The Breach: Kilimanjaro and the Conquest of Self

Taylor is not only a gifted alpinist, but a gifted writer. The book eloquently draws the reader into the harrowing physical and mental journey to Africa and up and down The Breach Wall. The previous reviewer has such a twisted perspective that it leads one to wonder whether he's suffering from altitude sickness after having read The Breach. He obviously missed the whole point of the book and grossly misunderstood the person. Rob Taylor is what I would characterize as a "soul alpinist." He obviously doesn't climb for self-aggrandizement, he climbs to feed his soul. It was immediately apparent to me that Taylor wrote this book, not to "become famous" or for anyone but himself. The book is an introspectual journey as a critical step in the author's healing process. Rob is a renowned, but not famous climber, and one gets the impression he'd have it no other way. Harley Warner, Taylor's climbing partner, was a daring, fantastic climber, but he wouldn't have achieved the same degree of fame if he hadn't made it his first priority to have the press alerted and cameras rolling when he planned his ascents. The previous reviewers suggestion that Taylor played 2nd fiddle to Warner (whom the previous reviewer inexplicably refers to as "Henry Barber"???) reveals a complete ignorance of the very different characters, skill-sets and goals of these two climbers. In "The Breach," Taylor laments, but NEVER complains at all about the fact that Warner abandons him, critically wounded and desperately in need of support, so as not to miss a promotional event back in the U.S. He was obviously hurt by that. Who wouldn't be??? On the contrary, Taylor thanks Harley profusely for getting him safely off the Breach wall even though Harley doesn't return with the rescue party to see Taylor safely out of the jungle. It's worthy of note that Taylor minimizes description of his own suffering in describing that horrific descent in the book. The book is a real gift, not only as an insight into the inner strength that we can all draw upon in our most critical hours, but also in the artful way it combines adventure and psychology with anthropological and cultural musings to create a thoroughly deep and satisfying meal of a read.

I'm buying this book. The story of Rob Taylor and his parter Harley was compelling. You're probably thinking 'she hasn't even read the book.' Rob Taylor came to my school today. He spent and hour and a half telling us his fascinating story all about his climb up Kilamanjaro and it's tragic ending. Though all that Rob went through with Harley, he still blames himself for the horrific accident. His poor judge of character came back to haunt him later in the climb up this monstrous mountain. He made some decisions that could've been a lot better, but all of us are human. I haven't read the book yet, but I think it'll be interesting to know if Rob wrote about how Harley ended up. I am only in middle school, so yes the majority of my grade laughed, but I think all of the greed and selfishness that he showed Rob up on the mountain is still kicking to this day. When you get someone's story verbally, it tends to be more exciting, especially with someone like Rob Taylor. His expressions and tone of voice as he went through the story that started at the base of the mountain in 120 degree weather to negative 30 at the summit were entertaining. His expressions changed, and even if you were deaf, you would've been able to read the story through his eyes. I'm hoping the book will be as fascinating as the real person...especially when I've seen the scars.

Maybe because I went to grade school with Rob (1960 to 1968)that I felt a closeness, a kindred spirit connection. But whatever the baggage, the story was so well told that you were brought into the breach. One feels the intensity of the mountian climber and the complelling gut-wrenching desire for survival in the face of broken leg abandonment, in the snow, on the mountainside far, far from civilization. A must read for anyone who may have an occasion face death at one point of their life or another. You can't put the book down!

Rob Taylor takes you on a journey of self-doubt, the amazing recovery of the human body and throughout it all, determination. This is a heart-wrenching story about what happens when you begin to doubt yourself and wish you hadn't... I couldn't put it down and am now reading it for the third time!

Rob Taylor's inner struggle was as fascinating and compelling as his outer adventure. And you don't have to memorize a huge cast of characters and locations like you do in 'Into Thin Air' if you want to understand what's happening. He's with just one other guy in an adventure that left me thinking about it for days after reading it.