“In this strange world where everything tends toward the vertical, one’s notion of balance is quite peculiar: all these vistas of chaos render one’s first impressions unreliable”(Herzog,pg. 98). I’m not sure exactly why but I find this quote of the book especially interesting when dealing with mountaineering and the “strange world where everything tends toward…
Reading Response
Reading Response
Annapurna, week 7
by Matt •
I think the Annapurna expedition really shaped the new golden age of mountaineering. In the 1950’s mountaineering is shifting from a climbing era of veterans to a climbing era of adventurists. The french climbing establishment assembled a great team. It seems as though they chose people who were more into adventure than the nationalistic war…
Reading Response
Anapurna
by Colton •
Social Climbing on Annapurna did a great job of ruining Herzog’s book. I read the book thinking that Herzog was a great man; humble, brave, and a great leader. Since reading Julia Rak’s argument I am conflicted. It is hard to deny Rak’s arguments against Herzog and the elitist culture surrounding mountaineering. I had many…
Reading Response
Week #7 Response
by mmd •
I feel that the readings for this week are a kind of high point in the class. In Fallen Giants the final first successful ascent of Everest is documented with the recounting of Hillary and Tenzing reaching the top after decades of various international failed attempts. Then we also read one of, if not the,…
Reading Response
The White Spider: Conquering the Impossible
by th •
Reading Response, Uncategorized
Week 6 The White Spider
by mmg •
The sport of mountaineering is a very individualistic sport. The reason for climbing mountains and the reason why mountaineers do the things they do is therefore just as individualistic as the sport itself. Throughout this semester we have tried time and time again to pin down the reason to why people climb, why they risk their…
Reading Response
Week Six
by lcm •
The title of Heinrich Harrer’s book, The White Spider, evokes emotion on its own without knowing anything about what the story is about. One could assume based on the title that there is some amount of danger involved due to the fact spiders are not exactly considered friends to human and have been prone to…
Reading Response
Cliffhangers, week 6
by Matt •
In Cliffhangers, Barcott states how tragedy drives narratives. Courage and passion are two themes that stuck out for me this week. Cliffhangers in a simple way, explains how stories like Harrer’s experience on the North Face of the Eiger became one of the most well know pieces mountaineering literature. Barcott says a mountain climb is…
Reading Response
Week Six- White Spider
by mkg •
Throughout the book of White Spider, I felt a sense of politeness and humbleness that possessed each climber that in one way or another, had made a successful climb whether big, small, or losing their lives in pursuit of this ascent. These feelings of respect to past climbers and past explorers who had dared to…
Reading Response
The White Spider, Week 6
by wmg •
The combination of skill, luck, and determination can propel a person to accomplish incredible feats. It can be the first ascent of the north face of the Mont Blanc or building the first airplane and test flying it. In either situation, the luck of having good weather never hurts. Yet, these would not have been…