<P> Krakauer's most recognized climb was a guided ascent of Mount Everest that became known as the 1996 Mount Everest disaster . Soon after summitting the peak, Krakauer's team met with disaster as four of his teammates (including group leader Rob Hall) perished while making their descent in the middle of a storm . </P> <P> A candid recollection of the event was published in Outside magazine and, later, in the book Into Thin Air . By the end of the 1996 climbing season, fifteen people had died on the mountain, making it the deadliest single year in Everest history to that point . This has been exceeded by the sixteen deaths in the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche, and the 2015 earthquake avalanche disaster in which nineteen people were killed . Krakauer publicly criticized the commercialization of Mount Everest following this tragedy . </P> <P> Much of Krakauer's popularity as a writer came from his work as a journalist for Outside . In November 1983, he was able to give up his part - time work as a fisherman and carpenter to become a full - time writer . In addition to his work on mountain climbing, the topics he covered as a freelance writer varied greatly; his writing has also appeared in Architectural Digest, National Geographic Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Smithsonian . Krakauer's 1992 book Eiger Dreams collects some of his articles written between 1982 and 1989 . </P> <P> On assignment for Outside, Krakauer wrote an article focusing on two parties during his ascent of Mt . Everest: the one he was in, led by Rob Hall, and the one led by Scott Fischer, both of which successfully guided clients to the summit but experienced severe difficulty during the descent . The storm, and, in his estimation, irresponsible choices by guides of both parties, led to a number of deaths, including both head guides . Krakauer felt the short account did not accurately cover the event, and clarified his initial statements--especially those regarding the death of Andy Harris--in Into Thin Air, which also includes extensive interviews with fellow survivors . </P>

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