From Library Journal
Houston and Bates were the first Americans to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain peak. Such an endeavor is remarkably dangerous even now, but reading of the use of equipment as simple as woolen mittens, canvas and wood packs, etc., illustrates the braveryDor perhaps foolhardinessDof such an undertaking then. Five Miles High covers their first climb in 1938 (this account was published a year later), while 1954's K2 chronicles the 1953 climb, which proved far more difficult. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The New York Times
This American chronicle takes its place beside the best.
Book Description
This is the epic account of the 1938 American Karakoram expedition to the summit of K2, a climb considered more treacherous and difficult than Everest. Equipped with the most "modern" gear available to them--wool mittens, canvas tents, and buckle-up, leather-strapped cramp-ons--this group of young men set out to surmount the insurmountable. A four-month-long journey would take them nearly 27,000 feet above sea level and hundreds of miles from any sign of humanity. With a shrewd wit and a survivalist's sense of determination, four of the six climbers provide an intimate and gripping account of their adventures, evoking all the terror, excitement, and pure exaltation of standing, five miles high, on a part of the globe where no person has stood before.
From the Back Cover
Five Miles High is the epic account of the 1938 American Karakoram expedition to the summit of K2 - a climb considered more treacherous and difficult than Everest. Equipped with the most "modern" gear available to them - wool mittens, canvas tents, and buckle-up, leather-strapped crampons - this group of young men set out to surmount the insurmountable. A four-month-long journey would take them to one of the most inhospitable climes on the face of the Earth, nearly 27,000 feet above sea level and many miles from any sign of human settlement. The party walked 350 miles form Kashmir to K2, through Baltistan. They attempted to find routes on three sides of that huge mountain, finally reaching 26,000 feet on what has since become the standard route - now known as the Abruzzi Ridge. With a shrewd wit and a survivalist's sense of determination, Robert H. Bates and Charles S. Houston provide an intimate and gripping account of their adventures, evoking all the terror, excitement, and pure exaltation a person feels when standing, five miles high, on a part of the globe where no person has stood before. (5 1/2 X 8 1/4, 402 pages, b&w photos, illustrations)
About the Author
Charles Houston and Robert Bates organized the American expeditions to K2 in 1938 and 1953. Houston, a doctor of internal medicine, teaches at the University of Vermont. Bates, a past president of the American Alpine Club, received his doctorate in English and taught at Phillips Exeter Academy for many years.
Five Miles High FROM THE PUBLISHER
Five Miles High is the epic account of the 1938 American Karakoram expedition to the summit of K2 - a climb considered more treacherous and difficult than Everest. Equipped with the most "modern" gear available to them - wool mittens, canvas tents, and buckle-up, leather-strapped crampons - this group of young men set out to surmount the insurmountable. A four-month-long journey would take them to one of the most inhospitable climes on the face of the Earth, nearly 27,000 feet above sea level and many miles from any sign of human settlement. The party walked 350 miles form Kashmir to K2, through Baltistan. They attempted to find routes on three sides of that huge mountain, finally reaching 26,000 feet on what has since become the standard route - now known as the Abruzzi Ridge. With a shrewd wit and a survivalist's sense of determination, Robert H. Bates and Charles S. Houston provide an intimate and gripping account of their adventures, evoking all the terror, excitement, and pure exaltation a person feels when standing, five miles high, on a part of the globe where no person has stood before.
SYNOPSIS
This is the epic account of the 1938 American Karakoram expedition to the summit of K2, a climb considered more treacherous and difficult than Everest. Equipped with the most "modern" gear available to them—wool mittens, canvas tents, and buckle-up, leather-strapped cramp-ons—this group of young men set out to surmount the insurmountable. A four-month-long journey would take them nearly 27,000 feet above sea level and hundreds of miles from any sign of humanity.
With a shrewd wit and a survivalist's sense of determination, four of the six climbers provide an intimate and gripping account of their adventures, evoking all the terror, excitement, and pure exaltation of standing, five miles high, on a part of the globe where no person has stood before.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Houston and Bates were the first Americans to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain peak. Such an endeavor is remarkably dangerous even now, but reading of the use of equipment as simple as woolen mittens, canvas and wood packs, etc., illustrates the bravery--or perhaps foolhardiness--of such an undertaking then. Five Miles High covers their first climb in 1938 (this account was published a year later), while 1954's K2 chronicles the 1953 climb, which proved far more difficult. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\
Art & Photography
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