Obituary: Charles Houston

Abstract

The Savage Mountain, Charles Houston described the 10 days his team spent huddled in their tents at 25 000 feet, trapped by a fierce storm: "The lack of oxygen may dull the mind and weaken the body, but there is an inner strength of spirit, a bigger power which emerges undiminished, even magnified, to bring a man through such an experience." Houston never climbed again after this 1953 expedition, but the formidable leadership skills he'd honed in the mountains helped him make major contributions to high-altitude medicine, and inspire others to overcome their limits.