What do you think?
Rate this book
The Death Zone: Climbing Everest Through the Killer Storm
It seemed like any other season on Everest. After six weeks of acclimatisation, ten expeditions were high on the mountain preparing for their summit push. They set out in perfect conditions on 10 May 1996. But twenty-four hours later, eight climbers were dead and a further three were to die later, victims of one of the most devastating storms ever to hit Everest. It was the worst twenty-four hours in the history of the peak.
On the North Face of the mountain, a British expedition found itself in the thick of the drama. Against all the odds, film-maker Matt Dickinson and professional climber Alan Hinkes managed to battle through the hurricane-force winds to reach the summit.
Based on the first-hand experience of having lived through the killer storm, this book tackles issues at the very heart of mountaineering. How could three Japanese climbers leave Indians also attempting the peak to die? What made an Austrian climber give up his life in the quest to climb Everest without oxygen? Finally, there is the summit success of the two British climbers, in which Matt Dickinson became the first Briton to film on the summit of Everest and return alive. The Death Zone is an extraordinary story of human triumph, folly and disaster.
On the North Face of the mountain, a British expedition found itself in the thick of the drama. Against all the odds, film-maker Matt Dickinson and professional climber Alan Hinkes managed to battle through the hurricane-force winds to reach the summit.
Based on the first-hand experience of having lived through the killer storm, this book tackles issues at the very heart of mountaineering. How could three Japanese climbers leave Indians also attempting the peak to die? What made an Austrian climber give up his life in the quest to climb Everest without oxygen? Finally, there is the summit success of the two British climbers, in which Matt Dickinson became the first Briton to film on the summit of Everest and return alive. The Death Zone is an extraordinary story of human triumph, folly and disaster.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
22 people are currently reading
740 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 3, 2015
I do enjoy climbing books and have read quite a few over the years many of which have been about Everest. Of those quite a number have been about the notorious 1996 season. They have not all been of a very high standard even if I have enjoyed reading them. This one brings a fresh worthwhile approach being written by a non mountaineer who was actually there climbing at the time.
This combination of factors gave me some insights I felt l'd not had from some of the other books about this season and about climbers more generally too. Certainly the feelings and thoughts of those in the Death Zone and striving for the summit were clear and interesting. Certainly a book which anyone with a love of climbing books generally and Everest ones in particular should enjoy. 4.5 star really!
This combination of factors gave me some insights I felt l'd not had from some of the other books about this season and about climbers more generally too. Certainly the feelings and thoughts of those in the Death Zone and striving for the summit were clear and interesting. Certainly a book which anyone with a love of climbing books generally and Everest ones in particular should enjoy. 4.5 star really!
April 17, 2016
Back to the Everest 1996 season, this time told from the point of view of climbers on the North Face - including Brian Blessed!
Brian didn't make the summit that year, but the author, filmmaker Matt Dickinson did. While there he witnessed the killer storm and what it did to other climbers on the north side. Well written and entertaining, and may have chimed with it because it was written from an English viewpoint. Another recommended read.
Brian didn't make the summit that year, but the author, filmmaker Matt Dickinson did. While there he witnessed the killer storm and what it did to other climbers on the north side. Well written and entertaining, and may have chimed with it because it was written from an English viewpoint. Another recommended read.
May 14, 2022
"So the conclusion? It's all the same. Everything is the same. Everest is big but it wasn't big enough to change the patterns of a lifetime."
The writer is a natural storyteller. He gives you the literal and figurative ups and downs of an Everest expedition. Clear description and canny map usage places exactly on the mountain (something I usually struggle with). It is also somehow the most realistic mountain climbing book I've read?? Like yes this guy is climbing Everest, but actually a large part of his brain is concerned with the job he's doing (directing a film) so he can make his mortgage payments. He's looking at the scenery, but he's also complaining about the inconveniences along the way: the debris left by previous expeditions, the subpar cooking, the smell of yaks, the skin on his finger cracking, the lack of reading material, and the worrying poop he did at Camp 6. It just felt very human in a way that other books written about climbing don't.
Should also be noted, although he was making his Everest attempt in 1996, this book is not really about the disaster. It is more about how the deaths of the climbers coloured his experience from the other side of the mountain.
The book concluded that, although still a huge achievement, Everest is just a mountain and climbing it didn't really change anything. And I dunno. I liked the poignancy of reaching the highest point on earth and then realising you're still the same person as you were at sea level. Solid 4.5 stars.
Also Al Hinkes sounds like a Legend.
The writer is a natural storyteller. He gives you the literal and figurative ups and downs of an Everest expedition. Clear description and canny map usage places exactly on the mountain (something I usually struggle with). It is also somehow the most realistic mountain climbing book I've read?? Like yes this guy is climbing Everest, but actually a large part of his brain is concerned with the job he's doing (directing a film) so he can make his mortgage payments. He's looking at the scenery, but he's also complaining about the inconveniences along the way: the debris left by previous expeditions, the subpar cooking, the smell of yaks, the skin on his finger cracking, the lack of reading material, and the worrying poop he did at Camp 6. It just felt very human in a way that other books written about climbing don't.
Should also be noted, although he was making his Everest attempt in 1996, this book is not really about the disaster. It is more about how the deaths of the climbers coloured his experience from the other side of the mountain.
The book concluded that, although still a huge achievement, Everest is just a mountain and climbing it didn't really change anything. And I dunno. I liked the poignancy of reaching the highest point on earth and then realising you're still the same person as you were at sea level. Solid 4.5 stars.
Also Al Hinkes sounds like a Legend.
November 11, 2015
Wonderfully written gripping account of the events of April/May 1996.
Found myself holding my breath in many places.
Found myself holding my breath in many places.
June 1, 2025
Very compelling, a few areas lacking more than others but overall enjoyable, detailed, and visceral. You can really get a sense of the exhaustion in this book, and I love books about climbing Everest that really make me appreciate just how insane you have to be to want to do it. And I say this as someone who goes to warzones voluntarily and has the time of my life.
Something that stood out to me in this book -- and in fact highlighted the issue across other books -- is how little time is spent on the descent. This seems to make sense at first, but every mountaineer I've read about has stressed that the summit is only half the battle, and that the most dangerous part is actually the descent. It would be interesting to see a book have the summit as its centrepiece and go into just as much detail on the descent as the ascent; I mention it here because it was shockingly less detailed than other books I've read. I mean, it was a handful of pages, which just seemed odd. (Though what was there was good, and did bring home the exhaustion.)
I also felt like a little more time could have been devoted to the aftermath of the disaster. Dickinson and his fellow climbers remained on the mountain after the 1996 storm and were therefore mostly insulated against the media storm afterwards; while there is little to say about this that hasn't been said before, I was hoping to find out a bit more about the people back at home. Dickinson had a wife and three small children at home who knew he was on Everest when all this news broke -- it was then the deadliest season, with double-digit deaths, three on the North Face where Dickinson was. How did he get news home? What did his family think? What was the reunion like? There was nothing about this, and Dickinson also falls into the infuriating trap of making his wife look like an asshole when I'm sure it's not that one-sided at all. I don't know why so many mountaineering men do this -- I suspect maybe they think they're casting their wives as fondly exasperated but ultimately correct -- but it's so depressing. It seems every one of them misses "fondly exasperated" and "rightfully pissed" and ends up in the realms of "emotionally abusive," which I'm sure cannot constantly be the case.
These are my only complaints, however, and they're extras really. What was there was excellent, the detail of the journey, the climb, and their perspective of the disaster is brilliant and in-depth, and the insights into the practicalities of filming a documentary so high up and under such circumstances is fascinating. Definitely a worthy addition to the 1996 storm lore.
Something that stood out to me in this book -- and in fact highlighted the issue across other books -- is how little time is spent on the descent. This seems to make sense at first, but every mountaineer I've read about has stressed that the summit is only half the battle, and that the most dangerous part is actually the descent. It would be interesting to see a book have the summit as its centrepiece and go into just as much detail on the descent as the ascent; I mention it here because it was shockingly less detailed than other books I've read. I mean, it was a handful of pages, which just seemed odd. (Though what was there was good, and did bring home the exhaustion.)
I also felt like a little more time could have been devoted to the aftermath of the disaster. Dickinson and his fellow climbers remained on the mountain after the 1996 storm and were therefore mostly insulated against the media storm afterwards; while there is little to say about this that hasn't been said before, I was hoping to find out a bit more about the people back at home. Dickinson had a wife and three small children at home who knew he was on Everest when all this news broke -- it was then the deadliest season, with double-digit deaths, three on the North Face where Dickinson was. How did he get news home? What did his family think? What was the reunion like? There was nothing about this, and Dickinson also falls into the infuriating trap of making his wife look like an asshole when I'm sure it's not that one-sided at all. I don't know why so many mountaineering men do this -- I suspect maybe they think they're casting their wives as fondly exasperated but ultimately correct -- but it's so depressing. It seems every one of them misses "fondly exasperated" and "rightfully pissed" and ends up in the realms of "emotionally abusive," which I'm sure cannot constantly be the case.
These are my only complaints, however, and they're extras really. What was there was excellent, the detail of the journey, the climb, and their perspective of the disaster is brilliant and in-depth, and the insights into the practicalities of filming a documentary so high up and under such circumstances is fascinating. Definitely a worthy addition to the 1996 storm lore.
January 19, 2023
This was a phenomenal read. I also watched the documentary Summit Fever this evening for a bit of context and see the final product that came from this expedition. I enjoyed the documentary, but having read 85% of this book made it all the better. (Who would have thought I'd be reading this at 2am instead of watching Netflix before bed?!)
Matt Dickinson may be paid to tell stories with a camera, but he clearly can paint a picture with his words too. I decided to read this as part of the Buzzword Reading Challenge – the January prompt being titles with 'life' or 'death' in the title. It doesn't really get more 'life and death' than Everest. At first I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this, and I did admittedly find sections a bit more difficult to fully comprehend due to my lack of knowledge around mountaineering, but it wasn't long before I was hooked and needed to know all about Matt's story from May 1996. I really appreciated the snippets of perspectives from others who were there at the time of the storm. I also found that the difficult topic of the tragic deaths during the 1996 season were handled with care and respect. I haven't read other books about Everest or extreme mountaineering (yet) but this was a good one for me to start with. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in mountains, climbing or stories of incredible feats in extreme situations.
Matt Dickinson may be paid to tell stories with a camera, but he clearly can paint a picture with his words too. I decided to read this as part of the Buzzword Reading Challenge – the January prompt being titles with 'life' or 'death' in the title. It doesn't really get more 'life and death' than Everest. At first I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this, and I did admittedly find sections a bit more difficult to fully comprehend due to my lack of knowledge around mountaineering, but it wasn't long before I was hooked and needed to know all about Matt's story from May 1996. I really appreciated the snippets of perspectives from others who were there at the time of the storm. I also found that the difficult topic of the tragic deaths during the 1996 season were handled with care and respect. I haven't read other books about Everest or extreme mountaineering (yet) but this was a good one for me to start with. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in mountains, climbing or stories of incredible feats in extreme situations.
September 29, 2017
Very interesting book about the author's summit expedition to Mount Everest in 1996 amid one of the worst weather conditions recorded to date. There is great insight into what it implies to even attempt such a feat and the slowly and painful ascend it obliges. Sadly the books gets pretty confusing and repetitive about mid-way through, making me end up speed reading it on the last 50 pages or so. In either case, it is surely a book I would recommend to any climbing enthusiast.
May 20, 2015
Pretty terrifying reading - I have no idea why people want to climb mountains, although fascinating to read about it sounds utterly terrible.
July 6, 2024
1996 bekam der Bergsteiger und Filmemacher Matt Dickinson das Angebot, eine Expedition zum Mount Everest zu begleiten. Brian Blessed, Schauspieler und ebenfalls erfahrener Bergsteiger, wollte endlich den Gipfel bezwingen. Für Dickinson war es eine einmalige Gelegenheit, die er gerne annahm. Womit er nicht rechnen konnte, waren die Bedingungen, die am Berg herrschten. Denn er war genau zu dem Zeitpunkt unterwegs, als sich eine der bis dahin schlimmsten Katastrophen am höchsten Berg der Welt ereignete.
Matt Dickinson hat ein sehr ehrliches Buch geschrieben. Er erzählt, wie das Leben in seiner Familie aussieht. Die meiste Zeit des Jahres ist er unterwegs. Sicherlich verdient er damit den größten Teil des Geldes, aber er gibt auch offen zu, dass er seine Frau fast schon im Stich lässt. Haushalt, Erziehung und auch die schwierigsten Entscheidungen muss sie alleine stemmen und ihr Leben komplett hintenan stellen. Kein Wunder, dass die Lage angespannt ist.
Bei den Planung für die Reise war ich fast schon erschrocken, wie unvorbereitet er war. Matt gab offen zu, dass er keine Erfahrungen mit Expeditionsbergsteigen hat. Brian Blessed war das egal, er wollte nur einen guten Film über seinen Erfolg haben. Die Pläne, die er für das Filmen bei 8000 und mehr Höhenmetern hatte, waren sehr optimistisch.
Aber gerade Matts Ehrlichkeit war das, was das Buch für mich trotzdem zu etwas Besonderem gemacht hat. Denn er beschreibt auch ungeschönt die Situation am Berg. Er erzählt, wie es im Lager aussieht, dass teilweise eine Mischung aus Toilette und Müllkippe zu sein scheint. Wie sich die Menschen am Berg verhalten, wenn der Erfolg wichtiger ist als die Sicherheit anderer.
Vielleicht hat er den Gipfel nicht verdient, weil er durch seine Unerfahrenheit seine Begleiter gefährdet hat. Auf der anderen Seite hat er zur richtigen Zeit gute Entscheidungen getroffen, die nicht nur Zufall sein konnten. Das zeigt, dass er vielleicht nicht der beste Bergsteiger war, aber sicherlich der richtige Mann am richtigen Platz.
Matt Dickinson hat ein sehr ehrliches Buch geschrieben. Er erzählt, wie das Leben in seiner Familie aussieht. Die meiste Zeit des Jahres ist er unterwegs. Sicherlich verdient er damit den größten Teil des Geldes, aber er gibt auch offen zu, dass er seine Frau fast schon im Stich lässt. Haushalt, Erziehung und auch die schwierigsten Entscheidungen muss sie alleine stemmen und ihr Leben komplett hintenan stellen. Kein Wunder, dass die Lage angespannt ist.
Bei den Planung für die Reise war ich fast schon erschrocken, wie unvorbereitet er war. Matt gab offen zu, dass er keine Erfahrungen mit Expeditionsbergsteigen hat. Brian Blessed war das egal, er wollte nur einen guten Film über seinen Erfolg haben. Die Pläne, die er für das Filmen bei 8000 und mehr Höhenmetern hatte, waren sehr optimistisch.
Aber gerade Matts Ehrlichkeit war das, was das Buch für mich trotzdem zu etwas Besonderem gemacht hat. Denn er beschreibt auch ungeschönt die Situation am Berg. Er erzählt, wie es im Lager aussieht, dass teilweise eine Mischung aus Toilette und Müllkippe zu sein scheint. Wie sich die Menschen am Berg verhalten, wenn der Erfolg wichtiger ist als die Sicherheit anderer.
Vielleicht hat er den Gipfel nicht verdient, weil er durch seine Unerfahrenheit seine Begleiter gefährdet hat. Auf der anderen Seite hat er zur richtigen Zeit gute Entscheidungen getroffen, die nicht nur Zufall sein konnten. Das zeigt, dass er vielleicht nicht der beste Bergsteiger war, aber sicherlich der richtige Mann am richtigen Platz.
November 26, 2018
The book is about climbing the Everest which the author did to shoot a documentary. As it happens, the 1996 Mount Everest disaster took place in the same span of time that the author was on the mountain, so a small part of the book is about these events, but mostly it is about his own climb and the problems faced.
What I like so much about this book is that it is the first book on climbing an eight-thousander that I read which was written by a non-professional climber, an average joe so to say (of course he had climbing experience and was in reasonably good shape). He spends a lot of time detailing all the difficulties one faces the further up into the death zone one gets, all the inconveniences you have to live with on such a climb and all the close calls which give a clear idea why climbing that high is fatal sometimes even for very experienced climbers. This is in stark contrast to the other books I read which were by climbers that were making a living climbing to such altitudes or had sumitted a number of mountains higher than 7000 meters and which do not talk about the small things like lack of sleep, the need to drink several liters of water a day just to stay hydrated and not fall into a come, the hours it takes to melt these liters or the call of nature up high.
Very recommended read for anyone interested in mountaineering.
What I like so much about this book is that it is the first book on climbing an eight-thousander that I read which was written by a non-professional climber, an average joe so to say (of course he had climbing experience and was in reasonably good shape). He spends a lot of time detailing all the difficulties one faces the further up into the death zone one gets, all the inconveniences you have to live with on such a climb and all the close calls which give a clear idea why climbing that high is fatal sometimes even for very experienced climbers. This is in stark contrast to the other books I read which were by climbers that were making a living climbing to such altitudes or had sumitted a number of mountains higher than 7000 meters and which do not talk about the small things like lack of sleep, the need to drink several liters of water a day just to stay hydrated and not fall into a come, the hours it takes to melt these liters or the call of nature up high.
Very recommended read for anyone interested in mountaineering.
September 20, 2017
I am an 'Everest-o-phile, so any book on this subject is going to gain my full attention. This was published back in 1997 and mainly covers the expeditions from the previous year. The author, Matt Dickinson, was commissioned to produce a TV documentary on Brian Blessed's (well known British actor) third attempt at reaching the Everest summit. This expedition just happened to coincide with the infamous expeditions of Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, brilliantly brought to the big screen last year. Their exhibition team was British based called Himalayan Kingdoms and chose to summit from the North face, the opposite side to the Hall/Fischer teams.
So this book is partly autobiographical, partly biographical with quite an in-depth account of the tragedies that occurred elsewhere on the mountain that fateful year in 1996.
It is very well written, extremely factual and gives an alternative look at the events of 1996 from the perspective of the author's team climbing on the other side of the mountain.
So this book is partly autobiographical, partly biographical with quite an in-depth account of the tragedies that occurred elsewhere on the mountain that fateful year in 1996.
It is very well written, extremely factual and gives an alternative look at the events of 1996 from the perspective of the author's team climbing on the other side of the mountain.
June 13, 2019
Insightful and interesting account of the author's own experience climbing Everest via the North route. The reason for climbing Everest was to ostensibly make a documentary, however, you can really see how summit fever took over Dickinson once he got close to the top. While his professionalism seems to have been fully maintained, the writer does a good job of conveying how strongly stirred his emotions became by the idea of getting to the top of the world.
Dickinson is clearly passionate about mountaineering despite being a non-pro, and he provides excellent descriptions of surroundings, emotions, and mindsets on his Everest expedition. I took one star away because I think the writer spends a distasteful portion of the book trying to justify to himself more than the reader how the nature of his job is a fine reason for being an absent parent for much of his kids' early lives.
Dickinson is clearly passionate about mountaineering despite being a non-pro, and he provides excellent descriptions of surroundings, emotions, and mindsets on his Everest expedition. I took one star away because I think the writer spends a distasteful portion of the book trying to justify to himself more than the reader how the nature of his job is a fine reason for being an absent parent for much of his kids' early lives.
September 28, 2018
The author recounts his journey with a group, including the actor Brian Blessed, trying to reach the summit of Everest. During their epic climb, the worst storm in years hits and many people lose their lives.
Reading this has made me 1000% sure that I never want to climb a mountain. Ever. From throat infections, frostbite, rubbish from previous climbs including frozen faeces being left up there, to cerebral and pulmonary oedemas, and people being judged too near death to attempt a rescue and their bodies left on the mountain. The stuff of nightmares!
Reading this has made me 1000% sure that I never want to climb a mountain. Ever. From throat infections, frostbite, rubbish from previous climbs including frozen faeces being left up there, to cerebral and pulmonary oedemas, and people being judged too near death to attempt a rescue and their bodies left on the mountain. The stuff of nightmares!
April 29, 2020
Thoroughly forgettable.
After Jon Krakauer published Into Thin Air and the book became a best seller, it seems every person who even came near the Everest base camp in the 1996 season suddenly found themselves a writer.
Unfortunately writing is not something you’re suddenly good at because you have something interesting to say.
I hope Mr. Dickinson doesn’t quit his day job. He seems like an amazing climber but this book is destined to be forgotten among the scores of poorly penned Everest testimonies.
After Jon Krakauer published Into Thin Air and the book became a best seller, it seems every person who even came near the Everest base camp in the 1996 season suddenly found themselves a writer.
Unfortunately writing is not something you’re suddenly good at because you have something interesting to say.
I hope Mr. Dickinson doesn’t quit his day job. He seems like an amazing climber but this book is destined to be forgotten among the scores of poorly penned Everest testimonies.
November 17, 2024
Almost Identical to "The Other Side of Everest". For those looking for a fresh perspective on the 1996 disaster storm there is less than 1 chapter on that, more is about his marriage concerns.
He writes well but it isn't what it says on the dust-jacket. The good part is that he does talk about how he feels when confronted with obstacles en route to the summit. These difficulties are often brushed over by more experienced climbers or those who want to appear macho. I did appreciate the honesty and vulnerability.
He writes well but it isn't what it says on the dust-jacket. The good part is that he does talk about how he feels when confronted with obstacles en route to the summit. These difficulties are often brushed over by more experienced climbers or those who want to appear macho. I did appreciate the honesty and vulnerability.
November 16, 2022
Have re-read this following a trip to Everest Base Camp. My admiration for any climbers attempting Everest has increased significantly. It's a good straightforward read about the climb - there are better books about the philosophy and ethics of climbing if that's what you want. I would have liked more recognition that the Nepali Sherpas were the people that made it possible and should be the heroes of every climbing story.
June 17, 2024
Excellent recount of the notorious 1996 season on Everest. Moments of total transportation to the mountainside which I relished. Lost one star for me as it’s a bit slow to start. Also the narrator is a bit on the selfish side (probably a useful character trait for summiting the world’s highest peak). He knows and admits this flaw but it bothered me nonetheless. The description of the actual attempt is breathtaking and gripped me completely. Read it for that if you love adventure writing.
March 7, 2025
A film director takes on a job of making a documentary about Brian Blessed climbing Mount Everest - along the way it becomes something totally different as disaster strikes the mountain.
Gripping, heartfelt, heartless (as the author admits) tale of men setting out to climb a mountain and as they do so people die and are just left on the mountain side.
Blessed is OTT in his cameo appearances dotted throughout but at least makes the right call to turn back and survives - many do not.
Gripping, heartfelt, heartless (as the author admits) tale of men setting out to climb a mountain and as they do so people die and are just left on the mountain side.
Blessed is OTT in his cameo appearances dotted throughout but at least makes the right call to turn back and survives - many do not.
July 12, 2020
I really enjoyed this book even though it wasn’t what I had initially been looking for when I added it to my wish list. The writing is simplistic yet captivating given the topic. While some parts of the book do drag a little bit, overall the narrative pulled me in and I finished this in one sitting.
December 16, 2020
I don't know how much I've read by now about the 1996 season on Everest, but it's quite a lot - most stories focusing on the South side, so it was interesting to get a view from "the other side". And boy, does the North side sound like a bleak place.
May 8, 2022
I read a lot of books like this, and this one was pretty good! I'm always interested in different perspectives on the hobby/ lifestyle/ career of climbing and there is great value in hearing from someone who wasn't a climber straight out of the womb! A worthwhile view on the events of May 1996.
May 9, 2018
One of the best book about Everest I've read.
August 22, 2019
I raced through this gripping account of the storms of May 1996 on Everest and the lives of those who were on the mountain at the time.
June 12, 2021
Very well written. You really get an empathy with the life threatening challenge climbing Everest actually is
December 31, 2022
Astonishing story that reflects the experiences of so many others who have attempted Everest.
August 28, 2024
מצוין, מענין מאד וקולח
October 26, 2024
An incredible read. Such a harrowing story told in a truly brilliant way.
March 10, 2025
Enjoyed the read, but it was a bit superficial and self-absorbed.
But I liked the bluntness and honesty at the end about what the climb had meant for him and how it made him think about life etc.
But I liked the bluntness and honesty at the end about what the climb had meant for him and how it made him think about life etc.
November 18, 2015
Das dritte Buch, das ich in Folge des Films "Everest" gelesen habe (vgl. Eisige Höhen von Jon Krakauer und Der Gipfel von Anatoli Boukareev) ist im Grunde genommen ein ganz normaler Expeditionsberich auf dem Everest, der zufällig mit dem 10.Mai 1996, dem Tag als das Unglück um die Expedtionen von Rob Hall und Scott Fischer seinen Lauf nahm, nur begab sich die Route von Matt Dickinson auf der Nordseite des Everests, sie sind nie den beiden anderen kommerziellen Expeditonen begegnet.
Sie habe aber das Unwetter miterlebt und sind auch mit der indischen und japanischen Expedition geklettert, die auf sehr unrühmliche Weise auch von Krakauer und Boukareev erwähnt wurden.
Matt Dickinson ist Teil einer Expedition, das von einem britischen Fernsehsender finanziert wird, um einen Fernsehstar (Brian Blessed)auf den Gipfel zu bringen, Matt sollte darin als Regisseur mitgehen.
Nach einer wochenlangen Aklimatision an der tibetischen Nordseite des Everest stieg jedoch Blessed aus Erschöpfung aus, die Crew um Matt Dickinson machte jedoch weiter und kam auf den Gipfel und auch wieder zurück. Das interessante an dem Buch ist die genaue Beschreibung der Route von der Nordseite über den Nordsattel, die Route, die Mallory und Irvine 1924 gegangen sind. Um die 10. Mai herum, zog das Unwetter auf, das die Expedtionen auf der nepalesischen Südseite arg zerrupfte, eine indische Expedtion zog jedoch, wider besseres Wissen los und drei Bergsteiger gerieten in aktute Bergnot. Kurze Zeit später zog eine japanische Expedtion an den drei sterbenden Bergsteigern vorbei, ohne Ihnen zu helfen, nach ihrem Gipfelerfolg, kamen sie wieder an den drei vorbei, die offenbar noch lebten, aber nicht mehr ohne fremde Hilfe gerettet werden konnten, die Japaner gingen wiederum ohne ein Wort zu sagen an ihnen vorbei und überließen sie ihrem Schicksal, ihr Credo: "Oberhalb von 8000m hat kann niemand sich so etwas wie Moral leisten". Diese Sache ging danach durch die Weltpresse, nicht ohne, dass berühmte Bergsteigern den Japanern Recht gaben.
Dickinson schilderte diese Szenen ohne Pathos und ohne eine einseitige Meinung zu vertreten.
Wer wissen will, welche Pein eine Everestexpediton sein kann, muß dieses Buch lesen...
Sie habe aber das Unwetter miterlebt und sind auch mit der indischen und japanischen Expedition geklettert, die auf sehr unrühmliche Weise auch von Krakauer und Boukareev erwähnt wurden.
Matt Dickinson ist Teil einer Expedition, das von einem britischen Fernsehsender finanziert wird, um einen Fernsehstar (Brian Blessed)auf den Gipfel zu bringen, Matt sollte darin als Regisseur mitgehen.
Nach einer wochenlangen Aklimatision an der tibetischen Nordseite des Everest stieg jedoch Blessed aus Erschöpfung aus, die Crew um Matt Dickinson machte jedoch weiter und kam auf den Gipfel und auch wieder zurück. Das interessante an dem Buch ist die genaue Beschreibung der Route von der Nordseite über den Nordsattel, die Route, die Mallory und Irvine 1924 gegangen sind. Um die 10. Mai herum, zog das Unwetter auf, das die Expedtionen auf der nepalesischen Südseite arg zerrupfte, eine indische Expedtion zog jedoch, wider besseres Wissen los und drei Bergsteiger gerieten in aktute Bergnot. Kurze Zeit später zog eine japanische Expedtion an den drei sterbenden Bergsteigern vorbei, ohne Ihnen zu helfen, nach ihrem Gipfelerfolg, kamen sie wieder an den drei vorbei, die offenbar noch lebten, aber nicht mehr ohne fremde Hilfe gerettet werden konnten, die Japaner gingen wiederum ohne ein Wort zu sagen an ihnen vorbei und überließen sie ihrem Schicksal, ihr Credo: "Oberhalb von 8000m hat kann niemand sich so etwas wie Moral leisten". Diese Sache ging danach durch die Weltpresse, nicht ohne, dass berühmte Bergsteigern den Japanern Recht gaben.
Dickinson schilderte diese Szenen ohne Pathos und ohne eine einseitige Meinung zu vertreten.
Wer wissen will, welche Pein eine Everestexpediton sein kann, muß dieses Buch lesen...
March 2, 2012
The Death Zone: Climbing Everest Through the Killer Storm is an absorbing account of the proposed filmed ascent of Everest by actor, Brian Blessed. However, the book was much more than this. It is an examination of man's desire to push to the limits of endurance; a description of the amazing surroundings of the highest mountain in the world and its environment and ultimately, a study of survival in extreme conditions.
When Matt Dickinson agreed to make a film of Brian Blessed’s third attempt on the summit, I think he assumed that, although it would be difficult, it would happen. Although he had prepared, physically, mentally and technically for this project, he soon became aware that even the most meticulous planning can be foiled by man’s weakness at the altitude of 8,000 metres. Also, as tragically occurred just days before their own serious ascent, the weather can defeat even the most able of climbers, leading to death and serious injury. Brian Blessed had to pull out of the attempt, but the summit attempt continued - and was filmed - by Dickinson and Alan Hinkes, with the support of three Sherpas.
This is such a readable book. Whether or not mountains and the people who climb them have any real fascination for you, this is an exciting and interesting read. The final part, where Dickinson is describing the attempt on the summit from the last camp climbing well into the Death Zone, is so gripping that I found myself holding my breath.
Well worth reading!
When Matt Dickinson agreed to make a film of Brian Blessed’s third attempt on the summit, I think he assumed that, although it would be difficult, it would happen. Although he had prepared, physically, mentally and technically for this project, he soon became aware that even the most meticulous planning can be foiled by man’s weakness at the altitude of 8,000 metres. Also, as tragically occurred just days before their own serious ascent, the weather can defeat even the most able of climbers, leading to death and serious injury. Brian Blessed had to pull out of the attempt, but the summit attempt continued - and was filmed - by Dickinson and Alan Hinkes, with the support of three Sherpas.
This is such a readable book. Whether or not mountains and the people who climb them have any real fascination for you, this is an exciting and interesting read. The final part, where Dickinson is describing the attempt on the summit from the last camp climbing well into the Death Zone, is so gripping that I found myself holding my breath.
Well worth reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews