”It is natural in any sport to seek ever-greater challenges; what is to be made of a sport in which to do so also means taking ever-greater risks? Should a civilized society continue to condone, much less celebrate, an activity in which there appears to be a growing acceptance of death as a likely outcome?”

As a casual climber of tall things, I often turn around. And while I frequently feel disappointed about a thwarted attempt to reach a goal, I’ve never regretted these choices. Many of the mythical figures of climbing and mountaineering are touted as being fearless, intrepid, unwilling to turn back, even in the face of imminent peril or death. Many of these same figures perish on the pursuits that have made them famous. Krakauer is a writer I have long respected. For his talent, of course, but primarily for his unflinching honesty, his resistance to over-romanticizing stories of outdoor adventure, and his signature dry humor. From alpinists to ice climbers, glacier flying bush pilots to boulderers, canyoneers to paragliders, Eiger Dreams touches on it all with crisp wit, directness, and a touch of mountain madness.

A collection of magazine essays from 1982 to 1989, plus one original, all new to me and all worth reading. Even if a couple are pretty grim. They hold up well, 30+ years on. Highly recommended: 4+ stars.

Krakauer is an amazingly good storyteller. I hadn’t realized that he caught the mountaineering bug after college, scaling back after he had some scary near-misses, saw some friends die, and got married. An insanely risky sport! But fun (mostly) to read about.

Highlights & quotes:
Here's legendary mountaineer Yvon Chouinard, in poorer days, before he started Patagonia: “In relatively flush times, Chouinard recalls, “we’d splurge and buy damaged cans of cat food. We’d get them for a dime apiece, and stock up for the entire summer.” Lest anyone get the wrong impression, Chouinard is quick to add that “it was the fancy kind of cat food, the tuna flavored stuff.”

“On Being Tentbound.”
“The driest way to sleep was to remove all of his wet clothing, wedge himself as best he could into his clammy but somewhat waterproof backpack (trying to ignore the fact that it was awash with the remnants of soggy Fig Newtons), pull a rain parka on over that, and only then slither into his wringing-wet sleeping bag. “Night after night,” he remembers, “I’d have this delirious, half-conscious dream that I’d be hiking down the glacier and come upon a warm, dry cabin. Just as I’d start to open the door I would always wake up, shivering uncontrollably, wet and sticky with Fig Newton crumbs.”

“The Burgess Boys.” Two Yorkshire lads who’d lived for years with no visible means of support, between climbing trips to Europe and the Himalayas. One of them even married into the Denver social register! “When I asked Lorna what she thought of having a husband who was absent four or five months of every year, she admitted she’d been “really miserable for the first couple of years, but now I kind of like it; I like the pattern of coming and going, the way it keeps the relationship from getting stale…. Adrian being gone isn’t nearly as bad as the way these goddamn expeditions monopolize the household when he’s getting ready to go.”

“Eiger Dreams.” Krakauer and a young partner take on the North Face in Winter. Final score: Eiger 3, climbers 0. “By God, I had survived! I sat down in the snow and began to laugh.”

David's review is the best I saw here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I first read this book Oct 26, 2013. Following is my review.
This book has exciting stories of mountain/rock climbers all over the world. The first few had me on the edge of my seat. After that, however, the stories got old.

The second time was Oct.20, 2017. Following is my review.
The men and women in these short stories are ADDICTED to mountain climbing. Each story is about somebody’s insane desire to climb a mountain and the lengths they are willing to go to in order to achieve that dream. Each of them spends time in imminent danger of death. It is exciting and educational to read about their stories. I, personally wouldn’t have minded if there were only half as many stories, however. I didn’t like reading on and on about so many scrapes with ice, winds and death. I did learn interesting things about some of the biggest mountains in the world, though, which was nice.

kroz 12 priča, krakauer je u svojem ležernom stilu ispričao mnoštvo manje poznatih detalja i informacija o outdoors aktivnostima. dok većina, vjerojatno, zna da su hillary i tenzing prvi ljudi na everestu i da postoji neka visoka planina koja se zove K2, ovo je zbirka krakauerovih dogodovština i susreta s ljudima koje su manje poznate i od kojih će ljubiteljima planina i ekstremnih doživljaja rasti zazubice. odstupa od klasičnih putopisa i daje pogled "iznutra", npr. kako je boraviti u šatoru dok traje mećava pet dana i čime da se čovjek okupira na 2x2 m prostora a da ne izgubi razum.
duhovito, britko, lucidno i informativno.

Love Krakauer. These essays are somewhat dated, but still interesting and delivered in his inimitable style. The was the last book fo his I had not already read, and while it ranks near the bottom as far as favorites because of the datedness and form, I'm glad I read it and I hope he is working on his next.

What a page turner! And also the perfect book to drag along rock climbing or on a hike, which is what I did. I sat on a boulder and devoured this book until it was my turn to climb or belay.

Krakauer’s narrative style is simple and straight forward but still evocative in its description of nature because he doesn’t add anything superfluous, and that’s as it should be- K2, Eiger, Chamoix, etc., do not favor the superfluous, and they certainly don’t need anyone to dress up their reputations. He draws senses of awe and fear from his reader by telling it like it is, and if you’re the outdoorsy type of person you’ll get it. I have no desire to try and summit McKinley, but I understand.

Some of the information and “celebrities” are a bit dated as this was a collection of articles that he wrote in the 80’s but it’s a great look at the history of the sport, and the dangers that you might very well face today particularly the overpopulation on mountain peaks where few have earned the right to climb but many have paid to clutter up the slopes.

All in all I was very impressed with Krakauer’s writing style and his subject, and I look forward to reading more in the future.

I didn’t know this was a collection of essays! For some reason I thought it was one narrative story. Some stories held my attention more than others: the one where K2/Everest were being measured (I knew the result and still I was shooketh), the one about climbing Mount McKinley (spooky), and the final story where Krakauer climbs Devil’s Thumb. A bit uneven but still pretty enjoyable.

As always, love Jon Krakauer. Krakauer at his worst is better than 95S% of journalists and writers out there. I read this book while traveling in Switzerland and viewing the majestic Eiger myself, so that certainly helped me to understand the kind of dreamy romance Krakauer has toward climbing the largest mountains. It was clear that this was an early book of his and that he has honed his writing significantly since then--his groupie, fan-girl attitude toward climbers in this book is something that he managed to rein in almost completely by the time he wrote Into Thin Air. Because of his gushiness, I would say this book is one of my least favorites of Krakauer's--but again, totally worth reading and nice to see an early example of his writing. The short story format also makes for a nice quick read during a vacation.

I received this book for Xmas from my husband as I really enjoy Krakauer's work. This one didn't disappoint. It is a collection of previously published articles for American magazines such as 'Outside', but as I hadn't read those, that wasn't an issue. Most do date from the 1990's, but apart from 'recent developments in climbing' type comments this didn't detract from the book at all. As ever, his work is vivd, engaging and thoroughly readable and this collection contains several stories that were so hair-raising (such as landing a light aircraft on an Alaska mountain in thick fog), that I found I kept reading bits aloud to hubby, who is now reading it for himself!

I read Eiger Dreams many years after Into Thin Air, which detailed the tragedy on Everest in 1996. Eiger Dreams is a compendium of magazine articles Krakauer wrote in the 80s. I always wondered how Krakauer could be such a selfish, cowardly, and ultimately detestable human being, as he admits being near the summit of Everest, as he cowers safely in his tent after his own successful summiting, while others freeze to death in a blizzard on the mountaintop.

Well, now I know. Krakauer has always been obsessed with mountaineering, especially ice climbing. And his particular brand thereof is the macho solo attempt, expemplified by his foolhardy ascent of the Devil's Thumb in Alaska, done without proper preparation, zero connection with the outside world, a callous indifference to the impact his death might make on those who love him (he never even mentions the loss his parents will feel at his death, should it occur, even though his death is constantly on his mind as he hangs by two ice picks 750 feet above the glacier).

In fine, Krakauer is a narcissist apparently incapable of empathy or true sacrificial love for a fellow human.

But he's a hell of a writer.

When he dies in some stupid nature debacle, I, for one, will not shed a tear. He is who he is and his honesty about himself (it slips through in these essays and shouts full-throated in Into Thin Air) leaves no room for doubt: he will, eventually, get what he deserves. Nature, red in tooth and claw, is as honest and implacable in her truths as Krakauer is in his. We shall see who wins.

I am a big fan of Jon Krakauer's other books, so I thought I would give his collection of essays on mountaineering a go. Each chapter encompasses an array of fascinating stories of the brave souls who attempt to climb peaks of dizzying heights. I was surprised to find a good collection of stories on pilots who drop off climbers, people who boulder, canyoneers, and how mountains are measured. 

I like the fact that each chapter is filled with details but is accessible as well. It has humor, heartbreak, and loads of tension. If you liked "Into Thin Air" and need to scratch that itch again, this will do it for you. 

some parts really good some parts a bit snooze fest