The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

Davidson, author, geologist, and mountaineer, relates his Everest ascent in such personal terms that the reader gains insight not only about the mountain’s deadly challenges but also about Davidson’s personal struggles. At times his personal struggles seem to overshadow the world’s highest mountain. Initially, this appears to distract from the climb, a frustration for climbing enthusiasts. But on the flip side, Davidson’s determination to overcome his personal challenges wins the day of his summit, giving a moralistic flavor to the book as a whole.

Davidson’s first attempt to climb Everest collapsed in the earthquake that shook the mountain in April 2015, altering Everest’s landscape even to the point of shedding Hillary’s Step. Davidson goes back to summit on a second trip. Along the way, he passes the dead bodies of those who died on the mountain, a reminder of the mortal dangers Everest presents.

Davidson’s background in geology adds to the information-rich detail of the narrative. This book is not only a field guide for those planning to ascend Everest, it also offers tremendous revelations about the commercialization of climbing to the top of the world.

In spite of the wordiness that may put off some solitary mountaineers, Davidson’s work contains gems of genius that make enduring to the end worthwhile.