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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. How many climbers were on the North Face between August 19 and August 23 of 1962?

2. Who made the first successful solo attempt to climb the North Face?

3. How far behind Radovan KuchaÅ™ and Zdeno Zibrin were the Polish team who reached the summit the same day?

4. How did Mayr climb from the First Ice Field to the Second Ice Field?

5. What profession were Adolf Derungs and Lukas Albrecht, who made the 16th successful ascent up the North Face?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the weather like during Erich Vanis, Hans Ratay, and Karl Lugmayer's first night on the mountain in 1952?

2. What is Harrer's attitude toward Italians?

3. What information does Harrer offer in the later appended chapters about his treatment of Corti's story and the facts about Nothdurft's death?

4. Describe Erich Friedli, Jr. and Arnold Heinen's climb in 1963.

5. Why does Harrer include a route guide at the end of the book?

6. Describe the climb of the first women to attempt the North Face.

7. What made the Difficult Crack and the Hinterstoisser Traverse easier to climb for Mayr than for early climbers?

8. What happened in the attempts to climb the North Face in 1953?

9. At the end of the chapter "The International Rescue Team," what does Harrer suggest might happen in the future regarding Nothdurft and Mayer?

10. What were Nothdurft and Mayers' families reactions to the tragedy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship of money and climbing in the book.

1) How does Harrer portray climbers who have financial backing versus those who have little money and equipment?

2) How does poverty affect the ability of climbers to be successful?

3) Is Harrer's portrayal of impoverished young climbers romanticized?

Essay Topic 2

Harrer sees extreme climbing as being a challenge for both the mental and physical aspects of mankind. Discuss the relationship of the mental and physical in Harrer's book.

1) How does Harrer defend extreme climbing from critics who call it suicidally dangerous, and how strong are his arguments that extreme climbing requires extreme mental balance?

2) What is the relationship of the mental and physical aspects of climbing, and what are examples from the book of both mental and physical accomplishments?

3) How does technology and equipment affect the mental and physical challenges of climbing?

Essay Topic 3

Harrer's book is partly autobiographical and partly a historical account of the North Face of the Eiger. Discuss the aspects of autobiography and history in the book.

1) In what ways is Harrer's book an autobiography? How well does the reader know and understand Harrer through the telling of his story?

2) In what ways is Harrer's book a history of the North Face of the Eiger? How successful is Harrer in writing a historical account?

3) Do the autobiographical and historical aspects of the book conflict with each other? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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