Few people have heard of Carstensz Pyramid, a sharp fin of limestone 16,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by mountainous jungle in Papua, a part of the world wracked by political and tribal violence, where kidnappings of climbers still occur. Why bother to climb such a troublesome, little-known peak? This book describes Carol Masheter's decision to climb Carstensz Pyramid at age 65, how she prepared for and experienced the strenuous hike through the jungle, the steep climb up a limestone wall of 2,000 feet, the hand-over-hand Tyrolean traverse, the challenges, joys, and lessons learned on the "other side of nowhere."

Few people have heard of Carstensz Pyramid, a sharp fin of limestone 16,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by mountainous jungle in Papua, a part of the world wracked by political and tribal violence, where kidnappings of climbers still occur. Why bother to climb such a troublesome, little-known peak? This book describes Carol Masheter's decision to climb Carstensz Pyramid at age 65, how she prepared for and experienced the strenuous hike through the jungle, the steep climb up a limestone wall of 2,000 feet, the hand-over-hand Tyrolean traverse, the challenges, joys, and lessons learned on the "other side of nowhere."

When the bottom fell out of Carol Masheter's life at age 50, she took up mountaineering to cope with her grief and anger. Little did she know that mountaineering would lead her to try Everest when she was 61 in 2008. "No Magic Helicopter: An Aging Amazon's Climb of Mount Everest" chronicles her preparation for the climb, the struggle to the summit, and the blind descent that nearly cost her life. Currently, Dr. Masheter is the second oldest woman in the world to summit Everest and return home alive.

THE STORY: Sam, a successful politician and diplomat, is invited to speak at the dedication of a new building named for his old school friend, Perry, and paid for by Perry's wealthy mother. The knowledge that Perry died of AIDS galvanizes Sam as me

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The epic account of the storm on the summit of Mt. Everest that claimed five lives and left countless more—including Krakauer's—in guilt-ridden disarray. "A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism." —PEOPLE A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy. "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind."

* Reflections and humorous pieces, plus insights into some of mountaineering's more controversial events * Revealing portraits of other Himalayan climbers Peeling back the layers to reveal the gritty truth about the elite climbing world is Greg Child's specialty. With clever wit, sharp observations, and insightful reflections, Child's writing covers the full spectrum of the mountaineering experience. Entertaining even to those who have never been above sea level, Child's stories reveal climbing's other face. His description of the daily habits of mountaineers on expedition (who don't bathe for months) is both disgusting and horrifyingly funny. A post-climb fiasco in the offices of petty Pakistani bureaucrats proves that not all epics take place on high mountain faces. Falling of a rock climb in front of his mother is an exercise in humility. Child takes up climbing controversy with the same keen insight. His investigation of Tomo Cesen's claimed first ascent of Lhotse's south wall is considered the definitive report on this controversial event. A hard look at the media frenzy around the death of Alison Hargreaves on K2 evolves into a brilliant, impassioned defense of a friend. He also speaks out on the money- and media-driven expeditions that now crowd Everest. But Child never preaches. Whether contrasting his clumsy performance with Lynn Hill's elegant moves on a climb in the remote mountains of Kyrgyzstan or reflecting upon artifacts (from crucifixes to pink flamingos) that decorate the world's highest peaks, he writes it as he sees it, with a dose of wit. A true insider, Greg Child draws us deep into the world of climbing but never denies its dark side.

What makes a good team? What makes a good team leader? How can I develop my team? If you're looking for answers to these questions, you'll find the answers in this book. Through thirty years of climbing expeditions with friends, Walter Wright has learned a lot about mountaineering, about his teammates and about working on and leading a team. He shares with us the tales of expeditions (successful and not so successful) and the lessons he and his team have learned from those experiences.