Saturday, August 30, 2014

Review of "Blind Descent" by Brian Dickinson

One of the most interesting books I've read recently! Brian Dickinson is a former Navy Rescue Swimmer, an elite athlete and "mountaineer." In his quest to summit on a number of different continents, in 2011 he took on the (extra) big one, Everest - a staggering 29,000+ feet.

In this memoir of an amazing adventure, he intersperses his military training exercises that assisted him in making this attempt along with present day experiences as he climbs Everest. He also shares a lot about his wife Joanna and their two children, whom he credits with helping to keep him focused on coming home. :)

There is an exceptional amount of preparation and planning that goes into something like this, and it was fascinating to learn about. What makes this story extra incredible is that once he was at the summit, Brian experienced "snow blindness" - and because he had summited alone, was required to descend the mountain alone, unable to see. His faith in God helped him not only to succeed in the first place but to also stay calm as he experienced incredible challenges descending the mountain. A must read for all ages.

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