After the Fall: A Climber's True Story of Facing Death and Finding Life

by Craig DeMartino

Paper Book, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

796.522092

Publication

Kregel Publications (2013), 208 pages

Description

Craig DeMartino never thought this would happen to him. He was 100 feet up a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park when--with one step--his 13 years of rock climbing experience and 15 pounds of gear plummeted with him to the ground. Expert climbers say that if you fall 10 feet you have a 10% chance of dying, a 20% chance at 20 feet, 30% at 30, and so on. Craig fell 100 feet. By basic calculation, Craig should not be alive today. But he is. For anyone who has been knocked down or run over by life, After the Fallnot only offers an engaging read but also provides a clear message of hope: sometimes the greatest gift we can receive isn't just healing, but the power to endure.

User reviews

LibraryThing member skstiles612
I have never had a desire to rock climb. It might have something to do with my fear of heights, or worse yet, my fear of falling. I will however read books and watch movies about people who do this.
This book is amazing. This is the story of a man who fell 100 feet while rock climbing. By all
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accounts he should have died that day. A few miraculous things happened that prevented that. First he struck a tree that slowed his descent. Then he managed to twist his body in a manner that when he landed it didn’t kill him, but messed him up big time. There were several other things that played a part in his fall and rescue. He landed in the one place that they were able to get cell reception. He had his phone on him instead of in his car. The people who came to rescue him were familiar with the area and made it in record time. This is a book about not just a man’s journey to survive and heal, but more importantly a man’s journey back to God and the purpose God had for him. Before the accident Craig and his wife were Christians, but didn’t live very close to God. After the accident Craig had to rely on God for so much. He started question God as to what his purpose was in all of this. I am a firm believer that sometimes God has to hit us over the head with a two by four to get our attention. The fall was Craig’s two by four. Casually sharing with people how God helped him not only that day but every day after became a first step. Learning to step out on faith when he had his badly damaged leg amputated and then having the courage to begin climbing again is another example. Yes, we know that this book and climbing could be a metaphor for the mountains we often have to climb to get back to a relationship with God. However, this is just straight forward, ‘look what God has done with my life and how he has blessed me after my accident. Look how he has taken something I deemed so bad and used it for something good.’ This is one of the most inspirational books I have read this year. I highly recommend it. You don’t have to be a rock climber to enjoy this book. It is inspirational in the fact that it shows us how much we as Christians need to hold tight to God, to keep our priorities in order. It shows us that no matter what terrible thing happens that God is there to walk with us on that journey.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

208 p.; 5.5 inches

ISBN

0825442656 / 9780825442650
Page: 0.7039 seconds