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Lisa and Nick discuss Oscar's secret release on October 19, and The Appeal

#BreakingNews #OscarPistorius released from prison to house arrest. Survey: RT if you think unfair/got away w/ murder; fave if agree.

— Darren Kavinoky (@DarrenKavinoky) October 19, 2015

NEVEREST Book Review: Demystifying Everest, One Step at a Time - By Lisa Wilson

You don’t have to be a mountain climber to know or appreciate the story of Everest.  There have been countless books and movies released over the years about the tragedy of 1996. Yet, to this day, there’s not one set of facts that everybody can agree on.  So why do we need another book, and why is Nick van der Leek qualified to tell this story?

I’ve been writing about true crime with Nick for over a year and one thing we’ve come to know with absolute certainty is there’s always an underlying pattern of human behavior, regardless of the story.  Paying attention to that behavior, one can find a bounty of answers at the end of the sometimes grisly yellow brick road.  Everest, although not true crime, is certainly no different in that respect.  So, how exactly does one go about making sense of the numerous conflicting stories?

Nick’s clever solution to this dilemma is to turn the mountain into a crime scene; get to know the climbers and interrogate their accounts and motivations.   Then there’s the physical scene.  Can the mountain itself prove or disprove some of the claims?  

Also, not to be over-looked, is Nick’s own expedition climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.   Pieces of his equally entertaining and relevant personal story are weaved into the core of this narrative reinforcing his credibility.  The reader will likely appreciate having an experienced tri-athlete at the helm of this investigation.

The interrogation into Everest, much like climbing a mountain, is done in a series of steps.  We start at base camp and methodically move towards the imposing summit.  Each step begins with an anecdote providing the reader with some context and shall we say, ambiance, for the chapters ahead. 

The anecdotes themselves are rich with unexpected information.   I found myself engaged for hours clicking through the multiple links embedded in the book.   I was grateful to learn the back-stories of many of those involved to give perspective to their decisions made on that fateful day.

This isn’t a one-sided story that identifies heroes and villains nor is it a story about tip-toeing around the unflattering truth.  Nick wasn’t on the mountain on May 10, 1996, unlike Jon Krakauer, Anatoli Boukreev or Lou Kasischke, among others, who were there that day and published their memoirs.  This is an objective take on a complicated story, and although Nick is not bashful about sharing his own opinions, it’s clear his intention is for the reader to form their own education opinion.

NEVEREST isn’t just another book about what went wrong on the mountain.  It’s a narrative that will enrich you with the gifts of history and humanity.   What makes the narrative so special and gripping is its ability to put the reader on the face of the mountain, in the middle of the storm.  We can vividly imagine ourselves as Hall or Fischer, and the reality of their circumstances will no doubt leave you numb. 

We’d all like to believe in the midst of a crisis we’d help others in their desperate time of need.  But, what do we do when our own lives are also at stake?  Would we give up our lives to save another, possibly a stranger?  Who would we have helped that day on that mountain?  And in the end, would we be strong enough to tell the truth?  These are some of the unavoidable and painful questions you’ll be faced with when you read NEVEREST.  There’s no better way to grasp the enormity of this story then to do it from this harrowing 360˚ view.

NEVEREST is available at Amazon.com at this link 

Free Kindle App downloadable here.

NEVEREST Authors discuss some of the thinking that went into the narrative

NEVEREST Archive: Mountain Madness Schedule, March 23 - May 20, 1996

PROGRAM

March 23, 1996	Departure on Thai Air for Kathmandu, Nepal.
March 24-27	Climbing team arrives. We will meet at Hotel Manang in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. Our local agent, P.B. Thapa, will take care of the last details. The expedition members meet our high-altitude Sherpas. Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa is the sirdar, leader of the climbing Sherpas.
March 28-30	Helicopter to Lukla (9,200 ft/2,800 m). We rest three days in Namche to acclimatize. Team up with our Base Camp crew and porters. Control luggage and gear.
March 31	To arrive on foot to the home of the Sherpas is like gaining insight into how it must have been for the Jews to arrive in the Holy Land. —Mike Thompson, anthropologist and mountaineer We start trekking toward Everest Base Camp. In about a week's time we'll have to gain 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) of altitude from Namche. First day, we'll traverse the mountainside along the Dudh Kosi valley, cross the river and ascend through pine, fir and rhododendron forest, to Tengboche (12,700 ft/3,870 m), where we'll camp next to Tengboche Monastery.
April 1	From Tengboche we cross the river Imja Khola, trekking up to Pheriche (14,000 ft/4,270 m) and the Himalayan Rescue Association's Trekkers Aid Post.
April 2	Resting day in Pheriche. An easy trip to Dingboche to improve acclimatization. Great views of Ama Dablam and the Nuptse-Lhotse Face.
April 3	From Pheriche the trail climbs steeply to the end moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and follows it to Lobuche (16,170 ft/4,930 m). From Lobuche we see Everest's South Wall and most of the West Ridge route.
April 4	We proceed to the two shepherds' shelters in Gorak Shep (16,958 ft/5,170 m) and establish camp at the base of Kala Pattar. Views of Pumori, Nuptse and Everest. Our route follows the Khumbu Glacier, on the moraine as on the glacier itself.
April 5	Early rise to scramble up Kala Pattar (18,443 ft/5,554 m). From the top are the best photo options of Mount Everest. We descend this famous outlook and make our way to Everest Base Camp, following yak trails through the labyrinth of the Khumbu Glacier.
April 6-26	We arrive at Everest Base Camp (17,600 ft/ 5,364 m) and make ourselves at home on the glacier under the notorious Khumbu Icefall, taking sufficient time to acclimatize. We climb the Icefall, establish Camps I and II in the Western Cwm, climb the Lhotse Face and establish camp at the exposed Camp III. Sleep a couple of nights in Camp III (24,000 ft/ 7,315 m) to maximize acclimatization.
April 27-30	With the entire team in super condition, we return to Base Camp. Rest will be our main priority. Trekkers support team visits. We eat, rest and make final preparations for the summit bid.
May 1-4	Ready for the summit bid, we climb directly to Camp II. Rest day. Camps III and IV. Those who are fit climb to Camp IV in South Col (26,000 ft/7,925 m). Going for the summit.
May 5-7	We climb in the footsteps of the legends of climbing history. The ultimate goal of mountaineering transforms into reality. We summit Mount Everest (29,028 ft/8,848 m)!
May 8	After descending from the summit, we return to Base Camp and prepare for the trek out.
May 15-20	We fly out of Syangboche by helicopter when our yaks arrive with the expedition gear.
May 17-20	Stay at high-class Hotel Yak & Yeti. Party! And good-bye.