Legs On Everest : The Full Story Of His Most Remarkable Adventure Yet

by Mark Inglis

On 15 May 2006 double amputee Mark Inglis fulfilled a childhood ambition: to stand on the summit of the highest mountain in the world. Legs on Everest follows Mark's preparation for the Everest attempt, including climbing Cho Oyu in the Himalayas, and the build-up to the summit push. It shows that reaching the top of Everest is only half the journey - you have to get back down alive.
Here at last is the full story of Mark' Everest expedition - a story of determination, pain, controversy and overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles, both physical and psychological. It's full of gripping detail, providing a fascinating insight into the world of extreme mountaineering straight from the heart of one of New Zealand's most incredible personalities. It's also humourous, deeply moving, enlightening and entertaining.

Genres: Nonfiction, Outdoors, Mountaineering

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Mark Joseph Inglis is a mountaineer, researcher, winemaker, and motivational speaker. He is also a cyclist and, as a double leg amputee, won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.

Reviews

[James Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

An incredible true story about a New Zealand climber who had both legs amputated during a previous climb where he was stuck in a cave and got extreme frostbite, now he attempts to climb the tallest mountain in the word with carbon prosthetic legs.

Great for Mark for doing this, I understand we should not let past turmoils influence the way we live and continue on with our lives. But in my opinion, which was confirmed a few times while reading this book, climbing the tallest mountain in the world is the white man proving he has conquered nature. The local Nepalese sherpas who live at astronomically high elevations seem to not care at all about reaching this peak, but see it more as part of a livelihood so they can make money and feed their families.

So the locals take British, Australian, Austrian, New Zealanders, and Americans up this mountain for absolutely high costs, so affluent mostly caucasian men can give nature the middle finger in a sense.

I am glad that Mark has not let his situation deter him from doing what he loves, but I am not one who is impressed by people spending massive amounts of money and years of training to climb a mountain for themselves. Make the world a better place by donating all that money to a charity.

It was not mentioned too much in the book, but the amount of trash and rubbish left on the mountain is ridiculous. There are now NGOs and other groups whose responsibility is literally to climb mountain Everest, Annapurna and others to clean the trash and gear left by the affluent hikers who treat the place like a dumpster because there only goal is to get to the top no matter the cost.

So while I support Mark and I am inspired by him (if I was ever injured I would certainly try to continue running, cycling and snowboarding), I am definitely not impressed with the extreme climbing culture or what they stand for.

[Viktoria Neborikina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я ніколи не піднімалась у гори, тому навіть уявити не можу як там себе почуваєш. Марк здається мені героєм, такий собі iron man. Коли не тільки яйця сталеві, але й терпіння, впертісь, а ще ноги. Мозок постійно сіпався від думки "як взагалі таке можливо?" до "оце мужик дає!"

Усі складнощі та незруності підйому на таку вершину, як Еверест. Тренування перед сходженням, підкорення менших вершин. Акліматизація, отруєння та переохолодження. І це ще не всі небезпеки, які можуть чатувати тебе на підйомі. А коли ти без ніг - множ все на два.

"Еверест — надзвичайно складне місце для того, щоб вижити, коли навіть одна найменша дрібничка піде не так; настільки, що його важко описати, якщо у вас немає тієї пристрасті та витримки, щоб піднятися туди й відчути все на собі. Можливо, нам потрібні «симулятори Евересту», щоб дозволити людям (я міг би запропонувати кілька імен) відчути ці умови, щоб вони могли все зрозуміти?"

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book for my father for Christmas two years ago (then he lent it to someone and lost it!) So I have been looking forward to reading it for some time. Mark Inglis is a double amputee who has achieved a great deal in his life with and without legs. Standing on the top of any mountain is an achievement let alone the highest and coldest without legs.....

Unfortunately this book is a huge disappointment the writing is poor, full of boorish blokey rubbish. Very short on description and sparse explanation about how and why. More discussion around important detail and aspects of an Everest expedition is needed - I do not want to hear about when he had a beer where. Perhaps a ghost writer could have been a good idea.

It improves slightly towards the end, at the real heart of things but still you are left wanting more especially around technical aspects of the climb. During his climb another climber David Sharp died, and here in New Zealand there was a real media circus around the whole scenario. Mark is rightly critical of his treatment and the lack of understanding portrayed by journalists simply looking for a sound bite. Had the execution of this book been better I may have gained the insight required to really have an informed opinion. I am sure he is a great guy but he has done himself no favours with this book.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The diary format makes this probably my least favourite book about Everest. Way too much focus placed on getting drunk and 1am cans of beer - I want to hear about the climb!

And as much as I suspect the book was a part of some support agreement and so had to come out ASAP on his return home, editing the diary format and extending the aftermath would have been good - some more time on the recovery from surgery, the longer-term impact of the criticism of the party passing the dying Briton (who from Mark's description at midnight was already looking pretty close to dead), that sort of thing.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The guy has the right last name and everything. He's a double-amputee who summits Everest. Written in diary form, it's interesting but not the best Everest book. The meatiest bit is at the end, when you discover - if you'd forgotten, as I had - that this guy and his sherpa climbing partner were among the 40 climbers who walked past David Sharp, who was suffering from hypothermia at roughly 28,000 feet. Inglis - and others on the peak that day - were roundly criticized in the press, including by Sir Edmund Hillary, for not stopping their own summmit attempts to help a man in distress. I'm undecided on what I think of their actions - and not sure at all what I'd do in that situation. But I would have liked a more specific explanation of why he did what he did, and what he thinks of it now.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Автору би вартувало найняти письменника, який би оформив його щоденник у щось більш «читабельне».
Сподобалось:
- цікавий погляд на альпінізм зсередини.
Не сподобалось:
- мова написання убога;
- місцями багато зайвих деталей, місцями повна їхня відсутність;
- характер автора. Можливо, це не зовсім справедлива критика, але зі сторінок книжки до мене говорив сильний чоловік, якого не зламала ампутація, але і чоловік зверхній, зневажливий до інших культур і просто максимально негативний.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read. Read in 1 sitting. Chn are now enjoying it.