Better One Day as a Tiger: Alex MacIntyre and the Life He Chose

Wu Yuan-ho, Chairman of the Taiwan Mountain and Old Trails Association
Lu Chung-han, Global Citizen and Explorer
Li Chia-shan, Taiwanese Canyon Explorer
Chou Ching, Chairman of the Chinese Taipei Ultramarathon Association
Chang Yuan-chih, Mountaineer
Cheng Chi-hao, Director of "Island of Mountains and Those Who Can't Not Go"
──Sincerely Recommended

"The contrast between a tiger for a day and a sheep for a thousand years speaks of a clear choice of values: the potential rewards of creative courage in daring to challenge risk, versus the mediocrity of merely pursuing controllable risks and accumulating summits. But we also know that whenever news of death arrives, the mindset of the victim is never understood by society, as if the mountain and the world below are two alien planets that have never communicated.
Porter's 'One Day as a Tiger' is one of the few spiritual reports that can decipher the arrogant and intractable aspects of thinking on both planets. This story troubled him for over thirty years; for those of us who love mountaineering, reading it for three days is a thoroughly worthwhile investment in life philosophy."
——Chan Wai-hung

Alex MacIntyre – an unparalleled climbing prodigy who rose rapidly in the international mountaineering scene in the 1970s, only to perish tragically at the age of twenty-eight due to a fatal rockfall on Annapurna. Though his life was short, he made history, and his climbing style fundamentally changed the face of modern mountaineering. Yet, his life story has never been fully told.

"Sometimes, I wonder if some of the myths surrounding Alex would shatter if they were dispelled, damaging his legend? But to accurately present the realities that made Alex who he was, and ultimately led to his demise on Annapurna, the best way is to detail his climbs, his work, his relationships, his vision, and his incredible drive."

As MacIntyre's closest friend, John Porter, through memories and extensive interviews, finally presents his legendary life to us more than thirty years after MacIntyre's death. From his upbringing, climbing philosophy, interactions with numerous famous mountaineers, to detailed accounts of his ascents of world-class peaks, we not only see the brilliant light of this tragically short-lived star but also glimpse the golden age he illuminated.

"What if Alex had been born in an era when all the mountain faces had already been climbed? I believe there are always some people – including Alex – who love climbing deeply with their minds and hearts, enabling them to forget all other considerations when necessary. Alex belonged to the mountains, even if the mountains didn't belong to him."