A fast moving non nonsense account of Joe Simpson's hell in Peru. Skillfully penned and remarkably forthcoming about the demons he faced then and now as a result of his experience. I read this in a day. A great read.
Though far from conventional it is pleasing, after a couple of years with conceptual winners, to have the 2008 Boardman Tasker Award presented to an uncomplicated climbing book telling terrifying tales of epics in the mountains. `Psychovertical' is a welcome addition to the ever expanding legacy of literature left by leading climbers. It is a gripping read with perhaps the only disappointment being...
Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated...
"No Western climber or even any Sherpas had been this high, so far this year. We were treading on virgin territory on the ever-changing surface of the glacier. The excitement welled up, and I felt strong. Here I was with those I knew so well, alone and isolated in the rawness and wonder of nature; and it made me feel good."
If ever there was a book that could be classed as the industry standard climbing book, then this is it. The official handbook of the mountaineering instructor and single pitch award schemes this book has pretty much everything you'd need to get started on climbing, and more besides. It covers such areas as environment and history, warming up and injury prevention, movement skills, training, climbing...
In The Beckoning Silence, climber Joe Simpson, author of the bestselling Touching the Void, recounts how his mountain dreams became shadowed by the deaths of friends and heroes, and hampered by the weight of probability that his own life would end in the same way. The result is a valedictory attempt on the North Face of the Eiger, a summation of his lifelong enchantment with climbing,...
This is a truly excellent, informative book. The comments made by some reviewers about the trendy language are perhaps justified but you soon find your way through it to uncover a wealth of useful, well explained and very well illustrated tips on how to improve your riding or "driving" as the authors put it. I have been riding a mountain bike for nearly 20 years but realised that I was lacking in many...
My mother-in-law recommended this book and I was a bit sceptical. However it is absolutely brilliant! I laughed & cried. A really honest account. I couldn't put the book down. I hope one day I'm lucky enough to meet the guy because he seems like a top chap. I climb a little bit myself although nothing like Andy Cave's level. It reassuring to see that in his early years he was just as scared on Stanage...
Robert Macfarlane's Mountains of the Mind is the most interesting of the crop of books published to mark the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest. Macfarlane is both a mountaineer and a scholar. Consequently we get more than just a chronicle of climbs. He interweaves accounts of his own adventurous ascents with those of pioneers such as George Mallory, and in with an erudite...
Written by Jon Krakauer of "Into Thin Air" fame this book didnt live up to my expectations.Its a little book containing twelve short essays on various aspects of mountaineering.Although entertaining and at times amusing i was nonetheless glad to finish it quite quickly.Its best read when someone doesnt want to launch into an epic,but dare i say a bit disappointing
