Anatoli Boukreev was one of the most accomplished climbers in the twentieth century who died in an avalanche on Annapurna, Christmas Day, 1997. 

He is the author of the ABOVE THE CLOUDS: The Journals of High Altitude Alpinist (St. Martin’s, 2001) and the New York Times bestseller, THE CLIMB: Tragic Ambitions on Everest (St. Martin’s, 1997), a full account of the 1996 Everest expedition that took eight lives, the largest loss of life in its climbing history and written by the true hero of the mission. 

Boukreev was the only one to bring all six of his clients down from the summit alive. For his heroic actions he was awarded the American Alpine Award’s highest honor, the David A. Sowles Memorial Award.