Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air Essay

The book Into Thin Air, written by Jon Krakauer, explores the struggle of man versus man and man versus nature. The very different personalities proved costly to everyone involved on the expedition. The team of climbers that were hiking toward the summit of Mt. Everest on May 10, 1996, was oblivious to what lay ahead of them. No matter how advanced the hikers were, Everest on this day would test the will and endurance of everyone attempting to reach the summit. The one element that no one person could elude was pain. Jon's group stays at Lobuje This event adds tension because everybody ends up really sick and they aren't even at base camp yet. "A moment later Andy desperately

Krakauer outlines this when he reveals how important it is to trust one's friends or teammates as reflected by this mountain expedition. This is because, “in climbing, having confidence in your partners is no small concern. One climber’s actions can affect the welfare of the entire team” (Krakauer 47). The writer displays much confidence in the midst of his teammates as they decide to climb the highest and most dangerous mountain in the world; note that, the team comprises of strangers of which most have no experience at all in climbing. However, this team convenes with a unified goal and thus acting as the basis for the trust element. It is good to apply such a policy in normal areas of life, as we all need people to shoulder our needs. Throughout the book, it is observed that when one person gets into trouble the closest person to them must help immediately. For instance, when the travelling mates experience the effects of hypoxia or high altitudes that alter their minds, they have to watch out for one another. This evidences that trust in one another gets most of them through the climb. In instances where trust breaks down between the teammates, death is highly

This was quite impactful as it encouraged me towards changing some actions that constituted to bad conduct. Trust and loyalty are related but loyalty is very important, as without loyalty trust is a null aspect. While on the mountain, this was evidenced by the fact that one could risk his or her life for the sake of another teammate’s life. For instance, a travel guide is extremely loyal to his group due to the leadership responsibility. Whenever a client gets into trouble, it is always the role of the guide to assist. From the book, Lopsang Sherpa reflects loyalty to Fischer. When Fisher gets lost in the summit, Sherpa searches for him undeterred by the deadly weather present within the given period. Hall also evidences loyalty to Hansen as he refuses vehemently to leave Hansen at the summit up to the point of his demise (Krakauer