Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth

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

Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 1,302 ratings · 327 reviews

The deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made: both poles by 1912, Everest in 1958, the Challenger Deep in 1961. In 1969 we even walked on the moon. And yet as late as 2000, the earth’s deepest cave—the supercave—remained undiscovered. This is the story of the men and women who riske...more The deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made: both poles by 1912, Everest in 1958, the Challenger Deep in 1961. In 1969 we even walked on the moon. And yet as late as 2000, the earth’s deepest cave—the supercave—remained undiscovered. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong.

In 2004, two great scientist-explorers are attempting to find the bottom of the world. Bold, heroic American Bill Stone is committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk—Stone’s polar opposite in temperament and style, but every bit his equal in scientific expertise, physical bravery, and sheer determination—has targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia, where underground dangers are compounded by the horrors of separatist war in this former Soviet republic.

Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover—to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves’ exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called The Rapture.

James M. Tabor was granted unprecedented access to logs, journals, photographs, and video footage of these expeditions, as well as many hours of personal interviews with surviving participants. Blind Descent is an unforgettable addition to the classic literature of discovery and adventure. It is also a testament to human survival and endurance—and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.

Includes a 16-pg full-color insert(less)

Hardcover, 286 pages

Published June 15th 2010 by Random House (first published 2010)

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

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,817)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 22, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: survival, non-fiction, exploration, amazon-vine, 2010-books-read

I've grown to really love adventure and survival books and thought this would definitely be an interesting read in the genre. I wasn't disappointed. Blind Descent tells of cave exploration adventures in 2 of the world's deepest caves. I was initially concerned that the author wouldn't be able to make me see the cave in my mind as he told the story and that the author couldn't possibly hold my interest throughout the entire book, but I was absolutely enthralled and found myself daydreaming of cav...more I've grown to really love adventure and survival books and thought this would definitely be an interesting read in the genre. I wasn't disappointed. Blind Descent tells of cave exploration adventures in 2 of the world's deepest caves. I was initially concerned that the author wouldn't be able to make me see the cave in my mind as he told the story and that the author couldn't possibly hold my interest throughout the entire book, but I was absolutely enthralled and found myself daydreaming of cave diving between reads.

When I first thought what I might encounter in this book, I wondered what fun there could be in dropping into a deep hole that went down thousands of feet, but these caves aren't simply deep holes. The process includes rappelling down some very large shafts as well as walking some straight stretches before hitting another shaft or waterfall. Sometimes they have to send divers to swim through water they call "sumps" in order to find another opening into the cave beyond. Other times they find themselves trying to squeeze through very tight openings between rocks or even digging to make room for their bodies to fit though tinier openings carved by water over time. The experience is physically demanding and sometimes even deadly. And the exploration can last, sometimes, decades.

This particular caving book chronicles (as much as possible) deep cave discoveries in the Cheve Cave of Mexico and the Krubera cave in The Republic of Georgia. The caves are very different and so are the leaders of the expeditions. The Mexican cave is climatically normal and fairly open while the Georgian one is very cold and filled with very tight, slippery spaces. The leader of the Cheve Cave expeditions (an American) is hot-headed and lusty while the leader of the Krubera expeditions (a Ukranian) is level-headed and systematic.

There's far more information in the book about the Cheve Cave expeditions than the Krubera expeditions. I think this partially is because of language barriers for interview and partially because there probably was much more of a story to tell about the Cheve cave expeditions. In fact, I was glad the Krubera section of the book was fairly short because I wanted to get back to reading about the Cheve Cave.

I wish the book would have had pictures. I'm sure the book would have been more expensive to publish with pictures. However, a quick search online yields many pictures from various sources, including some really nice pictures of Cheve Cave on Flickr.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure or survival stories or caving.

Note: While I critique both purchased and free books in the same way, I'm legally obligated to tell you I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for my review. Blah blah blah.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2010 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars

The BEST COVER PHOTO in the last 100 books--easily, hands down! It’s the picture of a smooth, vertical chimney about 500 feet long in Cheve cave in Oaxaca state, Mexico, the deepest known ‘supercave‘ in the Americas. It’s about 150 feet in diameter and could hold the water volume of 750 Olympic-sized pools. AND THERE--near the bottom of the picture, the black profile of a person on rappel, tiny, underlit, and for a flash, suspended against the bright red, orange, and tan striations of rock with...more

19 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2010 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: firstreads

A fast-paced, white-knuckled read, somewhat akin to Into Thin Air and other extreme adventure accounts (loads of deadly and near-deadly accidents as well as heroic rescues). Despite the fact that the feats in the book rate a solid 5 stars (truly amazing stuff), the book itself pulls a 4 (I did really like it). The writing is solid and straightforward, with just enough pizazz to keep the pages turning (as if the adventure alone wasn't enough for that).

Essentially an account of two men, across the...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2013 Eric_W rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-memoir, travel

Hard to compete with Jason's review, so go read that one at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... He's dead on about everything, especially the photographs which are astounding.

I remain astonished at the things people will do. This has to be far worse than climbing mountains, because you are basically doing exactly the same thing except it's in the dark and once you have achieved your goal going down you have to survive coming back up.

A quote to whet your appetite: Needing to relieve himself...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 01, 2010 Ab rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: learn-me-real-good, crazyness-mind-blowing-whoa, crazy-deadly-feats

Caving=scary, but like watching a train wreck, I'm intrigued! Sort of like reading "Into Thin Air" or "Eiger Dreams" about climbing the most dangerous, forbidding places on earth, only going the opposite direction INTO the mountains.

The cave descriptions also reminded me of how "House of Leaves" describes the spaces behind that closet door ... naming indescribably huge openings things like 'the cathedral room', etc.

This book is so reminiscent of Krakauer's accessible journalistic prose put to...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Barbara Kluver rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, adventure, non-fiction, survival, travel

This was a really interesting book. The author had access to the journals and diaries of members of caving expeditions to discover the "deepest places on earth" - one in Mexico (Cheve cave) and one in Soviet Union Georgia (Krubara). If you like non-fiction adventure, survival stories, then this book is for you. I listened to it on Audible and the narrator (Don Leslie) was excellent - however, I would strongly recommend reading it in real book form (or maybe e-book) so you have access to pictures...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Ken Montville rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-guy-s-book-club

I'll admit I didn't finish this book and the only reason it's on my list at all is because it was chosen as part of The Guy's Book Club. We're a group of about 5 guys who take turns choosing the book for the month (or 6 weeks or longer). The mix is pretty eclectic.

The author does a great job with the material he's chosen. I'm just not that into caving and the whole caving sub-culture. It sounded exciting, at first, and James Tabor does his best to provide a "you are there" atmosphere.

It's just t...more

like · see review

Dec 21, 2012 Kara Jorges rated it 5 of 5 stars

Caves and caving fascinate me, so when I saw there was a book about supercave exploration, I had to read it. I am so glad I did. I was absolutely glued to this book from the first page to the last. The only thing it lacked was a section of pictures because I read an advance edition. The one you can buy does have several pages of them. Even so, I was able to look those up on the internet so I could have a visual reference, which made the book even more powerful.

This is not so much the story of c...more Caves and caving fascinate me, so when I saw there was a book about supercave exploration, I had to read it. I am so glad I did. I was absolutely glued to this book from the first page to the last. The only thing it lacked was a section of pictures because I read an advance edition. The one you can buy does have several pages of them. Even so, I was able to look those up on the internet so I could have a visual reference, which made the book even more powerful.

This is not so much the story of cave exploration as it is about cave explorers. Tabor researched two premier cavers from the USA and the Republic of Georgia, and devoted a section of the book to each. American Bill Stone has led several expeditions into supercaves in Mexico, while Ukranian Alexander Klimchouk has headed several European expeditions on the Arabika Massif in the Republic of Georgia.
In addition to following the amazing accomplishments of both men, Tabor explained in great detail the hardships and dangers involved in supercave exploration. I felt like I was there on the expeditions, rappelling, digging, crawling, diving, and freezing underground for days or weeks on end along with the cavers mentioned in this book. I have nothing but respect for this handful of people who risk their lives for the thrill of going thousands of feet underground and braving the dangers there in order to share their discoveries with the world. I’d take a bullet to the head before dropping down the first shaft of Cheve Cave, and forget it with Krubera!

I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s highly informative, giving outsiders an intimate view of what goes into supercave exploration, and it’s also an exciting page-turner. Tabor has a way of keeping readers on the edge of their seats as he takes us through real-life underground exploration. I found myself thinking of several fascinating topics I wish he would write about because he has a way of making an informative, nonfiction book into an exciting adventure, and not many authors can pull that off.
(less)

like · see review

Nov 01, 2011 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

A true account of the quest to find the deepest cave in the world, this book follows the lives of two men (both of whose names I've already forgotten): an American searching for the world's deepest cave in Mexico and a Ukrainian searching for the same in the country of Georgia.

For a book about deep cave exploration, it can be surprisingly dull at times. It sometimes felt like a bit of a slog. I also felt it spent way too much time on the American. I suspect that it does so for two reasons: the A...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a very cool subject—caving and the exploration of super-caves. The author does a reasonable job describing the basics of caving, cave diving, the major caving superheroes, the technology (including development of the re-breather that made it possible to push the boundaries of cave diving), and the explorations of two of the deepest caves in the world. He sensationalizes to a fault and he’s lavish in his biography of super-caver Bill Stone, but this is a tolerable excess in the interest o...more

like · see review

May 02, 2011 Der-shing rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone looking for a great adventure/ exploration book

Shelves: exploration, kickass-nonfiction, survival, caving

An incredible read! Tabor writes with great detail and insight into the people involved in each endeavor and goes into technical details about caving that I'm sure most casual readers will be unfamiliar with. However, his descriptions are so tangible and clear that I feel like I understood immediately what he's talking about, and I definitely felt like I could envision the caves in my mind. I also like how he includes little jarring interludes like the police approaching the expedition!... for a...more

like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 Ms.pegasus rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: enthusiasts of exploration; scuba divers

Shelves: nonfiction, ecosystems-nature

Blind Descent; the quest to discover the deepest place on earth, by James Tabor, chronicles the last great competition for terrestrial exploration: part of a tradition which included the race to the South Pole, and the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The drama, , however, lies with the personalities of these X-treme cavers, and not the actual competition. Bill Stone is the leader of the American expedition exploring the Cheve system in Mexico. Indomitable, competitive, aggressive are a...more Blind Descent; the quest to discover the deepest place on earth, by James Tabor, chronicles the last great competition for terrestrial exploration: part of a tradition which included the race to the South Pole, and the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The drama, , however, lies with the personalities of these X-treme cavers, and not the actual competition. Bill Stone is the leader of the American expedition exploring the Cheve system in Mexico. Indomitable, competitive, aggressive are all words that describe his energy level and focus. One of his inventions is a complex scuba re-breathing apparatus for scrubbing carbon dioxide and recycling it back into oxygen in order to extend the length of dives. On the other side of the world in the Krubera system in the western Caucasus Mountains of the Ukraine, Alexander Klimchouk directs a team he has spent a lifetime organizing and training. Klimchouk embodies the scientific soul of exploration, and his goal is to build a network of X-treme cavers who will pass on this passion to a succeeding generation.

The list of dangers entailed in caving are astonishing. Imagine the actors in “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” descending steadily, and at the bottom, still looking like they stepped out of the pages of a Banana Republic catalog. Then look at the reality: Drowning, falling, asphyxiation and hypothermia are ever-present dangers. The damp promotes infection from the slightest cut, and exotic bacteria are a further threat. Tabor notes that Kitum Cave in Uganda is believed to be the ultimate source for the Ebola virus. Poison gas, almost constant darkness (it is important to conserve light as much as possible), and remoteness from any outside assistance add to the danger. Finally, there is a phenomena called “the Rapture” – a panic attack or disorientation brought on by the darkness which can descend on even experienced cavers.

Tabor chronicles the exploration of these two caves with precision and insight. He also looks at the disrepair this passion wreaks on personal relationships. We admire the resourcefulness, skill and dedication of these explorers. Yet, in the end, it is a passion only a select few can understand. Most of us will understand the complaint of a novice caver: But is it fun? It is difficult to accept the answer that fun is besides the point.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 14, 2010 April Helms rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

My best friend and I listened to this on CD while working on various projects. The topic it covers is fascinating -- supercaving and trying to find the deepest point on the planet. The perils of supercaving make climbing Mount Everest look like a vigorous weekend backpacking trip. At least from Mt. Everest, there is a chance of rescue if you get into trouble, within a reasonable amount of time. Where these cavers go, if you get hurt you are up a creek, to put it politely. The book covers two exp...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2010 Jude Keen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Sep 06, 2010 Mateo rated it 1 of 5 stars

A book about a race to discover the deepest cave on earth has the potential for Krakauer-like suspense, but Tabor destroys whatever tension might be present--and there should be a lot, since spelunking is at least as difficult and dangerous as mountain climbing, if not more so--by constantly and oppressively hyping the excitement and pushing the thrill in our face. It's as though he doesn't trust the subject enough to leave it alone. One can imagine him amping up the prose describing a trip with...more A book about a race to discover the deepest cave on earth has the potential for Krakauer-like suspense, but Tabor destroys whatever tension might be present--and there should be a lot, since spelunking is at least as difficult and dangerous as mountain climbing, if not more so--by constantly and oppressively hyping the excitement and pushing the thrill in our face. It's as though he doesn't trust the subject enough to leave it alone. One can imagine him amping up the prose describing a trip with a stroller down to the park:

A pram pushed along a sidewalk as narrow as Main Street must navigate a frightening corridor of death and danger. On one side, inches away from its wheels, are rose bushes, each thorn of which can rip tender flesh open like a meat hook. Every bush may have dozens of roses, each with several thorns, and Main Street was lined with dozens of bushes. One false step, and unprotected skin could become lacerated with wounds so badly it would resemble a packet of Red Vines in a hurricane.

But that's the safe part. Only two or three feet to the left lay the open macadam of Main Street itself, a pulsating river of deadly metal. Consider that the top speed of a sprinter is somewhere around 20 to 23 miles per hour. Yet on Main Street, cars and buses weighing up to several tons flashed by at speeds close to twice that--any one of which could flatten a human being instantly, or crush it underneath its indifferent wheels. After the indescribable agony of a bus-on-carriage accident, death would be a pleasure.

Two other factors put this book well south of Krakauer territory. First, the picture captions pretty much give away the endings. I don't know if this is Tabor's fault, but having a photo caption like "Bill Smith, 1995. He would later be crushed to death by petrified turtles during the assault on Cave B" kind of blows a few hundred pages worth of suspense. Second, the race itself is undermined by the fact that it's only to the deepest known cave; if tomorrow someone finds a deeper one, then it's Game On all over again. A good book to read if you need an adrenaline drip; otherwise, easy to skip. (less)

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: extreme-sports, environment-animals, nonfiction

Anybody who knows even the slightest bit about me can probably tell you that I have a pretty strange obsession with extreme, outdoor, one-tiny-mistake-and-you-die sports. Not that I regularly participate, mind you. I just like to read about them and live vicariously through people insane enough (or passionate enough?) to willingly hang their bodies out over thousand foot drops in the middle of nowhere; or sail blindly into unknown waters for months-long journeys in tiny sailboats; or venture mil...more

like · see review

May 21, 2013 Jackie Brady rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adventurers, cavers, climbers, SAR, outdoorsmen, engineers, geologists

Shelves: audio-books

So, where's the nearest cave, and why haven't I been there yet? This book made me feel like I'm neglecting major adventure potential. I would never even want to pursue caving as doggedly as the real-life characters of this book, but it does sound fascinating. Definitely type-2 fun, though.

I enjoyed the big picture aspects of this book. Caving for exploration, discovery, and the advancement of science (plus a little adventure) appeals greatly to me. I liked the technical descriptions of rescues,...more So, where's the nearest cave, and why haven't I been there yet? This book made me feel like I'm neglecting major adventure potential. I would never even want to pursue caving as doggedly as the real-life characters of this book, but it does sound fascinating. Definitely type-2 fun, though.

I enjoyed the big picture aspects of this book. Caving for exploration, discovery, and the advancement of science (plus a little adventure) appeals greatly to me. I liked the technical descriptions of rescues, rappels, and dives. I think my familiarity with at least the basics of these three things made the book more interesting to me; however, I suspect these technical aspects would be more tedious and/or confusing to uninitiated readers.

I was dismayed by the deaths and accidents described in the book. Many of the accidents (specifically the falls) seemed to be caused by operator error, which of course becomes more probable with other stressors. It's so important that people double and triple check their safety equipment! The scuba deaths were far scarier to me than the falls, however. It seemed like both described in the book were due largely to psychological factors such as panic, though both deaths are somewhat mysterious. Of all the dangerous things I do, I consider scuba the most terrifying because I feel like I have the smallest amount of control. It's difficult for me to even imagine how terrifying it would be to dive a sump with poor visibility thousands of feet below the ground. I could definitely understand the individual decisions of some team members to abort their dives after another caver had died diving. Nonetheless, I also totally understood Stone's perspective that an expedition need not be abandoned on the grounds of death alone. While he may have been insensitive in his arguments to continue at times (and he obviously needed to work on his rhetorical skills), Stone's pursuit of goals in the face of adversity did not seem unreasonable to me. I'm sure this, in large part, is due to Tabor's depiction of him as unfairly maligned by others.

Anyway, though I obviously liked many aspects of this book, a few things got on my nerves. I didn't particularly like the overall structure and organization of the book. It focused so heavily on Stone for what seemed like the first half of the book. For the next third it shuffled back and forth between Stone and Klimchouk, revealing that, within the timeframe of the expeditions covered, Klimchouk had the real upper-hand while Stone had a lot of bluster and hopes. Finally, the last sixth practically abandoned Stone altogether. In other words, I feel like Tabor attempted to create the drama of competition where there really was none. Had he structured the book differently, I feel like it could have fairly and accurately represented both men's efforts without being misleading and anticlimactic.

I also had some problems with the writing itself. Though Tabor tries to develop strong characters, his repetitive descriptions and over-generalizations make them seem more like caricatures at times. Repetition was an issue not only with characters, but with descriptions of the settings and the technical aspects as well. Although I'm sure he was simply trying to ensure his readers did not become lost in technical jargon, I think he went overboard. I listened to the audio book, and despite the fact that repetition can be very helpful in that particular medium, I still found it overwhelming.

The downsides of this book diminish its overall power, but I'm still in awe of the human feats it relates. In short, it's worth a read.(less)

like · see review

Jul 04, 2010 Carin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-nonfiction, sports, travel-writing

I was reluctant to read this book. The topic, caving, was enticing to me, but the bad title and ugly jacket made me hesitant, not to mention the comparisons to Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. But I saw the author on "The Daily Show" last week and was won over.

This book tells, in two parts, the race to find the deepest supercave by American Bill Stone in Mexico, and Ukranian Alexander Klimchouk in The Republic of Georgia. Bill Stone is much more of a character, and so the bulk of the book does foc...more

like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: geology, true-stories-of-adventure

The material in this book ranks nearly up there with Shackleton's Endurance story about Antarctic exploration. But writing is so bad that it makes it hard to get through the book.

The writer has lots of good stories and info, and can move a narrative along just fine, but some parts of his writing are so obnoxiously repetitive that you want to put the book down. When you read the book, it is clear that multi-week expeditionary caving has a lot of parallels to mountaineering. He could have made thi...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2011 Alisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

It's always interesting to read about people undergoing tremendous physical ordeals - and deep caving definitely counts as an ordeal. The conditions under which these explorers lived (sometimes for weeks) defies belief. At the same time, however, I'm shaking my head at the stupidity of it all. Despite the author's repeated claims that all of this is done for "science", no mention is ever made of what "science" got out of a bunch of people tormenting themselves in a deep hole. It's pretty clear i...more It's always interesting to read about people undergoing tremendous physical ordeals - and deep caving definitely counts as an ordeal. The conditions under which these explorers lived (sometimes for weeks) defies belief. At the same time, however, I'm shaking my head at the stupidity of it all. Despite the author's repeated claims that all of this is done for "science", no mention is ever made of what "science" got out of a bunch of people tormenting themselves in a deep hole. It's pretty clear it's all done for adrenaline, kicks, and fame.

Spoiler warning:

That said, this would have been at least a four star book, except for the author's blinding arrogance. He claims that caving is the last exploration left to mankind. Space exploration, done. Undersea exploration, done - despite the fact that less than 5% of the world's oceans have been explored! He also discounts any exploration left on the surface of the world, despite the fact there are still place left that human eyes have never seen. This is an arrogance laid out in the prologue and repeated often, ending with this:

"They (the cavers) knew they were experiencing one of the signal moments of history, the last link in a long, hallowed chain created by Peary at the North Pole, Amundsen at the South, Hillary and Norgay on Everest, Piccard and Walsh in the Challenger Deep, and many other, earlier great who had paved the way for modern explorers. Kasjan and his people knew: they had just made the last great terrestrial discovery."

This, despite the fact that a large portion of the land and sea has never been SEEN by humans? This, despite the fact that they only established the current world's record for the deepest cave, and more caves are being discovered and explored all the time? And I found this quote humorous as well:

"...they worked their way down three more vertical pitches...and finally dropped into a triangular-shaped room...with a flat, clay bottom and nondescript walls.... This was it. The bottom of the world."

The bottom of the world? Considering the fact that they started 8,000 feet up on a mountain, and made it down 6,562 feet through the cave, their 'bottom of the world' wasn't the bottom of anything...except for maybe the mountain. They ended up basically at sea level! (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 23, 2011 jeremy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nature

james tabor's blind descent: the quest to discover the deepest place on earth, while written about an immensely fascinating subject, leaves much to be desired. like many books of its ilk, it perhaps would have been a more cohesive and compelling read if featured as a lengthy magazine article. the narrative focuses on the efforts of two teams to explore and map what each is hoping to be the deepest cave on earth (chevé in the oaxacan state of mexico and krubera in the republic of georgia).

tabor f...more james tabor's blind descent: the quest to discover the deepest place on earth, while written about an immensely fascinating subject, leaves much to be desired. like many books of its ilk, it perhaps would have been a more cohesive and compelling read if featured as a lengthy magazine article. the narrative focuses on the efforts of two teams to explore and map what each is hoping to be the deepest cave on earth (chevé in the oaxacan state of mexico and krubera in the republic of georgia).

tabor frames the story as a race to see which team will, in fact, discover the deepest point of their respective supercaves. as one might expect, the caving teams, though sharing a number of similarities, are led by two radically different men (bill stone and alexander klimchouk). tabor succeeds well in framing the hardships of deep cave exploration, and aptly conveys the myriad risks and dangers that often lead to an untimely underground death. billed as the last great exploratory discovery (as man has already reached both poles, scaled the highest mountains, plumbed the ocean depths, and even strode upon the moon), the sheer determination and expertise of these supercavers is truly awe-inspiring. that one could spend days, and often weeks, miles underground in the dampest, darkest environment imaginable is quite nearly incomprehensible.

blind descent, presumably by design, is little but a pop-science adventure tale. most of the book focuses on the two teams and their ongoing frustrations occasionally tempered by small successes. to its detriment, the book offers scant scientific explanation or geological insight. even the narrative itself seems illogically fractured, with significantly more pages devoted to the less successful of the two teams. while the cavers are clearly the heroes of the story, and perhaps rightly so, to me, the caves themselves are far more deserving of reverence and wonder. blind descent is, at times, an engaging read, but as the book dug deeper i found myself caring less about the "race" and more about speleology itself, of which tabor writes surprisingly little.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 05, 2011 kingshearte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, non-fiction

I learned a number of things while reading this book. The first and foremost thing that stuck in my head, however, is that supercavers are completely, 100%, absolutely bat-shit crazy. Caves are cool. I've enjoyed some very guided visits to some of them, and to a certain extent, I can see the appeal of doing a little exploring on your own, to see where this passage goes. But to deliberately and repeatedly put yourself through the torture of the kind of intense cave exploration going on in this bo...more I learned a number of things while reading this book. The first and foremost thing that stuck in my head, however, is that supercavers are completely, 100%, absolutely bat-shit crazy. Caves are cool. I've enjoyed some very guided visits to some of them, and to a certain extent, I can see the appeal of doing a little exploring on your own, to see where this passage goes. But to deliberately and repeatedly put yourself through the torture of the kind of intense cave exploration going on in this book? I just can't wrap my head around it.

I really enjoyed this book, though, and I did find it quite gripping. It had the advantage of being neither fiction nor very well-known non-fiction, in that respect. When you're reading a novel, while there are certainly twists, and some authors are better at surprising you than others, but there's a certain narrative structure that you expect, and certain conventions that you expect. Usually, you can guess which characters are at risk of dying, and which are crucial enough to the story that you're confident in their survival (except in those rare instances when you're wrong, and it's almost like a physical blow). Because this was not fiction, I didn't have that sense. Any of these people could die at any moment, and a number of them did, which definitely contributed to the thriller feel this book had. Furthermore, because supercaving is not a field that I'm even remotely familiar with, it wasn't a non-fiction book where you know the outcome and are just reading for the details. I didn't even know going into this which of the two caves would turn out to be the deepest, so that also kept it very engaging.

I won't spoil it, even though you can probably easily find the answer, because I quite enjoyed reading this book without knowing, and I wouldn't want to take that away from anyone else.

I will say, though, that I find the human arrogance in this book a little weird, though. Specifically, the fact that it repeatedly talks about how finding the deepest cave will be the last great discovery on earth. And I just kinda go, really? How can anyone be confident in that assertion? Does anyone honestly think that we've learned everything there is to learn about this planet? Because seriously, I don't think so. There's plenty of ocean left to discover, we're still constantly finding new stuff in rain forests, and even these incredibly deep caves barely scratch the surface of the earth. We haven't come close to touching any of the stuff that's actually at the centre. So to say that there's nothing left to discover is simply preposterous.

Hell, even the absolute assertion that it's the deepest cave seems a little silly to me. It's often compared in this book to Everest, and for good reason, except that there is a difference between mountains and caves. I think it's safe to say that we have in fact explored enough of the earth's surface to know that we have found all the mountains, and Everest is the tallest. There are no more hiding around a corner, so until there are some major geological shifts, I'm confident in the assertion that Everest is the tallest mountain on this planet. One way that caves are different is that they're much less obvious from surface level. On the surface, a massively huge supercave can appear to be little more than a small hole in the ground. One of the caves discussed in this book is in fact just that. So I'm not sure we can necessarily declare that there aren't a few others kicking around that we simply haven't twisted our ankles in yet. I realize that certain conditions are generally required for a cave, and a supercave in particular, so that does theoretically narrow down the possible locations, but I just don't know that I'd be so confident in saying that the deepest one we know of at this time is absolutely and forever the deepest. Even the cave that didn't "win," so to speak, in this book, still has the possibility of being deeper. There's a proven water flow; the people simply haven't figured out how to follow it all the way. Maybe they never will, but maybe they will. Or maybe someone will find another one that goes even deeper.

In any case, like I said, the notion that we've now discovered the last big thing to discover on this planet is just so ridiculously arrogant to me, but it didn't take anything away from my enjoyment of the book.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 22, 2010 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first 3/5 of this book are devoted to Bill Stone, an American caver. and it is pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat stuff. The next fifth is about a Ukrainian caver. The switch in perspective totally switches gears and feels like you're starting over instead of going on. The final fifth is about both of them and their race to find the deepest cave but it never regains the momentum of the 1st 3/5th. This is a non-fiction book. It is about the quest to find the deepest cave in the world and the t...more

like · see review

Oct 09, 2012 Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, read-in-2012

As fascinated as I was by what these supercave explorers are capable of, the book didn't quite deliver. I read it in just a few sittings, so I feel strange giving it less than three stars, but there were many issues.

First, there were way too many reminders of how DEADLY AND DANGEROUS caving expeditions are. The events spoke for themselves. I didn't need the added reminders from the author. He included unnecessary punchlines elsewhere, too. For example:

"He wormed farther in and was digging out t...more

like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Bonnie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Seeing as how outdoor/adventure non-fiction is probably my favorite genre, this book was really disappointing. The 2 concurrent stories were not well integrated and the use of PAINFULLY cheesy language (e.g. "the kiss of depth" - because we're talking about deep caves, get it?!) throughout was annoying. Additionally, I'm not entirely ok with the abundant comparisons between the race to discover the deepest cave and other feats such as the first summit of Everest and the first people to reach the...more

like · see review

Aug 16, 2011 Ohenrypacey rated it 2 of 5 stars

An interesting subject nearly ruined by the writer's hyberbolic style. There was never a 'race' to find the world's deepest cave; what there was was a dedicated Ukrainian caving society exploring the world's deepest cave, and an intrepid megalomaniacal american caver trying to establish a mexican cave as the world's deepest (it's not even in the top 5) over the same 25 yr. period, whose story the author desperately wanted to tell.
Both stories were interesting, and a better writer would have fou...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 29, 2012 Alex rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: journalist-report

This book is about teams of cavers penetrating big caves. It reiterates that these people do scientific explorations. Another point of hyperbole is the repeatedly used phrases of "deepest place on Earth...toward the center of the Earth...less known than deepest ocean floors or the moon". What is the ground of such claims? What have they found out after caving for decades? No mention. What could be so mystery in limestone dissolved by water forming these caves? The book does not describe any rese...more

like · see review

Oct 02, 2010 terpkristin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, 2010, audiobook

This was an alright book. I was weary of reading it at first, since I've actually met one of the "super cavers" that this book is about a number of times (Bill Stone), and I find him to be an utter twat. I really didn't want to read a book that glorified this man in any way, shape, or form.

Sadly, this book did just that. Even though the cave that Stone was exploring is NOT the deepest cave in the world, more than 3/4 of the book was devoted to him. It may as well have been a biography of Stone,...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 23, 2013 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, non-fiction

This telling of several overlapping explorations for the world's deepest cave maps out all the adventure, science, competition, politics, motivations, role of egos, and determination of venturing into this subterranean realm. And this dark search requires a little more imagination since, while most of us have seen mountains, oceans and the moon, few of us have tunneled our way under the earth's surface. The book helps us get there and it is worth it. The writer's style was irritating at times wh...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2010 Lynn Pribus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very well written book about extreme (and I mean EXTREME) caving. Interesting that I've read a mystery by Nevada Barr with the same title -- hers set in New Mexico.

This one, however, is non-fiction and is sort of a mirror image of climbing extreme mountains. Short, brisk chapters (with detailed endnotes) often ending with some phrase to yank you into the next chapter. For instance: A tomb-sized slab of cave wall peeled off and fell on him. OR He would be racing to get there first. OR This was a...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 93 94 next »

Adventure

36 users

Science

30 users

Travel

19 users

Biography

11 users

Sports And Games > Sports

9 users

Environment > Nature

8 users

History

7 users

Science > Geology

6 users

Sports > Recreation

4 users

See top shelves...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Blind Descent: Th...

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth
avg rating	preview: Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth Goodreads rating: 3.56 (1302 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6913830-blind-descent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320405318l/6913830.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6913830-blind-descent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James M. Tabor[/url]

Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (9)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About James M. Tabor

Books by James M. Tabor

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Blind Descent: Th...