How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"By then the cold had about finished me off," says Charlotte Fox. "My eyes were frozen. I didn't see how we were going to get out of it alive." (15.39)
Beidleman's group endures more suffering than anyone else on the mountain. To be honest, we were actually shocked that so many of them made it out alive—we were sure they were goners. This high survival rate can only be described as a miracle.
Quote #8
"We were too tired to help. Above 8,000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality." (18.12)
Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common sentiment on the slopes of Everest. Where else on earth would a group of well-supplied people totally ignore such awful suffering?
Quote #9
The Taiwanese climber consented with a broad smile; like a solider displaying his battle wounds, he seemed almost proud of the gruesome injuries he'd sustained. (20.11)
For some, physical suffering is part of the reward. Crazy, we know. Still, Krakauer's comparison of Gau to a soldier is quite fitting: Gau will certainly use this wound to memorialize his death-defying ascent of Everest. Just don't start showing off your "cool" scars at dinner parties, buddy. No one likes that dude.