Ascent: The Spiritual and Physical Quest of Legendary Mountaineer Willi Unsoeld

by Laurence Leamer

Book Overview

From his triumphant conquest of Everest's forbidding West Ridge to the tragic loss of his daughter to his final, fatal attempt at Mt. Rainier, readers delve into the fascinating and adventurous life... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688165435
• ISBN13: 9780688165437
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

WILLI UNSOELD...AKA PETER PAN...

Legendary mountaineer, Willi Unsoeld, led an extraordinary life. A self styled guru of mountaineering, he was selfish, egotistical, and narcissistic. He was a modern day Peter Pan who just never grew up, with tragic consequences for some who crossed his path. The author is a devoted admirer of Willi Unsoeld and does not question some of those moments in Willi's life which should be questioned or reflected upon. This is the one criticism of what is otherwise a very interesting, compelling book about a flawed individual who made mountaineering history. His amazing ascent up the West Ridge of Everest to the summit and his subsequent traverse and descent on the South face will live on forever in the annals of mountaineering lore. Willi Unsoeld was a passionate man for whom mountaineering was life itself. He was positively joyous when atop his beloved mountains. It is something which is to be admired. Yet, Willi had a darker side, as well. It is this apparent dichotomy in Willi's life that makes the book such an interesting read. One of the most tragic episodes in Willi's life involved his beautiful daughter, Nanda Devi, named after the mountain of the same name. She was taken by her father on an ill-fated expedition to that same mountain. It was there that she tragically died and was consigned to the mountain. The cause of her death is not made clear by the book, but what is clear to any discerning reader is that Willi bore some responsibility. He acted as no father or responsible expedition leader would have under the circumstances. What made Nanda Devi's death more appalling is that Willi would later romanticize her death in innumerable lectures, exploiting what should have remained private. How he could bring himself to do this is beyond belief. It is no wonder that his wife blamed him for their daughter's death and that this tragedy caused a rift in their marriage.This self-styled guru needed the constant worship of acolytes in order to thrive. As he aged, he sought the adoration of college students, spouting his parboiled life philosphy on the subject of risk taking. It was this self styled, sophomoric philosophy that drove him to take a group of students up Mount Ranier in the dead of winter, when other, more level heads, argued against it. Would that he had listened. He and the student who died in an avalanche with him might today be alive. Alas, it was not to be. Peter Pan finally went to Never-Never Land.

WILLI UNSOELD...AKA....PETER PAN

Legendary mountaineer, Willi Unsoeld, led an extraordinary life. A self styled guru of mountaineering, he was selfish, egotistical, and narcissistic. He was a modern day Peter Pan who just never grew up, with tragic consequences for some who crossed his path. The author is a devoted admirer of Willi Unsoeld and does not question some of those moments in Willi's life which should be questioned or reflected upon. This is the one criticism of what is otherwise a very interesting, compelling book about a flawed individual who made mountaineering history. His amazing ascent of the West Ridge of Everest to the summit and his subsequent traverse and descent on the South face will live on forever in the annals of mountaineering lore. Willi Unsoeld was a passionate man for whom mountaineering was life itself. He was positively joyous when atop his beloved mountains. It is something which is to be admired. Yet, Willi had a darker side, as well. It is this apparent dichotomy in Willi's life which makes the book such an interesting read. One of the most tragic episodes in Willi's life involved his beautiful daughter, Nanda Devi, named after the mountain of the same name. She was taken by her father on an ill-fated expedition to that same mountain. It was there that she tragically died and was consigned to the mountain. The cause of her death is not made clear by the book, but what is clear to any discerning reader is that Willi bore some responsibility. He acted as no father would nor as any responsible expedition leader would have under the circumstances. What made Nanda Devi's death more appalling is that Willi would later romanticize her death in innumerable lectures, exploiting what should have remained private. How he could bring himself to do this is beyond belief. It is no wonder that his wife blamed him for their daughter's death and that this tragedy caused a rift in their marriage.This self-styled guru needed the constant worship of acolytes in order to thrive. As he aged, he sought the adoration of college students, spouting his parboiled life philosphy on the subject of risk taking. It was this self styled, sophomoric philosophy that drove him to take a group of students up Mount Ranier in the dead of winter, when other, more level heads, argued against it. Would that he had listened. He and the student who died in an avalanche with him might today be alive. Alas, it was not to be.Peter Pan finally went to Never-Never Land.

Leamer is the best non-fiction writer in America

I read this book several years ago in hardback, which I loaned to someone who never returned it. When I saw it in a bookstore in paperback, I just had to buy and read it again. Ascent is better than Into Thin Air. It's a fabulous story--not only an adventure classic but a philosophical manifesto, dealing with the whole idea of placing one's life at risk while striving to reach a particular goal. This is one you have to read!