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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What aspect of climbing does Harrer want to focus on in his book?

2. What year was the third successful climb up the North Face?

3. Why did Giuseppe Piravano and Bruno Detassis climb partially up the northeast face?

4. Why did Fraissl and Brankowski turn back?

5. How high is the Eiger?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unusual attempt to climb the North Face did Fuchs and Monney consider but then reject?

2. How were photos taken of the climbers traversing toward the Spider?

3. What metaphor did the author use to describe the societal function of mountain climbing?

4. Describe the reaction to Harrer telling a doctor in Lhasa that he was among the first party to climb the North Face.

5. When Australian and Swiss teams both climbed the North Face at approximately the same time, how far apart did they reach the summit?

6. What did the climbers do on their last night on the mountain before reaching the summit?

7. What seemed unexplainable about Primas and Gollackner's actions on their climb?

8. What did Rebitsch and Vörg do, after a harrowing climb on the mountain, when they learned that Gollackner had died on the mountain?

9. What were Otto and Sepp Maag doing when they first encountered Buhl and Jöchler in July 1952?

10. When Allmen checked on the mountaineers he knew were climbing toward him, what did he find?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the roles of skill and chance in climbing the North Face of the Eiger.

1) How does Harrer address luck or chance in success or failure of climbing the North Face? How big a role does luck or chance play in success or failure?

2) What skills are necessary to climb the North Face? How can skill mitigate bad luck or ill chance, if it can?

3) What role does skill play in a successful climb of the North Face? How essential is skill, and are there any substitutes for it?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss conflict in Harrer's book.

1) In what ways is there conflict between man and nature in the book? How does the Eiger function as an antagonist?

2) In what ways is there conflict between man and himself in the book? How does Harrer struggle with himself? What internal conflict is there in other climbers in the book?

3) In what ways is there conflict between man and man in the book? What personal and national conflicts, enmities, and rivalries are associated with mountain climbing?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss nationalism, rivalry, and prejudice in Harrer's book.

1) What is Harrer's viewpoint on international cooperation and on different nationalities in the book?

2) What role do national rivalries play in the race to climb the North Face and in the following attempts?

3) What is Harrer's opinion about Italian climbers, and how does it inform his presentation of Corti's ill-fated climb? Can Harrer's presentation be relied on? What other biases does he seem to hold?

(see the answer keys)

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