Compare And Contrast Bukreev And John Krakauer

As we read about what unfolded at Everest on May 9 and 10, 1996, there was a tragic disaster that struck every mountaineer on the Earth, a storm that killed 12 climbers and left much more wounded. Today, readers see the argument between Jon Krakauer, the author of Into Thin Air, and Anatoli Boukreev, a Russian climber who co-wrote The Climb in which they disagreed on multiple events that lead up to the disaster. These two books by two survivors of Everest who experienced different viewpoints of what transpired in the storm above Camp Four argued on who was more credible. When we look at who is more persuasive in their books the readers tend to observe three key points: their knowledge and expertise in climbing, their character, and their goodwill.

When Krakauer was climbing Everest he was on an assignment for the Outsider, an outdoor adventure magazine. Krakauer was very proficient when it came to writing and it helps him record what happened on top of Everest which proves his credibility. Krakauer had “written more than sixty pieces for Outside over the previous fifteen years” (Krakauer, 27) On the other hand, Boukreev had no experience in writing and didn’t take note of the events, so his accounts cannot be trusted. Krakauer is “... not only a highly respected writer but a very talented climber” (Vietsters). Even though Krakauer lacks the same amount of climbing skill and mastery than Boukreev, Jon has still completed difficult and strenuous climbs while writing for the magazine,such as the Moose's Tooth, Devils Thumb, and ice climbs in Canada and Colorado. Arriving to Everest is very intimidating especially if “I’d [Krakauer] never been higher than 17,200 feet (28,Krakauer)” which was very hard for climbing a mountain that is above 29,000 feet. While climbing Everest, Krakauer presents skilled jargon while climbing

He arrived at Base Camp with a smile on his face and was ready to defeat the majestic yet dangerous peak. While high up on the mountain, there were many harsh side effects that can blur reality to fantasy. When writing Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer does admit that there were “a few of the details I’d [Krakauer] reported were in error” ( introduction, Krakauer) and even though he could've had inaccurate statements, he further explained what happened on the mountain than Boukreev shows in his book. When Krakauer was asked for help on the mountain by Beck to descend to Camp Four he felt that he wasn’t in the right position to navigate because he wasn’t a guide. When asked later if Boukreev tried to help Weathers as a guide Beck said that "Anatoli Boukreev certainly did not play a role in getting me off the mountain. The only role he played was stepping over my body."(Beck Weathers, link) As Rob Hall’s team was going up the icefall, Krakauer really sees the beauty of how this mountain is created and this shows that he himself respects this work of art and doesn’t see it as the top of the world but the most beautiful yet dangerous place. After the disaster on top of Everest, Krakauer reached out to families of the members that died and did whatever was necessary to comfort them and help them out in any way possible. When he met with Rob Hall’s wife, Jan Arnold, she