1. Where is Krakauer at the beginning of the book? 2. Why were people confused by the actions of the Himalayan guides?

Transcription

1 Intermediate Composition Into Thin Air Study Guide Please answer each of the following questions thoroughly. Although complete sentences are not a requirement, be sure to answer each question for those items seeing multiple responses. Chapter 1 1. Where is Krakauer at the beginning of the book? 2. Why were people confused by the actions of the Himalayan guides? 3. What was Krakauer s main concern as he began his descent? 4. What are the seven summits? Chapter 2 1. What was the original designation (name) of Everest? 2. Which government was the first to allow people to climb Everest from within its borders? 3. What reason did George Leigh Mallory give for wanting to climb Everest? What happened to him on his expedition? 4. Who are Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay? 5. What are free-soloists?

2 6. What did Texan Dick Bass do before anyone else? 7. What was the Nepalese government s plan for limiting the number of expeditions climbing Everest? Chapter 3 1. Who is to be the leader of Krakauer s expedition? 2. How does Krakauer describe Rob Hall s personality? 3. Why was Edmund Hillary upset with Hall & Ball for leading people to the summit of Everest? 4. Why is Krakauer drawn to Doug Hansen more than any of the other people in their expedition? Chapter 4 1. Who is Mike Groom? How does Krakauer describe him? 2. What are Sherpas? 3. What makes Sherpas so valuable?

3 4. How does Krakauer describe the current social & economic state of Khumbu? 5. What is acclimatization? Why is it so important? 6. How does Krakauer describe the conditions at Lobuje? 7. Why does Hall stress the importance of respect for the Sherpas? Chapter 5 1. Where is the expedition heading when they leave Lobuje? 2. Who is Scott Fischer? 3. What is the importance of the 8,000 meter mark in climbing? 4. What is K2? 5. Describe the difference in styles of Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness. 6. Name at least four symptoms of altitude sickness as described by Krakauer.

4 7. What is the area called on a mountain when the altitude extends beyond 25,000 feet? 8. What does Krakauer see as his strengths in climbing Everest? His biggest weaknesses? Chapter 6 1. How many camps will the Sherpas establish on the mountain? 2. What is a crampon? How are they useful in mountaineering? 3. Why is the Khumbu Icefall referred to as a toll road? 4. Why did Rob Hall insist that everyone turn around at 10:00 during the first acclimation climb up the Icefall? 5. Who is Linda? What is she concerned about? Chapter 7 1. Who is Maurice Wilson? How is he different from Earl Denman? 2. Why do members of the South African team quit on Ian Woodall? What is revealed about his past?

5 Chapter 8 1. What is a Sirdar? 2. During his climb to Camp Two, what does Krakauer find wrapped in blue plastic sheeting on the side of the trail? 3. After reaching Camp Two, to where do Krakauer and his expedition return? 4. Why does June Ngawang refuse to acknowledge his altitude sickness when it is originally feared he has it? 5. What is the result of Ngawang s stubbornness? 6. How is Sandy Pittman different from other climbers? Chapter 9 1. During the ascent to Camp 3, why does Doug feel that his climb is over? 2. What explanation doe the Sherpas give for Ngawang s death? 3. What religion is practiced by most Sherpas? 4. How does Krakauer characterize Lopsang Jangbu?

6 Chapter How does Krakauer s attitude toward Beck Weathers and some of the others on his expedition begin to change? 2. Why does Krakauer begin to feel guilty about being a journalist on this expedition? 3. According to Weathers, what effect does Krakauer have on Rob Hall as the guide? 4. What is the significance of May 10, 1996? 5. What problems do the expedition leaders run into when they gather to discuss their summit days? Chapter Who is Goran Kropp and what feat was he attempting to pull off? 2. What does Rob Hall admire most about Goran Kropp? 3. What does Dale Kruse admire most about Anatoli Boukreev? 4. What comes tumbling down the mountain and slams into Andy Harris just before Camp 3?

7 5. Why do clients not share Camp 3 with the Sherpas? 6. Why is drinking water so important at higher altitudes? 7. Describe peoples reactions to the death of Chen Yu-Nan. Chapter What do climbers find scattered all over the ground at Camp 4? 2. What reason does Krakauer give for believing that they might not be able to make a summit push at the scheduled time? 3. Who talks Doug into continuing when he wants to quit? 4. What is Rob Hall s main rule for the team until they reach the crest of the Southeast Ridge? 5. Define short-roping and explain how it fits into the events of the summit attempt. 6. What is the main source of Krakauer s frustration when he reaches the crest of the Southeast Ridge? Chapter 13

8 1. According to Hall, what was the main concern that arose because no team had been to the summit yet that year? 2. Why is Ang Dorje nervous about the summit? 3. How did Yasuko Namba almost cause Neal Beidleman s death? 4. What are some of the concerns Krakauer expresses about Anatoli Boukreev? 5. Where is Krakauer at the end of Chapter 13? Chapter What does Krakauer take from the summit as a souvenir? 2. In addition to a lack of oxygen, what problem does Krakauer find at the Hillary Step after starting down from the summit? 3. Why is Rob Hall disappointed when he passes Krakauer at the Hillary Step? 4. What condition is Beck Weathers in when Krakauer finds him on the way down? Why is he just standing still? 5. What happens to Krakauer s mental state after going without supplemental oxygen for some time? What symptoms does he report?

9 6. Where is Krakauer at the end of Chapter 14? Chapter What is the significance of 2:00? 2. Who was the last to reach the summit at 4:00? 3. What explanation does Krakauer give for Scott Fischer s fatigue on summit day? 4. What does dexamethasone do for Sandy Pittman? 5. Explain what happens to the group being led by Neal Beidleman after they get off track on the South Col. 6. When criticized for his actions, Boukreev claims to have descended to the South Col to bring everyone what? 7. During his second rescue attempt, what does Boukreev see that alerts him to the missing hikers location? Chapter How did the South Africans stand in the way of rescue operations on the day after the storm?

10 2. What question is Jon Krakauer left with at the end of Chapter 16? Chapter According to American guide Peter Lev, what misconception do most people have about Everest guides? 2. What offer does Andy Harris make Lopsang to bring oxygen to Rob Hall and Doug Hansen? How does Lopsang respond? Why? What does Harris do as a result? (be thorough!) 3. What is the ultimate fate of Doug Hansen and Andy Harris? 4. Who is the last person to ever talk to Rob Hall? Chapter Why did members of the Indo-Tibetan expedition never find Hansen, Hall, or Lopsang during their push to the summit? 2. Why does Eisuke Shigekawa say that he and Hiroshi Hanada did not stop to help the Ladakhis? Chapter 19

11 1. With Rob Hall and Andy Harris dead, and Mike Groom incapacitated, who assumes leadership of the expedition? 2. What decision do Lhakpa Sherpa and Stuart Hutchinson make about Beck Weathers and Yasuko Nambu? What about Beck and Yasuko s condition makes their decision so hard? 3. What happens to a Sherpa from the Mountain Madness expedition during their descent to Camp 3? 4. How does the IMAX expedition offer to help the rescue effort? 5. Which member of the Adventure Consultants team almost literally rises from the dead? Chapter How does Krakauer help Hutchinson before descending the Geneva Spur? 2. What becomes of the mess tent at Camp 2 when everyone arrives? 3. How is Beck Weathers ultimately removed from the mountain? Chapter Who is waiting at the Tribhuvan International Airport for Krakauer and the other survivors?

12 2. Compare & contrast the reactions of Fiona McPhearson and Jan Arnold when they talk to Krakauer about what happened on the mountain. 3. How are Klev Schoening s feelings about the expedition today different from Krakauer's? 4. Define hubris. Why does Krakauer use this word to describe Rob Hall? 5. Name two ways Krakauer suggests for reducing the likelihood of another disaster like the 1996 climbing season. 6. All told, how many people died on Everest in 1996?