I wouldn’t say that Krakauer is “biased,” but rather, empathetic. I think Krakauer understands (or thinks he understands) how Chris felt about the wild. McCandless is an intriguing figure not only because he believed in that the wild contained a kind of primal truth, but because he had the courage to act on that belief. So I think Krakauer’s “bias” could also be called a form of respect.
On the other hand, Chris is definitely living in a fantasy world. Part of why Krakauer writes about his climbing experiences is to point up the difference between how a climber views the wild and how McCandless saw it. Krakauer’s climb of the “Devil’s Thumb” peak was impossibly dangerous, and part of the challenge was the recognition that the mountain was completely indifferent to his life—if there was a ”spiritual” dimension to the climb, it lay in his wrestling with the idea...
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of his own personal insignificance. McCandless, however, acts out ofhubris; his getting into the wild to opt out of “civilization” is ultimately about his own self image.
I think the most important chapters of the book, then, have to do with this fantasy/reality dichotomy. In chapter 1, for example, we see Chris through the eyes of Jim Gallien, who picks him up hitchhiking in Alaska. It’s clear to Jim that Chris is smart, but out of touch with the reality facing him. Another key chapter is chapter 6, which recounts the story of Ron Franz’s relationship with Chris. Seen through Franz’s eyes, Chris is a lost soul in need of companionship. In fact, Chris is always sustained in his travels through the kindness of strangers, yet he persists in believing that “real life” lies in total self-reliance. Krakauer, in the way he handles McCandless’s story, becomes, in a way, another of those “kind strangers” who want to believe in Chris’s dream but ultimately know better.
I do not think that Krakauer's bias is because of his Everest bid. You are correct in stating that he likely has some bias in the story, but it more likely because of some childhood similarities. Evidence for this comes from quotes where Krakauer states parts of Chris's story "struck a personal note" for Krakauer. He even went so far as to write a bit of his own life.
As for the most important chapters, that is going to differ from reader to reader. But as you indicated chapter 1 is important because it introduces the reader to Chris. It shows him as an intelligent and thoughtful man/character, but it also shows Chris as woefully unprepared to live in the wilds of Alaska. The rifle is too small, boots aren't water proof, not enough food, etc.
I think 11 and 12 are important because they explore Chris's home life and gradually distance from his parents, especially after he found out that his father had fathered another child with Marcia. These chapters also show that Chris's decision to go to Alaska is not his first decision of this type.