[.ca] Within Reach My Everest Story (ISBN 0141304979)

From Amazon.com:
Although Within Reach is targeted at young adults and written in a young man's voice, the writing (by coauthor Galvin) is engaging, and the story is rewarding enough to interest any mountaineer. Pfetzer, 18 at the time of publication, describes his summits of a number of peaks worthy of a climber twice his age, including Huascarán, Aconcagua, Ama Dablam, Kilimanjaro, and Cho Oyu. He tells at length of his two expeditions to Everest, where he reached 25,000 feet from Tibet and 26,000 feet from Nepal. Purists may sneer, as all these climbs were commercial, guided expeditions--but heck, the kid was only 14 or 15; how else would he get there? And, though a paying client, he was unusually well prepared: a karate black belt (at age 11), courses in NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) and high-angle rescue, full EMT (emergency medical technician) training (even though he was too young to be licensed), in addition to being in top physical condition, which he rigorously maintained. Pfetzer has regularly sought out older, more experienced mountaineers as mentors--somewhat rare for a teenager--and thanks them publicly for their teaching and wisdom. His love of climbing and determination to succeed are inspirational for all ages. --Donna DeShazo

inspirational book:
Just recently I read a very inspirational book about a 16-year-old boy who climbed atop of Mount Everest. That book is written by Mark Pfetzer and it is called Within Reach: My Everest Story. Mark Pfetzer started to climb at the age of 12 in a rock climbing gym near his house. He got to climbing because his aunts music teacher also climbed and so they got together and first went to Peru to climb those mountains. Then he went to Nepal which is in Asia the north side of the Himalayans. The Himalayans are the biggest mountains in the world. Mark climbs the Himalayans four times. His life long goal was to climb it once but through his perseverance no only did he climb it once but he climbed it more than once. He also climbed the highest mountain in the world before he even graduated from high school. He was also a very good student. Throughout all the time he was climbing mountains he was doing his school work and xlimbing at the same time. I think he is a very good role model for every young kid. Mark is a person who reaches his goal and lets no obstacle stop him and still focuses on doing his homework. He had obstacles like knowing that his father was diagnosed with cancer in his ear and then a year later his father died of just that. But that didn't stop him from reaching his goals. I enjoyed reading this book and it is a very good book for young people looking for a role model.

an antidote to disaffected teenager-dom:
Mark Pfetzer is 12 when he decides to become a mountain climber. At the age of 16, he makes his second Everest summit attempt during the 1996 storm. As the story progresses, Pfetzer must balance family obligations with his climbing ambitions. Told by Pfetzer and ghostwritten by Galvin in a teenage writing style, this is an ultimately inspiring tale about a teenager whose ambitions take him outside the norms presented to teens. It shows the value of determination and also offers an alternative to a disaffected teenaged existance of living for the future. ages 12+

Within Reach reveiw:
Within Reach is a very good book. It explains how if you put your mind to something you can do it. Mark a teenager is in to rock climbing a lot, he is willing to stop school stop every thing around him to climb. Mark is the youngest person to climb certain mountains, he doesn't climb for the public he climb for him self. Mark kept a journal on his mountain climbs so you really know how he feels. If you like a book about a person that fights for what he believes for you have to read this book.

Within Reach Book Review:
Within Reach Within Reach was a very good book. Its amazing to think that this book is true (which it is) because to think of someone going though everything that Mark Pfezter went though is hard to believe. I think the book would have been a little too advanced for children under 9. Maybe children that are 9 will giggle in some parts. The good thing about this book is that it had its good times and its bad, its funny times and its serious. This is a really good book and a lot of people can read it.

Excellent Choice For Adventure On a Mountain:
Great book, learned a lot of a 16 year old who will follow his dreams to do whatever it takes to get to the top of Everest. Defiantly read it you would like an adventure and a good rush!