Master of Thin Air: Life and Death on the World's Highest Peaks - Softcover

One of the Top 5 Reads for the Summer, U.S. Backpacker Magazine "This mountaineer isn't simply a thrill seeker. He is a student of his passion and passes along his knowledge of the craft to readers, breaking down everything from the geographical characteristics of each mountain to what he carries in his pack. . . . Lock's intensity remains constant throughout . . . as he relies on a combination of experience, strength, grit, determination and intuition to get him up and down the Himalayas and beyond." Associated Press "Required reading for adventure enthusiasts and distant admirers alike. . . Lock's transformation from his lowland roots to his spectacular successes will thrill many." Library Journal "Superb . . . In this book, you will discover how, time and time again, a man can draw on this inner strength." Doug Scott, CBE, mountaineer and author "Brilliant! Honest, gritty, and riveting." Chris Bonington, CVO, CBE, mountaineer and author "What Andrew has done is outstanding the toughest grand slam on the planet the 14 x 8000ers!" Peter Hillary, renowned adventurer and son of Sir Edmund Hillary, first man to summit Mount Everest "Excellent. Andrew Lock has ably demonstrated that true adventure is still to be found in the high altitude climbing arena, despite current trends toward commercially tainted expeditions. But perhaps more notably, in the process of three grueling decades climbing in the bleak, rarefied atmosphere of the 8,000-meter peaks, he was able to find a clarity of vision that enriched his soul. This book is a must read for alpinists intent on seeking their own true nature at any altitude." Pat Morrow, legendary mountaineer, author, mountain filmmaker "Andrew Lock reminds us that the greatness of the human spirit is sustained by men and woman who refuse to give up, who represent the indomitable willpower that has allowed humankind to reach the stars." Bryce Courtenay, author of The Power of One "An honest account of what a pragmatic, tough and dogged Aussie can achieve with will, experience, heart and an infatuation for the high Himalaya. Bravo!" Barry Blanchard, UIAGM/IFMGA Mountain Guide, Canmore, Canada One of the Top 5 Reads for the Summer, U.S. Backpacker Magazine "This mountaineer isn't simply a thrill seeker. He is a student of his passion and passes along his knowledge of the craft to readers, breaking down everything from the geographical characteristics of each mountain to what he carries in his pack. . . . Lock's intensity remains constant throughout . . . as he relies on a combination of experience, strength, grit, determination and intuition to get him up and down the Himalayas and beyond." Associated Press "Required reading for adventure enthusiasts and distant admirers alike. . . Lock's transformation from his lowland roots to his spectacular successes will thrill many." Library Journal "Superb . . . In this book, you will discover how, time and time again, a man can draw on this inner strength." Doug Scott, CBE, mountaineer and author "Brilliant! Honest, gritty, and riveting." Chris Bonington, CVO, CBE, mountaineer and author "What Andrew has done is outstanding the toughest grand slam on the planet the 14 x 8000ers!" Peter Hillary, renowned adventurer and son of Sir Edmund Hillary, first man to summit Mount Everest "Excellent. Andrew Lock has ably demonstrated that true adventure is still to be found in the high altitude climbing arena, despite current trends toward commercially tainted expeditions. But perhaps more notably, in the process of three grueling decades climbing in the bleak, rarefied atmosphere of the 8,000-meter peaks, he was able to find a clarity of vision that enriched his soul. This book is a must read for alpinists intent on seeking their own true nature at any altitude." Pat Morrow, legendary mountaineer, author, mountain filmmaker "Andrew Lock reminds us that the greatness of the human spirit is sustained by men and woman who refuse to give up, who represent the indomitable willpower that has allowed humankind to reach the stars." Bryce Courtenay, author of The Power of One "An honest account of what a pragmatic, tough and dogged Aussie can achieve with will, experience, heart and an infatuation for the high Himalaya. Bravo!" Barry Blanchard, UIAGM/IFMGA Mountain Guide, Canmore, Canada

Named One of the Top Five Reads for the Summer by Backpacker magazine, a riveting high-altitude drama for readers of Into Thin Air. Master of Thin Air opens with a fall down a three-thousand-foot drop that very nearly killed author Andrew Lock. The qualities that saved him then on K2 in addition to his mountaineering know-how and sheer good luck drove his sixteen-year journey to summit all of the world's eight-thousanders, the fourteen peaks that exceed 8,000 meters (26,000-plus feet) and take climbers into the death zone. Incredibly, he accomplished that feat without the aid of bottled oxygen for every mountain but one. By preference, he climbed solo or in small teams, without Sherpas. During twenty-three expeditions, he spent a total of three years clinging to the sides of dangerous mountains. He lost more than twenty climbing friends and, in April 2014, witnessed Everest's deadliest avalanche. His book is a riveting, often thrilling account of what it takes to challenge the Earth's highest peaks and survive. It tells of death-defying ascents and even riskier descents, the gut-dropping consequences of the smallest mistakes or even just bad luck, the camaraderie and human drama of expeditions, the exhilaration of altitude. It is also the inspiring story of what motivates a person to achieve an extraordinary dream, a story of passion, resourcefulness, and hope even in the most dire moments.