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Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.522092
EAN: 9780898867398
ISBN: 0898867398
Label: Mountaineers Books
Manufacturer: Mountaineers Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 236
Publication Date: 2000-09
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Studio: Mountaineers Books
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Editorial Review:
In 1976, John Roskelley joined an expedition to climb Nanda Devi, the third highest mountain in the Indian Himalayas. This is the story of that ascent, led by top mountaineer Willi Unsoeld, whose young, inexperienced daughter, named for the peak, perished there. It is the story also of Ad Carter, part of the team that first summited Nanda Devi forty years earlier; and of Lou Reichert and Jim States, two of the three members to actually reach the summit. But mostly this book is about Roskelley himself, who led the summit party of three and who outspokenly criticized an expedition that allowed unqualified climbers to participate in the technically difficult ascent.
Originally published in 1987, Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition established Roskelley's reputation for being not only a forthright and uncompromising climbing critic, but also a wise and authoritative mountaineer dedicated to grueling preparedness.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A self-serving book
As an avid reader of mountain books, this is one of the better ones. The story of the ascent of Nanda Devi and the unfolding tragedy is a compelling one. That being said, I have read other accounts of this expedition, and of other expeditions that included John Roskelly, and it is obvious that the author has very much climbing skill and very little emotional intelligence. This version is self-serving, and it is doubtful that it represents anything other than his perspective. One thing that is glaringly ... Read More
Rating:  - Lessons in Climbing and Leadership
John Roskelley's "Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition" is a brutally honest narrative of the 1976 American-Indian climb of 25,000 foot Nanda Devi in Northwest India. The expedition never came together as a cohesive group, leading to endless arguments en route to and on the mountain, and perhaps contributing to the death of Nanda Devi Unsoeld, daughter of expedition co-leader Willi Unsoeld and named for the mountain itself.
Roskelley's description of the effort to bring a team together, gather ... Read More
Rating:  - Not Exactly Inspirational
I have read a number of mountain climbing books over the past few months, and this was the least enjoyable of the bunch. The problem is both the subject matter and the writing style. The expedition itself seemed like a mess--two leaders, one of whom lost interest half-way through and left the country, the other of whom didn't seem to notice or care that his lovely college-age (I think) daughter was dangerously ill. A team that had widely different ideas about what the goals of the expedition were and who ... Read More
Rating: - Nanda Devi
Between the fragmented leadership, conflicting agenda's of the climbers and general lack of cooperation between various members of the expedition it's a small wonder that more people weren't seriously injured or killed. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The suspense that John Roskelly creates is fantastic. With so many possible things that could go wrong...
Rating: - Fantastic account
Wow. My first reaction on reading this book was amazement as to how dysfunctional this team was due to the fractured leadership style. The inability of the strongest climbers to agree on strategy and work loads contributed to the team's overall slowness on the climb. Yet they still managed to put people on top of the mountain. Other climbing expedition books often make allusions to similar types of disagreements on strategy and plan but this one really lays it all out in front of you.
My second reaction ... Read More
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