Student Essay on Into Thin Air: Why Do People Climb Mount Everest?

There are many reasons why someone would climb Mount Everest, whether it be because it is a boyhood dream, just for an accomplishment, or maybe because it is for a living.

Jon Krakaur dreamed of climbing Mount Everest his entire life. His childhood was unlike any other child of his age. Where usually children idolized Sandy Kofax and other sports stars, Krakaur admired Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as well as others who achieved firsts in climbing Mout Everest. As Krakaur began his climbing career, Krakaur began to look down on other climbers who tried Everest due to the lack of technical climbing. When asked to c;imb the mountain for Outside Magazine however, Krakaur accepted without hesatation. Krakaur had said that old childhood dreams die hard and he was finally going to have a chance at what he dreamed about his entire life.

Doug Hansen, unlike Krakaur, had tried to climb Everest 2 times before the 1996 accident. Both times he was turned back from the summit after getting so far because of weather.

Rob Hall, who was sympathetic of Hansen, offered a discount price to come back the following year to try to climb the mountain. Hansen had worked as a construction worker by day and a postal worker by night to get another chance at the mountain. He also had a small school sponser him by selling t-shirts to help pay for the fee. All Hansen wanted to do was climb the mountain and be done with it. Although, unfortunatly when he did finally reach the summit, he was caught in the brutal hurricane force storm and died.

Rob Hall, unlike both Krakaur and Hansen climbed Everest as a lifestyle. He was a world famous guide for the impossible mountain. He had ushered up 39 clients up Everest and had summited the mountain 4 times. Hall Loved to climb and made a life...