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Nel cuore dell’inverno e senza ossigeno, il 25 gennaio 2018, Élisabeth Revol e il suo compagno di cordata Tomasz (Tomek) Mackiewicz raggiungono la cima del Nanga Parbat. È la loro vittoria, a lungo sognata, sulla «mangiauomini», l’enorme piramide di roccia e ghiaccio che culmina a 8125 metri, in Pakistan: la sfida, il sogno, l’obiettivo di tanti alpinisti.
Ma l’euforia della vetta svanisce in un attimo, e l’avventura si trasforma in incubo: Tomek non ci vede più, è disorientato.
Come possono sperare di sopravvivere, di riuscire a lasciarsi alle spalle quella «zona della morte» dove l’ossigeno è così rarefatto che mettere un piede davanti all’altro diventa uno sforzo sovrumano? In un luogo della terra dove il freddo e il vento sono così estremi da rendere il congelamento un’eventualità che può diventare reale in ogni istante?
Con questo libro, Élisabeth Revol racconta la sua tragedia. La sua versione dei fatti, che giunge dopo le mille parole che il mondo ha speso per commentare gli eventi e le operazioni di soccorso, eroicamente condotte da Adam Bielecki e Denis Urubko, i «gladiatori dei ghiacci». Affronta con l’arma della parola i ricordi, il terrore e l’imminenza della morte, le scelte fatali che ha dovuto compiere a ogni passo, l’angoscia, il senso di colpa per essere sopravvissuta da sola.
Un libro che unisce la potenza del racconto, la sua forza catartica, con l’emozione dell’omaggio a Tomek, l’amico e compagno di cordata. E il ringraziamento, a lui, «per essere stato quello che è stato». Indimenticabile.
Ma l’euforia della vetta svanisce in un attimo, e l’avventura si trasforma in incubo: Tomek non ci vede più, è disorientato.
Come possono sperare di sopravvivere, di riuscire a lasciarsi alle spalle quella «zona della morte» dove l’ossigeno è così rarefatto che mettere un piede davanti all’altro diventa uno sforzo sovrumano? In un luogo della terra dove il freddo e il vento sono così estremi da rendere il congelamento un’eventualità che può diventare reale in ogni istante?
Con questo libro, Élisabeth Revol racconta la sua tragedia. La sua versione dei fatti, che giunge dopo le mille parole che il mondo ha speso per commentare gli eventi e le operazioni di soccorso, eroicamente condotte da Adam Bielecki e Denis Urubko, i «gladiatori dei ghiacci». Affronta con l’arma della parola i ricordi, il terrore e l’imminenza della morte, le scelte fatali che ha dovuto compiere a ogni passo, l’angoscia, il senso di colpa per essere sopravvissuta da sola.
Un libro che unisce la potenza del racconto, la sua forza catartica, con l’emozione dell’omaggio a Tomek, l’amico e compagno di cordata. E il ringraziamento, a lui, «per essere stato quello che è stato». Indimenticabile.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2019
7 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Élisabeth Revol
3 books1 followerÉlisabeth Revol, née le 29 avril 1979 à Crest (Drôme), est une alpiniste française, notamment connue pour ses réalisations himalayennes en style alpin. Elle débute par son premier sommet à 6 000 m en 2006 puis deux ans plus tard, part sur l’Himalaya. Elle est la première femme à avoir réalisé le triplé Broad Peak - Gasherbrum I - Gasherbrum II en solitaire et sans oxygène. Le Gasherbrum I - Gasherbrum II sont enchaînés en un temps record de 52 heures sans retour au camp de base. Elle est également la première femme à réussir un 8 000 en hiver, en style alpin au Pakistan. Ouverture d'une voie en face nord ouest en hiver2. En janvier 2018, elle bénéficie d'un sauvetage exceptionnel dans des conditions très difficiles sur les pentes du Nanga Parbat après avoir réussi son ascension.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 1, 2021
Mam ogromny problem, żeby ocenić tę książkę sprawiedliwie. Jeśli chodzi o kwestie technicznie, wiele można jej zarzucić; Revol jednak nie jest pełnoetatową pisarką, co podczas czytania dość mocno rzuca się w oczy. Dużo jest w tej książce egzaltacji, patosu i wykrzyknień, i chociaż zazwyczaj w literaturze bardzo mnie to razi, to w tym przypadku jestem w stanie tę cechę zrozumieć i nie skupiać się na tym bardziej niż to konieczne. Książkę traktuję bardziej jako rozwinięcie "Czapkinsa", ale od strony emocjonalnej i prywatnej. Jeśli poszukujecie faktów i konkretów, niczego nowego się tutaj nie dowiecie. Tytuł jest trafnym podsumowaniem treści - jest to prywatna tragedia autorki, jej osobiste rozliczenie się z przeszłością, zamknięcie pewnego rozdziału. Mam wrażenie, że to lektura, która bardziej trafi do osób, które zwykle nie czytają książek o górach.
September 13, 2020
Scrivere di montagna non è facile. Scrivere di montagna senza stereotipi, senza melò, senza metafore immaginifiche, è difficilissimo. Ne ho letti diversi e quelli veramente belli sono pochi: questo non è fra loro.
Capisco l'urgenza di Elisabeth di raccontare la loro storia e il bisogno di far luce dentro di sé, di perdonarsi e di alleggerirsi di un peso mortale; di giustificarsi nei confronti dell'ambiente e dei cari di Tomek. Però pagine e pagine di: resto, vado, mi salvo e lo abbandono, resto con lui e lo aiuto, se non scendo non si salva nessuno, se scendo salvo anche lui, vado resto, resto vado, scendo risalgo, risalgo o scendo... capisco e la perdono ma il libro mi sta annoiando. Non è la prima di queste tragedie che leggo, per il momento la più noiosa. Perché siamo tornati su qs montagna? perché sono tornata? cosa cercavamo per tornarci? perché ci siamo tornati? Basta, pietà! Non sono il tuo analista!
Certo, lei ha per mesi rigirato in testa gli stessi pensieri, ma ripeterli all'infinito anche a me non aumenta la sintonia.
Bello il racconto della discesa lungo le corde fisse: qui sì la seguo con più interesse, scende concentrata, capisco cosa sta facendo, cosa rischia (tantissimo), ma sono troppo poche pagine.
Insomma, non mi è piaciuto molto. Non valuto lei, ottima alpinista, donna tostissima, bella persona (a parte lo schizzetto di acido nei confronti di Simone Moro), ma valuto il libro: scrivere, eh già, non è il suo mestiere.
Capisco l'urgenza di Elisabeth di raccontare la loro storia e il bisogno di far luce dentro di sé, di perdonarsi e di alleggerirsi di un peso mortale; di giustificarsi nei confronti dell'ambiente e dei cari di Tomek. Però pagine e pagine di: resto, vado, mi salvo e lo abbandono, resto con lui e lo aiuto, se non scendo non si salva nessuno, se scendo salvo anche lui, vado resto, resto vado, scendo risalgo, risalgo o scendo... capisco e la perdono ma il libro mi sta annoiando. Non è la prima di queste tragedie che leggo, per il momento la più noiosa. Perché siamo tornati su qs montagna? perché sono tornata? cosa cercavamo per tornarci? perché ci siamo tornati? Basta, pietà! Non sono il tuo analista!
Certo, lei ha per mesi rigirato in testa gli stessi pensieri, ma ripeterli all'infinito anche a me non aumenta la sintonia.
Bello il racconto della discesa lungo le corde fisse: qui sì la seguo con più interesse, scende concentrata, capisco cosa sta facendo, cosa rischia (tantissimo), ma sono troppo poche pagine.
Insomma, non mi è piaciuto molto. Non valuto lei, ottima alpinista, donna tostissima, bella persona (a parte lo schizzetto di acido nei confronti di Simone Moro), ma valuto il libro: scrivere, eh già, non è il suo mestiere.
October 17, 2020
This is an outstanding book. A gripping, emotional telling of the tragedy on Nanga Parbat in January 2018 that cost the life of Revol's companionTomasz Mackiewicz and left her alone and fighting for her life. The tale has been told elsewhere and the sacrifice of the Polish climbers who abandoned their own attempt on K2 to rescue Revol is a true epic. What sets this book apart however is the first hand telling of the bond between Revol and Mackiewicz and the utter despair of her having to descend to save her own life when he, blind and dying with pulmonary oedema could go no further. I read the book over two evenings and was completely absorbed by the writing- raw, emotional, honest. I'd heartily recommend this to anyone who has an interest in mountaineering and also to a much wider readership who may wish to learn something of what drives people to risk everything in dogged pursuit of a goal.
January 30, 2021
Ja wciąż na Nanga Parbat🗻.
Tym razem słuchałam relacji Elisabeth Revol z dramatycznych wydarzeń, które rozegrały się na Nanga Parbat w styczniu 2018 r.
To osobiste zwierzenie, osobista tragedia, czyste emocje, które ciężko oceniać.
Elisabeth zmuszona była zostawić swojego partnera wspinaczkowego, Tomka Mackiewicza, który nie był w stanie zejść samodzielnie po zdobyciu szczytu. Choroba wysokościowa, odmrożenia, ślepota śnieżna i prawdopodobnie obrzęk płuc i mózgu spowodowały, że Tomek bez profesjonalnej pomocy ratowników nie miał szans na powrót.
Elisabeth musiała sama poruszać się w dół, aby obniżyć wysokość, nie narażając na ryzyko ratowników, którzy ruszyli jej z pomocą. Myślę, że do końca wierzyła, że Tomka da się uratować. Niestety pogorszenie się pogody i zbyt duża wysokość na, której utknął himalaista nie pozwoliła na kontynuację akcji ratunkowej 😔.
Nikt nie jest w stanie zrozumieć do końca z czym musiała zmierzyć się Revol.
Bez wątpienia jednak cechuje ją niesamowita determinacja, siła i wola walki.
Tym razem słuchałam relacji Elisabeth Revol z dramatycznych wydarzeń, które rozegrały się na Nanga Parbat w styczniu 2018 r.
To osobiste zwierzenie, osobista tragedia, czyste emocje, które ciężko oceniać.
Elisabeth zmuszona była zostawić swojego partnera wspinaczkowego, Tomka Mackiewicza, który nie był w stanie zejść samodzielnie po zdobyciu szczytu. Choroba wysokościowa, odmrożenia, ślepota śnieżna i prawdopodobnie obrzęk płuc i mózgu spowodowały, że Tomek bez profesjonalnej pomocy ratowników nie miał szans na powrót.
Elisabeth musiała sama poruszać się w dół, aby obniżyć wysokość, nie narażając na ryzyko ratowników, którzy ruszyli jej z pomocą. Myślę, że do końca wierzyła, że Tomka da się uratować. Niestety pogorszenie się pogody i zbyt duża wysokość na, której utknął himalaista nie pozwoliła na kontynuację akcji ratunkowej 😔.
Nikt nie jest w stanie zrozumieć do końca z czym musiała zmierzyć się Revol.
Bez wątpienia jednak cechuje ją niesamowita determinacja, siła i wola walki.
January 24, 2021
Książka napisana jest bardzo chaotycznie, ale to akurat odebrałam jako spis emocjonujących wydarzeń, czy przemyśleń "na gorąco". Dla człowieka, który był na bieżąco z całą akcją, nie wniesie nic odkrywczego. Odnoszę wrażenie, że gdyby książka była poświęcona całej karierze wspinaczkowej Elisabeth Revol byłaby o wiele ciekawsza. Całość odbieram jako osobiste rozliczenie się Revol z wszystkim co ją spotkało, zamknięcie pewnego rozdziału etapu w życiu. Jeśli ktoś wcześniej nie interesował się akcją na Nanga Parbat, myślę, że doceni książkę bardziej niż ja.
February 1, 2020
Spojrzenie od wewnątrz.
Trochę za dużo patosu jak na moją wytrzymałość.
Trochę za dużo patosu jak na moją wytrzymałość.
October 25, 2020
“To Live” by Elisabeth Revol. This tied in nicely with another recent Vertebrate book, “Winter 8000s.” “To Live” is a vivid account of the ultimate terrifying experience for any climber, to be high on a mountain with a serious/terminally ill partner.
It’s a nail biting read as one moment the author is celebrating success on the summit of Nanga Parbat. Faster than her partner, she has reached the summit alone becoming the first woman to summit it in winter. Soon her partner, Tomasz Mackiewicz, joins her and years of preparation and trips seems to be on the threshold of success. Summit success soon turns into a battle for survival not just on an 8000m peak known as “the killer mountain” but in the harshness of the Karakoram winter.
Tomasz is soon blind and suffering with pulmonary oedema and progress down to safety proves impossible. Elisabeth is faced with the unenviable decision of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” The book is a roller coaster of emotions, long standing climbing partners in a no win situation. It’s a very modern take on a classic plot. Social media, crowd funding for a helicopter rescue, direct communications to base camp, rescuers and family miles away.
The writing is heart felt and although, I guess, it might lose a little in the translation from the original French, it’s hard to put down and I pretty much read the book in one sitting. It is an amazing story of Elisabeth’s survival with many days without water or food or shelter; the amazing rescue by Polish climbers flown in by helicopter from their own expedition on K2.
Tomasz suffers – he grows weaker and he is bleeding from frostbite. Élisabeth gets him to the shelter of a crevasse, and at 11.00pm she sends distress calls to her husband, to Base Camp, to Tomasz’s wife etc. prompting rescue arrangements to surge into action involving other mountaineers with possibility of both ground rescue and retrieval by helicopter. The third section commences with her looking after Tomasz as well as she can, and waiting to be rescued. Coupled with the next section there is extensive commentary on Élisabeth’s attempts to reassure Tomasz and there is a wealth of information on his background and his beliefs. The agony of their situation is documented via Élisabeth’s helplessness, her resistance to descending alone, and her feelings of guilt.
The book is a fantastic to the ability of humans to survive in near impossible situations. It’s a lasting testament to Tomasz but in the end it does raise the question of why people do such things. One answer that is clear from the book is that Tomasz was driven by his “fans” since Nanga Parbat in winter was sure to generate funding even though both he and Elisabeth knew the attendant risks.
It’s a nail biting read as one moment the author is celebrating success on the summit of Nanga Parbat. Faster than her partner, she has reached the summit alone becoming the first woman to summit it in winter. Soon her partner, Tomasz Mackiewicz, joins her and years of preparation and trips seems to be on the threshold of success. Summit success soon turns into a battle for survival not just on an 8000m peak known as “the killer mountain” but in the harshness of the Karakoram winter.
Tomasz is soon blind and suffering with pulmonary oedema and progress down to safety proves impossible. Elisabeth is faced with the unenviable decision of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” The book is a roller coaster of emotions, long standing climbing partners in a no win situation. It’s a very modern take on a classic plot. Social media, crowd funding for a helicopter rescue, direct communications to base camp, rescuers and family miles away.
The writing is heart felt and although, I guess, it might lose a little in the translation from the original French, it’s hard to put down and I pretty much read the book in one sitting. It is an amazing story of Elisabeth’s survival with many days without water or food or shelter; the amazing rescue by Polish climbers flown in by helicopter from their own expedition on K2.
Tomasz suffers – he grows weaker and he is bleeding from frostbite. Élisabeth gets him to the shelter of a crevasse, and at 11.00pm she sends distress calls to her husband, to Base Camp, to Tomasz’s wife etc. prompting rescue arrangements to surge into action involving other mountaineers with possibility of both ground rescue and retrieval by helicopter. The third section commences with her looking after Tomasz as well as she can, and waiting to be rescued. Coupled with the next section there is extensive commentary on Élisabeth’s attempts to reassure Tomasz and there is a wealth of information on his background and his beliefs. The agony of their situation is documented via Élisabeth’s helplessness, her resistance to descending alone, and her feelings of guilt.
The book is a fantastic to the ability of humans to survive in near impossible situations. It’s a lasting testament to Tomasz but in the end it does raise the question of why people do such things. One answer that is clear from the book is that Tomasz was driven by his “fans” since Nanga Parbat in winter was sure to generate funding even though both he and Elisabeth knew the attendant risks.
November 25, 2020
To Live by Élisbeth Revol is a powerful book of survival that tells the tale of the ill fated ascent of Nanga Parbat in 2018 by Élisabeth and climbing partner Tomasz Mackiewicz.
Being immediately thrust into the terror of the situation sets this books apart from most mountaineering literature. Expecting to start with a window into the tragedy and then be taken back to their individual life journeys to reach that point – instead Élisabeth focused on that tragic night as they tried to descend the mountain. The only glimpses into her past are set as memories as she slips in an out of consciousness and sleep on her attempt to descend the mountain.
Throughout the narrative is punctured with reflections from the present day as she relives the disaster which provide the reader with an insight into how she has both been able to move on and how the fateful night still haunts her. She also reflects on why she’s driven to climb at high altitude and her achievements which provide an understanding of her motivations and abilities.
Trying to appreciate the difficulty of climbing an 8000m mountain in winter is challenging enough. But to understand the mental strength required to survive for days without food and water, to descend having left some essential kit with Tomasz in the hope it would help him survive and to do so with frostbite fearing no-one is coming to help you – is a strength most people do not have.
To Live is a harrowing read, but one that is gripping throughout and a book I highly recommend.
Being immediately thrust into the terror of the situation sets this books apart from most mountaineering literature. Expecting to start with a window into the tragedy and then be taken back to their individual life journeys to reach that point – instead Élisabeth focused on that tragic night as they tried to descend the mountain. The only glimpses into her past are set as memories as she slips in an out of consciousness and sleep on her attempt to descend the mountain.
Throughout the narrative is punctured with reflections from the present day as she relives the disaster which provide the reader with an insight into how she has both been able to move on and how the fateful night still haunts her. She also reflects on why she’s driven to climb at high altitude and her achievements which provide an understanding of her motivations and abilities.
Trying to appreciate the difficulty of climbing an 8000m mountain in winter is challenging enough. But to understand the mental strength required to survive for days without food and water, to descend having left some essential kit with Tomasz in the hope it would help him survive and to do so with frostbite fearing no-one is coming to help you – is a strength most people do not have.
To Live is a harrowing read, but one that is gripping throughout and a book I highly recommend.
August 24, 2022
I remember this story being in the news. I remember the pictures of Elisabeth in hospital with her hands in thick bandages to recover from frostbite. I remember the tragic news that she went up the mountain with her partner and returned alone...
So, this is her side of the story. These are her words to try and illustrate what happened to her and her close friend Tomasz Mackiewicz (Tomek) on Nanga Parbat in January 2018.
It’s an unbelievable story and probably not fully understandable to anyone who has never experienced the solitude of alpine style high altitude mountain climbing.
In this book Elisabeth is grieving the loss of a great partner and trying to get a hold of what happened between January 25 and 27. It’s her perspective, the perspective of someone in great solitude, distress and without the necessary equipment and food. Her words are all that is left because Tomek’s words are buried on Nanga Parbat, in a crevasse at 7283m. Let’s hope he found peace there, at this cold place underneath his beloved mountain, watched by “the Fairy” he so strongly believed in.
Recommended to anyone who is interested in high altitude mountain climbing, Nanga Parbat, the question what drives people to extremes and any other armchair adventurer.
I conclude this review in deep respect for a strong woman who has an unbelievable will to survive. Thank you, Elisabeth Revol.
So, this is her side of the story. These are her words to try and illustrate what happened to her and her close friend Tomasz Mackiewicz (Tomek) on Nanga Parbat in January 2018.
It’s an unbelievable story and probably not fully understandable to anyone who has never experienced the solitude of alpine style high altitude mountain climbing.
In this book Elisabeth is grieving the loss of a great partner and trying to get a hold of what happened between January 25 and 27. It’s her perspective, the perspective of someone in great solitude, distress and without the necessary equipment and food. Her words are all that is left because Tomek’s words are buried on Nanga Parbat, in a crevasse at 7283m. Let’s hope he found peace there, at this cold place underneath his beloved mountain, watched by “the Fairy” he so strongly believed in.
Recommended to anyone who is interested in high altitude mountain climbing, Nanga Parbat, the question what drives people to extremes and any other armchair adventurer.
I conclude this review in deep respect for a strong woman who has an unbelievable will to survive. Thank you, Elisabeth Revol.
November 1, 2020
I honestly couldn't put this book down once I'd started. Despite being aware of the story, I so wanted a different end. The intensity, rawness and emotion of what was happening on the mountain has been completely captured (and in the translation, not an easy task). I found myself metaphorically transported to Nanga Parbat, seeing the agony of Elisabeth's decisions and the incredible struggle she had to survive herself. An excellent, but not relaxing, read
March 22, 2020
Rozumiem dlaczego powstała ta książka, jednak w mojej ocenie nie powinna być wydana. Zbyt dużo patosu, tłumaczenia się, zero nowych informacji. Wiem, że to osobista próba rozliczenia się z tragedią, no i właśnie, powinna być osobista i schowana w szufladzie w biurku.
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August 4, 2024élisabeth revol to nie tylko pierwszorzędna alpinistka, która nie zgubiła się w świetle „komercjalizowanego” wspinania, ale przede wszystkim niesamowicie wrażliwa osoba, która jako dziecko marzyła o górach i w dorosłym życiu postanowiła te marzenia przekuć w rzeczywistość.
nie mam zamiaru oceniać tej książki - opis czyichś przeżyć (szczególnie tak tragicznych) nie powinien być przez nikogo oceniany, tym bardziej że autorka nie jest pisarką.
nie ukrywam, że traktuję tę książkę jak swoiste dopełnienie - ostatni rozdział - fejomenalnej biografii czapkinsa napisanej przed dominka szczepańskiego; jako historię opisaną z innej perspektywy i ilustrującej całkowicie odmienną rzeczywistość
inspirująca. przerażająca. niesamowicie wrażliwa i prawdziwa
nie mam zamiaru oceniać tej książki - opis czyichś przeżyć (szczególnie tak tragicznych) nie powinien być przez nikogo oceniany, tym bardziej że autorka nie jest pisarką.
nie ukrywam, że traktuję tę książkę jak swoiste dopełnienie - ostatni rozdział - fejomenalnej biografii czapkinsa napisanej przed dominka szczepańskiego; jako historię opisaną z innej perspektywy i ilustrującej całkowicie odmienną rzeczywistość
inspirująca. przerażająca. niesamowicie wrażliwa i prawdziwa
December 31, 2020
Nie zachwyca pod względem wartości literackiej, ale raczej nie było to ambicją autorki. "Przeżyć" traktowałabym bardziej jak pamiętnik, formę rozliczenia z przeszłością i poukładania sobie wszystkiego w głowie. Opowieść jest poruszająca, sporo w niej wzruszeń, ale też patosu i egzaltacji, które mogą irytować niektórych czytelników. Moim zdaniem tak czy siak warto ją przeczytać. Albo przesłuchać w świetnej interpretacji Pauliny Holtz.
January 15, 2021
In 2018 I’d been aware of tragedy unfolding on Nanga Parbat and had avidly followed the news reports of the valiant attempts to rescue Élisabeth and Tomek and of how fellow climbers had abandoned their own attempt on K2 to help with the rescue. I can vividly recall how saddened I felt that only she had survived and that Nanga Parbat, this ‘killer mountain’ had claimed her climbing partner as its latest victim. However, that knowledge did nothing to prepare me for Élisabeth’s highly evocative, emotionally intense and honest account of what happened, not only her experiences whilst on the mountain, but also her later soul-searching as she analysed everything which had led up to the tragedy and then its aftermath. In the immediate days following her return home, whilst still physically and emotionally traumatised, she wasn’t prepared for the frequently hostile and critical questions, both from reporters and from some fellow-climbers, about why she and Tomek had tackled this dangerous peak, not only during the winter but also alpine-style, why she hadn’t realised sooner that he was becoming ill, and, probably most painful and outrageous of all, why had she ‘abandoned’ Tomek.
Anybody who reads this account will discover how difficult it was for the rescue team to persuade her to try to make her way to a lower altitude, and that she agreed to do so only once she believed that this offered her friend the best chance of a helicopter rescue. Throughout her truly terrifying solo descent, battling the frostbite in her hands and feet (she’d given him her spare gloves to protect his frost-bitten hands!) and with no water to drink for more than fifty hours, she never gave up hope that they would both survive. In one of her present-day asides, which are interspersed with her account of the climb, she questions why she didn’t recognise how ill he was when she left him and reflects:
“Fortunately so, otherwise I might not have been able to move on. The brain is sometimes protective and survival instinct is a mysterious phenomenon.
“I never gave up hope of bringing Tom back to life, of succeeding in descending to Base Camp. Deep inside me a positive energy projected me forward, protected me. Today I wonder what this external or internal force is, the force which came to chase away the demons of the night, gave me the energy to survive, and tore me away from the trap that was closing in on me.”
I found myself totally engrossed in her account of her night-time descent, as she was forced to follow a different route to the one she and Tomek had used for their ascent, one which took her down a perilously steep, ice-covered rockface – but without any security from ice-axes because she’d used hers to secure the belay to keep him safe in the crevasse! Her descriptions of her terror, the hallucinations she experienced and the relentless challenges she faced, were so powerfully vivid that I felt simultaneously almost unbearably tense and anxious for her and in total awe of her courage, her resilience, her determination and her inner-strength. The stunning photographs of Nanga Parbat offer some indication of the challenges faced by anyone attempting to climb this awesome mountain.
I admired her honesty in sharing the emotional struggles she experienced following her return home, the powerful flashbacks, her survivor’s guilt, her guilt about the suffering to which she exposed her family and friends as they feared for her survival. With considerable help, and through her own honesty and determination, she has been able to resolve many of these issues and forgive herself, although it’s also clear that there are times when memories continue to haunt her. I also appreciated the insights she offered into what drives her self-confessed ‘addiction’ to mountains, the price she pays for following her dreams … and the price she pays if she doesn’t. One reflection in particular resonated with me … “I don’t go up there to fight – I hate warrior analogies for mountaineering, like the dramatic stories of mountaineers in distress. I go up there to live life fully, my life.” As I turned the final page I found myself hoping that she will continue to find this freedom in the mountains she loves.
With thanks to Vertebrate Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Anybody who reads this account will discover how difficult it was for the rescue team to persuade her to try to make her way to a lower altitude, and that she agreed to do so only once she believed that this offered her friend the best chance of a helicopter rescue. Throughout her truly terrifying solo descent, battling the frostbite in her hands and feet (she’d given him her spare gloves to protect his frost-bitten hands!) and with no water to drink for more than fifty hours, she never gave up hope that they would both survive. In one of her present-day asides, which are interspersed with her account of the climb, she questions why she didn’t recognise how ill he was when she left him and reflects:
“Fortunately so, otherwise I might not have been able to move on. The brain is sometimes protective and survival instinct is a mysterious phenomenon.
“I never gave up hope of bringing Tom back to life, of succeeding in descending to Base Camp. Deep inside me a positive energy projected me forward, protected me. Today I wonder what this external or internal force is, the force which came to chase away the demons of the night, gave me the energy to survive, and tore me away from the trap that was closing in on me.”
I found myself totally engrossed in her account of her night-time descent, as she was forced to follow a different route to the one she and Tomek had used for their ascent, one which took her down a perilously steep, ice-covered rockface – but without any security from ice-axes because she’d used hers to secure the belay to keep him safe in the crevasse! Her descriptions of her terror, the hallucinations she experienced and the relentless challenges she faced, were so powerfully vivid that I felt simultaneously almost unbearably tense and anxious for her and in total awe of her courage, her resilience, her determination and her inner-strength. The stunning photographs of Nanga Parbat offer some indication of the challenges faced by anyone attempting to climb this awesome mountain.
I admired her honesty in sharing the emotional struggles she experienced following her return home, the powerful flashbacks, her survivor’s guilt, her guilt about the suffering to which she exposed her family and friends as they feared for her survival. With considerable help, and through her own honesty and determination, she has been able to resolve many of these issues and forgive herself, although it’s also clear that there are times when memories continue to haunt her. I also appreciated the insights she offered into what drives her self-confessed ‘addiction’ to mountains, the price she pays for following her dreams … and the price she pays if she doesn’t. One reflection in particular resonated with me … “I don’t go up there to fight – I hate warrior analogies for mountaineering, like the dramatic stories of mountaineers in distress. I go up there to live life fully, my life.” As I turned the final page I found myself hoping that she will continue to find this freedom in the mountains she loves.
With thanks to Vertebrate Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2020
An intensely emotional and suspenseful read
To Live : Fighting for Life on the Killer Mountain truly deserves to be regarded as amongst the great reads of mountaineering literature.
Beautifully written, it’s a highly descriptive and intensely emotional telling of the drama played out on Nanga Parbat in January 2018. Wrap up warm for this one, because, as a reader, you’ll really feel transported to the mountain as you become engrossed in the drama as it unfolds.
This gripping tale shows how a feeling of summit euphoria can oh so quickly be displaced by drama and a real battle for survival. Torn between the bond between you and your climbing partner on the mountain and that with your loved one at home, Elisabeth is faced with the emotional grief of having to leave Tomasz and concentrate on her own physical struggle for personal survival, which is by no means certain. This blending of Elisabeth’s survival guilt and emotional recovery into the storyline adds to the drama. The book also conveys the selfless sacrifice of fellow mountaineers who gave up on their own expedition to come to the aid of fellow mountaineers in distress.
The book is so well written and suspenseful, that you can’t fail to be kept on edge, wondering what will happen next. In fact, so suspenseful is the telling, that despite what you may already know about the story (or have read on the dust wrapper summary), you are left to suspect that events may have a different outcome; perhaps a miracle rescue for Tomasz or the doubt that Elisabeth will survive.
Despite having followed the storyline in mountaineering blogs in January 2018 and recently read the expedition summary included within Bernadette McDonald’s excellent book “Winter 8000”, this book did not disappoint. Natalie Berry has done a fantastic job with the translation, retaining all the raw emotion and honesty of the author’s first language.
You really feel for Elisabeth as it is clear that retelling the story must have been traumatic, even though ultimately therapeutic. The text benefits from the inclusion of several notes written with the benefit of hindsight and reflective sole searching. These serve to show how Elisabeth has come to terms with the tragedy and moved on with her life.
A superb read. I really had to be disciplined to put the book down and savour it for longer. I could so easily have read it in one sitting, so enjoyable and gripping was it. A must read for all who love mountaineering.
To Live : Fighting for Life on the Killer Mountain truly deserves to be regarded as amongst the great reads of mountaineering literature.
Beautifully written, it’s a highly descriptive and intensely emotional telling of the drama played out on Nanga Parbat in January 2018. Wrap up warm for this one, because, as a reader, you’ll really feel transported to the mountain as you become engrossed in the drama as it unfolds.
This gripping tale shows how a feeling of summit euphoria can oh so quickly be displaced by drama and a real battle for survival. Torn between the bond between you and your climbing partner on the mountain and that with your loved one at home, Elisabeth is faced with the emotional grief of having to leave Tomasz and concentrate on her own physical struggle for personal survival, which is by no means certain. This blending of Elisabeth’s survival guilt and emotional recovery into the storyline adds to the drama. The book also conveys the selfless sacrifice of fellow mountaineers who gave up on their own expedition to come to the aid of fellow mountaineers in distress.
The book is so well written and suspenseful, that you can’t fail to be kept on edge, wondering what will happen next. In fact, so suspenseful is the telling, that despite what you may already know about the story (or have read on the dust wrapper summary), you are left to suspect that events may have a different outcome; perhaps a miracle rescue for Tomasz or the doubt that Elisabeth will survive.
Despite having followed the storyline in mountaineering blogs in January 2018 and recently read the expedition summary included within Bernadette McDonald’s excellent book “Winter 8000”, this book did not disappoint. Natalie Berry has done a fantastic job with the translation, retaining all the raw emotion and honesty of the author’s first language.
You really feel for Elisabeth as it is clear that retelling the story must have been traumatic, even though ultimately therapeutic. The text benefits from the inclusion of several notes written with the benefit of hindsight and reflective sole searching. These serve to show how Elisabeth has come to terms with the tragedy and moved on with her life.
A superb read. I really had to be disciplined to put the book down and savour it for longer. I could so easily have read it in one sitting, so enjoyable and gripping was it. A must read for all who love mountaineering.
July 14, 2025
5 étoiles pour l'aventure mais 2 pour l'écriture
July 1, 2025
Dosyć przerażające, ale dalej chce wejść na Everest.
September 30, 2020
A unique book, a powerful text by its singularity in which I immediately became attached to this strong character. A story of great quality that can be read quickly but which leaves a lasting mark. A story with a lot of sincerity and depth, where the author refuses to ask herself any questions; telling with his precise pen and his sense of rhythm, the events at the origin of this incredible text. In doing so, she takes us to the limits of humanity with honesty. The writing is true, precise, unadorned, pure. It is a pure, powerful, deep story written by an extraordinary woman but so authentic in her fight, in her quest. It is this trajectory that is moving and takes the reader, because one has the impression that it is coming back from the limits of humanity. It is fascinating to read this fight for life. By closing this book I cannot imagine this little bit of a woman supporting her companion for hours and hours, in conditions that ordinary people cannot imagine! A fight in the whirlwinds of inhuman mountain conditions but with guts and great class. An exceptional adventure as dramatic as it is. How to be reborn, to find oneself after having been so heckled? the reader, thanks to the precision of the events, is crossed by the combat between several conceptions of the mountain, of being, of the world because the two heroes are so different. A text which one does not leave without a deep questioning also on the current media; when they tackle a subject of which they have no idea! far from imagining at the height of its intensity and veracity the events which occurred on this mountain! Well done and thank you! for having known how to come back and surpass yourself these days and especially for this writing force which transpires there, transporting us a little of this world, there!
January 28, 2020
Élisabeth Revol napisała bardzo osobistą i poruszającą książkę, w której nie tylko opowiada, co wydarzyło się podczas wspinaczki na Nanga Parbat, ale dokładnie opisuje jakie emocje i uczucia jej towarzyszyły. Ciężar tych emocji przytłacza, euforia przeradza się w lęk, złość i frustracja miesza się z bólem i bezsilnością.
Mijają dwa lata od tragicznej wyprawy. Francuzka żyje z poczuciem winy, jednak nie rezygnuje z wypraw – tylko w górach odnajduje spokój.
Mijają dwa lata od tragicznej wyprawy. Francuzka żyje z poczuciem winy, jednak nie rezygnuje z wypraw – tylko w górach odnajduje spokój.
March 8, 2020
WOW! coś niesamowitego. Śledziłem toczącą się akcję ratowniczą jeszcze wtedy w 2018, polskie media nie zamilkały nie chwilę.
Odczułem spowiedź Revol, na ile było to trudne i nie mieszczące się w głowie. Moje pojmowaniu himalaizmu osiągnęło nowy poziom. Dziękuję Tomkowi za to kim jak był, oraz zachwycam się Eli jak z tym wszystkim poradziła ♥️
Odczułem spowiedź Revol, na ile było to trudne i nie mieszczące się w głowie. Moje pojmowaniu himalaizmu osiągnęło nowy poziom. Dziękuję Tomkowi za to kim jak był, oraz zachwycam się Eli jak z tym wszystkim poradziła ♥️
January 19, 2020
Rozczarowująca.
April 17, 2020
Opowieść smutna, lecz sceny zejścia ze szczytu mogą pokonkurować z niejednym thrillerem.
November 29, 2020
The most incredible mountain book ever read. Stunning !
September 9, 2022
Ho letto molto volentieri questo libro perché sono appassionato di montagna. La storia è avvincente e raccontata con dovizia di particolari. C'è poi un forte legame di profonda amicizia che lega i due protagonisti e pur tra indicibili sofferenze dà la forza alla protagonista di riuscire a salvarsi. Mi è piaciuto tantissimo.
September 13, 2023
Elisabeth Revol is not only an extraordinary alpinist, but also a talented writer. This book will take your breath away with an incredibly vivid description of the tragic descent from the "Killer Mountain". Page after page, I felt I was on the mountain with Elisabeth, I could feel her tremendous struggle and her emotions deeply in my heart, and this is something that only a passionate, talented writer is able to achieve.
January 4, 2021
Trochę nie rozumiem zdziwienia niektórych treścią tej książki. Jest jak najbardziej adekwatna do tytułu - to osobista tragedia Elisabeth. Pełna emocji, nie miała być technicznym opisem zdobycia Nangi.
November 21, 2024
Extrêmement émouvant. Lu d'une traite pendant une insomnie... et pendant une tempête de neige (ce n'était pas prémédité, la tempête a commencé en pleine lecture et ça a rendu ma lecture d'autant plus forte) Très beau récit, très bien écrit
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