Personal Narrative: The Wind

We were all encouraged to choke down as much food as possible. Any kind of energy was essential. A melancholy atmosphere hung heavy as the journey progressed. Minutes walking slowly progressed into hours, the sky seemed to darken steadily. All of us were oblivious to the danger shrouded by the dim evening. Only moments after scaling a rather steep ledge did nature dice to turn sour. A deafening rumble made each climber perk up. Snow began to descend at an alarming rate. Thunder began to mic the steady beating of a drum, causing more concern among the ranks of climbers. The powdery snow became more of a risk than ever, climbing under pressure and leaving nothing to stand on. Third base was more than three hours away. Three hours wasn't possible at the rate. Snowfall this bad could be detrimental to the climb’s success. Snow obscured vision and numbed faces. Shouts and orders deemed lost in the screaming wind; people’s figure became shapeless blurs frantically shifting, hoping if they struggled against the wind hard enough, they might find someone. Of course, this was to no avail. Not a single person doubted their demise would come at this point: the stakes were high and no-one could play too well against Mother Nature. The snow crept up to knee-level, making it harder and harder to travel. Death and I were face-to-face. To some, they couldn't bare the idea of dying up here; they had families and friends, children who need parents and

I gently place one foot in front of the other, as carefully and precise as a tightrope walker, my journey begins. One wrong move I fall from this ice covered mountain into oblivion - a world that has no end or meaning, just darkness. A world at which nothing matters no family, no friends, no happiness, no dreams, not even my own will to continue. What is the point of continuing I’m so close to the edge?

“In climbing, having confidence in your partners is no small concern. One climber’s actions can affect the welfare of the entire team”(37)

Two men on different mountains, in different decades, sit atop snowy, windy mountains, reflecting on what got them on such a cold, towering mound of rock and snow. Jon Krakauer tells his story of climbing the Devil’s Thumb “a dozen or so years,” ago, whereas Erik Weihenmayer, a blind man, pulls you into the middle of his story of climbing Mt. Everest with a team of nineteen. Krakauer, in an attempt to escape his boring, dead-end job, ventures to climb a mountain in Alaska by himself. Jon did not succeed on the route he had originally planned on taking, but did achieve his goal of reaching the summit of the Devil’s Thumb by going a different course. However; Jon found that climbing the mountain was unsatisfactory. Weihenmayer reached the summit of Everest with few problems. Erik states that some obstacles during climbing were made invalid because of his blindness. Although both men are in similar situations, they both have very differing experiences on these summits.

When the offer of a lifetime came up John had to make a decision. The company would cover the 65,000 dollar fee and give him a chance at his lifelong dream, “Standing on top of the world.” He had arrived at base camp and was already higher than he had ever been before. “The deep rasping cough i'd developed in Lobuje worsened day by day,” ( Jon Krakauer 67.) These conditions a common symptom of minor altitude sickness tested jon strength as they only got worse. The thin air never helped with the cough and the higher he went the worse it got. The skills John accumulated over the years had not seen anything like this. “Hall assured climbing 2,000 feet higher on the mountain each time, our bodies would adapt,” ( John 70.) These skills and techniques would add and improve on his ability to climb.

As I jump off the pontoon, I feel the freezing water surround my body. I'll slip on the boots of the skis and grab the handlebar. Releasing my grip, I put one thumb up into the wind to signal I’m ready to go. Suddenly there is a tug on the rope, and I’m being dragged through the water. Pressing the skis against the cold water, I can finally stand up above the waves. The boat pulls me around the bend of the lake, and the view of all the enormous cabins is thrilling. The seniors on the campground beach will clap and stand up from their Adirondack chairs to wave or whistle. As my legs begin to feel tired, I wave one last time and let go of the handlebar. I can feel my body quickly sink down into the water; the life jacket on my chest will be

A violent gust of wind laughed as the two girls were trying to reach the conclusion of the hike. The bitter mountain scorned at Lori and Kayla, unleashing its wrath by letting rocks fall keeping the girls on their toes. Lori and Kayla felt as though the entire world was against them. They were so sure that they picked the correct path, but after walking another three miles, the pathway was slowly disappearing from under their feet and they had no idea where they were.“What are we going to do Kayla! We are completely lost, and there it is impossible to get down the way we came. I have no idea where we came from!” Lori exclaimed. Kayla stood there silent in complete shock about what their current situation was. Kayla thought to herself, “I am supposed to be the strong one. But I don't think I can keep this up. I don’t have a plan. What if we never make it off this mountain? It will be my

The short text from Into Thin Air in chapter 8 by Jon Krakauer gives an overview of the shocks he has faced in 1996 climbing the Mt. Everest. At 21,000 feet, Jon Krakauer faces the dead body for the first time. This horrible experience left him shocked and mentally damaged for hours. At 21,300 feet, Jon Krakauer faces another dead body. However, this time, it wasn’t a big shock anymore, he had got used to it. At this point, Jon Krakauer realizes that all other climbers also takes this experience accustomed as if these bodies weren’t real. This text is about the author’s first experience of facing the fearful reality of the nature occurring upon humans and realizing how other climbers treat this so naturally. The author uses literary devices of simile and visual imagery to create fears.

Staying on the team has made our friendship closer than ever, but I always wonder how much simpler my life would be if I had just left while I could. Although my situation is nowhere near as critical as the decisions made by the characters in Into Thin Air, being through what I have has made me understand how burdensome it must have been for the climbers forced to decide between their own lives and the lives of others. Being able to relate my life to the key aspects of this book has given me a whole new appreciation for the story and the messages that Jon Krakauer tries to relay. The notorious journalistic account, Into Thin Air, is written by journalist Jon Krakauer and tells the astonishing true tale of a team of climbers who embark on a journey up Mt. Everest that will alter their lives forever.

I felt the drops begin to fall, and yelled, “Hurry! Help Me get the fly on!” We hoisted on the fly, then realizing the tent was going to blow away, put in some extra stakes. The next morning we woke up, dazed by the nights’ events, but excited and ready for adventure. We began our journey into the Tetons, heading to Jenny Lake, where frigid waters dared us to jump in. We began our journey up the mountain shortly after a quick breakfast, during which a man from the next campsite over gave us some extra pancake mix, which at the moment we had no time to use, and threw in the back of the car. Little did we know the lights in the car had stayed on while we went up the mountain. I headed the trip for a while, then fell to the back, drained by trying to stay in the lead and by lack of oxygen. We had to take breaks every few minutes because of the dispersed and unsatisfying amount of air we were able to breath in. All of the sudden, like flashes of lightning, Kurtis and Allison took the

On June 15, 2013, six weeks prior to climbing Mount Rainier’s Inter Glacier and Emmons Glacier to Camp Schurman (9,450’) on the east side, Tim and I hiked from Paradise (5,400’) via the Muir snowfield to Camp Muir (10,188’) located on the south side. The idea was to replicate similar hiking conditions with a full weighted camp pack, ascend 4,800’ and camp overnight to acclimate to the high altitude. We bunkered down early inside our tent around 7:35 P.M. only to be awakened at midnight by the soft chatter of enthusiastic voices as several climbing parties prepared for their departure for Washington’s grandest summit. Approximately one hour later, the unmistaken crunching sound of crampons meeting the mountain’s cold icy surface would drown

Throughout the conversation, Susan did not inform me that the home was still in First Look and not open to investors at this time. Susan did not highlight any features of the home, nor did she talk about the neighborhood or the surrounding area. When asked, Susan paused to reference the property file and stated, "In looking at the pictures it appears that it needs interior paint, carpet, appliances, and a few windows, which the previous seller must have taken." She stated, "I don't know why they have to remove things from the homes." I asked, "Do you have offers?" She paused to check the property file and answered, "No offers." I asked, "Is the property behind the home farmland?" She paused to reference the property file and replied, "It appears

Stuck in the middle of a blizzard, Simon has to lower Joe, who’s broken his leg, down the mountain with a waist-attached rope. This goes well until Joe slips off the cliff face and is left hanging in midair, off the mountain. However, Simon just thinks it’s just taking him a long time to make his way down; it’s much different than that. As Joe puts it, “there was at least 100 feet of air below my feet!” For hours, Joe tries his best to climb back up the rope using a Prusik knot. But Simon has just about run out of patience. So, in a sudden move, he cuts the rope, causing Joe to plummet to his doom. This can show a lot about how humans react to things. Despite Simon not knowing Joe’s situation, he willingly cuts the rope without further investigation. He didn’t know whether Joe’s leg was just stuck, or whether he might’ve just had another injury. Either way, he

Touching the Void starts off by introducing three men, Joe, Simon, and Richard. Joe and Simon are set to climb the south face of the Siula Grande (part of the Peruvian Andes), but Richard, an explorer the two met, is to remain with the gear during the climb. The ascent goes extremely well with Joe calling the summit like every other climb, uneventful at the top. As they descend though, Joe notices that Simon is quite reckless in his decision making. Soon though, the two come across a wall that their picks won’t grip and decide to use their crampons and ice picks. Joe falls and breaks his leg, putting him in constant pain. The two attempt to descend once again, but Simon (trying

This is implied with avalanches. One way people persevere through avalanches are through being prepared with the right tools. I know this because Disaster on the Mountain states, “Repetto had other equipment to help him. His ski poles screwed together to form a probe. Rescuers use these slender, flexible poles to search through snow and debris for buried victims. After a few quick jabs into the snow, Repetto struck Stroud’s back.” It also states, “Strapped to Repetto’s backpack was another piece of crucial emergency equipment: a light aluminum shovel. Repetto began to dig frantically, the snow piling up around him,” Another good key to persevering an avalanche is speed. I know this because Disaster on the mountain states, “He knew time was precious. He had to find his friend immediately,” It also states, “body. If Repetto had arrived even one minute later, Stroud would have died,” Finally, knowing about avalanches can help you persevere through them, if not prevent getting in one. I know this because Disaster on the Mountain states, “Like the skiers in Tunnel Creek, Stroud and Repetto had attended avalanche school. They knew avalanches were common in Chugach State Park, particularly on bright, sunny days following heavy snowfall. They also knew that colder,shadowed slopes are more avalanche prone. Yet just such a slope is where they ventured for their fateful ski