Into Thin Air Lesson Plan

How close has Krakauer come to answering the question of why someone would attempt to summit Mount Everest, despite the immense risk involved?

Refer students back to the portion of Chapter 13 where Krakauer discusses the myriad risks of climbing above 25,000 feet. It is here that he reinforces, yet again, that even under ideal circumstances, the chances of sustaining a serious injury or dying on Mount Everest are very high. So we must revisit the question again: what drives a person to undergo the great financial, physical, and psychological cost necessary to even attempt to climb the mountain?

Krakauer struggles with this question and tries to access it via a number...