Jon Krakauer Talk
Jon Krakauer is probably most famous for his book Into Thin Air that covered his first-hand experience of the 1996 Everest Disaster, but he also wrote tons for Outside magazine.
What’s interesting about this talk is his description of the climbing and outdoor world of the late 80’s and early 90’s. It is interesting how much of a different world it was back then. This kind of 90’s era spirit of adventure is what got me into Mazamas and climbing in the Pacific Northwest in the early 2000’s. I remember it well. It was a very idealistic time in which people talked about the purity of pushing yourself in climbing. Portland saw famous climbers come through town semi-regularly as they practice on the peaks in the Pacific Northwest and to do talks – as mini-celebrities.
Climbing of that era was almost a religion that saw young, incredibly talented and athletic people from everyday backgrounds flying around the world to the most remote locations when the world was much less accessible as it is today. It’s a great little time capsule of an era that’s long gone.
