Into Thin Air Introduction Pick up 3 lined sheets and 1 blue sheet from the front table. Fold your sheets over to make a booklet with the blue sheet as a cover. Place 3 staples along the edge. The cover should have the title “Into Thin Air Journal” and your name on it. Journal #1: Mountain climbing is dangerous and physically demanding. Why do you think climbers do it? What do you think they get out of it? In your opinion, is it worth the effort?

Everest

With an altitude of 29,029 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 your lungs and brain can swell causing HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) or HACE (high altitude cerebral edema), and ultimately leading to death. Everest

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.

Elevation and Climate  Everest is 29,029 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

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 (Nepal) and $37,000 on the north side (Tibet). ● 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.

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. - Mount Everest is bordered by Nepal and Tibet (a region in China) -Almost 2,500 kilometers from East to West -Highest snowbound, dense temperate forests.

-Peaks are sacred in both Buddhism and Hinduism. - The Nepalese refer to Mount Everest as Sagarmatha, goddess of the sky, and respect it as the "Mother of the World.” They leave offerings to her on alters called chortems. -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

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. The Sherpa

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, getting down safely. “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.

ItemItem RankingNASA's Reasoning Box of matches15 Virtually worthless -- there's no oxygen on the moon to sustain combustion Food concentrate4Efficient means of supplying energy requirements 50 feet of nylon rope6Useful in scaling cliffs and tying injured together Parachute silk8Protection from the sun's rays Portable heating unit13Not needed unless on the dark side Two.45 caliber pistols11Possible means of self-propulsion One case of dehydrated milk12Bulkier duplication of food concentrate Two 100 lb. tanks of1 Most pressing survival need (weight is not a factor since gravity is one-sixth of the Earth's -- each tank would weigh only about 17 lbs. on the moon) Stellar map3 Primary means of navigation - star patterns appear essentially identical on the moon as on Earth Self-inflating life raft9CO 2 bottle in military raft may be used for propulsion Magnetic compass14 The magnetic field on the moon is not polarized, so it's worthless for navigation 5 gallons of water2 Needed for replacement of tremendous liquid loss on the light side Signal flares10Use as distress signal when the mothership is sighted First aid kit, including injection needle7 Needles connected to vials of vitamins, medicines, etc. will fit special aperture in NASA space suit Solar-powered FM receiver-transmitter 5 For communication with mother ship (but FM requires line-of-sight transmission and can only be used over short ranges) Scoring: For each item, mark the number of points that your score differs from the NASA ranking, then add up all the points. Disregard plus or minus differences. The lower the total, the better your score excellent good average fair poor – Suggests use of Earth-bound logic very poor – You’re one of the casualties of the space program!

Plane Crash Survival Simulation

Scenario: You and your companions have just survived the crash of a small plane. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash. It is mid- January, and you are in Northern Canada. The daily temperature is 25 below zero, and the night time temperature is 40 below zero. There is snow on the ground, and the countryside is wooded with several creeks crisscrossing the area. The nearest town is 20 miles away, but you don’t know which direction. You are all dressed in city clothes appropriate for a business meeting.

Scoring : As you see the ranking for each item, record the score for each item in your top five picks. The ranking number is the score. The group with the lowest score survives (and WINS), but the group(s) with the highest score(s) succumb to the winter conditions (frostbite and hypothermia – the body’s core temperature falls and your system starts to shut down)

Rankin g ItemReasoning 1Cigarette lighter (without fluid) The gravest danger facing the group is exposure to cold. The greatest need is for a source of warmth and the second greatest need is for signaling devices. This makes building a fire the first order of business. Without matches, something is needed to produce sparks, and even without fluid, a cigarette lighter can do that. 2Ball of steel wool To make a fire, the survivors need a means of catching he sparks made by the cigarette lighter. This is the best substance for catching a spark and supporting a flame, even if the steel wool is a little wet. 3Extra shirt and pants for each survivor Besides adding warmth to the body, clothes can also be used for shelter, signaling, bedding, bandages, string (when unraveled), and fuel for the fire. 4Can of Crisco shortening This has many uses. A mirror-like signaling device can be made from the lid. After shining the lid with steel wool, it will reflect sunlight and generate 5 to 7 million candlepower. This is bright enough to be seen beyond the horizon. While this could be limited somewhat by the trees, a member of the group could climb a tree and use the mirrored lid to signal search planes. If they had no other means of signaling than this, they would have a better than 80% chance of being rescued within the first day. There are other uses for this item. It can be rubbed on exposed skin for protection against the cold. When melted into an oil, the shortening is helpful as fuel. When soaked into a piece of cloth, melted shortening will act like a candle. The empty can is useful in melting snow for drinking water. It is much safer to drink warmed water than to eat snow, since warm water will help retain body heat. Water is important because dehydration will affect decision-making. The can is also useful as a cup.

Rankin g ItemReasoning 520 x 20 foot piece of canvas The cold makes shelter necessary, and canvas would protect against wind and snow (canvas is used in making tents). Spread on a frame made of trees, it could be used as a tent or a wind screen. It might also be used as a ground cover to keep the survivors dry. It’s shape, when contrasted with the surrounding terrain, makes it a signaling device. 6Small ax Survivors need a constant supply of wood in order to maintain the fire. The ax could be used for this as well as for clearing a sheltered campsite, cutting tree branches for ground insulation, and constructing a frame for the canvas tent. 7Family size chocolate bars (one per person) Chocolate will provide some food energy. Since it contains mostly carbohydrates, it supplies the energy without making digestive demands on the body. 8Newspapers (one per person) These are useful in starting a fire. They can also be used as insulation under clothing when rolled up and placed around a person’s arms and legs. A newspaper can also be used as a verbal signaling device when rolled up in a megaphone-shape. It could also provide reading material for recreation.

Rankin g ItemReasoning 9Loaded.45- caliber pistol The pistol provides a sound-signaling device. (The international distress signal is 3 shots fired in rapid succession). There have been numerous cases of survivors going undetected because they were too weak to make a loud enough noise to attract attention. The butt of the pistol could be used as a hammer, and the powder from the shells will assist in fire building. By placing a small bit of cloth in a cartridge emptied of its bullet, one can start a fire by firing the gun at dry wood on the ground. The pistol also has some serious disadvantages. Anger, frustration, impatience, irritability, and lapses of rationality may increase as the group awaits rescue. The availability of a lethal weapon is a danger to the group under these conditions. Although a pistol could be used in hunting, it would take an expert marksman to kill an animal with it. Then the animal would have to be transported to the crash site, which could prove difficult to impossible depending on its size. 10Quart of 100 proof whiskey The only uses of whiskey are as an aid in fire building and as a fuel for a torch (made by soaking a piece of clothing in the whiskey and attaching it to a tree branch). The empty bottle could be used for storing water. The danger of whiskey is that someone might drink it, thinking it would bring warmth. Alcohol takes on the temperature it is exposed to, and a drink of minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit whiskey would freeze a person’s esophagus and stomach. Alcohol also dilates the blood vessels in the skin, resulting in chilled blood belong carried back to the heart, resulting in a rapid loss of body heat. Thus, a drunk person is more likely to get hypothermia than a sober person is.

Rankin g ItemReasoning 11Compass Because a compass might encourage someone to try to walk to the nearest town, it is a dangerous item. It’s only redeeming feature is that it could be used as a reflector of sunlight (due to its glass top). 12Sectional air map made of plastic This is also among the least desirable of the items because it will encourage individuals to try to walk to the nearest town. It’s only useful feature is as a ground cover to keep someone dry. Add up your total group score. Did your group choose wisely? Will you survive or succumb to the winter conditions?