Review by Laura_Gilmartin -- The Altitude Journals
Posted: 06 Oct 2018, 21:28
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The Altitude Journals by David J. Mauro is an autobiographical account of the author’s experience climbing the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on the world’s seven continents.
David J. Mauro’s marriage had just broken down when his brother-in-law, Ty, invited him to join a climbing expedition to Denali – North America’s highest peak (20,310 ft.). The invitation came at a low-point in his life. He felt that he had failed at marriage and was burdened with guilt about the death of his brother from alcoholism eight years earlier. Having never climbed before, or been athletically gifted, he nervously accepted the invitation, feeling that if he could reach the mountain’s summit, he could find a way to believe in himself again. This book is an account of the next seven years, in which the author received what he describes as ‘calls’ to climb some of the highest peaks in the world and let them teach him lessons about compassion, love and joy.
Mountaineering can make for extraordinary story-telling because it is, in itself, extraordinary. The summit of each mountain is a ready-made opportunity for victory, but the extreme conditions and inherent risk of illness, injury and even death means the story has the potential to teeter on the brink of disaster. What sets this story apart from other literature of this kind, is that Mauro climbed not one, not two, but seven mountains. A description of these accounts alone would have made a remarkable story. However, Mauro’s account goes beyond this, delving into his life post-divorce, including confronting feelings of resentment toward a father absent from his childhood, the evolution of his teenage sons and exploring the landscape of a new relationship. These insights into Mauro’s emotional life provide a reprieve from the intensity of the climbs, as well as welcome context for each decision he makes to attempt another climb, which he suggests, not unconvincingly, are as much of a surprise to him as they are to those around him.
The story of the broken person embarking on a physically gruelling, and in many cases, dangerous, journey to redemption, is a well-tread one. This didn’t stop me from asking ‘What is it all for?’ Mauro attempts to address this question, admitting that while in the beginning of his journey he felt he had nothing to lose, by its midway point he had realised he had everything to lose, but nevertheless continued on. At one point, Mauro asks some of the climbers on Everest what motivates them to risk their lives to attempt the mountain’s summit, and their answers are predictably unsatisfying. In one especially feeble attempt, a climber simply says ‘I love to travel.’ Mauro eventually resigns himself to being unable to offer a convincing explanation, except to suggest that danger is the price one pays for witnessing true beauty.
There is always a risk of an alpine climbing story becoming laden with jargon or arrogant in its self-congratulation. Thankfully, I found Mauro’s account to be overwhelmingly down-to-earth and relatable. His confession, made in the prologue of the book, that as a child he was naturally competitive but lacking in athletic skill, along with honest descriptions of struggling with physical and mental resilience during climbs, tells a tale of growing confidence that never crosses into egotism.
The account is also light-hearted, even becoming laugh-out-loud funny at one point. Mauro’s words are purposeful and accessible, though occasionally crass, using profanity on more than one occasion. The text appears to be professionally-edited with occasional errors that did not detract from the overall story.
I gave The Altitude Journals 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in human interest stories and/or adventure travel, especially climbers.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Altitude Journals by David J. Mauro is an autobiographical account of the author’s experience climbing the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on the world’s seven continents.
David J. Mauro’s marriage had just broken down when his brother-in-law, Ty, invited him to join a climbing expedition to Denali – North America’s highest peak (20,310 ft.). The invitation came at a low-point in his life. He felt that he had failed at marriage and was burdened with guilt about the death of his brother from alcoholism eight years earlier. Having never climbed before, or been athletically gifted, he nervously accepted the invitation, feeling that if he could reach the mountain’s summit, he could find a way to believe in himself again. This book is an account of the next seven years, in which the author received what he describes as ‘calls’ to climb some of the highest peaks in the world and let them teach him lessons about compassion, love and joy.
Mountaineering can make for extraordinary story-telling because it is, in itself, extraordinary. The summit of each mountain is a ready-made opportunity for victory, but the extreme conditions and inherent risk of illness, injury and even death means the story has the potential to teeter on the brink of disaster. What sets this story apart from other literature of this kind, is that Mauro climbed not one, not two, but seven mountains. A description of these accounts alone would have made a remarkable story. However, Mauro’s account goes beyond this, delving into his life post-divorce, including confronting feelings of resentment toward a father absent from his childhood, the evolution of his teenage sons and exploring the landscape of a new relationship. These insights into Mauro’s emotional life provide a reprieve from the intensity of the climbs, as well as welcome context for each decision he makes to attempt another climb, which he suggests, not unconvincingly, are as much of a surprise to him as they are to those around him.
The story of the broken person embarking on a physically gruelling, and in many cases, dangerous, journey to redemption, is a well-tread one. This didn’t stop me from asking ‘What is it all for?’ Mauro attempts to address this question, admitting that while in the beginning of his journey he felt he had nothing to lose, by its midway point he had realised he had everything to lose, but nevertheless continued on. At one point, Mauro asks some of the climbers on Everest what motivates them to risk their lives to attempt the mountain’s summit, and their answers are predictably unsatisfying. In one especially feeble attempt, a climber simply says ‘I love to travel.’ Mauro eventually resigns himself to being unable to offer a convincing explanation, except to suggest that danger is the price one pays for witnessing true beauty.
There is always a risk of an alpine climbing story becoming laden with jargon or arrogant in its self-congratulation. Thankfully, I found Mauro’s account to be overwhelmingly down-to-earth and relatable. His confession, made in the prologue of the book, that as a child he was naturally competitive but lacking in athletic skill, along with honest descriptions of struggling with physical and mental resilience during climbs, tells a tale of growing confidence that never crosses into egotism.
The account is also light-hearted, even becoming laugh-out-loud funny at one point. Mauro’s words are purposeful and accessible, though occasionally crass, using profanity on more than one occasion. The text appears to be professionally-edited with occasional errors that did not detract from the overall story.
I gave The Altitude Journals 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in human interest stories and/or adventure travel, especially climbers.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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