Preview
  • The Ledge

  • An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier
  • By: Jim Davidson, Kevin Vaughan
  • Narrated by: Jim Davidson
  • Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (208 ratings)

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The Ledge

By: Jim Davidson, Kevin Vaughan
Narrated by: Jim Davidson
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Publisher's summary

On June 21, 1992, two best friends summited Mount Rainier. Within hours, their exquisite accomplishment would be overshadowed by tragedy. On their descent, Jim Davidson fell through an ice bridge on Rainier's northeast flank, plunging eighty feet into a narrow crevasse inside the Emmons Glacier and dragging Mike Price in after him. Mike fell to his death; Jim, badly injured and armed with minimal gear, faced an almost impossible climb back out of the crevasse, up a nearly vertical ice wall. Mourning his friend's death, he miraculously climbed out of the crevasse and lived to relate his experiences.

Told in parallel narratives of the tragedy and the climbers' lives, The Ledge is both a riveting, wrenching story and an inspirational adventure tale.

©2011 Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughan (P)2011 Tantor
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Editorial reviews

In an extraordinarily measured, even comforting tone of voice, Davidson reads his own story of surviving a harrowing near-death experience on Mount Rainier, Washington. In 1992, he and his mountain climbing partner, Mike Price, fell 80 feet into a glacier crevasse. The fall killed Price within minutes; Davidson, who was not badly hurt, escaped by climbing a vertical and sometimes overhanging ice wall 80 feet back to the top, where rescuers found him and brought him to safety.

The benefit of hearing Davidson read his own story is obvious, and far outweighs the fact that he's not a professional voice-over actor. He brings to the narration the actual, physical experience of having lived through the events of the book: the terrifying fall into darkness, trying unsuccessfully to resuscitate Price, the excruciating moment when he realizes that if he doesn't climb out of the crevasse by nightfall, he'll die there. Davidson's voice has a Zen-like quality that makes it easier for the listener to understand how he found the incredible physical and mental strength necessary to climb out of the crevasse and save his own life. The calm, even tenor of his voice suggests both his presence of mind and the fact that he has examined each scene of the story and fully understands what the experience meant to him and the insights it has brought to his life.

Davidson reading his own story makes a difference not only when he is relating the adrenaline-pumping aspects of the fall. His empathic voice also delivers the stories of how he first got hooked on mountain climbing, the development of his rock-solid relationship with his father that sustained him throughout the Rainier experience, and the day he met his future wife. His reading of his back story gives the listener the sense of having gotten to know Davidson the man, not just the climbing accident survivor. Maggie Frank

Critic reviews

"Davidson and journalist Vaughn have crafted a modern Aristotelian tragedy." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Ledge

Average customer ratings
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Very Well-Told Story

In the first part of the book I kept thinking “is this the step he’s going to take that causes the fall?” The further into the book I got, the more suspense I felt.

The transformation the author underwent and the palpable spirit guidance he received that assisted him in the hole made me say “Wow!”

If you believe in spiritual contracts that are established before we incarnate, and if you believe that earth is a school for our souls, one could make the argument that this scenario was Mike fulfilling his ultimate spiritual purpose of providing the catalyst for the author to grow. Jim had a decision to make. What would he choose? To stay small and meek and die or overcome his self-doubts and push himself to take calculated risks to live.

The most beautiful part of the story was that Jim was never alone and that it was his love for Mike and family members that helped give him the strength to escape the hole.

As in a fable, the message is: a coward dies 1000 deaths from which he never escapes, where as a brave person only risks one death, and is rewarded with freedom either way.

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yellow kayaker

I absolutely loved this audio book. I was riveted to it from beginning to end and felt that I lived the challenges with Mike and Jim. Thank you yellow kayaker

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Heartfelt and Brave.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not really, but he does kind of draw it out with all the talk of going to Nepal, but I understand as it was to honor his friend.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ledge?

The parts where he cared so much for his friend that he still treated his body like it was still alive and important, and did not want to lose him.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

No much. He was an armature, but it was cool that it was the real guy.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I think it is already on a tv show "I shouldn't be alive".

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Remarkable

Interesting story, well told. It starts slowly with the necessary background info but i listened to the entire book in a single day because it became that compelling.

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Fantastic post read to "Deep Survival"

Awesome book arraigned modestly and with raw emotion. Great read for adventure, military and first responders.

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Awesome book

I’m not a huge reader but I’ve read this book and one other from Jim and they are both amazing. I hope he will write about more of his adventures in the future.

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Just a great story and the effects of Mountains.

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. I first read about this from an article I read in Climbing magazine. The whole time I listened I kept thinking, how would I react in this situation. I loved how the author scratched the blood off the wall in the cravasse because it was a false high point. SO COOL. Way to be true to your self.

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Such an Inspiring Story

Jim,

Hey man. I felt inspired after just finishing The Ledge on Amazon Audible. I couldn’t stop listening and I still have teary eyes. My climbing partner, Mark, recently referred this read to me and I am so glad he did. Wow, what an adventure you have been through. Facing perseverance among unfathomable odds. Going on to tell your story and to relive your late partner Mike’s life. I never knew Mike, but I now know he was the man among men. A true leader, calmer, and teacher. A guide and a true friend. You and him will forever share a rare and precious bond that your meant to live with and tell others about. I’m so happy to learn that you still climb (such amazing climbs), still tell your story publicly, and shared The Ledge with the world.

One year ago on August 23, 2019, I summitted Mt. Rainier with Rainier Mountaineering International (RMI) via the DC route. My Seattle based climb team, the Tideworks Mountaineers, had trained a year and a half for one moment … to reach Rainier’s summit. Our team had a failed summit bid on July 18, 2019 after torrential downpour and 30 MPH winds left us and our gear soaked from our Paradise to Camp Muir climb. The guides (Win Whittaker himself) made the call to not pursue the summit bid the following morning leaving us all devastated and even more hungry for the summit. Three of the five of us decided that we couldn’t wait another year to reach the summit, so we contacted RMI and got three remaining spots on three separate summit bid days: Aug. 5 (Mark Pengelly), Aug. 6 (Hugh Gallagher) , and Aug. 23 (myself). All three of us made the summit albeit we weren’t together. But we were all with each other in spirit providing encouragement every painful step of the way.

Since last August, we’ve added five new team members and made plans for 2020 to summit Mt. St. Helens (Apr. 2020), Mt. Hood (June 2020), and Mt. Rainier (June 2020). Due to COVID-19, those three climbs were sadly cancelled. But looking to 2021, we are planning for those peaks and possibly others. It’s likely a longshot, but if your up for climbing some PNW volcanoes with us, man it would great to have you on our team. You are truly inspirational! THANK YOU for sharing you and Mike’s story. Send my best to Gloria and the kids.

Check out our photos at https://www.instagram.com/tideworksmountaineers/

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wholesome and honest account of tragedy

Jim is not a seasoned writer but his words are well thought out. He has put a lot of work into dealing with and portraying every detail, emotional and physical, of a tragic climbing accident.

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Great listen

Great story and couldn’t stop listening. This is the 2nd audio book I’ve listened to by the author.

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