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Dark Summit
- The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Sports & Outdoors, Outdoors & Nature
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K2
- Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering - questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory.
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Ed Viesturs is a climbing godfather
- By g-dogs on 2021-04-20
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
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No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
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Awesome book!
- By Anonymous User on 2020-05-29
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
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Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- Written by: Amanda Padoan, Peter Zuckerman
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
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Good story, narrator needs work
- By Guillaume Knowlden on 2019-09-17
Written by: Amanda Padoan, and others
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The Climb
- Tragic Ambitions on Everest
- Written by: Anatoli Boukreev
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Anatoli Boukreev’s first-hand account of the worst human disaster in the history of Mt. Everest will hold listeners spellbound. A top-rated guide and high altitude climber, Boukreev dictated the raw and powerful details of this ill-fated trek from memories and notes recorded just five days after the catastrophe. In May of 1996, 33 people went up the mountain, but only 28 returned. As two commercial expeditions climbed the world’s highest peak, poor planning, miscommunication, and an unpredictable blizzard conspired to defeat them.
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very interesting
- By eezhova on 2020-08-04
Written by: Anatoli Boukreev
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The Will to Climb
- Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna - the World's Deadliest Peak
- Written by: David Roberts, Ed Viesturs
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The best-selling author of No Shortcuts to the Top and K2 chronicles his three attempts to climb the world's tenth-highest and statistically deadliest peak, Annapurna in the Himalaya, while exploring the dramatic and tragic history of others who have made - or attempted - the ascent, and what these exploits teach us about facing life's greatest challenges.
Written by: David Roberts, and others
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Left for Dead
- My Journey Home from Everest
- Written by: Beck Weathers, Stephen G. Michaud
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 1996, Beck Weathers and a climbing team pushed toward the summit of Mount Everest. Then a storm exploded on the mountain, ripping the team to shreds, forcing brave men to scratch and crawl for their lives. In this powerful memoir, Weathers describes not only his escape from hypothermia and the murderous storm that killed eight climbers but the journey of his life. This is the story of a man's route to a dangerous sport and a fateful expedition, as well as the road of recovery he has traveled since.
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A different take on Everest
- By Private on 2019-04-29
Written by: Beck Weathers, and others
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K2
- Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain, Viesturs explores the remarkable history of the mountain and of those who have attempted to conquer it. At the same time he probes K2's most memorable sagas in an attempt to illustrate the lessons learned by confronting the fundamental questions raised by mountaineering - questions of risk, ambition, loyalty to one's teammates, self-sacrifice, and the price of glory.
-
-
Ed Viesturs is a climbing godfather
- By g-dogs on 2021-04-20
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
No Shortcuts to the Top
- Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks
- Written by: Ed Viesturs, David Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
-
-
Awesome book!
- By Anonymous User on 2020-05-29
Written by: Ed Viesturs, and others
-
Buried in the Sky
- The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
- Written by: Amanda Padoan, Peter Zuckerman
- Narrated by: David Doersch
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.
-
-
Good story, narrator needs work
- By Guillaume Knowlden on 2019-09-17
Written by: Amanda Padoan, and others
-
The Climb
- Tragic Ambitions on Everest
- Written by: Anatoli Boukreev
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anatoli Boukreev’s first-hand account of the worst human disaster in the history of Mt. Everest will hold listeners spellbound. A top-rated guide and high altitude climber, Boukreev dictated the raw and powerful details of this ill-fated trek from memories and notes recorded just five days after the catastrophe. In May of 1996, 33 people went up the mountain, but only 28 returned. As two commercial expeditions climbed the world’s highest peak, poor planning, miscommunication, and an unpredictable blizzard conspired to defeat them.
-
-
very interesting
- By eezhova on 2020-08-04
Written by: Anatoli Boukreev
-
The Will to Climb
- Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna - the World's Deadliest Peak
- Written by: David Roberts, Ed Viesturs
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The best-selling author of No Shortcuts to the Top and K2 chronicles his three attempts to climb the world's tenth-highest and statistically deadliest peak, Annapurna in the Himalaya, while exploring the dramatic and tragic history of others who have made - or attempted - the ascent, and what these exploits teach us about facing life's greatest challenges.
Written by: David Roberts, and others
-
Left for Dead
- My Journey Home from Everest
- Written by: Beck Weathers, Stephen G. Michaud
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1996, Beck Weathers and a climbing team pushed toward the summit of Mount Everest. Then a storm exploded on the mountain, ripping the team to shreds, forcing brave men to scratch and crawl for their lives. In this powerful memoir, Weathers describes not only his escape from hypothermia and the murderous storm that killed eight climbers but the journey of his life. This is the story of a man's route to a dangerous sport and a fateful expedition, as well as the road of recovery he has traveled since.
-
-
A different take on Everest
- By Private on 2019-04-29
Written by: Beck Weathers, and others
Publisher's Summary
If David Sharp's death was shocking, it was not singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year.
In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the outfitter who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain's north side---and who some believe was partially responsible for Sharp's death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus.
Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiraled out of control.
What the critics say
Through rock-solid reporting and vital prose, Heil leads us up into this rarefied world, step by hypoxic step." (Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers)
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What listeners say about Dark Summit
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Patrick
- 2020-08-08
Easy read finished this book in a week
i was hooked from start to finish. not as in depth as some books but a fun ride
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- Don Lance
- 2009-05-30
Good summary of the 2006 season
I liked this book, and thought it to be a good summary of the issues & controversies of the 2006 Everest expeditions. The author does a good job of helping you to understand the challenges that climbers face, and the growing problem that commercialization is creating -- that is, drawing people who have the money to attend an expedition but not the training, experience and mindset of what is needed to conquer Everest. It seems that Everest is drawing unqualified people for the purpose of achieving a personal goal, having "bragging rights" or ego. And although many train for months to develop the physical stamina, the lack of experience -- and also common sense due to the high altitude -- is sometimes fatal.
In the end, the author helps you to understand the perspectives of the clients and the expeditions leaders. And then there's the mountain itself. Make no mistake, it's not a game or fun recreational activity. Anyone who travels to Everest should consider the very real possibility that you may not return, no matter how well you think you are prepared.
Note that there is some language in a few places throughout the work. It's not excessive, but be prepared for it.
Also, I thought the narrator did a good job as well.
27 people found this helpful
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- AudioAddict
- 2014-04-23
Fascinating & Chilling (no pun intended)
STORY ( true) - Dark Summit is the story of those who risk their lives to climb to the "Roof of the World." It begins with a history of Mt. Everest and then moves to the controversial 2006 season, which claimed more deaths than any previous season. The book covers multiple expeditions with climbers from all over the world. It's often difficult to remember who's who, but it doesn't detract from the story.
These people climb dangerous icy slopes at temps of 50 below zero with high winds and low visibility. Often they are trapped on the mountain for days while waiting for a storm to pass and then must make their way down the mountain starving, dehydrated and numb. They are outfitted in space-type suits for warmth and must wear masks to provide supplemental oxygen -- but only a small amount that can be carried without difficulty. Even with proper rationing of oxygen, it's usually not enough, and low oxygen levels make each step extremely laborious. Most climbers' brains are barely functional, yet they are making life-and-death decisions that affect themselves and others. Many suffer from cerebral and pulmonary edema, frostbite and snowblindness. You will hear of the increasing number of climbers with handicaps or little experience who flounder and cause bottlenecks on the mountain, as others freeze while waiting for their turn to pass through an area. You will hear an account of one man who froze to death as other climbers simply passed him by on their way to the summit. Another was left dying but managed somehow to survive. The author discusses whether this is due to lack of compassion or selfish ambition of other climbers. He also tells stories of heroic and successful rescues.
Why are so many people attracted to Everest? How has it become so commercialized? After all, the cost for all this fun is up to $100,000 per person. And the payoff? If they are lucky enough to stay alive and if they time their "summit push" perfectly, they will enjoy a few brief minutes at the top of the world before survival demands that they start back down the mountain. All I can say is "Wow."
PERFORMANCE - Good job, but not a difficult performance.
OVERALL - Recommended for anyone who thinks this topic sounds interesting. Some F-words in tense situations.
STRANGE COINCIDENCE: I was listening to this on 4-18-14 when an avalanche claimed the lives of 13 sherpas, the worst single day in the history of Mt. Everest.
11 people found this helpful
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- Carolyn
- 2009-10-04
Fascinating Listen
The author writes a thorough, unbiased account of the 2006 ascent on Everest. For those who have read about the 1996 tragedies on Everest, you will be interested in how the 2006 year proved so deadly, even though there were no major weather obstacles to overcome. The author does a fine job of balancing the description of the climb, along with the background information of what goes into a climb, with the intense drama of human peril during the descent. As I listened to the book, I had many questions that the author addressed, including how to reduce the number of deaths on the mountain. But one question, that the author couldn't answer, is what I would do in that situation? Powerful moral questions are presented and, as much as you think you would do the "right thing," the author makes it clear that, in most cases, there is no one "right thing" that can be done. The ethical dilemmas are haunting for the reader and much more so for the actual climbers. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.
The narrator also does a superb job, including spot on accents. Between the author's writing style and the narrator's accents, I had no trouble keeping the long list of characters straight, which is sometimes a challenge for me with audiobooks.
14 people found this helpful
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- David
- 2010-11-01
Best recounting of the 2006 Everest season
After reading Jon Krakauer's classic account of the 1996 Everest climbing season, I was hooked on all things Everest.
After watching both seasons of Everest: Beyond the Limit, I wanted a book that would explore the tragedies of the 2006 season and I found it in Dark Summit.
The book is well-written and evenhanded; it gives coverage to ExplorersWeb and Russell Brice's point of view.
Someone looking for a straightforward recounting of this tragic season should seriously consider this book.
The narration by David Drummond is spot-on perfect. Great voice, great timing and consistent accents give voice to all the major players in the book.
17 people found this helpful
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- Bryan Dobson
- 2010-02-07
An amazing story
I heard about this book while listening to the podcast "Macbreak Weekly" and am very glad that I listened. Prior to hearing this I knew nothing about mountain climbing or the history of Mount Everest for that matter.
The book is very well read and I did not find that the book dragged at any point. I would have liked a little more information on a few of the climbers, but that is a very minor complaint. I highly recommend this book and especially if you are like me who knew nothing of it before hand.
9 people found this helpful
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- Tibbytabu
- 2011-07-07
A Changed Opinion
By the time of this writing, I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it. When I first began to listen, I was distracted by what I perceived as a mismatch between the styles of narration and text. The narrator enunciates each word clearly with what I would call 'brisk' emphasis on syllables and words. This style, when combined with the detailed information and factual background given by the author, gave me the sense that I was listening to a textbook. Thus, when the author used descriptive phrases, the use of adjectives seemed superfluous and 'flowery' when read in the brisk style of the narrator. In fact, I wasn't sure that I would continue to listen, as I had just spent new credits and was looking forward to new books. The longer I listened, however, the less distracted I was. I found myself engaged in the story, appreciating the talents of the narrator, particularly in the accents and voices he brought to the characters. I have since listened twice, and am glad that I did so. I believe that my initial reaction was simply due to the fact that the last few books to which I listened had narrators with different intonation and emphasis on words, and that I simply needed to relax and appreciate the unique talents of this narrator.
12 people found this helpful
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- CDW804
- 2021-08-02
Into Dark Summit?
this book was very similar to into thin Air by John krakauer. I enjoyed the character development immensely. I thought Nick Heil did a great job. and of the 4 books I've listened to recently about climbing this was my favorite (into thin air, The Climb, No Shortcut to the Top).
1 person found this helpful
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- DBo
- 2017-06-19
Must Read for Mountaineering Fans
This is my third mountaineering book. I can't put them down. I read this after reading Into Thin Air and The Climb. Although I liked The Climb the best (I.T.A. 2nd), this was still very enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful
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- Megan
- 2015-07-19
Great book
Great detail the narrAtor was easy to listen to
As a non fiction. Book offered a neutral and detailed perspective
2 people found this helpful
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- Lynette
- 2022-01-25
Excellent book!
Great book, narration was perfect; would purchase a hard copy to really read it and hopefully have some pictures. This book is definitely worth reading.