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Title: Three Good Reasons To Stay At Sea Level
Review: The first story, that of Colby Coombs on Alaska's Mount Foraker, is the most intense of the three. An avalanch swept Coombs and his two partners off the side of the mountain, incredibly he survived and, dispite injuries and lost equipment, managed to walk out under his own power. Motivated not simply by a desire to live but by the knowledge that if he died too his dead partners' friends and families would never know what had happened to them. Bullheaded persistance in the face of physical pain worked for Scott Fischer on K2 but on Everest in '96 the same trait caused his death. As for Mr. Potterfield's own story, I personally think it's quite reasonable for him to focus on the rescue rather than the cause of the accident. A mistake was made certainly but what's the point in placing blame? Far more important - and more interesting - is the skill and effort that went into rescuing him. I can't say I noticed any problems with his writing style either.
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