Climbing Books

This is a chronicle of the 1976 American Bicentennial Everest Expedition. It is told by one of the twelve climbers who made that memorable journey to Everest. It describes the expedition, warts and all, as personal ambitions collided with reality. It is a story of hopes and dreams, of despair and anguish, but most of all, it is about twelve human beings from all different walks of life, each of whom made a significant contribution to the ultimate success of the venture.

It was interesting to read about the unusual way in which the expedition came about, as well as how the much sought after permit was ultimately obtained. The name of the expedition was crucial in getting necessary sponsors, but how the expedition got its name was also fortuitous. It seemed like everything initially just fell into place.

While actually on expedition, however, the personalities of all the climbers rose to the surface, and there were skirmishes as egos clashed over who would be on the summit teams. The only person who did not appear to get a fair shot at a summit berth was Arlene Blum, who also happened to be one of the two women on the team and one of the few expeditioners with actual Himalayan climbing experience.

Yet, when two members of the expedition reached the summit of Everest, everyone put aside their dashed hopes and dreams, rejoicing in the success and good fortune of the two who had reached the top of the world.

I bought this book after reading Ridgeway's "The Last Step" about climbing K2, which I found quite interesting, well-written and hard to put down. I didn't think "The Boldest Dream" was nearly as interesting. This may have been because Ridgeway didn't spend as much time focusing on the challenges of the actual climb, but spent a larger portion on telling how the expedition finally was able to obtain a permit, etc. He did spend some time trying to develop the individual members of the team, helping the reader to try to understand each person's motivations for the climb, etc.

It's not a bad book, but I wouldn't buy it again (especially if I could find it at the library) and it won't take its place among some of the epic mountaineering classics on my bookshelf.

This is an odd collection of JTree climbs -- some truely classic, but many seem to have been thrown in just because they are near some better climb. It has a mixture of photos and sketches (topos), yet still skips any sort of graphics for many of the climbs.
It's understandable that Vogel's large guidebook didn't have room for pictures of every formation, but this book is supposed to be for "the visiting or infrequent climber." For that, it falls short.
Still, having another resource to try to locate climbs in the huge area of Joshua Tree is a good thing, and the amount of work Vogel must have done to compile this book -- even with it's limitations -- must be commended.

This is the most widely used guidebook for Joshua Tree, and is basically a classic. The only fault I've found with it is that sometimes the rock formations are difficult to recognize from the black and white, strangely angled illustrations. When it comes back into print, many people will be happy.

This book is essential for the NJ/NYC climber. It details numerous climbing spots (of surprisingly good quality) that you never expected from the Garden State! It also is honest and accurate with area information and route grades. This way you know if you really want to drive that far for a 20ft wall. But at least you know its there and that the book left no stone unturned! If you're in the area, or visit often, this book is a must have.

New Jersey Crags is exactly what you need if you rock climb and live in N.J. It gives great directions to each destination, including a detailed description of the approach. This book lets you know what your getting into, as far as the actual routes go and whose property your climbing on. After climbing some of the areas in the book I was was not dissappointed by the accuracey of the ratings, and the discriptions of each climb. It is an essential for a climber in N.J., who does not have the time to drive to the Gunks every weekend.

A well written and easy to follow guide to the best climbs in the ADK's. Don gives the important information while allowing the climber to experiance the adventure of Adirondack climbing.

The definitive guide on the Adirondacks. While not including every cliff, this guide is critical for all Adirondack rock climbing.

Greg Child is one of the very best writers in mountaineering and this excellent reference book is up to his high standards and often displays Child's sly sense of humor. Child has choses his contributers well. It is very informative and I believe that both experienced climbers and armchair mountaineers will benefit from it as he nicely defines many of the terms that are bandied about in other mountaineering adventures and expedition books. Child also discusses the issues and controvercies in mountaineering and includes excellent summeries of many of the main events in mountaineering history.

This is a very useful book: the sport of climbing really needed an dictionary-type work. Unfortunately, the facts needed to be better checked, as in a couple of instances they are incomplete or even just plain wrong. More illustrations would also be good. I hope that a new edition may come out which will correct the above problems and make this book the indispensable tool it deserves to be.

An excellent Denali guide if you're thinking about several route choices to research.
A great hiking book for mountaineers in the Southeast is Dixie 3000: A Hiking Guide to the Peaks in South Carolina Over 3000'. Mail Docbeaker@aol.com for more info.

This book is definitely very good, with lot of useful information necessary for any expedition to Denali. It gives very good overview of all routes and potential hazards. Problem I have is that all of the numeric information is in imperial units ONLY. I understand that Alaska is part of US (since it is both from Russia in 1867) where the imperial system is predominant (but not official since Dec. 25th 1975 by "Metric Conversion Act"). It is true that most of the English speaking counties are familiar with imperial units, but it is true that English is mostly spread second language on the planet.
Denali is mountain that is climbed by mountaineers from all over the world, and I think that all of them could get better advantage of this book if the SI units are at least specified as secondary units. For now have you calculator ready and do conversion yourself.
1 inch - 2.54 cm; 1000 feet - 304.8m; 1 mile - 1.6 km; 32 degF - 0 degC / 0 degF - -17.7 degC, 1 pound - 0.45kg,...

This book is a competently written biography. It puts into an easily-grasped perspective the full gammut of Shipton's climbing and exploring career and it gives much on his personal life and what he did between expeditions that is not available from his own books. It deals dispassionately but sensitively with such issues as the leadership debacle that preceded the '53 Everest expedition, and shares Shipton's views of his climbing companions, Tilman's reticence, for example. One thing that tickled my interest was that it reveals the sources of many of the pithy comments and aphorisms that have passed into mountaineering lore, such as Tom Bourdillon's comment on food: "The main thing is that there should be some". I couldn't put this book down.

This book together with Shipton's "The Six Mountain- Travel Books" and "That Untravelled World" let you fully understand the life of the great mountain explorer. Blanks in his life, never told in his books, are finally filled up!

What I like about Expeditions is its honest non-sensationalistic approach-it doesn't attempt to glamorize mountain climbing. Lindblade provides a personal view of climbing and what it means to him, the friends he has made, the successes and failures he has experienced, and the insight he has gained into himself in the process of climbing. With his friend, Athol Whimp, Lindblade describes episodes of exhaustion and exhilaration, doubt and courage, and he provides the reader with a glimpse of what climbing mountains might be like and what it might be worth.

Includes some great photos, too!

I started reading this book on a plane trip and was totally drawn into Lindblade's story of climbs in Patagonia and the Himalaya--so much so that I felt chilled when I glanced out the window to see the cloud-filled horizon, feeling for a split second that I was out there on one of the summits I was reading about. This is an awe-inspiring account of some outstanding climbs made by Lindblade and his best friend, Athol Whimp. Over and beyond the adventures that are described, this is also a story of friendship and experiences shared on some really outrageous looking mountains. It is a deeply personal, intensely honest look into the world of high-risk, high-altitude alpine-style climbing.

It is a beautifully produced book that has the feel of a hardcover--with photographs that will make you wonder if maybe, just maybe, in your next life...

I thought this was a very good book but didn't cover the aspesctets of in door or plastic climbing. I know how to tie-in and do everything else because of this book. I like John Long's movie on rock climbing. Both are well worth the money. Have Fun Climbing!

A very good book, up to date, covers the most important areas, well suited to some one starting out in the sport, or to bring us crusties up to date. See also Rockclimbing-getting started, Glen Tempest and Rock Climbing-A Trail Side Guide, Don Mellor.

Andy is the authority on glacier travel. Walking on a glacier is like walking on the moon. Don't even think of traveling on glaciers before you read it.

This book focused on the specifics of travel and rescue on glaciers. It allowed the beginner to get an idea of how to read glaciers and recognize strong and weak points. The setting of anchors was described in a way easier enough and with enough diagrams that made beginners and advanced alpinists comfortable. The book did not much on travel, but is excellent for rescue situations.