The Eiger Obsession
Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father
One
The Shattered Pillar
When I was a kid it always bothered me that Dad hadn't been able to survive most of his 4,000-foot fall. He would have wanted to savor the event: his "ultimate experience," the one he had been looking forward to, even though he wanted it to come later. My mother made sure that the film in his movie camera was developed, because he would have filmed the whole thing if possible. That's just how he was, and it would have been strange if he'd changed at the last minute.
Or maybe he would have. Changed, that is. Another minute of life might have been enough time for him to reflect on his children, ages eight and nine, and to realize how selfish it was to die when they needed him. Or maybe he would have learned that the opportunity to watch his children grow up, to participate in their lives, is a much greater adventure than dying. And what about his parents? Did he think about how he was hurting them? No, I don't think he did. But if he'd had that minute to think, perhaps he would have. Maybe it's b ... read full excerpt from: The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain That Killed My Father ebook
