4 out of 4 stars
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The Altitude Journals tells the true story of an ordinary man who achieves extraordinary results. Dave Mauro is forty-four years old, recently divorced, a financial planner who receives a phone call that changes his life. His brother-in-law calls from Alaska asking him to climb Denali and that starts him on a journey that lasts seven years, touches seven continents and ends with Dave literally standing on top of the world.
The story follows Dave as he rebuilds his personal life around callings to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. Each mountain provides its own story as you are engulfed in the atmosphere, culture and drama surrounding each trip. You learn about cannibals, how to pull a sled through a snow storm, the history of Everest and even something about Ryan Stiles.
What I liked about the book were the experiences provided by the multiple locations. I was fascinated by how different the experience was at each location. At Kilimanjaro you are in short sleeves looking out over wide open spaces and in Antarctica you can barely leave your down filled sleeping bag. You ride a gondola a portion of the way up Elbrus and you travel with armed guards in New Guinea to deter kidnappers. What I liked most about the book was what felt like the perfect amount of detail. I’m not a mountain climbing expert but the book gave me just enough to understand what was going on but not overwhelm me with technical details. I learned enough about his family and friends to be vested in the story but not enough to drive me away.
What I did not like about the book was the lack of maps or simple guides to help me visualize the location and complexity of the routes. I would have appreciated a map designating locations, altitudes and distances where portions of the story happened. The altitudes and distances are noted in the book as Dave journeys up and up but it would have been nice to have a visual reference.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. You may think all mountains are the same but this book will prove you wrong time and time again. It will keep you turning the pages as you want to learn more, see more and you will wish there were seven more continents to conquer by the time Dave is standing on Everest. I did not give this book 3 stars as I thoroughly enjoyed the book and feel it is written in such a way to appeal to a large audience. I feel the people this book would appeal to the most would be readers who enjoy outdoor activities, geography and adventure stories. I feel the people this book would appeal to least would be romance novel readers.
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The Altitude Journals
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when I get a little money I buy books; and if I have any left l buy food and clothes
