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Post by Lonewolf on Apr 24, 2016 13:42:27 GMT -8
one author as a mountaineer, and the other mountaineer I was only saying that one was a mountaineer by profession while the other was an author by profession. The 2 aren't mutually exclusive but the training and time spent on a mountain is vastly different.
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cajun
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GEAUX TIGERS!!
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Post by cajun on Apr 24, 2016 18:07:17 GMT -8
I have an extra pink wig you can borrow for the next Mardi Gras costume ball.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Apr 24, 2016 18:50:31 GMT -8
Never read Into the Wild. Neither did I. While we're on the subject, I didn't read the one where Aaron Ralston cut his arm off either.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 24, 2016 20:35:15 GMT -8
I didn't read the one where Aaron Ralston cut his arm off either. Me neither. Nor will I. Definitely not watching that movie.
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on Apr 24, 2016 20:54:00 GMT -8
(I'd like to go to Mardi Gras there some day, and do all kinds of things I'd regret. hehe) Only went once and it took less than 36 hours on the street to get into serious trouble with the police. It was a BLAST!Rumi PS: My only regret is that I wish I could have gone again while still young and stupid.
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on Apr 24, 2016 21:12:40 GMT -8
I read both books and think they were both great compelling reads. Jon Krakauer is a very good writer, IMO. Anytime an author writes about real events, there is bound to be at least a bit of controversy if not a lot. My take on Jon Krakauer's description of Anatoli Boukreev in Into Thin Air is that he was fairly even-handed. YMMV But it all comes down to this question: Who did Krakauer save??? Stupid question. Rumi
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amaruq
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Call me Little Spoon
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Post by amaruq on Apr 25, 2016 4:14:13 GMT -8
I picked up Into Thin Air earlier this year. I enjoyed it. Looking to pack Into The Wild along with me on a trip this summer. Never read Into the Wild. Neither did I. While we're on the subject, I didn't read the one where Aaron Ralston cut his arm off either. I read 127 Hours in a bookstore while waiting to catch a ride. Not actually that long of a book. The descriptions of what it was like to self-amputate are chilling (turns out it hurts to cut a bundle of nerves with a dull pocket knife). He makes no bones about getting himself into that mess.
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Apr 25, 2016 4:19:09 GMT -8
Which one has more dogs and guns?
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 25, 2016 7:56:19 GMT -8
Read both liked Into The Wild better.
If someone held a gun to my head and said I have to decide: A) Living off the land in Alaska B) climbing Everest
I'd choose A. What's stupider that or climbing past dead bodies knowing most people don't survive here without supplemental oxygen. And at any moment you could fall to your death, freeze to death, or get that one thing where you're lungs bleed you to death?
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Post by marmotstew on Apr 25, 2016 8:00:43 GMT -8
Which one has more dogs and guns? Into The Wild. Mcandless is a schizophrenic, bipolar, lunatic that raises a flock of wild dogs and guns to eat our babies.
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Apr 25, 2016 8:15:28 GMT -8
Into The Wild. Mcandless is a schizophrenic, bipolar, lunatic that raises a flock of wild dogs and guns to eat our babies. He raises baby-eating guns? That's a book for me!!!
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 25, 2016 8:34:25 GMT -8
If someone held a gun to my head and said I have to decide: A) Living off the land in Alaska B) climbing Everest I'd choose A. What's stupider that or climbing past dead bodies knowing most people don't survive here without supplemental oxygen. And at any moment you could fall to your death, freeze to death, or get that one thing where you're lungs bleed you to death? Well, sure, that's the choice I'd make for living. Doesn't necessarily mean it's the one I make for reading!
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johnnyray
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Argle-Bargle, Jiggery-Pokery, and Applesauce
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Post by johnnyray on Apr 25, 2016 9:00:48 GMT -8
I read both books back when they were fairly new, Chris McCandless made some poor choices, especially regarding food. My takeaway from Everest was that Krakaeur wondered if anyone belonged up there at all. If your summit climb requires you to leave trash all over the place, discarded equipment, oxygen bottles and literally sh** strewn all over, maybe some places are best left alone. It seemed as if Krakaeur felt he was in over his head. It was some time ago that I read them so I may not remember accurately. On the topic of Jon Krakauer has any one read "Three Cups Of Tea"? I believe Krakaeur wrote a book called "Three Cups Of Deceit" Any opinions about that? I read the original and had some questions about the story, never read Krakaeur's book though.
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tomas
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Post by tomas on Apr 25, 2016 10:36:37 GMT -8
I liked Into Thin Air because Krakauer did a great job in capturing the atmosphere of the climb and the ensuing disaster. He was an accomplished climber before that climb and wrote a book called Eiger Dreams where he describes his experiences. While controversy certainly remains about what happened and who is to blame for the Everest disaster, most of the climbers I have spoken to about that event place the blame on the whole guided climb concept and the dumbing down of skill sets of people trying to climb that beast.
On the flip side I hated Into the Wild because Krakauer got too close to McCandless and completely ignored the fact that the kid was mentally ill and unskilled. He romanticized McCandless' misadventures as skill (it was dumb luck and the kindness of strangers) and the theory of being poisoned is just a cop out for the stupid decisions that made the poor kid starve to death.
From my perspective Krakauer lost a lot of credibility with Into the Wild.
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Post by tipiwalter on Apr 25, 2016 11:31:23 GMT -8
The Everest guided climb concept is wildly out of control today and yet we're 20 years out from Rob Hall and Scott Fischer's grand failure. Things have gotten much worse, as evidenced by using sherpas by mostly Western clients to outsource the risk. Remember the recent 16 dead sherpas in an icefall avalanche? The sherpa community cancelled the season, and yet trip leaders like Russell Brice seemed to hem and haw about the no-climbing expedition.
I watched the TV show SHERPA recently and it portrayed Brice in an unfavorable light, in my opinion. As soon as the avalanche struck Brice should of stood tall and said, "We are finished climbing the mountain today. In honor of the dead Nepalese and their families I will be the first voice of reason here and agree wholeheartedly to cancel the rest of the climbing season. We will pack our toys and go home. See you next year".
Is this what he said? Oh no.
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