Winter 8000: Climbing the World's Highest Mountains in the Coldest Season

No one says that climbing 8000-meter peaks is ever easy, but tackling these mountains in winter takes the challenge to a whole new level: temperatures of -40 degrees are the norm, the winds seem to never let up, and, due to the low barometric pressure, there is even less oxygen in the air than in other seasons. Climber Voytek Kurtyka characterizes such expeditions as the "art of suffering." What pushes men and women to subject themselves to such conditions-and what is the experience like? Élisabeth Revol, climbing solo on Manaslu in winter, felt a boundless energy and immense self-confidence. Cory Richards, on the summit of Gasherbrum II, wanted only to get back down again. Simone Moro described climbing on Broad Peak in winter as a metaphor for dreams, and for life itself. In Winter 8000, McDonald details some of the most heartbreaking and dangerous feats in mountaineering history, exploring both the motivation of the climbers and the emotional toll of the climbs themselves.