Into Thin Air Introduction Pick up your composition book from the front of the room Turn to your next blank page and write across the entire page the title “Into Thin Air Journal” Turn the page and title it, Journal #1 Journal #1: Have you ever risked your like for an adventure or a thrill? If so, what did you do and why? If not, why do you think other people do?

Climbing Everest

The Himalayas - The Himalayas -A long and tall mountain range, Mt. Everest is the highest point. -The Himalayas cross five countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Pakistan. -Almost 2,500 kilometers from East to West -Highest snowbound, dense temperate forests.

-Peaks are sacred in both Buddhism and Hinduism. -The Himalayas are home to millions of people and hundreds of unique animal species. -It is also a region of fascinating cultural and spiritual heritage, where millions of people from diverse cultures and regions live. Hallowed Ground

With an altitude of 29,028 feet, Mount Everest is the highest peak on earth. Death Zone Mountain climbers call the region above 26,000 feet the Death Zone because the air is too thin for humans. At that altitude, brain cells die, the blood grows thick, the heart speeds up, and the brain can swell – leading to death. Mt. Everest Facts

Elevation and Climate  Everest is 29,035 feet tall  During January its coldest is -33 ℉ and can get up to 10 feet of snow on the summit.  In July the warmest temp is -2 ℉ on the summit  Summit never rises above freezing  Wind can reach up to 50mph

Conquering The Summit In spite of these risks, reaching the top of Everest has become a status symbol. – By the 1990s, even people with little experience and poor physical conditioning were climbing Everest.

Training needed to climb Everest Cardiovascular exercises such as biking, swimming, and running (between minutes, five times a week) Lifting weights to prevent muscle fatigue and hiking outdoor trails with added weight on your back for 3 hours. Having previous experience with rope skills and climbing glaciers. Preparing mentally by visualizing the climb Going rock climbing

Costs to climb Everest ● The average company cost $48,000 on the south side and $37,000 on the north side. ● When on climbing on your own you have to get a permit that costs $11,000. ● Oxygen and Sherpa cost for climbing Everest would cost from $3,440-$11,880. ● Extra supplies needed for the climb would cost from $9,650-$34,400.

Climbing Gear -Footwear: Climbing boots, hiking boots, running shoes, 5 different types of socks -Clothing: long sleeve shirts, underwear (long), synthetic jacket and pants (waterproof), wind shirts -Head and Hand gear: Fleece gloves, insulated climbing gloves, fleece hat, face mask (balaclava) -Accessories: Ski goggles, head lamp with spare bulb and batteries -Climbing equipment: Ice axe, crampons, harness (and carabineer), rappel device, ascenders -Camping gear: backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, water bottles, eating utensils -Medical & Personal: first-aid kit water purification tablets, ear plugs -Travel items: expedition duffel bag, nylon stuff sacks, small travel bag

Then and now.

What are Sherpas? ● Sherpa means “East People” ● They are from the Eastern part of Nepal in the Khumbu-Valley, the national park surrounding Everest. ● The Sherpas live at high altitudes for generations, so they have developed a genetic natural allowance for it. They are a culture of elite mountaineers, so they serve as guides at extreme altitude peaks. ● They are paid to do things such as prepare the route for foreign climbers to follow, fix ropes in place, and carry the necessary climbing kit up the mountain.

Sherpa as a surname appears to be the result of the Nepalese government census takers writing the word on census forms in the space for last name. In addition to Buddha and the great Buddhist divinities, the Sherpa also believe in numerous deities and demons who inhabit every mountain, cave, and forest. Many of the great Himalayan mountains are considered sacred. The Sherpas call Mount Everest Chomolungma and respect it as the "Mother of the World." The Sherpa

 Born January 14, 1961  Grew up in New Zealand  Hall began climbing in the Himalayas at age nineteen, and successfully climbed the highest mountain in each of the seven continents within a period of seven months. After that feat, Hall decides that his future is in guiding, and brings a record number of clients to the summit of Everest. All of the clients like and respect Hall, and during the ascent he comes to the assistance of a number of climbers. Rob Hall

Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer is a journalist hired by Outside magazine to write about the trend of unskilled climbers buying their way onto Everest. The story opens up with Krakauer on top of the mountain and the hardest part still to come. “Any idiot can get up this hill. The trick is to get back down alive.”

Themes Commercialism on Everest Krakauer is hired to report on the commercialism on Everest, but the business he encounters there is beyond what he imagined. The commercialism manifests itself in a number of ways: the tourist revenue collected by Nepal and Tibet, the ungodly amounts of money the guiding services charge each of the clients, the competition among Sherpas to get hired by the guiding services, the competition between guide services for media attention and the broadcast of information and images throughout climbing expeditions. Trust Among Teammates Krakauer specifies early on how important it is to be able to trust one's teammates: "In climbing, having confidence in your partners is no small concern. One climber's actions can affect the welfare of the entire team" (47). On this expedition, Krakauer climbs primarily with strangers and he is uncomfortable putting his life in the hands of people whose presence on the mountain is not necessarily a tribute to their climbing skills. Questions that Cannot be Answered Krakauer spends long chapters giving his best, most educated guesses about why climbers made certain decisions, and what happened to the people

Motif Solitude and Self-Reliance Despite the importance of trusting one's teammates, Krakauer comes to the realization that in fact, each climber is there for him or herself, and that it is possible for one climber to trust another too much. Arrogance: believing that nature can be tamed Avalanches and storms strike without warning, and no matter how competent a guide is, he or she cannot avoid these pitfalls. Believing that one has all aspects of summating Everest under control is detrimental to any climb; one cannot afford to lose any acuity or sense of the enormity of the risk. Drive and Overdrive Drive and dedication are essential to prevail over the conditions, difficulty of the climb and the misery that one must undergo when climbing Everest

Word Choice Writers use language to express their thoughts and feelings. To do this well, they must choose exactly the right words. In one passage, Jon Krakauer describes a delay that occurred as he was climbing down Everest with a low oxygen supply: – “I encountered a clot of climbers chuffing up the single strand of rope.” The word clot can also mean a lump that stops blood flow. By choosing this word, Krakauer shows that there’s a major obstacle in the way of him getting down, and that he is feeling that he is in danger.

A Writer’s Motives Many different motives, or reasons, make people want to write. Possible motives for writers of eyewitness accounts include: – To record the facts for history – To analyze mistakes in order to prevent future problems – To explain their own behavior – To explain the behavior of others

A Writer’s Motives When choosing which events and people to include in their accounts, writers must pick what ideas will best serve the purpose of the story. For example, Krakauer writes about a blinded climber’s response when he offers help: – “’Thanks anyway,’ Beck said. ‘I think I’ll just wait for Mike. He’s got a rope.’” Krakauer includes that part to explain why he left Beck alone on the mountain – which was something that left Beck’s life in danger.