What do you think?
Rate this book
Surviving Logan
One mountaineer’s harrowing story of survival and recovery after being trapped on the second-highest peak in North America, Mount Logan in the Yukon Territory, during an extratropical cyclone.
In May of 2005, North Shore Rescue put together a 40th Anniversary Expedition to Mount Logan. The team was made up of seven men and one woman – all experienced mountaineers and search & rescue personnel. The trip up the mountain was relatively standard, marked by good weather.
But on May 25, 2005, their good fortune took a tragic turn. Three members of the team became trapped in an extratropical cyclone on Prospector’s Col – an exposed ridge on the mountain. With nothing more than a tent for shelter, they prepared to wait out the storm in winds gusting up to 140 km/h.
After 20 hours huddled in their tent in the high winds, the unthinkable happened when their shelter began to disintegrate. With little choice, the three men started to prepare for what they were trained survival. Don Jardine and Alex Snigurowicz prepared to dig a snow cave to take refuge in, and Bjarnason set about melting snow so they could rehydrate themselves. Suddenly their tent was ripped from its ice screws and blown over the edge of the mountain, just barely spitting Bjarnason out before it went.
Left with no gear beyond two sleeping bags, a sleeping pad, a pot lid and an ice axe, they knew they were in grave trouble. In addition, Bjarnason’s overmitts had blown off the mountain with the rest of their gear, exposing his hands to the elements.
Snigurowicz and Jardine went to dig the shelter, leaving Bjarnason on his own to weather the storm as best he could. “We will come back for you if we can,” they told him. Six hours later they did come back for him, only to find that his hands had frozen to the small rock he’d been using for shelter. Breaking his grip from the rock, the three retreated to their small snow cave to wait out the storm or die. Whichever came first.
The next morning, the storm passed. As the day wore on they were able to establish contact with their teammates above and below them, but with 3 feet of new snow and all of them suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite, there was no way they could retreat off the mountain.
Through the efforts of North Shore Rescue, the Alaskan Air Guard, Denali National Park and the Canadian Park Service, the three climbers were eventually airlifted off the mountain by a Lama high-altitude aircraft.
For Bjarnason, however, surviving Logan was only the beginning of the adventure. He soon learned he would lose all of his fingers and one of his thumbs, making his future as a firefighter and mountaineer unimaginable.
Amazingly, Bjarnason fought his way back. He retrained and requalified for his job as a firefighter, learning to adapt and use what was left of his hands in new ways. And a mere 13 months after being rescued off Mount Logan, he found himself in Russia, standing atop Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak. Not only had he reclaimed his career, he had been able to return to high-altitude climbing.
In May of 2005, North Shore Rescue put together a 40th Anniversary Expedition to Mount Logan. The team was made up of seven men and one woman – all experienced mountaineers and search & rescue personnel. The trip up the mountain was relatively standard, marked by good weather.
But on May 25, 2005, their good fortune took a tragic turn. Three members of the team became trapped in an extratropical cyclone on Prospector’s Col – an exposed ridge on the mountain. With nothing more than a tent for shelter, they prepared to wait out the storm in winds gusting up to 140 km/h.
After 20 hours huddled in their tent in the high winds, the unthinkable happened when their shelter began to disintegrate. With little choice, the three men started to prepare for what they were trained survival. Don Jardine and Alex Snigurowicz prepared to dig a snow cave to take refuge in, and Bjarnason set about melting snow so they could rehydrate themselves. Suddenly their tent was ripped from its ice screws and blown over the edge of the mountain, just barely spitting Bjarnason out before it went.
Left with no gear beyond two sleeping bags, a sleeping pad, a pot lid and an ice axe, they knew they were in grave trouble. In addition, Bjarnason’s overmitts had blown off the mountain with the rest of their gear, exposing his hands to the elements.
Snigurowicz and Jardine went to dig the shelter, leaving Bjarnason on his own to weather the storm as best he could. “We will come back for you if we can,” they told him. Six hours later they did come back for him, only to find that his hands had frozen to the small rock he’d been using for shelter. Breaking his grip from the rock, the three retreated to their small snow cave to wait out the storm or die. Whichever came first.
The next morning, the storm passed. As the day wore on they were able to establish contact with their teammates above and below them, but with 3 feet of new snow and all of them suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite, there was no way they could retreat off the mountain.
Through the efforts of North Shore Rescue, the Alaskan Air Guard, Denali National Park and the Canadian Park Service, the three climbers were eventually airlifted off the mountain by a Lama high-altitude aircraft.
For Bjarnason, however, surviving Logan was only the beginning of the adventure. He soon learned he would lose all of his fingers and one of his thumbs, making his future as a firefighter and mountaineer unimaginable.
Amazingly, Bjarnason fought his way back. He retrained and requalified for his job as a firefighter, learning to adapt and use what was left of his hands in new ways. And a mere 13 months after being rescued off Mount Logan, he found himself in Russia, standing atop Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak. Not only had he reclaimed his career, he had been able to return to high-altitude climbing.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2016
1 person is currently reading
355 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 9, 2017
This book is an incredible story. Once I got into this book I could not put it down. It is like sitting next to Erik Bjarnason as he tells his amazing tale of perseverance, determination and luck, good and bad.
December 22, 2016
Being an acquaintance of Erik's and hearing about this in the North Shore News I was really interested in reading this book and hearing about his experience as opposed to the media's version of his experience.
I found I was overwhelmed in moments reading Erik's accounting of his experience. I don't know how he did it and made it through this experience. I appreciated his honesty in recounting his low moments and can only imagine what that was like. I am happy he has a strong spirit and was able to move himself forward.
This book is well worth the read and even if this story wasn't true it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat while imagining the storm raging around you.
I found I was overwhelmed in moments reading Erik's accounting of his experience. I don't know how he did it and made it through this experience. I appreciated his honesty in recounting his low moments and can only imagine what that was like. I am happy he has a strong spirit and was able to move himself forward.
This book is well worth the read and even if this story wasn't true it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat while imagining the storm raging around you.
October 31, 2016
I picked up this book expecting to read a chapter or two before bed. Before I knew it it was 2 hours later and I had finished it.
The book is fast-paced without a lot of filler. If you're looking for a book to teach you about the world of mountain climbing this isn't the book. If you want to know about the Logan disaster and how Erik has come back from losing his fingers then please pick this up.
The book is fast-paced without a lot of filler. If you're looking for a book to teach you about the world of mountain climbing this isn't the book. If you want to know about the Logan disaster and how Erik has come back from losing his fingers then please pick this up.
October 23, 2016
Really enjoyed this quick read. It's incredible what the human can endure. Eric tells his story with amazing honesty!
February 21, 2017
It is awesome book I recommend every one to read this book.
May 25, 2018
A generally captivating story told in first person on the 2005 NSR anniversary trip to climb Mt Logan and the astonishingly quick and extreme turn of fortune they suffered. I read this all in a single late afternoon/early evening session and only felt like putting down the book to ponder the words and the predicament, placing myself in their shoes.
As a side note, some of the more personal/emotional parts did feel a little off to me. A couple of examples: the ex-wife trying her best to sabotage his relationship with his kids or the fire chief who tried his utmost to prevent him returning to work following his injuries. I'm not sure if there are some obvious motivations for this behaviour that the author has withheld or whether these are some exaggerations so that the mini-stories read better with a clear antagonist .
As a side note, some of the more personal/emotional parts did feel a little off to me. A couple of examples: the ex-wife trying her best to sabotage his relationship with his kids or the fire chief who tried his utmost to prevent him returning to work following his injuries. I'm not sure if there are some obvious motivations for this behaviour that the author has withheld or whether these are some exaggerations so that the mini-stories read better with a clear antagonist .
December 17, 2018
I picked this book up thinking I would be just reading it for about an hour, get bored, then pick it up the next day. I ended up finishing it the afternoon I picked it up. The author actually talks of his depression swings, and goes into detail about what he experienced unlike others who just kind of slide it off. He actually tells of how he almost lost hope, and the state of depression he went through. The high-low emotions portrayed really suck you into the story. I also feel like some of the side stories could be excluded or expanded on, like the wife trying to sabotage his relationship with his kids. But overall, a inspiring read of courage, hope, and a get-back-on-your-feet attitude.
February 6, 2018
A quick, fascinating read. Erik's story quickly sucks you in, and like the rest of the reviewers I found that I couldn't put the book down. Obviously I knew he'd survive his experience (since he'd written the book and all), but I found myself eager to find out exactly how they worked themselves out of the predicament. A really interesting, fast paced story that anyone can appreciate.
Note: I received a free SIGNED copy of this book as a Goodreads Giveaway! All opinions expressed above are my own!
Note: I received a free SIGNED copy of this book as a Goodreads Giveaway! All opinions expressed above are my own!
March 9, 2019
I always wonder what motivates mountain climbers... leaving their families at home while they face harsh, extreme conditions, coming so close to the edge of death, then doing it again. That is at least partially answered for me by this first person account of beating the odds and surviving on a temperamental and treacherous mountain range in Canada when many would have given up.
The first part seemed a bit slow, but the story picked up as the climb of Logan began, and I read the entire story in two sittings.
The first part seemed a bit slow, but the story picked up as the climb of Logan began, and I read the entire story in two sittings.
February 6, 2024
2005, Erik and his team climbed Mount Logan, but were trapped in a cyclone. Three of them suffered hypothermia and severe frost bites and almost lost their lives.
“Eric did a great job describing what they went through.
I wonder how his climb to Everest went or if he ever climbed it”.
41/2 star
“Eric did a great job describing what they went through.
I wonder how his climb to Everest went or if he ever climbed it”.
41/2 star
May 29, 2019
A fast paced account of how life can change in a day
This quick paced retelling of an expedition gone wrong gives an insight into the mind of someone near death and experiencing disaster.
I appreciated the candor, even though it didn't always reflect well on the author.
This quick paced retelling of an expedition gone wrong gives an insight into the mind of someone near death and experiencing disaster.
I appreciated the candor, even though it didn't always reflect well on the author.
February 22, 2021
Read it in two days - found it hard to out down! Not only does the author survive conditions against all odds, he finds a way to return to the work he loves and the climbing that has become a part of him. An inspirational and encouraging story about overcoming adversity.
May 30, 2017
A good mountaineering survival story from a Canadian mountainman. The story was a quick and easy read that kept me engaged throughout.
January 13, 2018
A page turner. Nice to have read 2 North Van authors in the past couple weeks!
September 13, 2018
Great book! Very interesting! Especially because I am also an emergency service worker.
January 6, 2021
One of the best books I read so far! Fully recommending this book to everyone who loves adventure, mountains, pushing limits.
April 21, 2017
Story of perseverance both during the stranding on Mt Logan and afterwards during the author's recovery. May have enjoyed the book more without the sense of scorn placed on a few of the people in the book. Also I personally would have appreciated more in-depth into the activity on Mount Logan before the storm ( the climbing, setting up camps, waiting around acclimatizing). Some of this extra material may seem to be dull at first, but I think a better sense of the scale of the mountain (even a map of the mountain which was glaringly overlooked?) would help give the reader a better sense of the isolation on Prospector Col.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews