Rob Hall or others on his team. He spends quite a lot of time talking about his love for his wife, which got a little old - I think some of that could have been edited out. I also don't agree all of the conclusions he came to of the religious nature.
Overall, a good inclusion in my Everest library. I wouldn't count on this to give you a complete picture of the events that occurred, but I think it does fill in some holes left by others.
He doesn't hold back on his criticisms of the decisions made by Rob Hall or others on his team. He spends quite a lot of time talking about his love for his wife, which got a little old - I think some of that could have been edited out. I also don't agree all of the conclusions he came to of the religious nature.
Overall, a good inclusion in my Everest library. I wouldn't count on this to give you a complete picture of the events that occurred, but I think it does fill in some holes left by others.
November 24, 2016
I have always been interested in reading more about the Everest disaster of 1996, ever since I read Into Thin Air. I've hunted down books by the other survivors to get their thoughts on the disaster and to see what all the survivors seem to agree on and where their accounts differ. I think that's the best way to get a true picture of what was happening in the disaster. This book was an excellent read, right up there with Into Thin Air.
On one previous climb, Lou kept details about a dangerous incident from his wife and when she found out, she made him promise to climb safer and make better decisions. It's advice that saved his life on Everest. Lou details the climb and the decision to turn around and retreat to Camp Four just as the storm was gathering, which got him to safety just in time. He is very critical of some of the things that happen and lists his reasons for the disaster and what mistakes were made by who. I liked that he was being direct about it and his story was very compelling because of it.
The mistakes:
-lack of oxygen-each climber was assigned enough oxygen for their climb without taking into account those needing more to get up certain parts and not taking account of delays which proved fatal on the day.
-turnaround time was set too late in the day to make it slowly and safely to camp before dark and it was not stuck to anyway.
-dissention in the teams over whether or not to make the summit bid-bad weather had come in every afternoon at the same time and would catch them returning from summit so some wanted to wait an extra day to see if things improved but Rob Hall said the climb was on and nobody wanted to contradict him. Other teams decide not to go and Anatoli Boukreev was vocal in his opposition. Did he do his super fast climb so he could rest for a few hours in case he was needed for a later rescue? I found his opposition very interesting.
-an hour of warning was given that the climb was to start and several people were unhappy at not being consulted and Lou himself was reluctant to go.
-the oxygen units used by this team never seemed to work
-Beck Weathers decides to turn around but instead of sending a guide or Sherpa to help him down he is left alone for many hours in the cold waiting for someone to help him down when he should have been safe at camp hours ahead of everyone else.
-the most inexperienced guide led the climb, who had never climbed Everest with Rob at the back so everyone had to stop and wait each time Rob was needed to deal with something, delays which used up oxygen.
-nobody on the two main teams followed through on the plan to get ropes fixed before the climbers reached where they were needed, leading to a couple of hours delay and a bottleneck.
-Rob Hall did not turn his team around on seeing a 28 climber bottleneck, lack of oxygen supply and turnaround time approaching.
-Rob Hall waited 90 minutes on summit for Doug Hansen to complete a 15 minute walk to join him and Doug was too exhausted to get back down, killing him, Rob and Andy.
The first man to turn back had been a vocal critic of the decision to climb-Frank Fischbeck, one of the strongest on the team. Next was Doug Hansen who was feeling ill and planned to retreat but changed his mind and continued. These decisions saved Frank and killed Doug and Rob. At the South Summit John Taske and Stuart Hutchison decided the bottleneck of climbers ahead meant no chance of summiting and getting back in a safe time so they turned around. It saved their lives. Lou decides to follow not long after. Only two of the six on the team who continued up came back alive and they had been way ahead of the others so had plenty time to summit. Those who turned around made it to camp with visibility dropping as the weather came in. Those still on the mountain who reached summit early only just got back in safely and everyone else was trapped in the storm.
Most of this book concurs with what Into Thin Air says other than a debate over the South Summit and Hillary Step ropes. Lou says Anatoli used old rope at the former to get to Hillary Step but Jon says Anatoli and others fixed new rope there. I need to read Anatoli's book to see what he says he did but it isn't a major issue. The fact remains that it was left to Anatoli to offer a solution to the missing new rope which smacks of bad preperation. He did have to fix a new rope on the Hillary Step. It is easy with oxygen running out and exhaustion for a slight mix up in geography.
It is scary to read the accounts of those trapped in the storm who thought they were going to die and even those who got back safe were exhausted and snow blind, unable to assist in any of the rescue. But the really shocking thing here is that if both team leaders had followed their own safety advice then nobody had to die. I don't like to speak ill of the dead but the leaders were at fault in poor decision making all through the disaster. Ropes not fixed, oxygen not working and not enough spare, turnaround time not enforced, sick climbers pushing on instead of getting back to camp and business decisions being put ahead of safety.
If you have read Into Thin Air, you should like this book. Lou does not hold back when he thinks that somebody made mistakes and it is an excellent account of a personal climb in the middle of disaster.
On one previous climb, Lou kept details about a dangerous incident from his wife and when she found out, she made him promise to climb safer and make better decisions. It's advice that saved his life on Everest. Lou details the climb and the decision to turn around and retreat to Camp Four just as the storm was gathering, which got him to safety just in time. He is very critical of some of the things that happen and lists his reasons for the disaster and what mistakes were made by who. I liked that he was being direct about it and his story was very compelling because of it.
The mistakes:
-lack of oxygen-each climber was assigned enough oxygen for their climb without taking into account those needing more to get up certain parts and not taking account of delays which proved fatal on the day.
-turnaround time was set too late in the day to make it slowly and safely to camp before dark and it was not stuck to anyway.
-dissention in the teams over whether or not to make the summit bid-bad weather had come in every afternoon at the same time and would catch them returning from summit so some wanted to wait an extra day to see if things improved but Rob Hall said the climb was on and nobody wanted to contradict him. Other teams decide not to go and Anatoli Boukreev was vocal in his opposition. Did he do his super fast climb so he could rest for a few hours in case he was needed for a later rescue? I found his opposition very interesting.
-an hour of warning was given that the climb was to start and several people were unhappy at not being consulted and Lou himself was reluctant to go.
-the oxygen units used by this team never seemed to work
-Beck Weathers decides to turn around but instead of sending a guide or Sherpa to help him down he is left alone for many hours in the cold waiting for someone to help him down when he should have been safe at camp hours ahead of everyone else.
-the most inexperienced guide led the climb, who had never climbed Everest with Rob at the back so everyone had to stop and wait each time Rob was needed to deal with something, delays which used up oxygen.
-nobody on the two main teams followed through on the plan to get ropes fixed before the climbers reached where they were needed, leading to a couple of hours delay and a bottleneck.
-Rob Hall did not turn his team around on seeing a 28 climber bottleneck, lack of oxygen supply and turnaround time approaching.
-Rob Hall waited 90 minutes on summit for Doug Hansen to complete a 15 minute walk to join him and Doug was too exhausted to get back down, killing him, Rob and Andy.
The first man to turn back had been a vocal critic of the decision to climb-Frank Fischbeck, one of the strongest on the team. Next was Doug Hansen who was feeling ill and planned to retreat but changed his mind and continued. These decisions saved Frank and killed Doug and Rob. At the South Summit John Taske and Stuart Hutchison decided the bottleneck of climbers ahead meant no chance of summiting and getting back in a safe time so they turned around. It saved their lives. Lou decides to follow not long after. Only two of the six on the team who continued up came back alive and they had been way ahead of the others so had plenty time to summit. Those who turned around made it to camp with visibility dropping as the weather came in. Those still on the mountain who reached summit early only just got back in safely and everyone else was trapped in the storm.
Most of this book concurs with what Into Thin Air says other than a debate over the South Summit and Hillary Step ropes. Lou says Anatoli used old rope at the former to get to Hillary Step but Jon says Anatoli and others fixed new rope there. I need to read Anatoli's book to see what he says he did but it isn't a major issue. The fact remains that it was left to Anatoli to offer a solution to the missing new rope which smacks of bad preperation. He did have to fix a new rope on the Hillary Step. It is easy with oxygen running out and exhaustion for a slight mix up in geography.
It is scary to read the accounts of those trapped in the storm who thought they were going to die and even those who got back safe were exhausted and snow blind, unable to assist in any of the rescue. But the really shocking thing here is that if both team leaders had followed their own safety advice then nobody had to die. I don't like to speak ill of the dead but the leaders were at fault in poor decision making all through the disaster. Ropes not fixed, oxygen not working and not enough spare, turnaround time not enforced, sick climbers pushing on instead of getting back to camp and business decisions being put ahead of safety.
If you have read Into Thin Air, you should like this book. Lou does not hold back when he thinks that somebody made mistakes and it is an excellent account of a personal climb in the middle of disaster.
January 17, 2016
Kasischke is not a professional writer, which shows, however, his story is absolutely compelling- as one of the survivors of the 1996 Everest disaster- and a must-read for those interested in the varying perspectives of what went wrong and who was to blame. It's not as smoothly written as Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" and probably should not be the first one to read about the disaster - but I found it an easy, well-organized read, that offered a somewhat different perspective than 'Into Thin Air', which passes blame around and the film 'Everest', which portrays Rob Hall as a too-good guy, trying to please his clients. 'After The Wind' firmly places blame with Rob Hall for making a slew of bad decisions starting days in advance and also is the first one I've seen to devote some time to Hall's horrible dilemma that either he leave Doug Hansen and try to save himself (professional suicide) or stay and try to help Doug (likely death for both, which is exactly what happened) - according to Kasischke, Rob had earlier told a colleague, if a climber dies under your leadership, "you might as well be dead".
Kasischke's book is also quite different from Krakauer's in that it focuses on his personal journey and the overall life lessons learned and the importance of his relationship with his wife, Sandy. He intersperses his narrative with chapters about the encouraging messages in the faxes Sandy sent him, which I generally skipped over - however, when he talks about that decision point, to continue to try the summit or turn back, I was riveted by his description of how his heart, listening to Sandy, won out over his ambition. He also addresses the question of why someone would attempt such a thing (for a great story at cocktail parties?) and how do any of us know why someone makes the decisions they do. "the Everest story turned out to have nothing to do with something for me to tell. It had everything to do with something for me to learn." I recommend it, perhaps not for everyone, but definitely for those interested in how disasters occur/how to prevent them, fans of shows like "Air Crash Investigations", and for those interested in one individual's experience of the disaster.
Kasischke's book is also quite different from Krakauer's in that it focuses on his personal journey and the overall life lessons learned and the importance of his relationship with his wife, Sandy. He intersperses his narrative with chapters about the encouraging messages in the faxes Sandy sent him, which I generally skipped over - however, when he talks about that decision point, to continue to try the summit or turn back, I was riveted by his description of how his heart, listening to Sandy, won out over his ambition. He also addresses the question of why someone would attempt such a thing (for a great story at cocktail parties?) and how do any of us know why someone makes the decisions they do. "the Everest story turned out to have nothing to do with something for me to tell. It had everything to do with something for me to learn." I recommend it, perhaps not for everyone, but definitely for those interested in how disasters occur/how to prevent them, fans of shows like "Air Crash Investigations", and for those interested in one individual's experience of the disaster.
January 5, 2016
This is the fourth book I've read about this tragedy. I wasn't sure if it would be as good as the others, but for me it was. He's not a professional writer so it's not as polished as Krakauer's book. Yes, it's a bit repetitive in places, especially describing the wind and his love for his wife. I didn't mind the story of his relationship with his wife as some have. It's a big part of his particular story on the mountain and is a major reason that he was able to make the correct decision when others could not. I think Lou's background and experience with risk management in the business world as well as the climbing world, allows him to see and describe the conditions, decisions and mistakes made a bit better than some of the other accounts I've read. I definitely enjoyed that aspect of the story and could relate to the risk assessment and decision making process from my own experiences hiking and technical rock climbing (which I admit are very minor compared to his).
The illustrations are excellent too. I believe they're mostly if not all based on pictures I've seen in other books, but I think the illustrations often give a clearer "picture" of the area and events than the actual ones do.
I wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read about the '96 disaster. But if you've already read one or two, this is a very good addition to the overall story. Everyone who was there has a different view of the events. Above 26,000 ft., in the death zone, it's very hard to communicate, so each climber is in their own little world and fighting their own individual battle, especially after the weather deteriorates . That's what I find interesting about reading different accounts. Even after the climb, they are asking each other what happened because each person sees only a small part of the complete story.
It's been quite a while since I read Into Thin Air. I'll probably reread it soon to compare Krakauer's version of the events while this one is still fresh in my mind.
The illustrations are excellent too. I believe they're mostly if not all based on pictures I've seen in other books, but I think the illustrations often give a clearer "picture" of the area and events than the actual ones do.
I wouldn't recommend this as the first book to read about the '96 disaster. But if you've already read one or two, this is a very good addition to the overall story. Everyone who was there has a different view of the events. Above 26,000 ft., in the death zone, it's very hard to communicate, so each climber is in their own little world and fighting their own individual battle, especially after the weather deteriorates . That's what I find interesting about reading different accounts. Even after the climb, they are asking each other what happened because each person sees only a small part of the complete story.
It's been quite a while since I read Into Thin Air. I'll probably reread it soon to compare Krakauer's version of the events while this one is still fresh in my mind.
July 15, 2024
7/24 Well, I see I'm reading this every four years, so enough brain cells have died that I need the refresher. Once again, I think I'm upping the rating. Good honest analysis.
3.5 (2/20...a little early to be starting my Everest thing, but I see it's been four years since I read this. Original review still stands but I upped it a half star)
Working my way through ALL the books about the 1996 Everest tragedy. I've see Lou in several documentaries, he seems like a straight shooting fellow, and he certainly is here. Other books I've read have really tiptoed around the true cause of the deaths...bad decisions... and blamed the storm. Lou points out bluntly that if the guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher had followed their own rules and common sense, the storm would have been a moot point and most of the casualties would have been avoided. It's hard to criticize dead people and I imagine that's why he waited quite a few years before publishing this. The book is not polished, he's not a professional writer, and it doesn't compare with Into Thin Air in that respect, but it is very interesting take on the situation. He also details his own climbing experience and how really awful it was. (Looking at his climbing resume, which is vast, he must REALLY have had a bad time, because I wouldn't think he would have done so much of it if it was always that dreadful) He does ramble on here and there about his faith and his love for his long suffering wife...sweet, but a little boring. But definitely recommended for anyone interested in this. (Illustrations are by him and they are quite good)
3.5 (2/20...a little early to be starting my Everest thing, but I see it's been four years since I read this. Original review still stands but I upped it a half star)
Working my way through ALL the books about the 1996 Everest tragedy. I've see Lou in several documentaries, he seems like a straight shooting fellow, and he certainly is here. Other books I've read have really tiptoed around the true cause of the deaths...bad decisions... and blamed the storm. Lou points out bluntly that if the guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher had followed their own rules and common sense, the storm would have been a moot point and most of the casualties would have been avoided. It's hard to criticize dead people and I imagine that's why he waited quite a few years before publishing this. The book is not polished, he's not a professional writer, and it doesn't compare with Into Thin Air in that respect, but it is very interesting take on the situation. He also details his own climbing experience and how really awful it was. (Looking at his climbing resume, which is vast, he must REALLY have had a bad time, because I wouldn't think he would have done so much of it if it was always that dreadful) He does ramble on here and there about his faith and his love for his long suffering wife...sweet, but a little boring. But definitely recommended for anyone interested in this. (Illustrations are by him and they are quite good)
June 15, 2018
To be fair, I might have given this book 2 stars instead of 1 if I had not read Into Thin Air first. Regardless, the writing is atrocious. He writes in incomplete sentences for the majority of the book and is mind numbingly repetitive. The editing was also done poorly as there were multiple grammatical errors throughout the book. I’m by no means an English major or a “grammar police” so when I notice mistakes, they’re glaringly obvious.
What I also found really difficult and unenjoyable (aside from the writing) was Lou Kasischke’s constant need to place blame on Rob Hall and Jon Krakauer for everything that went wrong. The book reads more as finger pointing than anything else. He writes very one-sidedly, and hey, it’s his book so he can, but it became nauseating and very redundant after awhile. He mentions that Krakauer was a journalist, which he believes was a major contributor to the undeniably sad events that unfolded, in almost every chapter. We get it. Move on.
He writes about how he drew strength in his decision making on the mountain from the love of his wife and his faith in God. While it’s nice to hear about how strong of a marriage he has, even that gets tiring and old because he doesn’t write anything new from chapter to chapter.
I cannot fathom what it was like to live that experience and I imagine this book was written more as a cathartic process than for the intent to make money. However, if you want to read a more complete, more unbiased account of what happened on the 1996 Everest expedition, read Into Thin Air.
What I also found really difficult and unenjoyable (aside from the writing) was Lou Kasischke’s constant need to place blame on Rob Hall and Jon Krakauer for everything that went wrong. The book reads more as finger pointing than anything else. He writes very one-sidedly, and hey, it’s his book so he can, but it became nauseating and very redundant after awhile. He mentions that Krakauer was a journalist, which he believes was a major contributor to the undeniably sad events that unfolded, in almost every chapter. We get it. Move on.
He writes about how he drew strength in his decision making on the mountain from the love of his wife and his faith in God. While it’s nice to hear about how strong of a marriage he has, even that gets tiring and old because he doesn’t write anything new from chapter to chapter.
I cannot fathom what it was like to live that experience and I imagine this book was written more as a cathartic process than for the intent to make money. However, if you want to read a more complete, more unbiased account of what happened on the 1996 Everest expedition, read Into Thin Air.
August 14, 2016
Another take on the Thin Air Everest mess. Interest look from the POV of one of the amateur climbers who paid for the experience of being guided up the mountain. Not as much of an idiot as these guys were portrayed. Probably too old to be up there, but still... in good shape and with a lot of experience above 20K feet. I wasn't that interested in his personal testament to spirituality, but to the extent that it contributed to why he was able to trust his instincts and turn around on the mountain when others were not, it's a good look at risk assessment and decision-making. Much like Jim Davidson's The Ledge, which I have also reviewed--Davidson has more creds as a mountaineer, but also discusses the role of family and spirituality in fortitude and decision-making.
What was striking about this account was the lack of teamwork on Rob Hall's expedition. I suppose this is the liability of guided expeditions vs the traditional teams, in which a group of experienced, committed mountaineers who decide together to climb a mountain (they may be professionals OR amateurs, but they function as a team) and plan and work together from the start. Typically they self-select because they are well suited to work together. Even if they don't like one another that well, they are well matched as athletes and can go at a similar pace. They are more likely to have a sense of where each other is on the mountain and to respect each other's strength's and limits, and to be able to rescue each other. Or to know when to let go.
I was stunned at how often team members were simply left behind or left to wait in the death zone. LK seems to think this is Rob Hall's responsibility, but it's not. Each teammember who passed another teammember without making sure s/he was okay and capable of finding his or her way down was responsible. That means Krakauer, too, who was with the Japanese woman at one point but left her behind on the descent. Normally, climbers don't do this. You work as a team and you know where your teammembers are, at least roughly, and if someone doesn't show up within a reasonable time frame, you go back for them if you can. I realize conditions got ridiculous up there, but that is also an issue... no one was keeping track of each other and making sure they didn't get ridiculous.
LK also makes assessments of why things go so congested at the traverse and the Hillary Step without seeming to have read other accounts. He was not up there with the others and makes statements about what Boukreev did without seeming to have read Boukreev's account of what he did. So... mmm. Anyway, still interesting. It seems to me that almost all the paying members of all the teams that were up there that day were not qualified to be there. Maybe they weren't as bad as they were portrayed, but they were not prepared for what they faced, mentally.
Some new info, though: That Fischer and Hall decided to climb on the same day because each was afraid the other would outshine him, and they made a deal to succeed or fail together, so that they wouldn't sink each other's business. This contributed to the fatal congestion on at the Step, etc (LK says that the selected date was originally Hall's and Fischer joined on; had Hall claimed it for their own, it would have been a lot less crowded).
LK argues that Krakauer's presence, or the presences of the press in an embedded manner, created a pressure that demanded that all clients summit. In the previous year, Hall had turned clients around when the weather got bad. But now, if he failed, it would be written up in Outside Magazine, which might mean the end of his guiding service. This wouldn't be Krakauer's fault, per se, but it was a business decision made as a consequence of the commercial nature of the expedition. LK had the money and so did most of the people along on that ride, so they were fine with a lower profile and didn't need or want the glitz. They, or at least LK, felt that the climb was a personal quest and didn't want it written up for public consumption--they felt the whole thing had become a different experience from what they bargained for.
So, while Krakauer thought it was the default to the guide that made it hard for people to make decisions on their own, LK thought it was Krakauer's presence that put pressure on the expedition leadership to pressure the climbers to reach the summit. He pointed out that most of the team actually did independently decide to honor the turnaround time (contrary to the statements in the Boukreev book, LK insists that Hall was very clear about a 1PM turnaround, that Hall himself violated), and in fact did NOT default to expedition leadership but made good decisions for their own survival.
What they did not make, IMO, was good decisions in support of each other. Krakauer included.
What was striking about this account was the lack of teamwork on Rob Hall's expedition. I suppose this is the liability of guided expeditions vs the traditional teams, in which a group of experienced, committed mountaineers who decide together to climb a mountain (they may be professionals OR amateurs, but they function as a team) and plan and work together from the start. Typically they self-select because they are well suited to work together. Even if they don't like one another that well, they are well matched as athletes and can go at a similar pace. They are more likely to have a sense of where each other is on the mountain and to respect each other's strength's and limits, and to be able to rescue each other. Or to know when to let go.
I was stunned at how often team members were simply left behind or left to wait in the death zone. LK seems to think this is Rob Hall's responsibility, but it's not. Each teammember who passed another teammember without making sure s/he was okay and capable of finding his or her way down was responsible. That means Krakauer, too, who was with the Japanese woman at one point but left her behind on the descent. Normally, climbers don't do this. You work as a team and you know where your teammembers are, at least roughly, and if someone doesn't show up within a reasonable time frame, you go back for them if you can. I realize conditions got ridiculous up there, but that is also an issue... no one was keeping track of each other and making sure they didn't get ridiculous.
LK also makes assessments of why things go so congested at the traverse and the Hillary Step without seeming to have read other accounts. He was not up there with the others and makes statements about what Boukreev did without seeming to have read Boukreev's account of what he did. So... mmm. Anyway, still interesting. It seems to me that almost all the paying members of all the teams that were up there that day were not qualified to be there. Maybe they weren't as bad as they were portrayed, but they were not prepared for what they faced, mentally.
Some new info, though: That Fischer and Hall decided to climb on the same day because each was afraid the other would outshine him, and they made a deal to succeed or fail together, so that they wouldn't sink each other's business. This contributed to the fatal congestion on at the Step, etc (LK says that the selected date was originally Hall's and Fischer joined on; had Hall claimed it for their own, it would have been a lot less crowded).
LK argues that Krakauer's presence, or the presences of the press in an embedded manner, created a pressure that demanded that all clients summit. In the previous year, Hall had turned clients around when the weather got bad. But now, if he failed, it would be written up in Outside Magazine, which might mean the end of his guiding service. This wouldn't be Krakauer's fault, per se, but it was a business decision made as a consequence of the commercial nature of the expedition. LK had the money and so did most of the people along on that ride, so they were fine with a lower profile and didn't need or want the glitz. They, or at least LK, felt that the climb was a personal quest and didn't want it written up for public consumption--they felt the whole thing had become a different experience from what they bargained for.
So, while Krakauer thought it was the default to the guide that made it hard for people to make decisions on their own, LK thought it was Krakauer's presence that put pressure on the expedition leadership to pressure the climbers to reach the summit. He pointed out that most of the team actually did independently decide to honor the turnaround time (contrary to the statements in the Boukreev book, LK insists that Hall was very clear about a 1PM turnaround, that Hall himself violated), and in fact did NOT default to expedition leadership but made good decisions for their own survival.
What they did not make, IMO, was good decisions in support of each other. Krakauer included.
October 11, 2021
A friend from northern Michigan gave me this book, after a dinner where we were discussing what books we had been enjoying over the summer. My friend knows the author and insisted that I read his account of the Everest tragedy. I enjoyed the book and continue to be amazed by people who take such risks in life, and appreciate the consideration of the feelings of those left behind, should things not go as planned... The author is not a professional writer and self-published his book. At times the writing is a redundant but the essence of his version of the story is powerful. Lou does not shy away from assigning blame, and his book is a very different account than "Into Thin Air," which I read years ago and found gripping. Makes me want to reread "Into Thin Air."
February 1, 2016
I read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster with great avidity when it came out in 1998. In an interview, he described how he'd always found some joy and pleasure even in the hardest climbs—the view, the sense of accomplishment, the companionship—but that the Everest climb was only suffering.
Kasischke's book is another take on the climb. He was part of Rob Hall's group, in which Krakauer had been imbedded in order to write an article for Outside magazine. Kasischke doesn't blame Krakauer for what happened to Hall and his team. He does speculate how having a journalist along could have influenced Hall and his competitor/friend Fischer, who was leading another group at the same time, to make rash decisions for the sake of publicity. It was so important that the two teams reach the summit for the sake of the publicity they'd get that they forgot the highest priority: the safety of the team.
It's not revealing any spoilers to say Kasischke made it back—obviously, he wrote the book. I can say that when he writes of the moment of silence "after the wind," when he hears the "still, small voice" within (a reference to the biblical Elijah in the wilderness) and decides to turn back, a decision that saved his life, it moved me to tears.
Kasischke has written a great, harrowing, adventure story. On top of that, the physical book is beautiful. E-books will never replace the feeling of the book in my hand and this paperback has a great cover, haunting illustrations and roughly deckled pages. A pleasure to hold.
I swallowed it in one gulp, and I'd reread it. Inspiring and gripping.
Kasischke's book is another take on the climb. He was part of Rob Hall's group, in which Krakauer had been imbedded in order to write an article for Outside magazine. Kasischke doesn't blame Krakauer for what happened to Hall and his team. He does speculate how having a journalist along could have influenced Hall and his competitor/friend Fischer, who was leading another group at the same time, to make rash decisions for the sake of publicity. It was so important that the two teams reach the summit for the sake of the publicity they'd get that they forgot the highest priority: the safety of the team.
It's not revealing any spoilers to say Kasischke made it back—obviously, he wrote the book. I can say that when he writes of the moment of silence "after the wind," when he hears the "still, small voice" within (a reference to the biblical Elijah in the wilderness) and decides to turn back, a decision that saved his life, it moved me to tears.
Kasischke has written a great, harrowing, adventure story. On top of that, the physical book is beautiful. E-books will never replace the feeling of the book in my hand and this paperback has a great cover, haunting illustrations and roughly deckled pages. A pleasure to hold.
I swallowed it in one gulp, and I'd reread it. Inspiring and gripping.
March 12, 2016
Thanks to Netgalley and Good Hart Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes I wonder why I like so much reading books about high altitude climbing when I suffer so much from vertigo and would never set foot on a high mountain. But maybe that’s exactly the reason I’m somehow fascinated by this, and read so much about it.
This book is an account of the 1996 Everest disaster, told by one of the survivors that waited almost 20 years before releasing it. What impressed me the most was the candid way in which the author describes the events. He has no problem in saying things like: I didn’t pay attention to this, I passed by someone struggling but I didn’t care because I was too focused on my goal and had my decision making process impaired by the harsh conditions. That kind of sincerity was what I liked most about this book, because these things are not easy to admit. However, no one can pass judgement on the decisions made on that day without knowing what is like to be under those extreme conditions under such a debilitated state. Which means, only those who lived that moment can know what really happened and why, and sadly many of them are no longer here. Much can still be said about this disaster, but in reality what matters is that we can all learn.
The background to this book was also the love story Lou shares with his wife, and some beautiful illustrations of Mount Everest.
Recommended to everyone that loves the outdoors, mountaineering and has a sense of adventure.
https://peixinhodepratablog.wordpress...
Sometimes I wonder why I like so much reading books about high altitude climbing when I suffer so much from vertigo and would never set foot on a high mountain. But maybe that’s exactly the reason I’m somehow fascinated by this, and read so much about it.
This book is an account of the 1996 Everest disaster, told by one of the survivors that waited almost 20 years before releasing it. What impressed me the most was the candid way in which the author describes the events. He has no problem in saying things like: I didn’t pay attention to this, I passed by someone struggling but I didn’t care because I was too focused on my goal and had my decision making process impaired by the harsh conditions. That kind of sincerity was what I liked most about this book, because these things are not easy to admit. However, no one can pass judgement on the decisions made on that day without knowing what is like to be under those extreme conditions under such a debilitated state. Which means, only those who lived that moment can know what really happened and why, and sadly many of them are no longer here. Much can still be said about this disaster, but in reality what matters is that we can all learn.
The background to this book was also the love story Lou shares with his wife, and some beautiful illustrations of Mount Everest.
Recommended to everyone that loves the outdoors, mountaineering and has a sense of adventure.
https://peixinhodepratablog.wordpress...
March 7, 2016
I rated this book pretty highly, although definitely not for the quality of the writing. Kasischke was a member of Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants 1996 expedition to Everest -- that infamous climbing season that spawned Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" and a number of other memoirs and movies. This book spends a lot of time discussing K's deep connection to his wife Sandy (worrying at home) and how that influenced him to stop his bid for the summit when he found out he was climbing too late in the day to safely get back down the mountain to safety. This decision most probably saved his life.
But what I liked best about this memoir is the detailed analysis K -- who is a businessman specializing in risk analysis -- does of what went so wrong on the mountain, and his belief that a lot of the problems were caused by having embedded journalists (Jon Krakauer and Sandy Hall-Pittman) on the two major teams that were climbing that season (Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness and Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants -- both leaders died on the mountain), creating a rivalry that set up the leaders to make suboptimal decisions.
I've read about a dozen books on this climbing season, told from one viewpoint or other. And while this wasn't that well-written (lots of repetition that could have been edited out), it offered a fresh viewpoint and insightful analysis I haven't seen anywhere else.
If you're familiar w/the subject and want a unique viewpoint, I highly recommend this book.
But what I liked best about this memoir is the detailed analysis K -- who is a businessman specializing in risk analysis -- does of what went so wrong on the mountain, and his belief that a lot of the problems were caused by having embedded journalists (Jon Krakauer and Sandy Hall-Pittman) on the two major teams that were climbing that season (Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness and Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants -- both leaders died on the mountain), creating a rivalry that set up the leaders to make suboptimal decisions.
I've read about a dozen books on this climbing season, told from one viewpoint or other. And while this wasn't that well-written (lots of repetition that could have been edited out), it offered a fresh viewpoint and insightful analysis I haven't seen anywhere else.
If you're familiar w/the subject and want a unique viewpoint, I highly recommend this book.
August 4, 2016
I found the climbing parts of this book and the assessment of the events riveting. However I found the love story to be distracting because it was too over the top. I appreciate that Lou wanted to write about how his love for his wife helped connect him to making good decisions, however he expounded on this over and over again, it got to be too much. I honestly skimmed most of this sections of the book when he wrote pages and pages about how he was connected to his wife by the heart and that was why he turned around. I got it the first time and didn't need to reread it. I also found some of the connection to God to be a little more than what I wanted to read. I just found it as a disparity.
I agree with other posts about making sure you know the story in detail before you read this book as he does not create any background or information about what is going on. Into Thin Air may be better to know all of the details. This is more of a side assessment of the events. I appreciated that Lou flat out said that Rob Hall made bad decisions. Something Krakauer didn't go as far to say (I have read it three times but it has been awhile, I don't THINK he was that direct.). It was interesting that Lou said that having a journalist on the expedition added to the reasons why they kept pushing to the top.
A pretty amazing treatise into the human body persevering.
I agree with other posts about making sure you know the story in detail before you read this book as he does not create any background or information about what is going on. Into Thin Air may be better to know all of the details. This is more of a side assessment of the events. I appreciated that Lou flat out said that Rob Hall made bad decisions. Something Krakauer didn't go as far to say (I have read it three times but it has been awhile, I don't THINK he was that direct.). It was interesting that Lou said that having a journalist on the expedition added to the reasons why they kept pushing to the top.
A pretty amazing treatise into the human body persevering.
August 16, 2015
I have an Everest obsession, as morbid as that may seem. This is the third book I have read that details the 1996 disaster. One of the other books I have read twice.
This book was excellent. Though at first I found it slow going, and I actually put it aside for a while. But this isn't the fault of the author, it is the fault of this reader. I like things to move fast, to get to the details, the nitty gritty as it is called.
This book, Lou Kasischke's story of Everest, was detailed. He rightly went into detail of the lead up to Everest. He didn't start straight at Base Camp, but worked his way in. His story about his life with Sandy was a crucial part of making this story as good as it was.
He daw events from a different perspective than other climbers, and recalled different details. So it was good to fill in the details that other authors could not, purely due to personal experiences.
If, like me, you feel the need to know more about Everest, this is as good a place as any to start.
Kasischke helps you to know his fellow climbers. He speaks with respect for each of them, even though their decisions on the mountain may have influenced the overall events of May 10-12, 1996.
Thank you Lou, for telling your story.
This book was excellent. Though at first I found it slow going, and I actually put it aside for a while. But this isn't the fault of the author, it is the fault of this reader. I like things to move fast, to get to the details, the nitty gritty as it is called.
This book, Lou Kasischke's story of Everest, was detailed. He rightly went into detail of the lead up to Everest. He didn't start straight at Base Camp, but worked his way in. His story about his life with Sandy was a crucial part of making this story as good as it was.
He daw events from a different perspective than other climbers, and recalled different details. So it was good to fill in the details that other authors could not, purely due to personal experiences.
If, like me, you feel the need to know more about Everest, this is as good a place as any to start.
Kasischke helps you to know his fellow climbers. He speaks with respect for each of them, even though their decisions on the mountain may have influenced the overall events of May 10-12, 1996.
Thank you Lou, for telling your story.
March 23, 2023
“...climbing Everest does not measure your greatness as a climber. To climb it is mostly about the willingness to take the high risks and human struggle to physically endure the extreme altitude that almost reaches outer space. Some of the world’s best climbers have not and cannot climb Everest.”
“Why would anyone ever want to climb Mt. Everest?”
Into Thin Air remains one of my very favorite nonfiction books. It details the tragic events on May 10th 1996, where eight people died, trying to summit the world’s highest mountain. The author Jon Krakauer was on that climb, writing about it for Outside magazine. Lou Kasischke was also part of the same expedition. This is his story and it is a good one. It is a harrowing account, giving a different perspective than Krakauer's. He even criticizes the decision to let Krakauer come along on the trip, thinking it could influence the climbing objectives, which it just might have done. This can be a tough read but if you are into intense, well-detailed adventure stories, give this one a try. 4.5 stars
“Why would anyone ever want to climb Mt. Everest?”
Into Thin Air remains one of my very favorite nonfiction books. It details the tragic events on May 10th 1996, where eight people died, trying to summit the world’s highest mountain. The author Jon Krakauer was on that climb, writing about it for Outside magazine. Lou Kasischke was also part of the same expedition. This is his story and it is a good one. It is a harrowing account, giving a different perspective than Krakauer's. He even criticizes the decision to let Krakauer come along on the trip, thinking it could influence the climbing objectives, which it just might have done. This can be a tough read but if you are into intense, well-detailed adventure stories, give this one a try. 4.5 stars
January 13, 2019
This book was poorly written, very repetitive and sometimes contradictory. It could have used much more editing.
What I liked: information from the perspective of someone who turned around.
What I didn’t like: the author. He comes across as egotistical, narcissistic and condescending to his wife Sandy. She comes across as submissive and passive aggressive. There’s a lot in this book about her. This book seems to be based on alleviating his guilt for being selfish; an atonement written because she was sick. Skip the parts about Sandy if you’re interested in the mountaineering aspects of this book. It’s also a bit religious, but that’s his thing.
He is very clear who he blames for the tragedy and he is also very clear with his feelings on Jon Krakauer being part of the Hall team. I feel like he leaves out other pertinent information.
If you are interested in the 1996 tragedy, I recommend reading BOTH “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer and “The Climb” by Anatoli Boukreev.
What I liked: information from the perspective of someone who turned around.
What I didn’t like: the author. He comes across as egotistical, narcissistic and condescending to his wife Sandy. She comes across as submissive and passive aggressive. There’s a lot in this book about her. This book seems to be based on alleviating his guilt for being selfish; an atonement written because she was sick. Skip the parts about Sandy if you’re interested in the mountaineering aspects of this book. It’s also a bit religious, but that’s his thing.
He is very clear who he blames for the tragedy and he is also very clear with his feelings on Jon Krakauer being part of the Hall team. I feel like he leaves out other pertinent information.
If you are interested in the 1996 tragedy, I recommend reading BOTH “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer and “The Climb” by Anatoli Boukreev.
March 4, 2016
I have read several books on the 1996 tragedy on Everest. When I saw that a new one had come out after all of these years, I had to read it. The earlier books by Krakauer, Boukreev, and Weathers gave details of the tragedy from each writer's point of view. Kasischke's book is more reflective as might be expected after 18 years. The book focuses on his inner feelings and the agony of his decision to tur back when he was so close to the summit, although later it proved to be the right decision. There are the details again and seemingly, different this time as I felt every step and breath. This is certainly an inspirational book from the standpoint of what really determines the true priorities in our lives.
January 29, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I am intrigued by Mount Everest and the "pull" it seems to have from some climbers (professional and amature alike). This book is one of the many that tells the story of the 1996 tragedy by the folks that were there. Lou Kasischke was a member of Rob Hall's team and tells the story of his personal experience related to how he made the personal decision to abort his summit attempt. There are details of the accident overall as well, but I thought his telling was especially nice because he told it more from a position of his emotions than simply another retelling of what happened and that so many died. I would recommend it.
February 6, 2016
I really liked this book ... However I agree with other readers that the love story grew a little old after awhile. But, as the author explains, this was a story of what he experienced and what made him turn around so close to the top. I've read "Into Thin Air" and "The Climb" and have watched Everest (2015) probably 100 times and really enjoyed the point of view told by Lou. It was raw and showed the errors made by both expedition leaders on summit day. Definitely recommend, especially if you've read other books about this expedition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2016
I've read a lot of books about mountain climbing, and this one is told in a different voice. I real enjoyed the storytelling style the author employs. It is simple and clear yet very heartfelt. I really appreciated Kasischke's perspective on decision making. Even if you don't like mountain climbing as a subject, it has a lot to say about relationships and what one does or uses when making choices.
November 30, 2014
Written from the heart. Now I need to go back and reread Krakauer's book. Kaisischke describes the events leading up to the tragedy on Everest from his perspective. Very convincing assessment of what went wrong on the day of the summit attempt.
May 12, 2020
Fascinating story that suffered from poor writing. Highly repetitive to the point of me flinching that the hammer was coming down - again - to make the same point for the 100th time. Would've benefited from being a short story.
September 22, 2021
I especially enjoyed reading After the Wind after hearing all my dad's stories of growing up in the south end of Bay City with Lou and in anticipation of meeting Lou Kasischke at my parents' class reunion this September. I've always wondered what it is really like to mountain climb one of the world's highest peaks, and Lou makes the reader feel as if he is there. I appreciated his personal transformation as he seeks to conquer the tallest mountain in the world.
March 10, 2023
Every spare minute I had , I wanted to read more on what happened .
No idea what it took to climb Mt Everest ?
No thanks .
Even with the tragic events that occurred, I understand the personnel challenge that the climbers seek .
No idea what it took to climb Mt Everest ?
No thanks .
Even with the tragic events that occurred, I understand the personnel challenge that the climbers seek .
August 11, 2015
First, I want to say, I love the illustrations, as well as the book.
I also love how the climber’s wife, Sandy, sent out invitation to friends inviting them to a ‘Last Supper’ before her husband embarked on a mountain climbing expedition. In the invitation she wrote: "After dinner, please feel free to offer Lou some words of profound wisdom". Sandy was a wonderful, loving, and understanding wife.
Lou was a thoughtful, loving husband who would call Sandy as he left work saying, “I’m coming home.” When he got home the would chime out, “I’m home.” For Sandy and Lou “coming home” and ‘being home” were expressions of their loving relationship. They were words coming from the voice of the heart.
A moment that would sustain Lou in the life and death struggle six weeks later was after the Last Supper party. Sandy said, “I want you to live your story on Everest, but I want you to say out loud, ‘I promise to come back home.” Without pause or even thinking about it, Lou replied, “I promise to come back home.”
Every mountain climbing trip starts at home and ends back at home. But, sometimes, not every mountain climber makes it back home.
Mount Everest has taken its toll on climbers. Climbers don’t get second chances. Good decisions must be made especially when you are close to conquering the beast but out of time to do it.
This is an account of the worst tragedy that every happened on Mount Everest. It took many years before Lou Kasischke could tell the story of what happened and what went wrong on the mountain that took the lives of eight climbers on a spring day in 1996.
“After the Wind” is an earnest, unputdownable account that touches the heart deeply.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)
I also love how the climber’s wife, Sandy, sent out invitation to friends inviting them to a ‘Last Supper’ before her husband embarked on a mountain climbing expedition. In the invitation she wrote: "After dinner, please feel free to offer Lou some words of profound wisdom". Sandy was a wonderful, loving, and understanding wife.
Lou was a thoughtful, loving husband who would call Sandy as he left work saying, “I’m coming home.” When he got home the would chime out, “I’m home.” For Sandy and Lou “coming home” and ‘being home” were expressions of their loving relationship. They were words coming from the voice of the heart.
A moment that would sustain Lou in the life and death struggle six weeks later was after the Last Supper party. Sandy said, “I want you to live your story on Everest, but I want you to say out loud, ‘I promise to come back home.” Without pause or even thinking about it, Lou replied, “I promise to come back home.”
Every mountain climbing trip starts at home and ends back at home. But, sometimes, not every mountain climber makes it back home.
Mount Everest has taken its toll on climbers. Climbers don’t get second chances. Good decisions must be made especially when you are close to conquering the beast but out of time to do it.
This is an account of the worst tragedy that every happened on Mount Everest. It took many years before Lou Kasischke could tell the story of what happened and what went wrong on the mountain that took the lives of eight climbers on a spring day in 1996.
“After the Wind” is an earnest, unputdownable account that touches the heart deeply.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)
December 20, 2023
3.5⭐️
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster has been my Roman Empire ever since reading “Into thin Air” many many years ago. I’ve since consumed various other forms of media on the subject, recommended Krakauer’s book, and referenced it in conversation more than any normal person should, and was excited to read another account of that disastrous day specifically after discovering that there was some criticism regarding Krakauer’s account.
This book reads like a journal, much of it is repetitive rambling about the strength of the love he has for his wife and how his promise to her was the only thing that could overpower his stubbornness and arrogance as a climber, eventually leading him to turn around and quit his journey to the summit saving his life in the end. It’s sweet and heartfelt the first few times but a little tiresome after a while. However, LK also provides intimate details of his time on the mountain, describing the conditioning required to acclimate to the cold and altitude. His descriptions of the actual route and terrain were probably my favorite parts of the books and the illustrations and maps(!!) a wonderful addition. He doesn’t shy away from the gory details of climbing Everest, such as frostbite, the Death Zone, and even his own gastrointestinal problems.
Unfortunately, throughout the story, LK does a decent amount of finger pointing for the many lives lost that day. It’s been a while since I have read John Krakauer’s account, but if I recall correctly, he claims an unexpected storm (generous as it’s Everest, storms are kind of a given) rolls in, and that along with some contributing factors including but not limited to miscommunications regarding supplies like oxygen tanks and ropes were the main events leading to disaster. Kasischke, however, blames it on commercial competition, peer pressure, poor last minute decisions, and failure of the leaders to actually lead at critical times.
It’s difficult to know which of the many accounts are truly accurate,two people can witness the exact same event and come out of it with different experiences, focusing on different details, maybe even remembering parts incorrectly. Since LK turned around before the summit, I'm unsure of the accuracy of his description of the events at and around the Hillary Step, but at the same time Krakauer certainly could have polished his version of events and tiptoed around details. It’s clear, however, that LK disagrees with some of the leader’s decisions in assembling the team, and many of the leadership team's choices before and during the summit attempt, and I wonder if this feeling toward Hall and his team colored LK’s memory of the events. I’m also not convinced any account of such a tragic event on Everest could be 100% accurate considering what that kind of cold and oxygen deprivation does to one’s mind and body.
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster has been my Roman Empire ever since reading “Into thin Air” many many years ago. I’ve since consumed various other forms of media on the subject, recommended Krakauer’s book, and referenced it in conversation more than any normal person should, and was excited to read another account of that disastrous day specifically after discovering that there was some criticism regarding Krakauer’s account.
This book reads like a journal, much of it is repetitive rambling about the strength of the love he has for his wife and how his promise to her was the only thing that could overpower his stubbornness and arrogance as a climber, eventually leading him to turn around and quit his journey to the summit saving his life in the end. It’s sweet and heartfelt the first few times but a little tiresome after a while. However, LK also provides intimate details of his time on the mountain, describing the conditioning required to acclimate to the cold and altitude. His descriptions of the actual route and terrain were probably my favorite parts of the books and the illustrations and maps(!!) a wonderful addition. He doesn’t shy away from the gory details of climbing Everest, such as frostbite, the Death Zone, and even his own gastrointestinal problems.
Unfortunately, throughout the story, LK does a decent amount of finger pointing for the many lives lost that day. It’s been a while since I have read John Krakauer’s account, but if I recall correctly, he claims an unexpected storm (generous as it’s Everest, storms are kind of a given) rolls in, and that along with some contributing factors including but not limited to miscommunications regarding supplies like oxygen tanks and ropes were the main events leading to disaster. Kasischke, however, blames it on commercial competition, peer pressure, poor last minute decisions, and failure of the leaders to actually lead at critical times.
It’s difficult to know which of the many accounts are truly accurate,two people can witness the exact same event and come out of it with different experiences, focusing on different details, maybe even remembering parts incorrectly. Since LK turned around before the summit, I'm unsure of the accuracy of his description of the events at and around the Hillary Step, but at the same time Krakauer certainly could have polished his version of events and tiptoed around details. It’s clear, however, that LK disagrees with some of the leader’s decisions in assembling the team, and many of the leadership team's choices before and during the summit attempt, and I wonder if this feeling toward Hall and his team colored LK’s memory of the events. I’m also not convinced any account of such a tragic event on Everest could be 100% accurate considering what that kind of cold and oxygen deprivation does to one’s mind and body.
February 22, 2020
Whew. How to unpack this one:
First, if you've never read about the 1996 Everest tragedy, don't start with this book. Start with "Into Thin Air", as that book -whether 100% accurate or not (as I'm beginning to learn reading all of the other 96 accounts) paints a much better picture for the reader of the scenery and events.
That said, this was a really good and straightforward book.
I often write long winded race reports after a long event, not simply to share my experiences, but to "get it all out" and try to make sense of what happened. Of course, running a 100 miler is NOTHING compared to hiking Everest, but I could feel through Kasischke's writing that much of the reasoning behind this book was to do just that: try to make sense of what just happened. You could feel the anger and heartache in Kasischke's writing, even from the very start.
From the very beginning, Kasischke did not tiptoe around the fact of what we already know: this expedition did NOT end well. What I appreciated was Kasischke's straightforward approach in explaining what he believed contributed to this disaster, and why so many people did not make it off of the mountain. He did not tiptoe, he did not try to paint anyone as a "hero", he called them out (even the dead) for the blatant mistakes and poor judgement calls that were made.
After the Wind focuses mainly on Adventure Consultants' (Rob Halls) expedition and doesn't go into much detail about the other expeditions and lives lost on the mountain that year. Kasischke also grazes over the fact that a huge storm blew through, and instead focused on the decision making by the expedition leaders, and how he felt that contributed to needless deaths.
In short: I liked this book. This was the third story I've read about the 96 Everest disaster (Into Thin Air, and The Other Side of Everest being the other two) and it's fascinating (albeit heartbreaking) to read varying accounts of what happened on that fateful trip. If you have read any other stories about the 96 disaster, and are curious to hear another side of the story, I'd highly recommend this book.
First, if you've never read about the 1996 Everest tragedy, don't start with this book. Start with "Into Thin Air", as that book -whether 100% accurate or not (as I'm beginning to learn reading all of the other 96 accounts) paints a much better picture for the reader of the scenery and events.
That said, this was a really good and straightforward book.
I often write long winded race reports after a long event, not simply to share my experiences, but to "get it all out" and try to make sense of what happened. Of course, running a 100 miler is NOTHING compared to hiking Everest, but I could feel through Kasischke's writing that much of the reasoning behind this book was to do just that: try to make sense of what just happened. You could feel the anger and heartache in Kasischke's writing, even from the very start.
From the very beginning, Kasischke did not tiptoe around the fact of what we already know: this expedition did NOT end well. What I appreciated was Kasischke's straightforward approach in explaining what he believed contributed to this disaster, and why so many people did not make it off of the mountain. He did not tiptoe, he did not try to paint anyone as a "hero", he called them out (even the dead) for the blatant mistakes and poor judgement calls that were made.
After the Wind focuses mainly on Adventure Consultants' (Rob Halls) expedition and doesn't go into much detail about the other expeditions and lives lost on the mountain that year. Kasischke also grazes over the fact that a huge storm blew through, and instead focused on the decision making by the expedition leaders, and how he felt that contributed to needless deaths.
In short: I liked this book. This was the third story I've read about the 96 Everest disaster (Into Thin Air, and The Other Side of Everest being the other two) and it's fascinating (albeit heartbreaking) to read varying accounts of what happened on that fateful trip. If you have read any other stories about the 96 disaster, and are curious to hear another side of the story, I'd highly recommend this book.
December 3, 2014
I had the pleasure of picking up this new book a couple of months ago, and it both terrified and enchanted me. Lou Kasischke is one of the survivors of the 1996 Everest tragedy and has kept his story close to the heart until now. After the Wind details the course of events leading up to and including the fateful day in May when eight climbers died attempting the summit. I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe an opinionated account that weighed in on what “went wrong” or responded to one of the many books and movies produced by other survivors and the media since 1996. After the Wind, however, is an honest, straightforward narrative that made me feel like I was sitting in a room with Lou, fire blazing in the hearth, just the two of us, while he told me what happened and how he felt about it.
He writes with a gently ruthless sincerity, acknowledging his own challenges with personal ambition while providing a bare, honest account of the events themselves. I was drawn in by the tragedy itself but at the same time enchanted by the sincerity and power of Lou’s relationship with his wife, Sandy. Their partnership permeates the entire narrative and is indeed fundamental to Lou’s story and his life. Within the weave of technical jargon and messages of love, he talks quite philosophically about the experience of leaving and coming home.
All in all, a truly great read. It covers everything from the nuts and bolts of climbing to the philosophical problems leading up to the tragedy and his personal experience and reflections, all with clear and thoughtful writing.
He writes with a gently ruthless sincerity, acknowledging his own challenges with personal ambition while providing a bare, honest account of the events themselves. I was drawn in by the tragedy itself but at the same time enchanted by the sincerity and power of Lou’s relationship with his wife, Sandy. Their partnership permeates the entire narrative and is indeed fundamental to Lou’s story and his life. Within the weave of technical jargon and messages of love, he talks quite philosophically about the experience of leaving and coming home.
All in all, a truly great read. It covers everything from the nuts and bolts of climbing to the philosophical problems leading up to the tragedy and his personal experience and reflections, all with clear and thoughtful writing.
November 16, 2020
Mr. Kasischke seems like a nice man.
The fact that that's the takeaway from this book is probably not a compliment.
If you are interested in climbing narratives, this is a solid, prosaic climbing narrative, with a little existential mysticism mixed in -- which is often the case with climbing narratives, so hey.
If you are interested in solving the mystery of Exactly What Went Wrong On May 10 1996, this is actually also a good read, because Mr. Kasischke's career as a risk analyst gives him a real ability to strip that question down to its most fundamental answers.
I do think that this version of the story is probably as slanted as every other version, despite Mr. Kasischke's professional skills. He gives himself away when he indicates over and over that he didn't socialize with any of the other climbers, didn't know who most of them were, withdrew from the community pretty much at the start, and did May 1996 mostly in his own head. He admits openly that he simply didn't participate in key conversations and didn't have all the information he might need to fully understand what happened. But he's also correct that very little of what he didn't know matters, and at the end of the day, the answers are clear, if bitter.
This is an honest story, if not an exceptionally fun one.
The fact that that's the takeaway from this book is probably not a compliment.
If you are interested in climbing narratives, this is a solid, prosaic climbing narrative, with a little existential mysticism mixed in -- which is often the case with climbing narratives, so hey.
If you are interested in solving the mystery of Exactly What Went Wrong On May 10 1996, this is actually also a good read, because Mr. Kasischke's career as a risk analyst gives him a real ability to strip that question down to its most fundamental answers.
I do think that this version of the story is probably as slanted as every other version, despite Mr. Kasischke's professional skills. He gives himself away when he indicates over and over that he didn't socialize with any of the other climbers, didn't know who most of them were, withdrew from the community pretty much at the start, and did May 1996 mostly in his own head. He admits openly that he simply didn't participate in key conversations and didn't have all the information he might need to fully understand what happened. But he's also correct that very little of what he didn't know matters, and at the end of the day, the answers are clear, if bitter.
This is an honest story, if not an exceptionally fun one.
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