In 1969, five young men from Montana set out to accomplish what no one had before: to scale the sheer north face of Mount Cleveland, Glacier National Park's tallest mountain, in winter. Two days later tragedy struck: they were buried in an avalanche so deep that their bodies would not be discovered until the following June. The White Death is the riveting account of that fated climb and of the breathtakingly heroic rescue attempt that ensued. In the spirit of Peter Matthiessen and John McPhee, McKay Jenkins interweaves a harrowing narrative with an astonishing expanse of relevant knowledge ranging from the history of mountain climbing to the science of snow. Evocative and moving, this fascinating book is a humbling account of man at his most intrepid and nature at its most indomitable. "The White Death is rich with sharp characters and strong history." "Eloquently written…Snow has rarely been so menacing as in this book." "Combines the best of a study of history and causes for avalanche disasters with a gripping story." "In the growing arena of adventure books, this one rightly takes its place alongside the best." "A heartbreaking story of youth and adventure." "An engrossing tour de force…Re-creates this tragedy and also seamlessly interweaves a wealth of avalanche lore, science, and history." "A riveting book that uses the deaths of five climbers…as a means to explore avalanches, personal responsibility, the science of snow, and the ethics of extreme sports."
