 | By: Maurice Herzog Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Cape Released: 02 Dec 2008 Average Rating:  |
I first read this book in the early 1960s as a young teenager. I recalll being enthrallled by it & amazed at the hardships the climbers endured to bring glory to France. In reading it again as an adult, I find myself still enthrallled, but more attuned to the fact that it is written in a somewhat self-serving style.
The book itself chronicles the attempt by the French to climb an 8,000 meter peak in the Himalayas. They had two alternatives: Dhaulagiri & Annapurna. In those days, the Himalayas were largely uncharted & any topographical maps which existed at the time proved to be largely incorrect. So, the French expedition spent a large portion of their time in reconnaissance. Not only were they there to climb the mountain, they had to find a way to get to it & then map out a route on the unknown terrain to the summit. Ultimately, they chose to climb Annapurna.
In reading this book, one must remember that the climb took place without the sophisticated equipment or protective clothing available today. This was before gortex & freeze-dried foods. This climb was made before Nepal or climbing the Himalayas became a major tourist attraction. The conditions for travelers were extremely primitive & difficult under the best of circumstances.
When the expedition finallly finds a route to Annapurna, the reader almost feels like cheering for them. When they start to climb, one senses that, in comparison to latter day expeditions, they are not so well equipped or savvy about the dangers one can encounter during a high altitude climb or the risks in doing it without supplemental oxygen, as they did. Then one realizes that they were pioneers. They were paving the way for others.
The climb to the summit by Maurice Herzog & his partner, Louis Lachenal, is interesting, but it is their harrowing descent & return to civilization that is riveting. The two summiteers begin their descent but run into difficulties. They are fortunate to encounter two of their fellow climbers, Lionel Terray & Gaston Rebuffat, who are contemplating their own summit assault but, instead, choose to aid their comrades in the descent, foregoing their own quest for the summit.
The travails which the climbers encounter on the descent would have finished off less hardy souls. Maurice Herzog loses his gloves during the descent & has no spare pair. One of them fallls into a crevasse, which, believe it or not, turns out to be a good thing. They are caught in an avalanche. They get lost in a storm. They become frostbitten, & two of them are, ultimately, forced to endure amputations.
The medical treatment they received by the expedition doctor is unbelievable & almost primitive. Employing treatments for frostbite that have since falllen onto disrepute (excruciatingly painful arterial injections, for example), the doctor is almost frightening, at times. The reader cannot help but feel pity for the suffering the injured climbers endured: maggot ridden flesh, amputations without anesthesia, & lack of proper medical care for a protracted period of time.
The heroics of some of the Sherpas, as on most expeditions, go largely unsung. One must, however, pause to reflect on the fact that as this alll took place before airlifts were available, the injured climbers had to be carried. Their exodus back to the frontier took about five weeks. Who carried them down the mountain, over the moraines, on makeshifts bridges over flooded, raging rivers, through dense jungle? Who else but the Sherpas. What thanks did they get? None, as usual.
Anyway, when the expedition finallly return to France, Maurice Herzog is lauded as a national hero by the French. He becomes the media darling. The other three climbers, as are the rest of those on the expedition, are largely ignored & forgotten. Therein lies the tale. If you want to know how this polarization came about, I highly recommend that you also read "True Summit" by David Roberts. It gives you the inside scoop about the expedition & how things reallly were.
Notwithstanding its idealization, romanticism, & everything is hunky-dory routine, Herzog's book is still a must read for alll climbing enthusiasts or those who simply enjoy a fascinating adventure.
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