No Way Down

Generally I don't mention anything about myself when composing a review. I will offer some information in this case since it is pertinent to understanding my perspective on the book. I climbed for about a decade in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. My most comfortable level of climbing would be called "intermediate". For example, on Mt. Hood I enjoyed The Cooper Spur and Sunshine routes a great deal even in tough conditions. I made a number of "advanced" ascents such as, on "Hood" the North Face Direct and Sandy Headwall. These were within my mental and physical abilities but I was very uncomfortable with the objective danger ( danger that cannot be eliminated....exposure to it can only be minimized ). On these routes and many others I faced very steep snow and ice, mixed steep rock and ice, crevasse and avalanche danger. Some climbs went for as long as 18 hours nonstop. You might think this is bragging or self aggrandizement. No. That's not my point. I found my limit and stayed within it. It was "not worth" the additional risk doing advanced climbs. It's a motivation thing. Very few people actually enjoy being in mortal peril second by second for hour after hour. Some do but not many. To the book: It meets it's objective 100%. It describes the particular circumstances leading to multiple failures of climbing practice and decision making plus other human factors that led to the large loss of life. It spoke directly to me, as a climber, reminding me of things I'd seen happen in the mountains. Three things kill people up high: 1/ Objective risks such as rock fall or avalanche, 2/ Weather, 3/ Human error to include group dynamics. This is a five star book for any climber. But, the thing is, a climber can fill in the many gaps and , indeed, huge chasms in the narrative. The non climber may fail to see these gaps or only grasp them in a fleeting manner. I cannot know how I would rate this book without my climbing experience. I believe I'd finish it with only a dim hint of how truly bad conditions were and how what truly bad decisions were made by individual climbers and groups. I knew many people who did "big high altitude" climbs such as Denali ( Mount Mckinley ) the Himal, and Andes etc. I knew I'd never enjoy it. Almost all climbing is , or should be, more like a military campaign than recreation. I eventually stopped because I wanted to smell the flowers and take a few photos. The constant "push" got old. I had opportunities to join high altitude climbs but chose to pass. It's called self knowledge. It's a good thing. So,for the non climber my rating would be ( guessing now ) also a five star. It will please a naive reader as well. My advice to non climbers would be to read another book about K2 and/or other books about mountaineering if you wish to fully grasp this rather compact book. In truth I respect the author's effort a great deal. That someone living in a place like New York City could accompl

If you liked Into Thin Air, then you will like No Way Down. Same kind of story, but this time on K2. The author does a great job of capturing multiple perspectives on the trip and conveying the drama of several days on the mountain. It is pretty short, and you will not want to put it down until you find out who lives and who dies.

No Way Down: Life and Death on K2 is a poignant book in the spirit of Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Bowley tells the story of ten teams and eleven lives lost in a riveting tale of the dramatic events that took place on one of the deadliest 8000 meter peaks of the world. For any reader who enjoys Outside Magazine, is a climber at heart or just an adventurer Graham Bowley does an excellent job telling the story of what it must be like to climb one of the world's most coveted mountain peaks. Through a series of interviews Bowley tells the story of these lost lives and most importantly leaves off the criticism of guided climbing, a true narrative and highly recommended.

I learned about and was intrigued by the book when I read the lukewarm review in the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ reviewer noted the author was not a climber so got some details wrong. However, I bought the book and enjoyed it very much, finishing it in a single weekend.I highly recommend this book!

This book gives you the sense that you are on the mountain, facing the struggle, and also a sense that you are in a laboratory, taking apart the decisions and the details and finding out why things went so wrong, so badly, on K-2. I picked up the book and started reading it out loud to my son. After he went to bed, I stayed up and read half the night. This is very compelling. How could they have (fill in the blank -- failed to secure the ropes, put so many people on the mountain at once, not thought through a Plan B) -- this book looks at every instance. You get a sense that the problem was, in part, too many cooks and no one controlling wisdom. You get the sense that K-2 is a bad place for an amateur climber. Some of the people stand out for their bravery. It was a very bad day on K-2. This is a very good book about that bad day.