Mountaineering Books - Page 12

Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons (How To Climb Series)

David Black

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent, Intuitive, and Comprehensive Canyoneering How-to book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's the next best thing to actually taking a class (or two or three) with Dave Black! Great pictures.

Canyoneering book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Good information about technical skills. It should give anyone looking into canyoneering a glimpse at what's involved and needed.

The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father

John Harlin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the 1960s an American named John Harlin II changed the face of Alpine climbing. Gutsy and gorgeous -- he was known as "the blond god" -- Harlin successfully summitted some of the most treacherous mountains in Europe. But it was the north face of the Eiger that became Harlin's obsession. Living with his wife and two children in Leysin, Switzerland, he spent countless hours planning to climb, waiting to climb, and attempting to climb the massive vertical face. It was the Eiger direct -- the direttissima -- with which John Harlin was particularly obsessed. He wanted to be the first to complete it, and everyone in the Alpine world knew it.

John Harlin III was nine years old when his father made another attempt on a direct ascent of the notorious Eiger. Harlin had put together a terrific team, and, despite unending storms, he was poised for the summit dash. It was the moment he had long waited for. When Harlin's rope broke, 2,000 feet from the summit, he plummeted 4,000 feet to his death. In the shadow of tragedy, young John Harlin III came of age possessed with the very same passion for risk that drove his father. But he had also promised his mother, a beautiful and brilliant young widow, that he would not be an Alpine climber.

Harlin moved from Europe to America, and, with an insatiable sense of wanderlust, he reveled in downhill skiing and rock-climbing. For years he successfully denied the clarion call of the mountain that killed his father. But in 2005, John Harlin could resist no longer. With his nine-year-old daughter, Siena -- his very age at the time of his father's death -- and with an IMAX Theatre filmmaking crew watching, Harlin set off to slay the Eiger. This is an unforgettable story about fathers and sons, climbers and mountains, and dreamers who dare to challenge the earth.

Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine

Jochen Hemmleb, Larry A. Johnson, Eric R. Simonson, William E. Nothdurft

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

DID THEY OR DIDN'T THEY?... 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderfully written and well-illustrated, textually rich book. Its pages demand the reader's undivided attention and are sure to enthrall all mystery lovers, Everest aficionados, nostalgia junkies, history buffs, and climbing enthusiasts. This book is sure to provide the reader with many hours of enjoyment.

The book chronicles the search for George Mallory and Andrew Irvine by the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition. It juxtaposes the dramatic turn of events during their expedition with those of the 1924 British Everest Expedition which saw Mallory and Irvine attempt a summit climb, only to disappear into the mists of Everest, never to be seen again. It makes for a spell binding narrative, as past events are woven through present day ones.

The 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition was a meticulously well-prepared and well-organized venture. With its discovery of George Leigh Mallory's body, it enjoyed much success. The research and analysis that went into its ultimate, well thought out conclusions were comprehensive and fascinating, with its strong reliance upon forensics and deductive reasoning. Their reconstruction of Mallory's and Irvine's last climb is riveting. Unfortunately, the ultimate question still remains unanswered. Did they or did they not reach the summit of Mount Everest back in 1924?

The photographs of the personal effects found upon Mallory's person underscore a certain poignancy about the discovery of Mallory's well preserved body. The photographs, which memorialize this discovery, are amazingly lovely and tasteful, considering its subject matter, and hauntingly illustrate the finality with which Everest may deal with mountaineers, no matter how accomplished.

The photographs also highlight how ill equipped for the harsh climatic conditions were the early Everest expeditions. It is amazing, and a credit to those early expeditioners' courage and fortitude, in braving such an inhospitable and harsh terrain with the inadequate clothing and equipment available to them at the time. Mallory and Irvine were certainly intrepid explorers!

This book is a fitting tribute to two men who sought to make a historic summit and, in their attempt, would forever be a part of Everest.

Ice & Mixed Climbing: Modern Technique (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)

Will Gadd

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good material, presentation problematic 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the latest guides on ice climbing. It therefore covers the most modern techniques, is up to date with equipment, and has great color photos. Written by Will Gadd it definitely has the flair of an individual author, reads more like a pro's guide than a technical reference. The type of material covered and order is great. However, the editing of this guide is severely lacking. It suffers from incorrect captions, bad figure references, transposed terms (convex vs concave) and complex procedures described in steps that tend to get you lost in confusion rather than clarify.

If you're an already accomplished ice climber, there will be a few "take home" concepts ("tracking"/cycling vertical progression, and his personal take on mix climbing techniques for instance). A beginner will benefit more from this guide (after reading twice to work around the editing problems).

A second edition, edited properly, will be a top-notch guide on this sport.

Editorial Review:

From one of the most prominent names in climbing today, a full-color, comprehensive guide to a sport experiencing a renaissance.

"Mixed climbing is my favorite discipline. It’s the most fun because it has the fewest rules—sort of like professional wrestling compared to boxing." So says Will Gadd, as profiled in Fifty Favorite Climbs. Here the champion ice climber presents the same techniques and veteran wisdom he imparts to those who attend his annual clinics. These include: step-by-step instructions for the swing (ice axe), the kick (footwork), and putting it all together (tracking); how to "read" ice to select your line and follow it safely; and drytool techniques for mixed climbing. Training exercises and inspirational stories complete this seminal guide.

This is the seventh installment in The Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series

Denali's West Buttress: A Climber's Guide to Mount McKinley's Classic Route

Colby Coombs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Trustworthy 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is one of only two books I would trust for reliable information about the West Buttress route of Denali. Very informative and practical!

A mus have for the west but 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Very detailed description of the classic route.
The very accurate photos are good complements to the map (not included with the book)

Denali's West Buttress: A Climber's Guide to Mount McKinley's Classic Route 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I've just received it and haven't had the chance to really "get into it". BUT ... the little I've read it seems to be just what I was wanting.

How often do things go as planned? Mine did! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I ordered the book about climbing Mt. McKinley for my son, as it is his dream. The book came quickly, it was brand new and everything worked out perfectly. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you for making things run smoothly in December!!! That doesn't happen every time, but this was super. I was very pleased.

Required reading for climbing this route 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is just spot on. When I meet anyone on Denali who hasn't read this I just shake my head.

The Crystal Horizon: Everest - The First Solo Ascent

Reinhold Messner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Story is slow, climbing is good 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This book demonstrates that Reinhold is not a master of the writing craft even though he knows a lot about mountain climbing and other extreme adventures. The writing (or at least the translation) is wooden -- compare these books to those of Joe Simpson or Greg Childs. Still, there was much that was interesting in this book and many good photographs. Some of the details on the journey to Everest through Tibet were intriguing. All in all, this book deserves three stars and would be worthwhile recommending to someone who really enjoys mountaineering.

story of the first solo accent of Mnt. Everest 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I could not say anything less then that Reinhold Messner's "The Crystal Horizon" is a great book. It is not a usual climber's book, but rather a strange mix of history, politics, religion, geography, meteorology, personal history and world views of the man who is beyond doubt the greatest living mountaineer. The book deals with the first solo accent of Mnt. Everest, accomplished during the monsoon season. It is ravenously illustrated and photographed. It is an exciting adventure. It is a riot and a sad story of a man who escapes to the mountain to find peace. It is well worth you time.

One should forgive Messner (or rather his translator) some awkward sentence structures, punctuated by the action and verbal phrases put at the end of sentence, and quite frequent exercises in the obscure mix of native religion, Buddhist witticisms and Central European Christianity. I do however, applaud the honesty and occasional beauty of those philosophical excesses, particularly when he talks about feeling akin to Sisyphus when climbing and when he exhibits the diary entries of his girlfriend which does not always portrays him in the best light possible.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot.

Editorial Review:

On 20 August 1980 Reinhold Messner reached the summit of Everest - alone and without the use of oxygen. This is an account of his extraordinary achievement. Messner describes his journey through Tibet and identifies with mountaineers who went before him, such as Mallory, Irvine and Wilson.

Norman Clyde: Legendary Mountaineer of California's Sierra Nevada

Robert C. Pavlik

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A biography of the notorious but beloved mountaineer who achieved more than 100 first ascents Norman Clyde is one of the most illustrious Sierra mountaineers of the first half of the twentieth century. He was the first person to ascend more than one hundred peaks throughout western North America, and he climbed more than one thousand peaks in his lifetime an accomplishment achieved without the aid of today s technology or support. Clyde s achievements not only influenced contemporary and future climbers but also spurred the popularity of mountain travel and increased the public s knowledge of the High Sierra. His eccentricities are almost as well known as the records he set. A fellow climber once described watching Clyde known for carrying a ninety-pound backpack that towered above him extract from his pack a pistol, a cast-iron frying pan, several heavy cooking pots, three fishing roads, an axe, and the Odyssey in its original Greek. Clyde led or participated in many mountain rescues and is credited with saving a number of lives. He said of himself, I m like the village half-wit who could always find Old Bes the cow when nobody else could. I just imagine where I d go if I were Old Bes and then I go there. One of his more famous expeditions was the recovery of mountain climber Pete Starr s body in the Minarets, in 1933, after all the other searchers gave up. He buried Starr s body where it was found. As biographer Robert C. Pavlik puts it, Clyde had a hard life, filled with tragedy and triumph, heroism and petulance, but above all, a deep and abiding love for the beauty and majesty of the mountains. Throughout this book the only biography of the mountaineer in print Norman Clyde s own words have been used to tell the story of his life and times, along with recollections of his family, friends, fellow climbers, and acquaintances. The word unique is often used inappropriately, but after you read this book I would wager that you can t think of a better word for this prodigious individual. Steve Roper, from the Foreword

The Breach: Kilimanjaro and the Conquest of Self

Rob Taylor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thrilling, Compelling, Thoughtful, Insightful 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Taylor is not only a gifted alpinist, but a gifted writer. The book eloquently draws the reader into the harrowing physical and mental journey to Africa and up and down The Breach Wall.

The previous reviewer has such a twisted perspective that it leads one to wonder whether he's suffering from altitude sickness after having read The Breach. He obviously missed the whole point of the book and grossly misunderstood the person. Rob Taylor is what I would characterize as a "soul alpinist." He obviously doesn't climb for self-aggrandizement, he climbs to feed his soul. It was immediately apparent to me that Taylor wrote this book, not to "become famous" or for anyone but himself. The book is an introspectual journey as a critical step in the author's healing process. Rob is a renowned, but not famous climber, and one gets the impression he'd have it no other way.

Harley Warner, Taylor's climbing partner, was a daring, fantastic climber, but he wouldn't have achieved the same degree of fame if he hadn't made it his first priority to have the press alerted and cameras rolling when he planned his ascents. The previous reviewers suggestion that Taylor played 2nd fiddle to Warner (whom the previous reviewer inexplicably refers to as "Henry Barber"???) reveals a complete ignorance of the very different characters, skill-sets and goals of these two climbers.

In "The Breach," Taylor laments, but NEVER complains at all about the fact that Warner abandons him, critically wounded and desperately in need of support, so as not to miss a promotional event back in the U.S. He was obviously hurt by that. Who wouldn't be??? On the contrary, Taylor thanks Harley profusely for getting him safely off the Breach wall even though Harley doesn't return with the rescue party to see Taylor safely out of the jungle. It's worthy of note that Taylor minimizes description of his own suffering in describing that horrific descent in the book.

The book is a real gift, not only as an insight into the inner strength that we can all draw upon in our most critical hours, but also in the artful way it combines adventure and psychology with anthropological and cultural musings to create a thoroughly deep and satisfying meal of a read.

The Ascent Of Rum Doodle

W.E. BOWMAN

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Sir Edmund Hillary Meets Monty Python 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

There was a period of time a few years back during which I ate up the literature of British exploration like candy - the tragic story of Robert Scott in the Antarctic, the thrilling survival adventures of Sir Ernest Shackleton, and the like. These yarns had in common their Britishness - a bizarre combination of courage and, frankly, foolishness (Scott thought he could get to the South Pole on PONIES and died in pursuit of that belief, accompanied by some people who had never even been south before, while the Norwegian Amundsen sensibly took dogs and experienced skiers and beat him to the destination).

Fortunately the British have a world-class capacity to poke fun at their own foibles, and that is what "Ascent of Rum Doodle" is all about. It parodies a (fictional) expedition to ascend Rum Doodle, a 40,000-foot (!) mountain somewhere near Everest

Expedition Leader Binder narrates his own story. In the spirit of the literature he parodies, our hero Binder never once falters in his belief of the superiority of his crew and the indomitability of the British Spirit. This, despite his crew consisting of a geographer (who is unable to negotiate the London bus system), a doctor (who is always sick), a climber (too overcome by "lassitude" to get out of his sleeping bag), a native cook (so disastrous that the team attempts to leave him behind on the mountain), and a photographer (who does not capture a single shot during the entire expedition.

This hapless crew are babysat by thousands of native porters, who at one point must condescend to actually carry the British crew (fortified by the many crates of medicinal champagne they have burdened the porters with) on their backs.

Did I mention they accidentally climb the wrong mountain??

It's apparently a kind of cult classic among people who actually do this kind of adventuring (not just armchair folk like me), but it's a quick and funny funny read, so even if "frostbite" has not been a factor in your reading choices up to now, you should have a go at this one. A humor classic that should be better known in the U.S.

Editorial Review:

Original copyright 1956. A mountaineering classic. An outrageously funny spoof about the ascent of a 40,000-and-a-half-foot peak, many thought it was inspired by the 1953 conquest of Everest.

Rockhounding Colorado, 2nd

William A. Kappele

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

2003 summer review 3 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

This has been a good reference book for me in my rockhounding in Colorado. I am glad to see the Author is publishing a second edition. I will purchase it when it comes out. My current copy is copyrighted in 1995. Unless I had a burning desire to purchase this book I would wait until the new edition comes out. I like the authors site format including the best season to collect. Colorado seasons and weather should be taken seriously. I would also suggest that you fully read and follow the introduction section. I have given the book three stars based mainly on it's age. If I were to use the current edition for collecting I would try and verify that the desired site (s) were still open with a local rock club. My one wish for both the Falcon guides and the Gem trail guides is that they include GPS coordinates in the directions. At least for the main turn-off and the starting collecting point. It's real handy to have these coordinates for both the field locations and for Mapping software at home to preplan the trip.

Editorial Review:

From agate and fossils in the land of the dinosaurs to the 14,000-foot peak of Mount Antero, Rockhounding Colorado guides the amateur collector to more than 70 of the best rockhounding sites in the Centennial State. Lively text, accurate maps, and clear site descriptions reveal great sources of rhodonite, alabaster, tourmaline, amethyst, blue barite, and much more.