PRECOURSE READINGWord模板Word文档下载推荐.docx

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EXTRACTSFROMINTOTHINAIR–JONKRAKAUER（1997）

Backgroundtothe1996EverestExpedition

Intheearly1990’sRobHallmadeaconsiderablenameforhimselfinthemountaineeringfraternitybysummittingthehighestmountainsoneachofthesevencontinentsinonlysevenmonths.

Inanattempttocapitaliseonthisandgeneratelongtermprospectsinprofessionalclimbing,heandapartnerestablishedacompanycalledAdventureConsultants.Thiscompanywouldspecialiseinhighaltitudeguiding–takingpayingclientsupandbackdownthe‘seven-summits’.Convincedthattherewouldbeenoughpotentialclientswith‘amplecash,’butinsufficientexperience,AdventureConsultantswasborn.

Aboutthesametime,anu`mberofotherclimbershadsimilarideas.Severalcompaniesspecialisinginhighaltitudeguidingwerelaunched.AmongstthesewasMountainMadness,headedbyScottFischer.In1994FischerascendedEverestwithoutsupplementaloxygen,andacoupleofyearslaterheledahighprofileascentofKilimanjarothatnettedhalfamilliondollarsforthecharityCARE.

Mostofthecompaniesinthehigh-altitudeguidingmarketwereonlybarelymakingaprofit.In1995Fischertookhomeonlyabout$12,000.Futureprofitabilitydependedontheabilitytoattracthighprofileclients,whowouldspendlargeamountstojoinanexpedition,andthentogetthemsafelyupanddownthemountain.

WithbothHallandFischermountingexpeditionstoEverestinthespringof1996,thescenewassetforsomefriendlycompetitionbetweenthetwo.JonKrakauer,ajournalistandexperiencedmountainclimberapproachedbothorganisationstodiscussjoiningtheirteamsasaclient.Inreturnforadiscount,hewouldwriteanumberofhighprofilearticlesin‘OutsideMagazine’–apublicationwidelyreadbyclimbingenthusiastsinNorthAmerica.HeeventuallydecidedtoclimbwithRobHallandAdventureConsultants.

OnMay9th1996,fiveexpeditionslaunchedanassaultonthesummitofMountEverest.Theconditionsseemedperfect.Twenty-fourhourslateroneclimberhaddiedand23othermenandwomenwerecaughtinadesperatestrugglefortheirlivesastheybattledagainstaferociousstormthatthreatenedtotearthemfromthemountain.InalleightclimbersdiedthatdayintheworsttragedyEveresthaseverseen.

JonKrakauer,anaccomplishedclimber,joinedacommercialexpenditurerunbyguidesforpayingclients,manyofwhomhadlittleornoclimbingexperience.InIntoThinAirhegivesathoroughandchillingaccountoftheill-fatedclimbandrevealsthecomplexwebofdecisionsandcircumstancesthatleftagroupofamateursfightingfortheirlivesinthethinairandsub-zerocoldabove26,000feet–aplaceclimberscall‘TheDeathZone’.IntoThinAirrevealsthehardrealitiesofmountaineeringandechoeswiththefranticcallsofclimberslosthighonthemountainandwaybeyondhelp.

ThefollowingextractsaretakenfromthebookKrakauereventuallywroteabouttheexpedition,entitledIntothinAir.

Team

OnthemorningofMarch31,twodaysafterarrivinginKathmandutheassembledmembersofthe1996AdventureConsultantsEverestExpeditioncrossedthetarmacofTribhuvanInternationalAirportandclimbedaboardaRussian-builtMi-17helicopteroperatedbyAsianAirlines.AdentedrelicoftheAfghanwar,itwasasbigasaschoolbus,seatedtwenty-sixpassengers,andlookedlikeithadbeenrivetedtogetherinsomebody’sbackyard.Theflightengineerlatchedthedoorandhandedoutwadsofcottontostuffinourears,andthebehemothchopperlumberedintotheairwithahead-splittingroar.Thefloorwaspiledhighwithduffels,backpacks,andcardboardboxes.Jammedintojumpseatsaroundtheperimeteroftheaircraftwasthehumancargo,facinginward,kneeswedgedagainstchests.Thedeafeningwhineoftheturbinesmadeconversationoutofthequestion.Itwasn’tacomfortableride,butnobodycomplained.

Glancingaroundthehelicopter’scapaciousinterior,Itriedtofixthenamesofmyteam-matesinmymemory.InadditiontoguidesRobHallandAndyHarristherewasHelenWilton,athirty-nine-year-oldmotheroffour,whowasreturningforherthirdseasonasBaseCampManager.CarolineMackenzie–anaccomplishedclimberandphysicianinherlatetwenties–wastheexpeditiondoctorand,likeHelen,wouldbegoingnohigherthanBaseCamp.LouKasischke,agentlemanlylawyerI’dmetattheairport,hadclimbedsixoftheSevenSummits–ashadYasukoNamba,forty-seven,ataciturnpersonneldirectorwhoworkedattheTokyobranchofFederalExpress.BeckWeathers,forty-nine,wasagarrulouspathologistfromDallas.StuartHutchinson,thirty-four,attiredinaRenandStimpyT-shirt,wasacerebral,somewhatwonkishCanadiancardiologistonleavefromaresearchfellowship.JohnTaske,atfifty-sixtheoldestmemberofourgroup,wasananaesthesiologistfromBrisbanewho’dtakenupclimbingafterretiringfromtheAustralianarmy.FrankFischbeck,fifty-three,adappergenteelpublisherfromHongKong,hadattemptedEverestthreetimeswithoneofHall’scompetitors;

in1994he’dgottenallthewaytotheSouthSummit,just300verticalfeetbelowthetop.DougHansen,forty-six,wasanAmericanpostalworkerwho’dgonetoEverestwithHallin1995and,likeFischbeck,hadreachedtheSouthSummitbeforeturningback.

Iwasn’tsurewhattomakeofmyfellowclients.Inoutlookandexperiencetheywerenothinglikethehard-coreclimberswithwhomIusuallywentintothemountains.Buttheyseemedlikenice,decentfolks,andtherewasn’tacertifiableassholeintheentiregroup–atleastnotonewhowasshowinghistruecolorsatthisearlystageoftheproceedings.

ForthemostpartIattributedmygrowinguneasetothefactthatI’dneverclimbedasamemberofsuchalargegroup–agroupofcompletestrangers,noless.AsidefromoneAlaskatripI’ddonetwenty-oneyearsearlier,allmypreviousexpeditionshadbeenundertakenwithoneortwotrustedfriends,oralone.

Inclimbing,havingconfidenceinyourpartnersisnosmallconcern.Oneclimber’sactionscanaffectthewelfareoftheentireteam.

Theconsequencesofapoorlytiedknot,astumble,adislodgedrock,orsomeothercarelessdeedareaslikelytobefeltbytheperpetrator’scolleaguesastheperpetrator.Henceit’snotsurprisingthatclimbersaretypicallywaryofjoiningforceswiththosewhobonafidesareunknowntothem.

Buttrustinone’spartnersisaluxurydeniedthosewhosignonasclientsonaguidedascent;

onemustputone’sfaithintheguideinstead.AsthehelicopterdronedtowardLukla,IsuspectedthateachofmyteammateshopedasferventlyasIthatHallhadbeencarefultoweedoutclientsofdubiousability,andwouldhavethemeanstoprotecteachofusfromoneanother’sshortcomings.

OncetheteamlandedattheNepalesevillagewherethehiketoBaseCampwouldbegin,theymettheirteamofSherpas.Sherpasremainanenigmatomostforeigners,whotendtoregardthemthrougharomanticscreen.PeopleunfamiliarwiththedemographyoftheHimalayaoftenassumethatallNepaleseareSherpas,wheninfacttherearenomorethan20,000SherpasinallofNepal,anationthesizeofNorthCarolinathathassome20millionresidentsandmorethanfiftydistinctethnicgroups.Sherpasareamountainpeople,devoutlyBuddhist,whoseforebearsmigratedsouthfromTibetfourorfivecenturiesago.ThereareSherpavillagesscatteredthroughouttheHimalayaofeasternNepal,andsizeableSherpacommunitiescanbefoundinSikkimandDarjeeling,India,buttheheartofSherpacountryistheKumbu,ahandfulofvalleysdrainingthesouthernslopesofMountEverest–asmall,astonishinglyruggedregioncompletelydevoidofroads,cars,orwheeledvehiclesofanykind.

Forbetterandworse,overthepasttwodecadestheeconomyandcultureoftheKhumbuhasbecomeincreasinglyandirrevocablytiedtotheseasonalinfluxoftrekkersandclimbers,some15,000ofwhomvisittheregionannually.Sherpaswholearntechnicalclimbingskillsandworkhighonthepeaks–especiallythosewhohavesummittedEverest–enjoygreatesteemintheircommunities.Thosewhobecomeclimbingstars,alas,alsostandafairchanceoflosingtheirlives:

eversince1922,whensevenSherpaswerekilledinanavalancheduringthesecondBritishexpedition,adisproportionatenumberofSherpashavediedonEverest–fifty-threealltold.Indeed,theyaccountformorethanathirdofallEverestfatalities.

Despitethehazards,thereisstiffcompetitionamongSherpasforthetwelvetoeighteenstaffpositionsonthetypicalEverestexpedition.Themostsought-afterjobsarethehalfdozenopeningsforskilledclimbingSherpas,whocanexpecttoearn$1,400to$2,500fortwomonthsofhazardouswork–attractivepayinanationmiredingrindingpovertyandwithanannualpercapitaincomeofaround$160.

RobwasalwaysespeciallyconcernedaboutthewelfareoftheSherpaswhoworkedforhim.BeforeourgroupdepartedKathmandu,hehadsatallofusdownandgivenusanuncommonlysternlectureabouttheneedtoshowourSherpastaffgratitudeandproperrespect.“TheSherpaswe’vehiredarethebestinthebusiness,”hetoldus.“TheyworkincrediblyhardfornotverymuchmoneybyWesternstandards.IwantyoualltorememberwewouldhaveabsolutelynochanceofgettingtothesummitofEverestwithoutthesupportofourSherpas.”

Inasubsequentconversation,Robconfessedthatinpastyearshe’dbeencriticalofsomeexpeditionleadersforbeingcarelesswiththeirSherpastaff.In1995ayoungSherpahaddiedonEverest;

HallspeculatedthattheaccidentmighthaveoccurredbecausetheSherpahadbeen“allowedtoclimbhighonthemountainwithoutpropertraini