How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Once Everest was determined to be the highest summit on earth, it was only a matter of time before people decided that Everest needed to be climbed. (2.7)
That's the human race for you—tell them that something is impossible, and they're only going to try harder to attain it. Still, this is a battle unlike any ever fought. Thought that David and Goliath was a one-sided fight? Boy, you Shmoopers haven't seen anything yet.
Quote #2
It would require the lives of twenty-four men […] and the passage of 101 years before the summit of Everest would finally be attained. (2.8)
As soon as people begin climbing Everest, the casualties start stacking up. The worst part is that these deaths only increase after the summit is attained. That's a steep price to pay for such a, well, steep mountain. Okay, that one was bad—we'll show ourselves out.
Quote #3
The temperature had been brutally cold when we set out from Camp One […] but as the first of the sun's rays struck the glacier […], the Cwm […] amplified the radiant heat like a huge solar oven. (8.14)
You probably expect it to be freezing cold on Everest, given all that ice and snow, right? Well you're not wrong, but that's only half of the story. While the weather is indeed frigid for most of the climb, there are moments when it gets so hot that Krakauer is forced to strip to his skivvies like a Chippendale's dancer. As it turns out, Everest is a supremely unpredictable place.