Review by rscorman -- The Altitude Journals

[rscorman]

[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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If you are an aspiring mountain climber, or find other athletes’ feats inspiring, The Altitude Journals by David J. Mauro is a worthy read. I come from a family of endurance athletes who push their bodies to a level that I, myself, cannot fully comprehend. But I can appreciate their drive and desire to meet, and surpass, unusual, life-defining goals. Mauro writes about his journey from the worst time in his life to the summit, both literally and figuratively, reaching peaks most of us will never understand.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for Mauro’s ability to take me on the climbs with him. From his first attempt at a summit on Denali, through his final and most treacherous ascent to the highest point on the planet, I could picture the crevices that threatened death and the vertical ascents that reset the course of Mauro’s life. As Mauro described the dangers and triumphs, I felt like I was taking them with him. I found myself shaking my head as I confirmed that I, personally, have no desire whatsoever to climb these mountains and I breathed sights of relief as he made it to each summit and home in one piece.

The Altitude Journals not only takes you up seven summits, but helps you understand how following a calling and pushing oneself past a comfort level can change a mindset and change the trajectory of a life. Mauro allows us into his lowest of lows, and highest of highs. He doesn’t hide his faults or mistakes, but rather allows us to see how this journey helped him correct them.

While I’m not fully convinced that each mountain called his name for a specific purpose like he claims – I think wanting to be one of the few to reach all Seven Summits is more believable – I do believe that each climb helped him see his life more clearly. It’s no surprise, as looking death in the face usually does that to people.

I finished this book quickly as I wanted to see the outcome of each climb. I’m fascinated by people’s ability to push themselves past what seems possible, and Mauro’s story hit all the buttons in this inspirational and entertaining story.

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The Altitude Journals
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