by Roberto Isasmendi
The SNOW SOCIETY is the definitive book about the survivors of the Andes. The most incredible story ever written. If it was fiction it would be unbelievable. But it’s true and it had happened. This book shows the courage, the strength and the decency of these boys to defeat the mountains, something that seemed to be impossible. But impossible is nothing.
It’s about a plane accident that left a group of young Uruguayan rugby players alone, up there in the Andes, without food or coats. They were not found so they had to spend 72 days on the mountains. Only sixteen of them survived. After those horrible days two of them walked across through the range of mountains and appeared in Chile.
Each survivor gives his testimony in first person and tells how the accident affected their lives and how they live today. In the middle of these chapters the author, Pablo Vierci, talks about the most important moments of this story: the departure from Montevideo; those who didn’t travel because they were late or sick; the accident; the wounded; the avalanche that killed 8 friends; the first expedition to look for help; the organization of the group; the death of their rugby team captain; their relative’s death and dead friends whose bodies they started to eat in order to survive; when they heard on by the radio that the air search was being called off; the finding of the tail (plane); the rescue; the last expedition: a week of walking through very high mountains and a very cold climate; when they found the Chilean farmer that helped them and when they came back home.
Life on the mountain was awful. They slept in the plane’s fuselage that was small, very cold and uncomfortable. They really didn’t sleep at all because they could have freeze, so they kept hugging and pinching themselves to keep the circulation of blood all night long. They also had very few clothes and they drank water by melting the snow with the few sunbeams.
Another big problem they faced was the food. They had only a few chocolates and sweeties that fed them for 4 or 5 days. After that they had nothing to eat, so I think they took the most important decision of their lives: to eat the dead bodies of their friends. First they only ate the muscles but then they realised that their body needed some other nutrients so they started to eat the organs, the bones and the brain also. Some passengers tried to view this as a variation on the rite of Communion as Jesus said: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them”. One passenger stated the simple reason behind his decision: "If I had died ... and someone else was sitting here telling you his story, I would be glad I had helped someone to live."
They were a society on the mountain. They had to be smart, to organize themselves, to work as a team and to solve their problems together. They felt they were all the same; they were very affectionate and fraternal and they brought illusion to each other. This worked in base of: TEAM, PERSISTANCE, LOVE, INTELLIGENCE, and the most important, HOPE.
This accident changed their lives completely. After this episode they began their life again. They think they had come back from death.
I really recommend this book to you. It is the best one I’ve ever read. It has changed my life because now I know how important life is. If I have food, clothes, a house and a family I am a rich person, I have the necessary things to live, and the rest depends on me. Because in any moment a plane crashes and you realize everything you had and what have you lost.
It is a book to reflect on, that breaks your heart and makes you see the real value of life.
There were 45 people on board. Only 16 survived and they are:
It’s about a plane accident that left a group of young Uruguayan rugby players alone, up there in the Andes, without food or coats. They were not found so they had to spend 72 days on the mountains. Only sixteen of them survived. After those horrible days two of them walked across through the range of mountains and appeared in Chile.
Each survivor gives his testimony in first person and tells how the accident affected their lives and how they live today. In the middle of these chapters the author, Pablo Vierci, talks about the most important moments of this story: the departure from Montevideo; those who didn’t travel because they were late or sick; the accident; the wounded; the avalanche that killed 8 friends; the first expedition to look for help; the organization of the group; the death of their rugby team captain; their relative’s death and dead friends whose bodies they started to eat in order to survive; when they heard on by the radio that the air search was being called off; the finding of the tail (plane); the rescue; the last expedition: a week of walking through very high mountains and a very cold climate; when they found the Chilean farmer that helped them and when they came back home.
Life on the mountain was awful. They slept in the plane’s fuselage that was small, very cold and uncomfortable. They really didn’t sleep at all because they could have freeze, so they kept hugging and pinching themselves to keep the circulation of blood all night long. They also had very few clothes and they drank water by melting the snow with the few sunbeams.
Another big problem they faced was the food. They had only a few chocolates and sweeties that fed them for 4 or 5 days. After that they had nothing to eat, so I think they took the most important decision of their lives: to eat the dead bodies of their friends. First they only ate the muscles but then they realised that their body needed some other nutrients so they started to eat the organs, the bones and the brain also. Some passengers tried to view this as a variation on the rite of Communion as Jesus said: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them”. One passenger stated the simple reason behind his decision: "If I had died ... and someone else was sitting here telling you his story, I would be glad I had helped someone to live."
They were a society on the mountain. They had to be smart, to organize themselves, to work as a team and to solve their problems together. They felt they were all the same; they were very affectionate and fraternal and they brought illusion to each other. This worked in base of: TEAM, PERSISTANCE, LOVE, INTELLIGENCE, and the most important, HOPE.
This accident changed their lives completely. After this episode they began their life again. They think they had come back from death.
I really recommend this book to you. It is the best one I’ve ever read. It has changed my life because now I know how important life is. If I have food, clothes, a house and a family I am a rich person, I have the necessary things to live, and the rest depends on me. Because in any moment a plane crashes and you realize everything you had and what have you lost.
It is a book to reflect on, that breaks your heart and makes you see the real value of life.
There were 45 people on board. Only 16 survived and they are:
- Roberto Canessa
- Coche Inciarte
- Daniel Fernández
- Adolfo Strauch
- Moncho Sabella
- Alvaro Mangino
- Gustavo Zerbino
- Javier Methol
- Pedro Algorta
- Carlos Páez
- Roy Harley
- Bobby Francois
- Tintín Vizintín
- Pancho Delgado
- Eduardo Strauch
- Nando Parrado
- Coche Inciarte
- Daniel Fernández
- Adolfo Strauch
- Moncho Sabella
- Alvaro Mangino
- Gustavo Zerbino
- Javier Methol
- Pedro Algorta
- Carlos Páez
- Roy Harley
- Bobby Francois
- Tintín Vizintín
- Pancho Delgado
- Eduardo Strauch
- Nando Parrado
Sources:
- “La sociedad de la nieve” by Pablo Vierci
- http://www.cinematical.com/
- http://www.borders.com/
- http://www.blogs.clarin.com/
- “La sociedad de la nieve” by Pablo Vierci
- http://www.cinematical.com/
- http://www.borders.com/
- http://www.blogs.clarin.com/
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