The first was a climber named Shiro Nishimae. I loved reading
about Shiro and his willingness to give his all for those around him. On those
cold, dark mornings, when everyone stayed in the warmth of their sleeping bags
as long as possible, Shiro was always the first one out of bed and would begin making
warm drinks for his companions. When there was a job to be done, Shiro did it,
no questions asked. When the team found their camp was exposed to high winds,
Shiro set out in search of a suitable site for a snow cave, and completely
exhausted his strength digging it out before relief came. The author noted
that, even though Shiro was the smallest of the group, he “always tried to do
as much of the strenuous work as anyone.” He took the initiative in a “gentle
but forceful manner” often considering the well being of his companions before
his own.
The ultimate demonstration of Shiro’s sacrifice was when he
gave up his chance at the summit to return to camp with another climber who had
become discouraged. That decision saved at least one life when trouble arose
later, and may have saved the lives of the whole team.
Another climber that inspired me was affectionately called “Pirate”
by the rest of the team. Ray Genet was a large man with a thick black beard and
an infectious smile. He received his nickname on the day the men were sorting
out their climbing gear when, instead of writing his name on everything as his
companions were doing, he drew a large skull and crossbones on each of his
belongings. Pirate had next to no climbing experience before joining the team,
but his endless enthusiasm and his refusal to be left out convinced the others
to bring him along. Throughout the climb, Pirate inspired everyone with his
constant war whoops and his cheerful nature. However, it wasn’t until
starvation threatened him and his friends that Pirate showed just exactly what
kind of man he really was.
Coming down the mountain, Art, Dave, and Pirate got stuck in
a blizzard. They managed to dig a snow cave for shelter, but not until after
Art had frozen his hands and Pirate had frozen his feet. It was in this setting
that they experienced their lowest temperature of the climb. With winds over 130
mph, and -45°
temperatures outside they calculated “an equivalent wind-chill temperature
somewhere off the end of the chart; the last figure on the chart was minus 148°.” The men remained in this setting
for several days, not being able to move for fear that the extreme winds would
blow them off the side of the mountain. Soon they were low on gas, and knew
that their only chance for survival was to find the extra bottle of gas that
had been stashed somewhere outside in the storm. The men lay in their sleeping
bags for hours, not wanting to be the one to volunteer to go out into the
storm, possibly never to return. Art was the warmest of the three, and Dave had
not frozen any of his limbs like the other had done, but still, neither of them
wanted to leave the shelter of the cave. Without saying a word, Pirate got out
of his sleeping bag, pulled on his boots and left the cave, returning with the
can of gas that saved all of their lives. Though he was by far in the worst
condition of the three, he made no excuses and did what had to be done. I
admire this act, and this man who so unassumingly took one for the team.
Men like this remind me that these adventure books are about
so much more than just exploration and discovery. They are about ordinary men
facing whatever the world can throw at them. And some men, when they are
brought down to their lowest, can rise up and teach all the rest of us how to
truly live a life worth living.
My rating: 8 out of 10
