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“Buried in the Sky is a compelling account of the men who have literally shouldered the rest of the worlds’ mountaineers up K2.”–Norman Ollestad, bestselling author of Crazy for the Storm

When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the anonymous expertsunsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.

Buried in the Sky explores the intersecting lives of Chhiring Dorje Sherpa and Pasang Lama, following them from their villages high in the Himalaya to the slums of Kathmandu, across the glaciers of Pakistan to K2 Base Camp. When disaster strikes in the Death Zone, Chhiring finds Pasang stranded on an ice wall, without an axe, waiting to die. The harrowing rescue that follows has become the stuff of mountaineering legend.

At once a gripping, white-knuckled adventure and a rich exploration of Sherpa customs and culture Buried in the Sky recreates one of the most dramatic catastrophes in alpine history from a fascinating new perspective.

Peter Zuckerman´s writing has won the Livingston Award and the National Journalism Award, two of the most prestigious awards in American journalism. He lives in Portland, Oregon. His cousin, Amanda Padoan, has climbed throughout the Karakorum and the Himalaya. A contributor to ExplorersWeb, a mountaineering news source, she lives in Los Angeles.

“Buried in the Sky reveals the heroic deeds of the Sherpa. . . . [It] brings to light how immensely strong, loyal and talented the Sherpa climbers are..”—Ed Viesturs, bestselling author of No Shortcuts to the Top and K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain

“Zuckerman and Padoan have dug deeper than anyone else. Thanks to their efforts, the heroism and humanity of the Sherpa climbers who saved lives shine through the chaos and grief of that awful day on K2.” —David Roberts, author of On the Ridge Between Life and Death

“Pacey, compelling and clear, this is an excellent account of what happened that fateful August day. More importantly, it tells the story of the Himalayan-born high-altitude workers. These once anonymous figures leap off the page with all their hopes and fears – and astonishing courage. Buried in the Sky is one of the very best books on the tragedy.” —Ed Douglas, author of Tenzing: Hero of Everest

“An informative and inspirational book… I couldn’t put it down. I am proud to know of the determination and loyalty of the Sherpa climbers and their tireless efforts to risk their lives for the other climbers.” —Jamling Tenzing Norgay, author of Touching My Father’s Soul

“Buried in the Sky will appeal to every mountaineer (armchair or otherwise) interested in the climbing history of K2, that beautiful and deadly peak. ”—Maurice Isserman, co-author of Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering

“The authors bring alive the enigmatic Sherpa culture and skillfully guide the reader past the banal machismo that consumes most other accounts.  I really enjoyed and appreciated this book.”–Norman Ollestad, bestselling author of Crazy for the Storm

Sunday, June 10; 7-9PM
Admission: Free, All are Welcome

About the Author:

Peter Zuckerman is a non-fiction writer. He has received some of the most prestigious recognitions in American journalism.

In 2005, he was one of the youngest people to ever win a Livingston Award, the largest, all-media, general reporting prize in America. Among the dozens of other awards his reporting has received is the National Journalism Award, given by the Scripts Howard Foundation for the best newspaper writing in the United States; and the Blethan Award, given for the best journalism in the northwest. PBS profiled Zuckerman in an hour-long documentary, “In a Small Town,” and Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation for Excellence in Journalism profiled Zuckerman as part of a series about courageous reporting.

Zuckerman has served as visiting faculty at the Poynter Institute, the St. Petersburg, Florida-based journalism organization, and he has taught journalism at universities and professional seminars. He is a resident of the Falcon Art Community and a teacher at the Attic Institute. Zuckerman lives in Portland, Oregon. For more details see his professional website.

Zuckerman can be reached at pzuckerman@gmail.com or 310-507-4689.

Amanda Padoan is a mountaineer and alpine historian. She studied literature at Harvard University and law at Pepperdine School of Law. Amanda writes for Explorersweb  and is a contributor to Rock and Ice and The Alpinist. She is a Yaddo Fellow.

See above.