Review by amberether2016 -- The Altitude Journals

[amberether2016]

[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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Sometimes the only way to go up from the bottom is to literally go up. That is what David J. Mauro describes in The Altitude Journals. He climbs and conquers the seven summits of the world, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Carstensz Pyramid, and Mount Everest. In each chapter, Dave goes on to explain how the urge to climb each mountain came to him and how, during each climb, he would go on to find out different things about him or his life.

Dave talks about his relationship with his father and how his father was not around while he was growing up. Later, during his adult life, Dave’s father comes back into his life. While climbing, Dave realizes that his father’s health, particularly his dementia, has in a way made Dave turn into his father’s father, helping to take care of his father when he turns childlike during his dementia episodes. It also helps Dave to realize that in order to be the father that he wants to be for his 2 boys, he will then have to be the father that his father was not.

During each mountain climb, Dave describes his trips up and down the mountains so expertly that I could almost feel as if I were climbing the mountains with him. He describes every camp, every weather condition, and everything he is seeing or feeling with every day it takes him to summit. Even though, you know within the first page of the book that he survives all of his summit attempts, the way he describes even the most dangerous situations had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath.

There are pictures throughout the book of him on each summit. I really enjoyed that he included the pictures. It made the whole experience feel more real for me as the reader. For the climb on Mount Everest, he did a fund raiser for the Boys and Girls club to raise money. He wanted to raise a dollar for every foot high that the mountain was. He made good on his promise to summit Mount Everest and even brought along the Boys and Girls flag to the top with him.

During each and every climb, Dave describes the villages and the people that he met. For someone who will probably never see these places, it made me feel as if I was learning a little more about the way people live all the around the world. Dave was able to show the reader a glimpse into how the lives of villagers and what they have and don’t have will differ from what we have and don’t have here in America.

I enjoy how he doesn’t shy away from the bad that can happen on the mountain. For example, in the chapter where he is climbing Mount Everest, there is a problem between the Sherpa and 3 climbers who refused to listen to the Sherpa while putting in the fixed lines. The problem then escalated and the 3 climbers had to leave the camp within the hour. It paints the picture that not everything on the mountain is always good. Sometimes, bad things happen while climbing mountains just as if you were on the ground.

All in all, this was a phenomenal non-fiction collection of journal entries by Dave Mauro. I only found one error while reading. With that being said, I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. This book was professionally edited, in my opinion, and is a great book for anybody who is interested in traveling or someone who just loves non-fiction collections.

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The Altitude Journals
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