Review by Mailis -- The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro

[Mailis]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro is a book that began as his personal diary and evolved into something so much more.

David experiences a midlife crisis of sorts when he gets to his forties. His marriage is on the rocks and his self-confidence shattered, so he feels a calling to leave everything he knows behind and to start a dangerous but exciting challenge, step by step conquering the 7 highest summits of the world. Each new mountain he finishes brings on a new wave of ease in his personal life, teaching forgiveness and helping with personal growth.

He tries to understand the purpose of taking on these dangerous mountains at first and sometimes asks the question from other climbers as well, “Why do we climb these mountains?". Each person he encounters gives him a different answer. Some think of it as a goal to reach, some see it as a physical thing (dopamine deficiency) that can be helped with regular risk-taking thrills. Some explain that they just love to travel. Mauro himself thinks that it is something uplifting, an experience that stays with you for the rest of your life, like a validation of worth, something that helps to move past fears and limits. So, he follows his calling. Even when that calling tells him to climb and risk his life, when he would sometimes prefer that it whispered, “Go to the beach!” into his ear instead.

I happily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t see any grammar mistakes or writing mistakes, everything read so smoothly and I could tell right away that this book was well edited, well thought out and professionally proof-read.

I must admit I learned a lot from this book as well. The camaraderie of Ozone Brotherhood, the beautiful vistas, and places visited and thrills and dangers all those mountains offered. I didn’t previously know that there are always different physical aspects and needs for training beforehand. One mountain needs the climber to have a heavy bulky frame that can carry heavy equipment and large quantities food rations, other mountain demands the climber to be wiry and to have a really lean physical build, that allows them to walk long distances without tiring. Muscle mass also uses more oxygen in high altitudes and can become a burden instead of an advantage.

You get to know about game plans for using the bathroom “up there”, strategies for acclimatization, mountain climbing etiquette, and tips. When your life depends on it, every small thing is important. Even the thought process. No heavy thinking is recommended because that takes up energy that you just don’t have to spare. So, you must work on the efficiency of movement and learning the mantra: “Simple thoughts, simple thoughts.”
Injuries also heal differently in high altitudes because your body is already using all its resources to keep you alive and has no extra juice left over for anything else.
And there are of course thousands other nuances like that, for example, the temperature lift that comes from direct sunlight in Antarctica, which can mean as much as a twenty-degree difference between standing in sunlight or two feet to the side in the shadow of a cloud.

But most importantly and what I loved the most, was the humor this book offered. As the author's sense of self evolves, so does his sense of humor. The last half of the book was in places so funny, that I laughed until actual tears came, and I couldn’t wait to share the funny stories with someone else too.
I recommend this to all mature readers, and I think even some young adult readers will enjoy it as well, with its warm writing style and sense of adventure. And of course, for those who dream of mountain climbing, this should be a compulsory read.

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The Altitude Journals
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