There has been a lot of talk lately about "The Belay" from various online resources. Today, the Burlington Free Press, from Burlington, Vermont, has an interview with Charlie Houston, one of the men who was there, on K2, that day.
Houston, who is now 93 and an expert at high mountain medicine, recalls trekking around Everest in 1950 with his father. At that time, no Westerner has explored the area to any great extent, and it was still left unspoiled by the many feet that would follow him there in the 50+ years to come. He talks about his other adventures as well, and his medical career, and the article briefly touches on the events on K2. Houston chronicled the expedition in his famous book K2: The Savage Mountain, which was instrumentla in making "The Belay" a part of Mountaineering Lore.
The K2 expedition would be Houston's last climb. But his impact on mountaineering would continue up until today. His studies on the effects of high altitude on the human body have allowed for climbers to push limits that were at one point thought impossible, and he has left his mark on the sport in more ways than one.
And for the record, K2: The Savage Mountain is still as compelling to read today as it was when it was written. It harkens back to an age where climbing mountains was still a romantic dream for many, and the men who risked their lives would return as heroes. I highly recommend it.
No comments:
Post a Comment