Subtitled: 1996: Everest’s Worst Disaster The Untold True Story
This new book takes a fresh look at the tragic events that took place on
Everest in May 1996. The author, himself on Everest that day sheltering on the
South Col, survived the deadly storm and for more than ten years has wondered
whether he and his teammates could have done something to save lives on that
fateful night.
On the night of 10-11 May 1996, eight climbers perished in what remains the
worst disaster in Everest’s history. Following the tragedy, numerous accounts
were published, with Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air becoming an international
bestseller. But has the whole story been told?
A Day to Die For reveals for the first time the full, startling facts that led
to the tragedy. Graham Ratcliffe, the first British climber to reach the
summit of Mount Everest twice, was a first-hand witness, having spent the
night on Everest’s South Col at 26,000 ft, sheltering from the deadly storm.
For years, he has shouldered a burden of guilt, feeling that he and his
teammates could have saved lives that fateful night. His quest for answers has
led to discoveries so important to an understanding of the disaster that he
now questions why these facts were not made public sooner. History is dotted
with highprofile disasters that both horrify and capture the attention of the
public, but very rarely is our view of them revised to such devastating
effect.
2nd edition