The Climb up to Hell

By Jack Olsen

Book Overview

A Harrowing True Story of Survival on the Eiger's Deadly North Face

The Germans call it the Mordwand. The Murder Wall. The north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps is a vertical mile of unstable limestone, perpetual avalanches, and weather that can turn lethal without warning. Eighteen climbers had already died attempting it. In August 1957, four more went up.

They started as two separate teams. Claudio Corti and Stefano Longhi were Italians from Lecco, relying on strength and endurance. G nther Nothdurft and Franz Mayer were among Europe's finest mountaineers, so confident they began the climb almost casually, in the middle of a vacation. The teams met on the face and joined forces. None of them would make it back the same way they went up.

On the ninth day, after a series of catastrophes that left the climbers battered, frostbitten, and running out of options, Longhi fell thirty meters and was left dangling from a rope on a tiny ledge, unable to climb up or down. Rescuers could communicate with him but could not reach him in time. He died of exposure while the world watched through telescopes from the valley below.

The two Germans pushed for the summit, apparently succeeded, and then vanished. Their bodies would not be found for four years.

Corti alone was rescued, pulled up the sheer face on a steel cable by a German guide strapped to his back, in what became one of the most celebrated rescue operations in mountaineering history. Then the accusations began.
As one reviewer wrote: "To experience the Eiger one can climb the mountain, stand in the graveyard near the base of the North Wall, or read The Climb Up to Hell."

Jack Olsen, two-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author, brings the same precision and humanity he brought to his celebrated true crime work to one of the most gripping true adventure stories ever written.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1091842132
• ISBN13: 9781091842137
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

What an amazing story!

I was glued to this book from the first page to the last! What a thriller and it is true! Truly one of Jack Olsen's finest works.

attention getter

I bought this book last monday and started it that night,just couldnt put it down,keeped my on the edge of my seat and I couldnt wait to find out what happened next.I came away from this book with a better understanding of what drives men,at the risk of their own lives,to climb such mountains as the Eiger.Well done Mr,Olsen A great read

A real page-turner

A friend of mine is a big fan of Jack Olsen, and suggested that I read this book first as I'm interested in climbing. Since reading it, I can't wait to read his other books. Its unfair to dismiss this book simply because Olson is a true-crime writer - why does this genre get such a bad wrap? Not only is it an exciting account of the events, but you begin to feel for all the people involved. I was so interested in the lives of the rescued/rescuers that I did a search on them right after reading the book and learned as much about them as I could. I highly reccomend this book.

This is a real page-turner...

Having recently visited the Bernese Alps, I found this account of the dramatic 1957 rescue mission especially gripping. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to just about anyone, particularly those with an interest in mountain climbing or Switzerland.

Outstanding Narrative

I first read this book when it was originally published in the early 60's, and have re-read it many times since. Of the many true-account mountaineering books I have read, this one is by far the best. Jack Olsen has the ability to put the reader right into the story. Read this book, and you will know what it feels like to be trapped on the north wall of the Eiger with little hope for survival.