Customer Rating: 
Summary: Primo Mountain Lit
Comment: This is a fair, true account of one man's obsession with the highest mountain in North America. Waterman's prose is literate, his tales are captivating, and he gives both sides of the story. Mountaineering ain't always pretty, but it's seldom dull. Give it a read before you charter your air taxi for a trip to the Kahiltna.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Uncovering the realism of mountaineering...
Comment: A real look into the world of mountaineering that hasn't been glamorized or overly dramatized (in the case of other authors). The primary focus is Denali, but the book often shifts attention away from it, giving the reader a good look into the mountaineering career of Jon Waterman and a bit of insight upon many others. For the experienced mountaineer, they can most likely relate to many of Jon's experiences. To the less experienced, it will give a sobering wakeup call to the realities of mountaineering. I must disagree with the reader from NY listed below as stating that "The author falls into the trap of thinking that climbing is going to give him and some other fellow climbers an insight into life beyond that of the ordinary man." For anyone who has survived a truly epic climb, one does gain a bit of insight into life that they failed to notice beforehand, and that many others do not completely understand...do this regularly enough, and it can in fact change a person. The book was NOT self-indulgent in the least...merely giving a first hand account of his experiences, both good and bad. If you are planning a trip to Denali, this should be required reading....
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Comment: This book helped me to get a good "feel" for Denali and its surroundings. It was easy to read and entertaining. Waterman recounts his life, first in New Hampshire in the white mountains and then later in Denali as a park ranger.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a little history of Denali and its beautiful surroundings through entertaining short stories while not getting bogged down in factual details and structured story lines.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Incredible honesty about the mountaineering experience
Comment: I've always been fascinated by Denali (Mount McKinley)and its lands, but most literature about the mountain is similar to most other mountain writing: dry hubristic stories that don't give the deep-down-dirty. Much to my surprise, Waterman includes those hidden details of mountain climbing and Northern life in this incredible book. This is a timeless addition to the mountain writing genre, and what I believe is Waterman's best book. If you don't have it on your shelf, get it, read it, and read it again -- then share it with a friend.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pretensious Judgmental
Comment: The author falls into the trap of thinking that climbing is going to give him and some other fellow climbers an insight into life beyond that of the ordinary man. No doubt he has done some amazing things but the fact is when you get off the mountain you are the same jerk you were before you started. Being a great climber does not make you a better person than someone else.
I thought the chapter about his winter ascent was really self indulgent. Under the circumstances of his physical condition he had no business being there.
On the positive the author has a knowledge of the Denali area that is very impressive but ...
