July ST Book Club - In the Land of White Death

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Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 17, 2008 - 11:30pm PT

You know guys, I've thought alot about this in my lifetime...what would be worse a Freezing EPIC in the Arctic or something EPIC in the Sahara Desert....Heat or Cold ?

But don't let me sidetrack you, keep on reading. Peace and Joy on a lovely summer night with a full moon and super sunset.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jul 17, 2008 - 11:38pm PT

I would say the "white death" described by Georges Bettembourge would be the preferable way to go.
My own experience indicates that while heat/dehydration makes one lethargic, it is hardly pleasant like just falling asleep exhausted at altitude.

Sad; in Georges' case it was rockfall not long after publishing the book, The White Death.
He was one of my first El Cap partners, and I remember him describing his crystal collection when we bivied on the Nose in '76.
It was while crystal hunting that he was killed.

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2008 - 12:24am PT

I tend to agree Ron, think heat, dehydration, tongue swelling,,,no the white death may be preferable.

I was whining awhile back on some thread and you said something to the effect that life has no guarantees. You just need to do the things you think are important and need to be taken care of...like Greg Mortenson is doing. Mortenson wrote Three Cups of Tea, ST Book Club's first read. Good words of advice Mr. Piton.

That is what your friend, a true adventurer who got killed by rock fall while searching for the things he loved was doing.

We so need to enjoy the daily day and realize how special it is. Sho ain't just one more day, eh?

VIVA ISCALADA... Lynners

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Jul 18, 2008 - 02:29am PT

Death by heat in suburbia, surrounded by unfathomable blank masses seems the worst i can come up with...

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2008 - 03:20am PT

Jaybro, I sense you are having a bad day. Death by horrendous urban, populous asphyxiation....grim! But at least we can be released from it's grip easier than the Land of White Death...

Smiles to a great guy, Jaybro.... keep trucking Sir. The good is around the corner.

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Jul 18, 2008 - 03:34am PT

actually I am coming to the end of a very, very good day. Though it's had it's moments; heavy parental involvement in trying times, quality climbing, an enlightening discussion with a truly amazing person that covered more key points than in quite a while. Best day in quite a while; the best days are always challenging.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jul 18, 2008 - 01:22pm PT

No challenging day for me today except for the raw auk breakfast.

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2008 - 02:23pm PT

Looking for ideas on recycled Auk parts that aren't edible...preparing for Epic Adventure. Please Post....leaving Sunday. Artic Annie

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Jul 18, 2008 - 04:07pm PT

Great Auk,
Good grief!

Anastasia

climber

Not there

Jul 18, 2008 - 04:29pm PT

Oops, I haven't been reading Lynne!
I will get to it, I promise!
Now where is L?
Sending Love to all of You,
AF

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jul 20, 2008 - 05:59pm PT

So with 10 days left for everyone to finish it shouldn't we line up next month's read?

This being the TACO book club we ought to chomp on some climbing books.

Now I know that I recommended this month's book so lets hear from some others for ideas, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut,..

if we DO do a climbing book the best one of all is One Man's Mountains by Tom Patey.

It has humor, ice climbing, interesting profiles of climbing legends, humor, rock climbing, satire, humor, Himalayan first ascents, Brian Robertson repeatedly vomiting, the ultimate Eiger story; A Short Walk With Whillans, humor, an account of a BBC televised climb, and......

did I mention it is funny?

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Jul 20, 2008 - 06:16pm PT

Ed Hartouni:
It takes real effort to ignore the nature of that environment,

Ed (and others), have you read Nansen's Farthest North, republished in the same series as White Death? Nansen comes across (to me anyway) as one of the most remarkable human beings who ever lived, his Arctic transit being only one part of his life story. The Fram voyage equals Shackleton's adventure for audacity, judgment and endurance with survival on the line, but far surpasses Shackleton in terms of foresight and for that matter, science.

Also striking is that Nansen's writing, including his empathy for the dogs, bear and walrus who died so he could live, has aged well and does not (to me) sound discordant today.

Fram Straits, the Nansen bottle, transpolar drift and the discovery that the Arctic Ocean is deep are among his science legacies.

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2008 - 06:32pm PT

No, but the repeated vomiting is intriguing, Piton. :)

You're right, of course! We do need to pick the new book this week. It took me too long to get my mail order book this last time.

Anyone interested in suggesting a book for September's read can post a Title and Author on this thread. We'll vote at the end of the week.

Say, Ron, I cannot BELIEVE the Captain of the Saint Anna....I can think of a lot of descriptive adjectives for him...none very nice. ( A little redundant I guess....descriptive adjectives....kinda like the hungry polar bear of Mighty Hiker's).

Beautiful Sunday, enjoy...Lynne

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Jul 20, 2008 - 06:37pm PT

I agree with Chiloe. Nansen, and also Sverdrup and Amundsen, were in a class of their own as explorers. Few things are more impressive than going on board Nansen's boat, Fram (= "forward"), which is in a museum in Oslo, and learning about the three expeditions that used it. [http://www.fram.museum.no/en/ - in English] Fram still has the distinction of being the surface vessel that has been farthest south of any, in 1911-12.

Gjøa, in which Amundsen led the first transit of a northwest passage in 1903 - 06, is displayed outside the Fram Museum. It was originally left in San Francisco, but eventually returned to Norway. St. Roch, which made the second and third transits, is on display in Vancouver, and was modelled on Fram.

(Following copied in part from another thread.)

"Farthest North" (Fram Over Polhavet), by Fridjof Nansen, is a good read. I have a first edition of it, in Norwegian, given to me by Leif Patterson's family - a treasured thing.

Many of the accounts of the exploration of the North American Arctic, and Antarctica, are available in English, either in the original or in reprint. For Greenland and the Asian Arctic, it's a more mixed bag.

The "Historical Atlas of the Arctic" (Derek Hayes) is full of fascinating facsimiles of historical maps of the Arctic, with accompanying text.

"The Arctic: A History" (Vaughan) is a fairly thorough summary.
"Charting the Northern Sea Route" (Starokadomskiy, Barr) is an account of the Russian expeditions from 1910 - 1915, translated and published by the Arctic Institute.
"Sverdrup's Arctic Adventures" (Sverdrup/Fairley) is an account of one of the most successful of the Arctic exploratory expeditions.

For the Antarctic up until 1843, see two books by Alan Gurney:
"Below the Convergence"
"The Race to the White Continent"

A more mystical take is of course "Arctic Dreams" (Lopez)

I'm somewhat partial to the accounts of the Norwegian explorers - Nansen, Amundsen, Sverdrup. Less romantic, perhaps, but far more competent and accomplished. Their books tend to read a bit better in Norwegian - Sverdrup particularly has a rather dry wit. Nansen and Amundsen took themselves a bit too seriously, perhaps.

It's surprising what you can find on a site like Abe Books - often the price of the book is less than the cost of shipping.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jul 20, 2008 - 06:53pm PT

Speaking of museum exhibits, I caught the one on Shackleton with the full scale replica of their boat surrounded by three screens on which were projected a continuous video of towering waves.

Pretty impressive.
BTW, got to examine the original Frank Hurley prints from the expedition at Norlin Library.

So Anders,
How about the Patey?
Bet you're like some of my partners that can recite passages from it.

Dr. Rock

Ice climber

Castle Rock

Jul 20, 2008 - 08:31pm PT

At the two extremes, they are the same.
Put a chunk of dry ice on your arm, then a cigarette.
How much difference did you notice?
To the brain, they are both just a voltage from your nerves.

stevep

Boulder climber

Salt Lake, UT

Jul 20, 2008 - 11:04pm PT

The Patey book is great, and already has a place on my shelf.

Anastasia already suggested another of my favorites, Conquistadors of the Useless.

A third that might be worth a try: Feeding the Rat by Al Alvarez. Short, well-written and funny with many larger than life climbers.

As for how to die, no question I'd rather freeze than die in the desert. Death by hypothermia and dehydration is pretty unpleasant. From what I understand, freezing is not too bad.

Lynne Leichtfuss

Social climber

valley center, ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2008 - 11:13pm PT

Piton Ron, how many pages Patey's book ????

Dr. Rock, FYI, no question....to the descriminating brain dry ice MUCH preferred over cigarettes, plus with dry ice bonus of no second hand smoke. :}