The Mammoth Book of Mountain Disasters: True Stories of Rescue from the Brink of Death

by Hamish MacInnes (Editor)

From the Appalachians to Mount Cook, from Peak Lenin to Siula Grande, the thirty-five gripping first-hand accounts of incredible rescues at the top of the world in this mammoth volume span five continents and feature an international cast of mountaineers, including Joe Simpson, Doug Scott, Pete Sinclair, Milos Vrbe, Paul Nunn, Ludwig Gramminger, Karen Glazely, Ken Phillips, Jamie Andrew, and Blaise Agresti. Compiled and edited by Hamish MacInnes, the Scottish mountaineering legend and pioneer in the field of mountain rescue, the collection includes work that has never before appeared in print—like the first draft of Joe Simpson's breathtaking tale of survival in the Peruvian Andes, "Touching the Void." Specially commissioned for this volume are the accounts of a dramatic rescue executed by the Search and Rescue Team in Grand Canyon National Park; of the most remote mission ever undertaken by a helicopter rescue team, in the winter of 2000, on Mount Ararat; and of Jamie Andrew's extraordinary, international newsmaking 1999 rescue from the Alps. Rescue attempts are the real-life stuff of drama and suspense. They thrust the players into an elemental struggle for survival. In equal measure, the adventures recounted in this collection will definitely shock and inspire.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mountaineering, Adventure

544 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2003

Reviews

[Marianne]

don't climb mountains

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do people climb mountains in the winter? All praise goes to the Mountain Rescue teams.

[April Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many in this collection are older stories, told by the individuals involved or by their rescuers. Not all are gripping writers, unfortunately. The best is Doug Scott's account of his climb on the Ogre. With two broken legs he climbs down from 23,000 feet, has to dig up the trash to eat when food runs out,and crawls on hands and knees over the rocky moraine of the glacier into base camp. He is carried to Askole by Baltu porters and loaded on a helicopter only to have the helicopter crash after rescue. Scott is a good story teller and a great climber.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the mountains and have always been fascinated by those who risk life and limb to climb them. This book is a look at some of the great failures in seeking their summits, as well as recounting natural disasters which befell those who were in harm's way. The majesty and power of these beautiful and often dangerous places will continue to haunt my imagination. If you feel the same pull, you may also find these accounts sad but very interesting.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers mountain rescues, both successful and not, from all over the world. There is a lot of learning to do in that countries around the world with extremely dangerous mountains. The book shows rescue efforts long before helicopter assitance was as available.

[Alex Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of mountain rescues, but somewhat patchy and repetitive. There are a few absolute gems in there, but rather focussed on historical rescues - I'd have preferred more current stories (from say the last decade) and more variety.