Into Thin Air is based on a true story seen through the eyes of Jon Krakauer. He is a journalist and mountain climber who decides to climb the treacherous Mount Everest and joins the most disastrous expedition in history. Krakauer mixes in with the climbing service called Adventure Consultants, which is guided by Rob Hall who is also responsible for the lives of ten other climbers. The climb is structured into camps: Base Camp, Camp One, Camp Two, Camp Three and Camp Four. After spending weeks at Base Camp, the group makes a number of trips up to the other camps to speed up the acclimatization process. Throughout the climb to the summit, Krakauer significantly details his teammates, his guides and other expeditions on the mountain. He tries to link together a continuous timeline of the events that take place in the weeks they are on the mountain. Everest is a bare and harsh land. All of the clients have difficulty adjusting to the altitude, tiring easily and losing oxygen. The climbers' experience in mountain climbing and at high altitudes varies—some of them are qualified while others very inexperienced and highly dependent on the guides. Will they survive?
“…[Krakauer] reveals that the human spirit has infinite ability to grow and can never be limited by circumstance. It will change the way you look at the obstacles of your own life and the American Dream.” -Henry David