WORLD
from the
TALES TOP of the
Creative Writing Assignment: Teamwork
Part A: Read Background Information
Being part of a team you can trust is important when it comes to school projects or
sports. But on Mount Everest, your life may depend on it! On four separate Everest
expeditions, Pete Athans, profiled in Tales from the Top of the World: Climbing Mount
Everest with Pete Athans, teamed up with Todd Burleson to lead other climbers.
Together, they helped many others fulfill a dream of standing on top of the highest
mountain on Earth.
Yet their success at guiding others to great heights was not the only strength of the
team. Pete and Todd launched a dangerous rescue on Mount Everest and saved
many distressed climbers who were stranded high on the mountain after a terrible
storm in 1996. For this, they received one of the highest awards given in the climbing
community—the David A. Sowles Memorial Award (http://www.americanalpineclub.
org/p/sowles-award)—for great bravery and selflessness in a rescue situation.
As of July 2012, Todd had helped more than 213 climbers reach the top of Mount Everest
through his guiding company Alpine Ascents International (www.alpineascents.com). Pete
and Todd are also both Wilderness First Responders and are specially trained to respond
to emergency situations in remote locations. A lot rests on being part of a good team!
Part B: Write an Essay
Review pages 40–43 of Tales from the Top of the World, which describes the role that Pete
and Todd played in rescuing climbers on Mount Everest after the terrible 1996 storm.
Next, pretend you were one of the rescued climbers on Mount Everest that day. What
were the most exciting and scary parts of the event? What did you think about before,
during, and after the rescue? Do you think either Pete or Todd could have led that rescue
alone? What were the benefits of them working as a team?
Finally, write an essay describing your rescue. Remember to include lots of details to
help your readers picture the experience.
™
Tales from the Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest with Pete Athans
by Sandra K. Athans
LB ISBN: 978–0–7613–6506–8
Copyright © 2013 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. Lerner DigitalTM and Lerner eSourceTM
are trademarks of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. www.lernerbooks.com