Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

Being deathly afraid of heights, I'm in awe of anyone who'd put themselves on top of a mountain...especially more than once. I'm grateful for the vivid descriptions Krakauer gives us in this thrills and chills collection of wild adventures. He allows me to expand my horizons without leaving the safety of my couch. These tales of mountain men includes a few twists on the extreme sport. This was the first I'd heard of ice climbing. I gritted my teeth as the author described the dangerous climb up frozen waterfalls! The book also highlights some of the personalities of the men and women who scale enormous structures. I especially loved the chapter on the 'Burgess Boys'. In his final chapter, Krakauer gives us a personal glimpse into a segment of his youth as he journeys back to the early lure of the mountains after his first taste of climbing; how they shaped him and what they mean to him now. I think he best explains his inner debate with mountain climbing in the words he uses to describe his early climb up Devil's Thumb: "It taught me something about what mountains can and can't do, about the limits of dreams. I didn't recognize that at the time, of course, but I'm grateful for it now."

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

Too timid (or wise!) to try mountain climbing? Look no further, because Krakauer's "Eiger Dreams" is every armchair mountaineer's dream: 12 classic climbing adventures detailing the author's assaults upon this planet's most harrowing miles of vertical rock and snow. Of these previously-printed Krakauer articles, not one failed to pull me into the excitement of moment, whether it was Jon dangling from various cliff faces the world round or merely scrambling along some forgotten canyon floor.

For matchless, pulse-pounding adventure, shadow the footsteps of Krakauer as he traverses the globe. Turn up the lights, crack out the bifocals, and let Jon do the rest. Just be careful not to fall out of your chair.

Enjoy!


ps Other great Krakauer reads: Into Thin Air, Into the Wild.

I loved Into Thin Air by Krakauer, so I purchased several of his other books, including this one. While the stories were interesting, it lacked the depth I enjoy from a book (likely because it appears to be reprints of magazine articles). It also seems that most (if not all) of these articles are 20+ years old. For the same price as this book I would been better off with a years subscription to Adventure magazine.

You really can't go wrong with this one unless maybe you've already read the articles in the original magazines.

A collection of articles about climbing. Covers everything from bouldering, all the way up to the highest peaks on the planet.

Covers the people places and events in a way that is highly engaging, and evocative. You get a real sense of what it's like to be two thousand feet up on an ice covered sheer rock face....alone... a week away from any sign of civilization...when the ice that supports you suddenly becomes too thin to allow any advancement, and leaves you seriously questioning the stability of your current position... forcing a terrified retreat.

Hardly an insider book for alpinist alone, it's a book anybody can enjoy. Having said that, I suspect people involved in other adrenalin sports (auto racing, sky diving, etc) will enjoy it most.

I throughly enjoyed the book. It would be very difficult to improve upon. If you ever wondered what kind of person risks their life simply to say they reached the summit of some mountain, this book will go a long way towards answering that question.

....to want to do what these mountaineers live for. If avoiding avalanches, brushing off frostbite, entertaining yourself for days in a tent while you wait out a storm, climbing on ridges with hurricane force winds, looking down three thousand foot cliffs and staring death in the eyes and smiling sounds fun to you, then mountaineering may just be your cup of tea! Regardless, if you enjoy reading about hardcore adventurers, then this book is definately your cup of tea. The stories are very entertaining and suspensful at times. I particularly enjoyed Krakauer's portrayal of mountaineering culture- Many of these adrenaline rush junkies have eccentric personalities stemming from their own audacity. Anyone who enjoys outdoor adventure, will enjoy reading the stories in this book.