Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day

by Peter Zuckerman, Amanda Padoan (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 333 ratings · 84 reviews

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 polit...more

Hardcover, 286 pages

Published June 11th 2012 by W. W. Norton & Company

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

Best Historical Travel Journals

22nd out of 104 books — 55 voters

My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir

National Outdoor Book Award winners, selected titles

9th out of 12 books — 6 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 866)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 04, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-could-kill-you, history, non-fiction

"glamping": the art of glamorous camping. and yes, it's actually a term. hiking k2 is nothing like glamping, of course, but this is the idea i had in mind in the beginning of the book---(please note the drunkard on the cot when i took this photo. how paparazzi is THAT)?

you know, when all the festivities are going on, and people are sitting atop blow-up ikea furniture and sipping european brews in north face long underwear. the fact that porters are paid to haul modems, computers, and other tele...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Tom marked it as to-read Recommends it for: anyone who liked Into Thin Air, all autdoor hikers, and adventurers

Recommended to Tom by: Outside magazine Twitter feed

Could not put it down.
Very much follows the pattern of the superb Into Thin Air. This time 11 climbers from various countries and expeditions die in Aug. 2008, yet two Sherpas somehow live. Loaded with little details about Sherpa high altitude porters' lives and customs. One tof their customs, caring for each other, ended up saving two lives. Pics too.
Despite researching for two years, I'll niggle a bit. See missed one error in the text below one photo inside a tent with a "freeze-dried chicke...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the beginning I was so fascinated and intrigued by the culture and history of the Sherpas and other Porters that haul people up Everest and K2. The mythology behind these behemoth mountains is also rich and captured my interest. The writers certainly put in a lot of work interviewing so many people to give a full behind the scenes look into this story.

Then with a little history and personal investment into the lives of these people they tell the tragic story of what happened on K2. I'm still...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Ciara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

perhaps this book aspires to be K2's version of "into thin air". if so, it does not succeed, but it's not a bad entry into the genre of "accounts of mountaineering tragedies in the himalayas," which happens to be one of my favorite genres! this one is about the poor decisions & freak occurences that led to eleven deaths in a single day on K2. K2 is the world's second tallest mountain, after mount everest, but its topography makes it much more dangerous & difficult to climb. fewer people...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Allen B. Lloyd rated it 4 of 5 stars

While there are many accounts of courage and superhuman endurance in Himalayan mountaineering literature, these stories all to frequently relegate the role that Sherpas play in successful summit bids to short footnotes, or, astonishingly, ignore their contributions completely. Fixed lines, which lead to many a successful mountaineering expedition, do not appear by magic, or out of a vacuum, but are generally laid by Sherpas, native climbers from Tibet, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Buried in the Sky: The...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Raghu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ever since I read Jon Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air', I thought I would never read another book on high altitude climbing that would be as evocative of the mountain, written with such lucid and terrifying intimacy. This book proves me wrong. It is just as touching and profoundly moving as Krakauer's book and brings to the fore the many issues that are not usually reported in detail while climbing a mountain like K2. At its core, the book is a tribute to the unhonored and unsung heroes of Himalayan M...more Ever since I read Jon Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air', I thought I would never read another book on high altitude climbing that would be as evocative of the mountain, written with such lucid and terrifying intimacy. This book proves me wrong. It is just as touching and profoundly moving as Krakauer's book and brings to the fore the many issues that are not usually reported in detail while climbing a mountain like K2. At its core, the book is a tribute to the unhonored and unsung heroes of Himalayan Mountaineering - the Sherpas. I recently read Jonathan Neale's excellent book, 'Tigers of the Snow', which sought to secure the Sherpas their rightful and legitimate place at the altar of high-altitude climbing. It is heartwarming to read another book which follows up on the same theme in the context of the disastrous 2008 climb of K2.

At the outset, it is tempting to see so many parallels with the 1996 Everest disaster, chronicled in 'Into Thin Air'. Both expeditions were led by experienced climbers. Both expeditions made the mistake of continuing on to the summit well after the deadline of 2 pm for turning back. In both expeditions, there were later accusations of under-experienced climbers being lured up to the summit by commercial demands. And there was a traffic jam in the Death zone in both expeditions. A careful reading of this book shows that in the case of the 2008-K2 disaster, it is unfair to jump to hasty conclusions and point the finger at anyone. The truth in such tragic adventures always lies somewhere between the extremes.

Taking a cue, perhaps, from 'Into Thin Air', this book begins in the Bottleneck, the deadliest stretch of mountain in the Death Zone, when Sherpa Chirring Dorje finds fellow-Sherpa Pasang Lama at midnight, hopelessly stranded on an ice wall, without his axe, waiting to die. Pasang asks Chirring to go ahead and save himself. Chirring declines, saying that he will try to rescue and get him down and if it is so ordained, they will both die together. The book goes on to describe the sensational rescue that followed which is now part of mountaineering lore. Then, the authors step back in time and give a detailed account of the poverty, social customs and culture of the Sherpas in the Rolwaling valley of Nepal and then bring the narrative back to Pakistan for the 2008 K2 ascent. The rest of the book is the gripping account of the climb by teams from the Netherlands, Korea, Spain, Serbia, Italy and Norway, along with their high-altitude porters from Baltistan and the Sherpas from Nepal. It is at once a gripping, tense, nervous adventure, re-creating a dramatic catastrophe in alpine history. The book also raises very serious moral and ethical questions that are inherent in such mountaineering expeditions and makes us ponder over them deeply. Finally, the book finds closure by following up on the families of the dead Balti porters and Sherpas in the aftermath of the expedition.

I wouldn't go into the details of the expedition itself since much has been reported on this elsewhere. For my part, I was particularly disturbed by some of the moral and ethical issues that the authors have raised in the book. One of them relates to Insurance. Two thirds of the porters heading up to K2 were uninsured, inspite of the regulations of Pakistan saying otherwise. Even if a porter is insured, his family is paid $1200, and that too, for only 'visible death accidents'. If no one witnesses the death - as commonly happens when porters are spread out or lost in a crevasse - the policy is void. On average, ‌only two insured porters die a 'qualifying death' each year! No one tracks the deaths of uninsured porters. This issue was raised by Jonathan Neale also in his book 'Tigers of the Snow'.

The other highly disturbing question is: How much can the 'Sahibs' demand of a Sherpa in terms of asking him to undertake a mission that is fraught with grave danger for the Sherpa's own life? Is a Sherpa's life more expendable than that of a 'Sahib'? Does the Sahib own the Sherpa's life? This is brought out in poignant detail by the authors. As morning broke on the day following the summit, four members of the Korean team were still missing high up on the mountain from Camp 4. The weather was deteriorating and Mr.Kim of the Korean team asks Big Pasang and Tsering Lama, the Sherpas on his team, to head up and rescue them. Both the Sherpas knew that it was dangerous to go up at that moment because of potential avalanche conditions, lack of visibility and their own level of exhaustion. But Tsering Lama felt that he had no choice and that Mr.Kim had hired him to help immediately and not wait till it is safe for him. He says, 'He paid us money. So, we act as though he owns our lives'. Elsewhere, a Pakistani high-altitude porter also reflects the same sentiment and feels compelled to put his own life in danger for the sake of the Sahibs' security. In both cases, the consequences can be disastrous for their families back home if they die. Later on, the Korean team spends $60000 for an unnecessary helicopter evacuation from the Base camp for their team. The authors ruefully remark that had they simply hiked down from basecamp just as the others did, the $60K could have been used to secure the dead Sherpas' wives and children's life for good.

The other fascinating issue that caught my attention was the question of communication when people of so many different backgrounds converged at dangerous points on the mountain, depending on each other. The Sherpas spoke English but the Balti porters spoke only Balti or Urdu or a local dialect. Only one of the Balti porters spoke both English and Urdu and so he was a key element in communication. Unfortunately, he falls sick early on and goes down to basecamp, leaving the Sherpas and Balti porters climbing together without any means of understanding each other. This contributes to some major problems up on the Bottleneck and above. There is also a sidelight of interest on the Sherpas. Usually, one reads about the Western climbers not respecting the skill, strength and knowledge of the Sherpas on the mountains. Whereas on K2, having climbed Everest many times, the Sherpas did not respect the Balti porters' knowledge or experience on K2, resulting in serious mistakes in laying the ropes on the Bottleneck and the dangerous Traverse.

This book is a brilliant and compelling read and I enjoyed reading it very much. It is wonderful to find an account that takes a look at Himalayan mountaineering history through the Sherpas' eyes and showing another perspective of the same events and men. (less)

like · see review

Jan 16, 2013 Glenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down - and annoyed everyone around me by telling them all about it as well. :)

Great background on life for the Sherpa and in the Himalaya villages. I found myself doing Google searches to see photos of some of the places and to get some background on some things I hadn't heard of. (Word of warning - do not Google "sky burial" and look at the images unless you're not bothered by images of bodies).

As one reviewer put it, the Sherpa are the real heroes of the climbing expe...more

1 like · like · see review

May 23, 2013 Shauna rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the best of the five high-altitude mountaineering disaster books I've been obsessively reading this month. Beautifully written, with rich detail about the landscape and lives of the people who do the most work, for the least credit, the porters. There are fascinating historical asides that add context to the lives of these impoverished people,m better explaining why they would be drawn to this extremely dangerous profession.
I gave four stars instead of five simply because the descripti...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Nikko Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Why I read this book:

I first became aware of Buried in the Sky by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan at a Banff film festival showing. It won best book for mountaineering history and recounts the events surrounding the deadliest day on K2, particularly from the perspective of the sherpa climbers.

My one sentence summary:

When illness, communication breakdowns and lack of equipment hampers the work of the sherpa climbers on K2, it results in the deadliest day on a mountain that is deadly on the best...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Alyson Farmer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Alyson by: Desert News

Shelves: non-fiction

I am not sure what I think of this book. I'd like to say I enjoyed it, but it was also disturbing. Perhaps I should have expected that with the title and all! I appreciated all of the facts and information on climbing. The more explanation the authors gave the more I could understand just how dangerous climbing K2 can be. I did enjoy learning about climbing. The fact that there are only a few days window once a year that it is safe to climb K2 ought to say something about it. I thought the autho...more I am not sure what I think of this book. I'd like to say I enjoyed it, but it was also disturbing. Perhaps I should have expected that with the title and all! I appreciated all of the facts and information on climbing. The more explanation the authors gave the more I could understand just how dangerous climbing K2 can be. I did enjoy learning about climbing. The fact that there are only a few days window once a year that it is safe to climb K2 ought to say something about it. I thought the authors did a great job explaining in facts what goes into a climb. I learned, for example, what happens to the body at such a high altitude. Very interesting. I can't say I have any desire to climb K2 after reading the book (I don't know that anyone would). I do know there is great satisfaction in working hard for a goal and achieving it. I'm sure those who climb have a huge adrenaline rush from the experience. The goal to climb K2, however, comes with a lot of risk.

The background and explanation of climbing I thought was presented very well. I am conflicted, however, on how the deaths were presented. They were explained very scientifically, down to what it would be like for a person buried by an avalanche. I appreciated it, but at the same time am not sure what I think of it. I would have liked a little bit more emotion from the book. The authors did go on to describe a little bit of what life was like for some of the survivors after the climb but a factual presentation didn't quiet seem right to me. It was in harmony with the factual way the rest of the book was presented but it seemed to be missing something. Of course, with so many deaths the book would likely have been a heavy read, though I don't think that would have been so bad. It is a fine balance. I still think it was worth reading and was interesting. The authors did a great job of researching the subject and giving background. I understand this book is unique because it has a lot of information on the sherpa climbers who do so much work to make these climbs possible.

Overall I'd say the book is informative, but in dealing with the deaths it was a little too factual. I am not sure I should criticize their approach, however, because I don't have a solution on what could have been done differently. I can say that I learned a lot about a topic I was unfamiliar with and I appreciate that. (less)

like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Trailhoundz rated it 5 of 5 stars

This phenomenal new book looks back at August 2008, when 11 climbers died on Pakistan's K2 mountain (the second highest mountain on earth, and more technically challenging than Everest). What I really liked most was that it looked at the unsung heroes of every Himalayan climb- the High Altitude Porters (mistakenly labeled 'sherpas' in many instances- Sherpa are an ethnicity in Nepal, and not all HAPs are of Sherpa ethnicity)- instead of focusing on the Western climbers. I gobble up Everest/K2 li...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Granted my interest in camping, climbing, kayaking and the like far surpasses that of many of my friends. I sometimes feel like a odd duck in my suburban life as my family and I head out on our adventures. Once a friend even asked how I could possibly like camping as she could not fathom why I would "want to live like a homeless person for the weekend." The fact that she doesn't "get it" is frustrating and yet doesn't daunt me.

So that makes me a hypocrite of sorts because, for the life of me, I...more Granted my interest in camping, climbing, kayaking and the like far surpasses that of many of my friends. I sometimes feel like a odd duck in my suburban life as my family and I head out on our adventures. Once a friend even asked how I could possibly like camping as she could not fathom why I would "want to live like a homeless person for the weekend." The fact that she doesn't "get it" is frustrating and yet doesn't daunt me.

So that makes me a hypocrite of sorts because, for the life of me, I do not understand the drive it takes to want to climb the world's highest peaks. Actually, now that I think about it, I do know what it takes. I also know that I don't have what it takes. I have absolutely no desire to stand at the top of the world. Why? I'm too chicken. I prefer beauty at a safer, easier, more attainable level. My risk tolerance threshold sits well below 28,251 feet.

This book once again drove that preference home to me...and it did so being told from the perspective of the Sherpas who, as far, as I am concerned, are the heroes and workers of many (if not most) high peak expeditions. This book gave great perspective as to how economics leads this group of people to do what they do (granted they also have to be brave, adventuresome, strong, and tolerant.) However, the majority of the stories told in this book lead you to believe that many of these men began this job based on sheer economic need. They had families to support in a place where there are not a lot of high paying options.

This was a well told account of a terrible series of events that unfolded on K2 in April, 2008. It tells of the climb mainly from the perspective of the Sherpas on this expedition. You are given family, friend and historical perspective on each of the Sherpa climbers. While you never get to any of them really well you do get to know them well enough to feel the depth of the tragedies.

I've sat at a the dinner table when friend, Scott Fischer, announced to a room a full of people that he was going to climb Everest again. I've seen the concern wash over his supportive wife's face with that announcement. I'm familiar with the devastation when he did not return. It's a life I can't imagine. No one, of any economic standing, loves their spouse, father or brother any less. Sherpas are no different in their grief when they lose a loved one to the mountain.

Loss of any life due to climbing accidents is a tragedy. People, Sherpas included, know what they are getting into and the dangers that it poses before they start. They have my respect -- my respect and my hypocritical wondering of just why anyone would want to do something so hard and so dangerous. More power to them but may my children never want to try. The worry alone might kill me.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 27, 2012 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the story of a disaster on K2, one of the highest mountains in the world. Leaving aside the disaster part of the book, I usually like books about extreme sports, which this book is. However, this one didn't "grip" me like "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson did.

I learned about the difficulties of high altitude mountain climbing. There's much more to it than I thought. I enjoyed reading about the different ethnicities of the high-altitude porters and learning that Sherpa is only one of...more

like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Into Thin Air and was curious how these authors would tell this mountain climbing disaster story differently and cover new ground. That they did - The cultural perspective from the indigenous people who work on the mountains and in the mountain climbing trade touched upon the livelihood/poverty, modernity, and ethical/spiritual beliefs made this book come alive for me. I'm not an adrenaline junkie so the conquest of the mountain part was never all that appealing. Putting your life literal...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Dan C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

A blog reader recommended Buried in the Sky to me based on my interest in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air which I read several years back and loved. Both books are about mountain climbing which is something that I’m kind of fascinated with but really have no desire to do. My lack of desire to go mountain climbing is probably the direct result of reading books like this. It seems like people are always falling off the mountain, disappearing into crevasses or freezing to death at altitudes not that f...more A blog reader recommended Buried in the Sky to me based on my interest in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air which I read several years back and loved. Both books are about mountain climbing which is something that I’m kind of fascinated with but really have no desire to do. My lack of desire to go mountain climbing is probably the direct result of reading books like this. It seems like people are always falling off the mountain, disappearing into crevasses or freezing to death at altitudes not that far below the cruising altitude of most jets. It may not make for much fun in reality, but man, does it make for some fascinating reading.

Into Thin Air chronicled a disastrous run for the summit of Mt. Everest. Buried in the Sky takes on K2, the world’s second highest peak and one of only 14 mountains that top out about 8000 meters. This book takes a specific look at the Sherpa climbers that help international climbers make it to the top of the world’s tallest mountains. Without their help, most attempts wouldn’t end in success. And, as Buried in the Sky amply demonstrates, even with the help of Sherpa climbers, there’s no guarantee that the climb will be without incident.

K2 is, without question, a more difficult climb than Everest. One need look no further than its fatality rate of 25% – for every four successful ascents, there has been one fatality during the attempt. Only around 300 people have successfully climbed K2, where as over 2500 people have managed to make it to the top of Everest. The weather is forbidding, the climb a rocky and difficult one. Ice cliffs have a tendency to calve off, crushing climbers as they attempt to scale the mountain. To many Sherpas, this is the mountain goddess exacting revenge for even trying to climb the mountain. Climbing K2, in their view, is sacriligious.

But in one of the poorest parts of the world, the money helping climbers is hard to resist. In August of 2008, several groups attempting to reach the summit of K2 with the assistance of Sherpa climbers met with disaster, not so much from bad weather but just from very bad luck. This is the story that Buried in the Sky tells. The tales of mountainside death and drama leave you on the edge of your seat. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be tangled in fixed ropes, hanging upside down on the face of K2 all night in sub zero weather. My brain can’t even wrap around the thought of it. And that is just one of the many tribulations that face the climbers on their retreat from the summit of K2.

Overall, I really enjoyed Buried in the Sky although it does pale a bit in comparison to Into Thin Air and really, that comparison is inevitable. My biggest trouble with Buried in the Sky is that I didn’t feel as engaged in the story as I did with Into Thin Air. I think it might have to do with how the story was told – Into Thin Air‘s first person narrative put you right in the middle of the tragedy on Everest, whereas Buried in the Sky takes a more distant view of the events. I also didn’t feel like I got to know the characters as well in Buried in the Sky. It was hard to differentiate people – I kept having to go to the characters list in the beginning of the book to figure out who was who and why I cared again. I think that it was just too large of a cast to really allow you to connect. Still, it was a worthy read about something that I will never do in my life. And I’m okay with that.(less)

like · see review

May 06, 2013 Samuel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-incidents-tragedies, non-fiction-adventure

Great and long overdue book on the contributions of the Sherpas who work and climb alongside the foreign mountaineers who take on the world's toughest and most dangerous mountains. This book focuses specifically on K2 and the tragic day where many climbers (Sherpa and Foreign) lost their lives during an attempt on the summit. It also describes their importance in making any climb successful as well as their heroics on this fateful day.

I recommend reading this along with 'No Way Down,' another ac...more

like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Several years ago, I was shocked to find that I enjoyed reading Jon Krakauer's book Into Thin Air. I am not a mountain climber or any kind of extreme sports fan, but I was taken by the idea of people pushing their limits to conquer nature, and also the competing notion of hubris. And of course, I think, it is impossible to read a book about climbing tall peaks without wondering about the lives of the Sherpas and other people on the mountains who are handling all the gear and preparations for the...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Whitney Richardson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventuring

Really excellent, and I can say that as I've read almost every book on this sort of thing that's come out in the last decade. The K2 story has been told, see 'No Way Down' if you just want the facts. But this book goes above and beyond by focusing on the Sherpas and Pakistanis who seem to be just background in all the other retellings of mountain tales, despite them being the more experienced and essential members of the teams.

Only four stars as it gets a bit disjointed in the end as the actual...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Michael Coustier rated it 3 of 5 stars

Climbing, daring rescue and death... certainly a recipe for a 5-star.
The actual drama and heroism detailed in the novel was mostly gripping. The book spent too much time in the details of the histories of the various porters/sherpa's which seems counter-intuitive since they made up most of the drama. I suppose I have a low threshold for history of Indian/Pakistani religions and customs. I did appreciate some of the history and related elements; I was oft confused by 's'herpa ( one who carries) a...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Sharon Watkins rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am a sucker for mountaineering books, and I can find something I enjoy in just about every one I read. Buried in the Sky tells the story of the most deadly day on K2, one of the most treacherous mountains in the world, from the perspective of the sherpas who served the climbers. It was entertaining as far as it went, but given the fact that 8 people died on the mountain that day, and a number of others were left in the death zone for over 24 hours, it is a slim volume. I was left feeling like...more

like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Harry Hemstreet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am a sucker for true life adventure, especially adventure that includes hubris, courage, and astounding examples of both bravery and stupidity. One of my favorite books is Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". This is a similar story, but mainly from the point of view of the amazing support climbers (Sherpa's). The book includes a lot of historical background on these unique - 'high altitude' people. Excellent story, very highly recommended, one of my choices (among others) for favorite of the year....more

like · see review

May 27, 2012 Tracie Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Disclosure: Peter is a friend, but even if I didn't know him from Adam, I loved this book.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars

The duo of authors does a great job introducing Sherpa culture and helping the reader understand some of the intricacies of the history of the Sherpas in this book. The recount of the story itself is straightforward and riveting, though gut wrenching. The book itself is split in two - first half culture, second half story telling - of the fateful days in 2008. I came away from this book with less reverence for the characters as I have in other climbing books. My feeling was more similar to the s...more

like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Daviskarla rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book because the authors presented the circumstances of a mountain disaster from the regional people who are paid to fix lines and carry supplies. Readers were provided with history of the region, the role of the Sherpas and high-altitude porters, but it never felt like too much backstory. My only criticism is that I wish the maps detailing the disaster had been placed either in the middle of the book or inside the front or back covers. I had to use sticky notes to keep tra...more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Kathryn Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a number of K2 books and created a project to send 100 handmade scarves to Askole village. [Story here: http://tinyurl.com/3fplb8c ] Buried in the Sky gave me a lot more detailed information about the porters who risk their lives to make these treks possible. I was also excited to discover Nazir Sabir on the pages of this book. He's the President of the Alpine Club in Pakistan, and was the kind soul who delivered the scarves to Askole for us. This is a highly engaging and illuminating...more

like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Diane by: Stiggie

Shelves: exploration, survival

I read a lot of survival literature, including books about climbing disasters. Last year I read a very good account of the 2008 K2 disaster, No Way Down, Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley. Buried in the Sky is another account of this climb. Both books were written by people not on the climb which I see as having the advantage of not having a personal agenda.

Both books provide more information about the Sherpa and High Altitude Porters (HAPs) than most other books I have read. Buried in the...more

like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

HB -- maybe a 4.5 -- for adventure books about climbing the 8.00 meter Mts. I crave these stories from the roof of the world. I really want to go to Katmandu or Nepal and just gave at these peaks. Marvelous story telling about people who gave up thier lives to challenge the most dangerous Mt -- K2
The research done on the Karakorum was well worth the read. This book relaly helps the average person understand the drive to live falling over the edge by the extreme risk takers.
I trully cared about...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Debra Hennessey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-and-discovery

An exciting story to start with that is almost upstaged by the fascinating history of the area and the sherpa climbers. Not a dull chapter in the whole book. You'll come away with a real appreciation of the men who do the heavy work on these expeditions. The author did some impressive research but it wouldn't have been so effective without his writing style. Even the gruesome details of how death took some of the climbers was presented in a respectful way--but it still left me shaken. Great read...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Jim Bronec rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a really good book. It covers the climbing disaster of 2008 on K2. This tells the story from the Sherpas or Mountain Porters point of view. Really well done. Of course one wants to compare this book to Into Thin Air and it holds up well. My one complant is I wished there had been something a little more in the book to keep all the people seperate. A diagram with pictures or something. It was alot to keep straight.

like · see review

May 18, 2013 Debeehr rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: disaster, mountaineering

A portrayal of the 2008 tragedy on K2, Buried In The Sky is the first book I've read on mountaineering that gives the Sherpa perspective on this extreme sport in great depth. As Zuckerman describes it, modern mountaineering is a thoroughly post-modern endeavor, a place where conflicting religions, ethnicities, class interests, perspectives and paradigms compete and collide, and sometimes end in tragedy.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 28 29 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Non Fiction

20 users

Sports > Mountaineering

12 users

History

6 users

Adventure

5 users

Sports And Games > Sports

4 users

Adventure > Survival

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Peter Zuckerman

Peter Zuckerman is a journalist and author. He has received some of the most prestigious recognitions in American journalism.

At age 26, he won the Livingston Award, the largest, all-media, general reporting prize in America. His writing has also won the National Journalism Award, given by the Scripts Howard Foundation for the best newspaper writing in the United States; and the Blethan Award, giv...more

More about Peter Zuckerman...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Buried in the Sky...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day
avg rating	preview: Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day Goodreads rating: 4.03 (333 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13149874-buried-in-the-sky?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330026054l/13149874.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13149874-buried-in-the-sky?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day by Peter Zuckerman[/url]

Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Peter Zuckerman

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Buried in the Sky...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)