See You Tomorrow

Thank you to NetGalley and Jeremy Evans for giving me an ARC of this book.

It was very interesting because it essentially had three distinct subjects. First there is, of course, the biography of a young , dynamic and highly skilled athlete. Second is the history of Everest and the surrounding area. Third is the history of climbing and other extreme snow sports.

I liked that the author didn't just tell us about this young guy who seems to have no impulse control and who is fairly oblivious to danger. All of that is very interesting and kind of fun in an "I wish I was that brave" kind of way. But the author then adds in the dynamics of he town of Chamonix where he lived and learned to ski, climb, snowboard and guide tourists up the mountain. Then he gives us a history of other men who climbed Everest and also never came back, or died on the mountain and were brought down. It is an interesting intermingling that gives a broader picture of Marco and his life.

This was a straightforward telling of a story I had never heard before. The author did a good job of profiling the hero without hero worshipping him. It was interesting to read about the other Everest stories woven in. Maps or photos would be helpful to humanize the story a bit more.

As an avid hiker, ice climber and mountain trekker I have always been enamoured by tales from “the 8000ers”. I myself will never be up to the task of climbing one, but I’ve always enjoyed following the challenges and setbacks of those who do. I often read these stores via Alan Annette (referenced in this book), explorersweb, Outside Magazine or other trekking publications. Where others enjoy “true crime” I do admit to finding myself fixated with the tales of those challenged or lost on these peaks. My first introduction to these tales were Jon Krakauer’s ‘Into Thin Air’ and the 1998 Everest IMAX film, and since then I’ve read a wide range and collection of these accounts of mountain (mis)adventures.

See You Tomorrow reads like a hybrid between the online articles, and longer books I’ve encountered on the subject. I mean that in the best way possible. Jeremy Evans writes with the casual nature of someone integrated into the climbing and mountaineering community, who has first hand knowledge and experience he relates back to the story being told. I was in the peak of my high school ski-bum years when Marco Siffredi made the first Everest descent, and then subsequently disappeared the following year but until reading this book I didn’t know the genuine nature of his personality, or the complexities of his relationship with Chamonix. Jeremy Evans is finally doing what the community should have done long ago, celebrating this tremendous athlete and heartfelt human for the accomplishments he achieved and life he lived. I also thought intertwining Marco’s story with his favourite character The Little Prince was incredibly successful thematically. I wouldn’t usually describe a book about someone’s tragic disappearance as “heartwarming” but I appreciated that Jeremy focused more on Marco’s life than his death.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in outdoor adventure sports, especially snowboarding (or skiing), mountaineering, trekking or even those with an interest in reading well written biographies. I truly appreciate the opportunity to read this digital ARC provided by NetGalley, I was not compensated for this review.