db8cb2df-c707-4b0b-89aa-9a4d5732e8edTrueNewShip60MountaineeringAmazonLargeBooksreviewrank43274331560446013http://www.amazon.com/Rockhounding-Nevada-William-Kappele/dp/1560446013%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D156044601357428http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71GD5HXCC0L._SL75_.gif7549http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71GD5HXCC0L._SL160_.gif160104http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71GD5HXCC0L.gif475310William A. KappelePaperback552.097939781560446019401560446013FalconEnglishEnglishEnglish8801295USD$12.95Falcon1168Book1998-01-01FalconFalcon45590743USD$7.43779USD$7.792070011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnew983IamSo7FwznyKLqZmpUNyTGMgUzX%2BO1v0Wv4cjzjb0YsOxSpdKISrulKRd5o5wDdUaPMT4X3Vzj%2B7IqXLkeg%3D%3D1036USD$10.36Usually ships in 24 hours4.54115604460134222008-01-10

Excellent resource

Kappele has a nice feel for including the information a reader wants. I visited the seven McDermitt sites this summer and I felt like I was in good hands. The maps aren't to scale, but they guide you in pretty well. We also used a BLM map and the Delorme Guide (for Oregon) to feel more secure, plus we used GPS quite a bit, so pinpoint GPS readings would help. McDermitt is an overwhelming place to search. <br /> <br />I had less luck at the trilobite locale near Beatty. I got skunked, but I didn't spend enough time there to really give it a proper test. <br /> <br />The cost of the book would be prohibitive with color pictures; this is a low-cost guide book. A few more pictures would be good, tho. I like the writer's tone; he feels friendly and is probably someone who would be fun to go out and collect with.15604460134122007-01-19

Rock Hounds

Good resources for finding specific spots directions are really vague but considering where this is at not bad. Would have liked to had color pictures. But overall a good buy. 1560446013511112000-06-04

Nevada: Rockhounding

Excellent book! The directions are easy to follow and you find everything the author says you will. I visited 6 sites so far and am looking forward to visiting all of them.1560446013515151999-07-25

You'll never go home home empty handed

This is a great guide . I have visited 10 of the sites so far . The directions are great - everything is right where they say it will be . I have found some really great rocks thanks to this guide. If you live in Nevada and like rockhounding don't pass this one up.Rockhounds from novice to expert seeking agate, opal, jasper, and malachite, or searching for petrified wood and fossils, are likely to unearth these treasures in Nevada. Sparsely populated with millions of acres of accessible public lands, Nevada holds geologic wonders. The state's 94 best rockhounding sites are featured in this well-researched guidebook. Includes a list of museums of special geologic interest.1889786152093518215215604463901560444460188978628414538Rocks & Minerals14452Nature & Ecology75Science1000Subjects283155Books16052821General13603Geology13592Earth Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books16252651Petrology13603Geology13592Earth Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books17261Pacific17255West17228Regions17227United States27Travel1000Subjects283155Books17357General17355Nevada17263States17227United States27Travel1000Subjects283155Books197498011General27Travel1000Subjects283155Books227425Geology227421Earth Sciences173510Professional Science173507Professional & Technical1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksROWKU6RMSKGYWestern Geology - Part 2 CA NVB0007JCHOQhttp://www.amazon.com/Starlight-storm-ascent-great-north/dp/B0007JCHOQ%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0007JCHOQGaston RébuffatUnknown BindingDentEnglishEnglishDent122Book1956DentDent0000004.041B0007JCHOQ4112005-07-30

POETRY IN MOTION...THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROPE...

Lyrically written, the author, Gaston Rebuffat, one of the world's climbing greats, expresses such joy for mountaineering that it is infectious. No climbing enthusiast's library should be without this book. Rebuffat is positively poetic in his description of various climbs. The reader almost feels as if one were as one with the mountain. A purist, the author climbed not for the glory of it, but for the sheer joy of the brotherhood of the rope. In these days, where climbing is often just a reason for a media event, the author's approach is refreshing, indeed. <br /> <br />B0007JCHOQ4002005-01-17

POETRY IN MOTION...THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROPE...

Lyrically written, the author, Gaston Rebuffat, one of the world's climbing greats, expresses such joy for mountaineering that it is infectious. No climbing enthusiast's library should be without this book. Rebuffat is positively poetic in his description of various climbs. The reader almost feels as if one were as one with the mountain. A purist, the author climbed not for the glory of it, but for the sheer joy of the brotherhood of the rope. In these days, where climbing is often just a reason for a media event, the author's approach is refreshing, indeed. <br /> <br />B0007JCHOQ5222003-08-03

For love of nature and friends

Gaston Rebuffat was the first to climb the six major north faces of the Alps. This book is his narrative of those climbs. This edition includes forwards by Jon Krakauer, series editor, and David Roberts, who, at the time of writing, was doing research for his book TRUE SUMMIT, an investigation of the French Annapurna expedition of 1950.<p>In his unique way, Rebuffat was an iconoclast. During the time when mountains were to be subdued or conquered like an enemy, Rebuffat extolled embrace, love, teamwork, and finesse. In current mountaineering literature, the accumulation of peaks and grade numbers take the forefront, and teams are mainly accoutrements to the development of a climber's career. For Rebuffat, the growth of a friendship from teamwork, professional calmness, and courage in the face of danger was more important.<p>Arguably, his later books verged on parody (though they are wonderful to read). Also, on Annapurna, there were instances where he might have fallen short of his ideals (starting with his decision to participate in the first place). By the sixties and seventies, debunking Rebuffat became the common wisdom in mountaineering literature.<p>STARLIGHT and STORM makes the author's case well, however, and for some of us throwbacks for whom nature and companionship are reason enough to go into the mountains, this book is an inspiration.B0007JCHOQ4772002-05-28

POETRY IN MOTION...THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROPE...

Lyrically written, the author, Gaston Rebuffat, one of the world's climbing greats, expresses such joy for mountaineering that it is infectious. No climbing enthusiast's library should be without this book. The photograph of Rebuffat which graces the cover of this book is alone worth the price of the book.<p>Rebuffat is positively poetic in his description of various climbs. The reader almost feels as if one were one with the mountain. A purist, the author climbed not for the glory of it, but for the sheer joy of the brotherhood of the rope. In these days, where climbing is often just a reason for a media event, the author's approach is refreshing, indeed.68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68142Mountain Climbing68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books16004521General13602Geography13592Earth Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books1580050336http://www.amazon.com/Tents-Clouds-Womens-Himalayan-Expedition/dp/1580050336%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1580050336998591http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417T8N4E61L._SL75_.jpg7548http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417T8N4E61L._SL160_.jpg160102http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417T8N4E61L.jpg475302Monica JacksonArlene BlumElizabeth StarkPaperback796.5220929781580050333801580050336Seal Press (WA)EnglishEnglishEnglish8501600USD$16.00Seal Press (WA)1255Book2000-01Seal Press (WA)Seal Press (WA)91553495USD$4.95133USD$1.3372900004.04115800503363142000-10-10

Well told but not wildly exciting

Told in a dry, humorous style, this will appeal to readers who enjoyed the works of Houston/Bates and Shipton. It's a little short on high climbing drama, but is still a reasonably engaging read. I found it interesting that these women in the 1950's had so little trouble with their guides and porters, by comparison with some later expeditions.1580050336411112000-08-21

WOMEN IN THE CLOUDS...A BLAST FROM THE PAST

This is a chronicle of the historic journey made by the 1955 first all female expedition to the Himalayas. It is an amazing adventure for those Betty Crocker days. While it ocassionally reads like a buddy book, its flavor is somewhat anachronistic and reflective of its time. It makes for a very interesting read.<p>This expedition, a somewhat grandiose term for a group of three women and their Sherpas, endeavored to explore the remote and then uncharted area of Nepal called the Jugal Himal. Their journey and trek through Nepal makes for a travelogue of delightful descriptions and anecdotes.<p>Unlike many modern day expeditions, these three women exhibited nothing but synchronized teamwork throughout their journey. This was not an ego trip for them. They were motivated by a genuine curiosity of the world in which they lived and an appreciation of the different people and cultures with which they came in contact. <p>True adventurers, they climbed unexplored ranges and reached the summit of a 22,000 plus peak without supplementary oxygen. They did all this without any casualties. It was very important for this particular expedition to be successful, because there were many nay sayers at the time who would have been only too willing to jump up and shout that women were not fit for such a venture. Thankfully, they were able to prove them wrong. Wonen can climb and lead an expedition! 15800503365332000-04-06

Terrific reading for mountaineers and true adventure buffs.

In the spring of 1955, the Jugal Himal region of the Himalayan mountain range was an unexplored mystery when three women embarked on the first all-female expedition to the Himalaya. All three participants were obscure mountaineers unknown to the general public when they made their first ascent of a 22,000-foot peak. Tents In The Clouds: The First Women's Himalayan Expedition is a thrilling account of their adventure which is as stirring today as it was when first published in 1956. This new and revised edition includes nearly thirty stunning photographs, as well as a new foreword by renowned mountaineer Arlene Blum. Tents In The Clouds is secure in the annals of women's studies as both a classic of climbing literature and a testament to gender equality issues.15800503365662000-01-21

An Echo from Another World

Imagine...It's the 1950s. Only two years since Sir Hillary's first ascent of Mount Everest. There is no Polartec. No GoreTex. No Polypro longjohns. No plastic bags! And you can't afford oxygen, or an altimeter that reads over 8,000 feet. And yet, you and your two best buddies decide to go treking in the Himalayas, leaving husband and boyfriends behind. Explore unknown, unnamed mountains, ascend over 22,000 feet, and return to tell the tale! That is exactly what three women did in 1955, in the first women's Himalayan expedition. Two of them wrote "Tents in the Clouds" when they got back, and what a unique, gripping, funny, amazing adventure they tell. Long out of print, the book has now been reissued, with photos, by Seal Press. When a copy fell into my hands, I stayed up all night reading it, then dreamed moutain dreams. It is an inspiration! Easy to read, sprinkled with humor, and capturing all the challenge of snow, wind, ice, bitter cold and thin air without being either whiny or macho, I hope it will reach an audience from here to Tibet and as huge as Everest. Take a step back from the world we live in and imagine...Going where no one had gone before, three women pooled their resources, sailed to India, flew to Kathmandu, and trekked the remote Jugal Himal, a far-flung, hitherto unexplored region of the Himalaya. <P>Written over 40 years ago, <I>Tents in the Clouds</I> documents this unprecedented adventure. Part travel journal and part historical account, it's a lively story of the expedition's achievements. Theirs was the first ascent of an unknown peak over 22,000 feet; and as they crossed daunting passes and pristine valleys, they investigated the flora and fauna and corrected maps of one of the least accessible areas of the world. <P>Available in America for the first time, this illustrated record comes at the peak of public interest in the sport of mountain climbing.1578050227B0013L8BROB000ZN802WB000BHA3TA08129334002375General2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books4895India16252611Ancient4884Asia9History1000Subjects283155Books11334General11325Women's Studies53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books11336History11325Women's Studies53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books12051Travel12015Writing21Reference1000Subjects283155Books67631General16792India16772Asia27Travel1000Subjects283155Books197498011General27Travel1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68142Mountain Climbing68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books15763041Women in Sports16596Miscellaneous26Sports1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1YCEFJ3Q9B4KLbest books on women and mountaineering and climbing9KEHHG54P79KMORE FAVORITE MOUNTAINEERING BOOKS007141309Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Tenzing-Norgay-Sherpas-Everest-Tashi/dp/007141309X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D007141309X798457http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RACRYJDFL._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RACRYJDFL._SL160_.jpg160107http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RACRYJDFL.jpg475319Tashi TenzingJudy TenzingPaperback796978007141309170007141309XInternational Marine/Ragged Mountain PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8901495USD$14.95International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press1320Book2003-04-15International Marine/Ragged Mountain PressInternational Marine/Ragged Mountain Press639785802471135590521USD$5.2101200004.041007141309X4112008-01-21

Everest from the Sherpa perspective

Tashi Tenzing Sherpa is a grandson of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who was (with Edmund Hillary) the first person to summit Mount Everest. Tashi has also summitted Everest, and now works as a Himalayan expedition guide from his new home in Australia. A half-dozen other relatives, and quite a few friends, have also summitted mountain - - and, for the most part, successfully descended the mountain as well. <br /> <br />This book is meant to tell the story of Everest from the Sherpas' eyes. It certainly succeeds at this. The appendix, which lists all Sherpa summits, provides documentation of these mountaineering successes that differs significantly from the stories of heroic foreigners on Everest that we outsiders tend to hear. From this perspective, it's not surprising that Tashi managed to score two A-list people to write forewards to his book, Sir Edmund Hillary and the Dalai Lama. Both of these men have been advocates of the Sherpas, and Tashi does right by them. <br /> <br />Though successful in its documentation, its success is more mixed as a book. It succeeds most when, in the middle, it is the most personal. The book is less interesting when it tells stories that other people could, in principle, also have told. <br /> <br />The book falls into three parts. In the first, Tashi tells the story of the Sherpa people in general, and provides capsule stories of some early Sherpa mountaineers. These stories seem as if they've been told elsewhere, and they don't really benefit from the fact that Tashi has personal knowledge of some of the players. <br /> <br />The second part draws on family memories and Tashi's own experiences to tell the stories of Tenzing Norgay, his descendants, and Tashi himself on Mount Everest. This part moves well, and tells a compelling story. <br /> <br />The third part returns to presenting capsule stories of particular Sherpas on Everest. Again, Tashi's personal ties disappear here, and many of them read like encyclopedia entries. <br /> <br />The book includes a large number of black-and-white pictures, past and present, which are very interesting. On a final personal note, I finished reading this book at roughly the same time that Sir Edmund Hillary died, a fact that lent poignancy to the book when I learned of Hillary's death the next morning. For that reason, it lingers a bit more with me than it will probably linger with you. But if you're interested in Tenzing Norgay and the Sherpa people, you'll probably enjoy the book. <br />007141309X4112007-05-24

A modern Sherpa's viewpoint

Tashi Tenzing has transcended the popular myth of a load carrying Sherpa, living day to day on the lower slopes of Everest. Instead he is well educated in western ways and fully aware of the politics and modern methods involved with mountaineering, soliciting clients and making a very good living. He has, however, (with the help of his ex Australian wife) managed to genuinely explore his ethnic heritage and trace the history and movements from Tibet to the Nepalese Solo Khumbu area to India's Darjeeling, of his famous grandfather, Tenzing Norguay, who successfully completed the very first climb of Everest with Ed Hilary in 1953. Not unnaturally perhaps, there emerges a hint of bitterness against the ways in which his grandfather's generation were treated by early western expeditions, most of which started out from Darjeeling and attempted the north face route from the Tibet side. These observations are to be expected because Tashi is looking at the past from the perspective of a more critical present. Notwithstanding the author's viewpoint, we learn a lot about the role of Sherpas and their great contributions to Himalayan climbing. This newer book adds to to the Tenzing family biographies and accounts by Tenzing Norgay himself and by Jamling Tenzing who is Tashi's uncle by another wife of the original Tenzing. Adding authenticity and respect for Tashi is the fact that in May 2007 he, himself, summited Everest (from the Tibet side) for the third time with a lady European client. 007141309X4332006-01-11

A Valuable Reference

This is a very valuable reference book written by Tashi Tenzing, grandson of the legendary Tenzing Norgay. It provides detailed accounts of the lives of Sherpas and their contributions to Himalayan expeditions. <br /> <br />The first chapter introduces us to the mountains and the people living in their shadows. The author traces the origins of the Sherpa people and how the summit of Everest came to be a prized trophy which sparked a race between European nations. <br /> <br />The next few chapters deal with the history and politics of Everest expeditions, mentioning pioneering tigers of the snow like Ang Tshering. Only in the 4th chapter does Tenzing Norgay come into the limelight. The author goes into great depth and detail, revealing the rather human side of this idol. <br /> <br />Chapter 6 gives us a brilliant historical account of Tenzing's successful summit of Mt Everest in 1953. The uniquely Sherpa point of view is refreshing. Like Tenzing's life after the climb, the book then runs into an anti-climax. <br /> <br />However, the author picks up the momentum again, writing about his own quest for Everest. Tashi reached the summit in May 1997 and became the first third generation Sherpa to accomplish the task. <br /> <br />The book finished off with writeups on other Tenzings and other outstanding Sherpas on Everest. I would recommend the book for readers who are interested in history and biographies. It's fair that the book is not just about Tenzing Norgay, but the sheer amount of details, including a lot of "family matters" not related to mountaineering may cause the reader looking for adventure stories to lose his focus. This is a good reference but not a page-turner.007141309X59102003-01-13

A unique sherpa's view on Everest expedition

This book written by a grandson of Tenzing Norgay, the most renown Sherpa, and his wife living in Sydney is very unique, as all other previously published books on Everest expeditions or anthropology of Sherpas were written by so-called "non-Sherpa" mountaineers born and grown-up outside of Himalaya region. This book tells us a fascinating "insider's" story about the development of sherpas' community with the discovery of the highest peak on the earth (Mt. Everest) in Hamalaya region, and a subsequent increasing rush by overseas mountain-climbers to this rather remote and isolated region of earth. The 1953 great success by the sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary from New Zealand in reaching the summit of Everest for the first time opened the "golden" age of Himalaya trekking, and changed dramatically the way of life in Sherpas' community, better or worse, depending on the given aspects. Among many inspiring episodes interwoven in this book, the life-long "multi-cultural" friendship of the Swiss climber Raymond Lambert and the NZ climber Sir Edmund Hillary with Tenzing Norgay and his family is most moving for myself, a Japanese amateur alpinist living overseas for more than three decades. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first ascent, we have recently translated this book into Japanese, and are planning to publish it for Japanese youth and olds in 2003. The German, French and Italian versions of this book are also scheduled to be published around May 29, 2003, comemmorating this historical event or moment. Depending on your own mother tongue, you are highly encouraged to read one of these five versions including the original English to share the excitement associated with scaling the world-highest peak with the sherpas in Himalaya region or those now working overseas in a variety of fields other than mountaineering.<p>In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary b ecame the f irst climbers to summit Mt. Everest, the defining moment of 20thcentury exploration. Although honored worldwide, Tenzing could never harness the changes his passion for climbing brought to his Sherpa people, and he died a forgotten man.</p> <p>Authored by Tenzing Norgay's grandson and illustrated with scores of dramatic and historical photographs, here is an intimate look at a proud and enigmatic man, and the story of Everest from the Sherpa point of view.</p>B000H2MD7E07434006740195167341B00008MTYA05200694122450General2446Biographies26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68142Mountain Climbing68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksR1IO03QDOQC3MUMountains2JIB983TW7Q8KEverest from the Sherpa's point of view0898867509http://www.amazon.com/Thailand-Climbing-Guide-Guides/dp/0898867509%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D089886750991779http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C37FY5VYL._SL75_.jpg7549http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C37FY5VYL._SL160_.jpg160105http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C37FY5VYL.jpg500327Sam Lightner Jr.Paperback796.522095939780898867503900898867509Mountaineers BooksEnglishEnglishEnglish8102195USD$21.95Mountaineers Books1333Book2005-10-30Mountaineers BooksMountaineers Books1055301417USD$14.171299USD$12.991990011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewmDij8ZY57FHYP58vAsR2Sqx6OvyF1XGhW4uIf4dLdEk44Fmvq4gz87nd3aLkOjwz2qyjJIg0wsJBEdbe%2FAJB0g%3D%3D1493USD$14.93Usually ships in 24 hours4.04108988675095012007-10-20

Perfect...

This book has everything one would want for climbing on the Railey peninsula (...and more). Very helpful information.08988675094112007-07-13

Useful for 1st time visitor to Ton Sai

Sam's guide for Thailand is very useful for the first time visitor with lots of information and stories on locations, getting around and local culture. <br /> <br />there are a few routes missing in this book by now and the layout can be a little frustrating at times, with photo maps that are not as accurate as I would like. It is generally well laid out and freindly to use. <br /> <br />Alot of my mates had the updated 2007 guide from wee's and this seemed more up to date, crag wise, but I found the information on Thailand, language tid bits and hints on how to get around etc, it was perfect for someone who hadn't visited Ton Sai before and didnt know what to expect.08988675094442006-06-13

Good background book, out of date guidebook

I got this book and Wee Changrua/Elke Schmitz's "Rock Climbing in Thailand" (3rd ed, Dec 2005) guidebook. Sam's book is good in giving you background and route descriptions but it is hard sometimes to find climbs with his photos. Also some data is out of date. For example the Diamond Cave area, only 2-3 climbs go the full height of the wall to the roof but looking at Sam's book it looks like they all go to the roof. Wee's book is upto date on this. Also Wee has a new edition, availible in Railay and Tonsai with the newest info; such as Stalagasaurus losing it's defining stalactite. <br /> <br />Otherwise it's an ok book.08988675094992006-02-21

The Big Green Book: fluff and more

There are no fewer than four climbing guides for Thailand of which I am aware. Sirichai Pongsopon's "Thailand Rock Climbing Guide Book" (2005), Wee Changrua/Elke Schmitz's "Rock Climbing in Thailand" (3rd ed, Dec 2005), the King Climber's guidebook (not certain the date on this one), and, of course, Sam Lightner, Jr.'s "Thailand: A Climbing Guide" (2005). <br /> <br />Of all these guidebooks, Sam's guide is by far the thickest, weighing in at nearly 340 pages. Wee's/Elke's and Sirichai's come in in the mid-200s (the King Climber guidebook I opted not to pick up because it was my understanding from a number of other climbers that it was essentially a direct copy of an earlier edition of Wee's/Elke's, errors and all - so I have no hard supporting data for comparisons as with the other three; besides, I only had only so many bahts with which to buy guidebooks!). Sirichai's black and rad-like photo cover guide cuts right to the point: after about 20 pages of "fluff", his book breaks right into topos and listings of routes. There are no route descriptions, however, anywhere. If you come to a tricky spot, you'll have to puzzle it out for yourself (and just go for the next bolt/sling). He does include some notes about rebolting of routes when and where known (at the time of his writing). <br /> <br />Wee's and Elke's black cover guide has a bit more up-front fluff for the traveling climber: about 40 pages worth. But from there the guide dives straight into topos and route listings, with a few routes having brief notes. The book is also sprinkled with a few more fluff pages and advertisements in the routes section. <br /> <br />Sam's book has a bright, spring/aqua-green cover, with a photo of a climber on a route in Dum's Kitchen. His guide spends the first five full chapters - 95 pages - on "fluff", before he begins covering the climbing in general. He goes into a lot of detail for the traveling climber, much of it invaluable for the first-time visitor to Thailand (but already some of it out of date, as is the bane of all guides - information goes out of date before the books hit the stands) (for example, there are easily twice as many bungalow operations in Tonsai than what Sam lists, perhaps even three times as many; good to know for when you arrive and find nothing available at the listed ones). Good reading material for the plane flight to Thailand. For someone who has been to Thailand a couple of times, much of the material is still helpful, esp if you have not had the opportunity to experience everything that Sam has. For those climbers who more or less live in Thailand during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, it is probably superfluous information. Unless you haven't been paying much attention to the culture or environment around you... <br /> <br />One bit of fluff that Sam's guide has which the other guides do not is a section of color photos. While these do not give more information of the climbing walls/routes, they nicely add to the atmosphere of the region, giving a taste of what you might get to see/experience while you are there. <br /> <br />Unlike Wee's/Elke's and Sirichai's, Sam uses primarily photos for his topos (the other guys use exclusively drawings). In some cases the photo topos are quite helpful. In other cases, especially when some of the pertinent details are lost to inconsequential details, or to flat lighting, the drawings of the other guides are a better help for finding routes. If all else fails, one can always ask someone nearby what they are on in order to help orient oneself to the cliffs one is about to climb. <br /> <br />Sam's guide gives more route information than either Wee's/Elke's or Sirichai's, more of what U.S. climbers might expect in a guidebook. Personally I like a route description rather than "just follow the bolts, for crying out loud!" Occasionally, however, he bails on route descriptions in favor of some background information on the route and you're left to either follow the topo, the bolts/slings, and/or the chalk marks to climb it. <br /> <br />As with any guide, not all of Sam's info is accurate or correct (for the 2006 season, increase all the prices - such as longtail rides or bungalow costs - by 10-20 percent). Some of these are just typos, but a few could prove serious. For example, if you arrive with just one 60-meter rope, you are unlikely to try jumping on "The Groove Tube" (or it's neighboring two climbs) without a second rope as Sam notes it is 35-meters tall. However, upon arriving at the base of the climb you'll likely note everyone easily lowers off (or top-ropes) these three routes with a single 60-meter rope. While not critical, had the typo been the other way around... <br /> <br />One of the most negative aspects of Sam's book is his disparaging and often upturned-nose position of most of the easier routes in the region. His guide discriminates against people who don't climb "hard" stuff. He leaves the reader with the impression that if you don't climb 6a or harder, there's really not much there for you to do (and he's not always kind to the 6a routes, either). One area in particular, Shadow Wall, Sam completely dumps on, and refuses to even mention what routes lie within. While Wee/Elke and Sirichai also mention it's not a very nice area, they at least give topos and list routes for the wall. Upon visiting, I found that yes, some routes there are not worth climbing, and yes, the area is most definitely not Dum's Kitchen or Thaiwand, but there are still routes that are perfectly fine to climb - especially for the climber who does NOT climb at the lofty 7a or harder! For the most part Sam treats routes easier than 6a as unworthy and you shouldn't bother (if he even mentions them at all). Sam seems to forget that many climbers, however, only climb at the level of 4s and 5s, and might squeak onto 6a's, but don't do harder routes. Prior to my trip to Thailand I had only Sam's book to go by, and had the VERY wrong impression my climbing time there would be short and brief (as I don't climb 6a/6b in general; however, grades are soft out there, and I was able to get on a number of 6a's and 6b's). Upon picking up Sirichai's and Wee's/Elke's guides, I quickly understood there are a number of moderate level routes the non-elite/non-hardcore climber can get on and still enjoy oneself. And so between those and the 6a's/6b's I climbed, I managed to squeeze in 7 full and enjoyable days of climbing, and still not touch everything I wanted to get on. <br /> <br />Sam does maintain a webpage for updates to the guide (http://www.thailandclimbingguide.com/). However, he does clarify that he will only consider feedback from other climbers on corrections/updates, and will "eventually" put up that he deems worthy. Something to keep in mind when checking for updates (or sending in feedback). <br /> <br />Overall, as a standalone book for the general climber, I would rate Sam's guide 3.5 on a scale of 1-5 (but Amazon doesn't do half-stars, so I rated it '4'). The saving grace is all the extra fluff. If you were to use it as a supplement to Sirichai's or Wee's/Elke's guide (or both), or you climb exclusively at 7a and harder, it's a 4.5.Thailand is a climber’s paradise—discover where to climb, where to stay, what to take, and more in this new guide! <P>·More than 350 sport routes, rated 1-5 stars for their appeal <BR>·Up-to-date post-tsunami information <BR>·Information on Thai history, culture, and geology, along with useful Thai language phrases <BR>·Author royalties used for route rebolting efforts in Thailand, done in conjunction with the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) <P>This new guide contains everything climbers need to make the most of Thailand, both on the rock and off. You’ll find information on local transportation, lodging, sightseeing, guide schools, and gear shops, as well as how to preserve your gear from the wear and tear of warm salt water breezes, and much more.1741043077174059231X07627257611740596978076272717967691General16841Thailand16772Asia27Travel1000Subjects283155Books271637011Southeast16772Asia27Travel1000Subjects283155Books290122Mountaineering17207Adventure17205Specialty Travel27Travel1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68142Mountain Climbing68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books0060849983http://www.amazon.com/Adventurers-Handbook-Lessons-Historys-Explorers/dp/0060849983%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0060849983531140http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HR5HNWZFL._SL75_.jpg7548http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HR5HNWZFL._SL160_.jpg160103http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HR5HNWZFL.jpg500321Mick ConefreyHardcover910.997800608499861000060849983CollinsEnglishEnglishEnglish7901495USD$14.95Collins1224Book2006-03-01Collins2006-02-28Collins65480366USD$3.6698USD$0.9839210011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewf8KCaOt5Pc2qS9ytSumnSk4M2A6Sgn1yVCxIwAJVTpTZ4J3vffxsA2MXhG0jg9ePS1uSNhaK2XXplclwv2xVF%2FNS7DYwd0P41121USD$11.21Usually ships in 24 hours4.53100608499835112008-06-29

Tales of Adventure and Exploration

God I love this book! Although written in the manner of a 'how-to' or 'guide' book, this book is really more of a history of exploration and travel as told through anecdotes about various famous adventurers, liberally spiced with various facts about the great outdoors. Legendary names like Ernest Shackleton, Sir Richard Francis Burton, Wilfred Thesiger, Robert E. Peary, Freya Stark, Hiram Bingham, Captain Cook, Col. Percy Fawcett and others can be found within these pages. <br /> <br />Each chapter is arranged by theme or topic. The first chapter covers 'getting started' with fund-raising and team-building, while 'getting going' includes things like wearing a safari suit and pith helmet, finding water in the desert, and dealing with animal attacks. Next chapter covers 'getting along,' such as leading your men up a mountain, dealing with natives like Ekimos, Bedouin and Polynesians, and preventing a mutiny. Then we move on 'getting there,' which covers famous expeditions like Burton's search for the Nile, Amundsen's quest for the South Pole, the Kon Tiki Expedition, and the ascent of Everest. And finally we have 'getting back,' which gives not only gives a very nice list of travel books, but also covers dealing with the press, proving your exploits and a list of explorers who died in the field. <br /> <br />Overall, this is quite a fun little pocket book that will teach you a surprising amount of information on travel, exploration and famous adventurers. Along the way, you'll learn such useful facts and information as how to keep the cleanest underwear after months at sea, using a camera to win the respect of Bedouin tribesmen, and how to survive an anaconda attack. It's a pretty fun book, and it'll make a seasoned adventurer out of any reader, even if you never intend to scale Everest, map the Amazon or cross the Arabian desert! I strongly recommend picking this book up, reading it and savoring every minute.00608499835112007-09-04

Great Insight and a fun read

Want a fun and insight full read into what it takes to run and expedition? This is the book for you. Mick has written a great book that would be great for any armchair explorer or upcoming adventurer. 006084998348102006-03-30

Even couch potatoes would like this book

I love to travel and backpack and am addicted to nature adventure tales. I found this book very informative and entertaining. It is full of fun facts and larger than life character sketches. And while there is a lot of information presented, the author manages to present it in a coherent, relevant and entertaining way. <br /> <br />While he obstensibly writes about lessons learned from great (and not so great) adventurers, the lessons contained in this book can easily be used to inform us on how to successfully guide ourselves and others through life's everyday challenges great and small. <br /> <br />LOVED IT!! <br /><p> What makes a good explorer? Adaptability, ambition, stamina, self-belief, doggedness, curiosity, optimism, authority, hardiness -- and fund-raising ability. </p> <p> A powerful punch of self-help, how-to, popular history, and humor. In this celebration of the glory days of exploration, Mick Conefrey takes a new look at the larger-than-life tales of many famous American and European adventurers. He pulls practical advice from their original diaries and logs stories of endurance and survival, such as Thor Heyerdahl's crossing of the Pacific in a raft and Robert Peary's heroic North Pole adventure. All expeditions are essentially projects that have to be managed. Teams have to be selected, equipped, and motivated. Goals have to be set and crises have to be overcome. For example -- some believed that it was always important to include in an expedition someone whom everyone else disliked because it would give focus to their complaints and help them bond. The book is chuck full of useful information, such as what to do if you are attacked by an anaconda--you wait until it is has swallowed you up to your knees and then you reach down and cut its head off. The instructions are very clear about not panicking in this situation. </p> <p> In addition to the wonderful characters and stories you will find many lessons on how to be an explorer and what it takes to set sail without a clear path home. </p>006124358200605787931592286585006001401615922899169History4762Africa4808Americas4873Ancient16252761Arctic & Antarctica4884Asia385090011Audiobooks4921Australia & Oceania4935Europe4984Gay & Lesbian4987Historical Study300954Large Print4995Middle East5011Military14450Military Science5032Russia4853United States5035World1000Subjects283155Books16472Instructional16384Hiking & Camping290060Outdoors & Nature1000Subjects283155Books17029Essays & Travelogues17025Reference & Tips27Travel1000Subjects283155Books197498011General27Travel1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books68142Mountain Climbing68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksR2OQA6VNOUM1AXTop 10 Outdoor Survival Books0906371996http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Risk-Conversations-Nicholas-OConnell/dp/0906371996%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0906371996Nicholas O'ConnellHardcover9780906371992Import0906371996Diadem BooksEnglishEnglishDiadem Books208Book1993-12-02Diadem BooksDiadem Books1471000USD$10.000100004.53109063719964222006-07-23

Good, solid read on "what makes climbers tick"

The seventeen people interviewed by author O'Connell have one thing in common: climbing. For most it's the love of their life. Yet as I read through each segment, beginning with a short but comprehensive biography (never more than a few pages of text) and continuing with the actual interview, I was struck by how many of these climbers strive to make it plain to O'Connell and all who read his book that climbing by itself isn't what matters most. It's what climbing does for the person - what the person brings to the climb - or both. <br /> <br />Perhaps above all others, this is a "sport" that's about individualism. Although the forming of close friendships and the intimacy of depending on team mates for one's very life get plenty of attention, the place most of these climbers come back to is the same: It's about self-reliance. Self-discipline, and reaching one's own goals instead of goals set by others. <br /> <br />There are some moving tales of survival and sacrifice, tragedy and triumph, contained in these pages. Each segment, though, is not a condensed "life of XXXX XXXXXX who first summited such-and-such a peak." Each is a genuine conversation, talking about the mundane aspects of life and of climbing just as often as about the events that made these people famous. <br /> <br />A good, solid read for anyone who's interested in what makes climbers tick; but a bit of a slog, for readers expecting something in the "true adventure" genre. <br />090637199650101998-03-24

Very interesting but incomplete book

The book is fantastic but there are at least the lack of two great names: 1) Loretan 2) Maurizio Zanolla ( called Manolo),wha has the following incredible curriculum: a) 1980: "supermatita", 1200 mt with minimum 6c+ by using only 7(!!) protection. b) 1981: 7c+ rotkpunt, 40 mt with 6 protections. c) 1985: 8a, 20 mt with 3 protections d) 1986: 8b, 25 mt with 4 protections and many others exploits, long path ( up to 1000 mt) always using a very little protections. some climbers says to have seen him climbing 8a already before 1981.09063719965661998-02-02

Why do we climb?

The best collection of interviews of climbers I have ever read. If you want to understand why climbers climb, read this book. Whenever a non-climber asks why I climb, I've never felt like I gave an adequate answer. Now I can. These climbers each in their own way described why they climb. I found my answers about myself in that book. A must read for any climber and a good read for anyone interested in a climber's mindset.0898863635089886772X037575640X0898868289156044858X68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books097216099Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Bishop-Bouldering-Wills-Young/dp/097216099X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D097216099X349710http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y2OuOxP4L._SL75_.jpg7549http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y2OuOxP4L._SL160_.jpg160104http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y2OuOxP4L.jpg500326Wills YoungPaperback9780972160995110097216099XWolverine PublishingEnglishEnglishEnglish9103600USD$36.00Wolverine Publishing1352Book2007-03-08Wolverine Publishing2007-03-08Wolverine Publishing1556103240USD$32.40300011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewIvEbpWIzAsvypD67YIpQeW6GUsc%2F8lheNlr%2BtM6QAllvxkwdOFtGFoQw4vVUOHGEhzj1rhvymhXUWpPM0IUP%2FQ%3D%3D3600USD$36.00Usually ships in 24 hours4.531097216099X5002008-04-08

Bishop Must

If you are planning on spending any time bouldering in Bishop this guide is a must. To navigate the massive numbers of problems on the enormous rocks before you in this beautiful place you need more than skill, strength and healthy finger tips. This book makes your experience a million times better by recommending great problems to challenge and entertain you and everyone with whom you are climbing. I wish every area had a guide like this. Have fun out there!097216099X4002008-03-18

Great Guidebook, but no index

Wonderful color pictures of routes and the Bishop area. Overall an amazing guidebook except for one huge oversite by the writers: NO index of problems. You basically have to scan the whole book if you want to find a specific problem. Other than that, its worth buying.097216099X5002007-07-16

Great book with some errors

Finally an almost complete guide for Bishop and surrounding area! <br /> <br />Pro: Great pictures, clear layout of many of the popular routes in the area. Overall great description. I don't have any problems finding what I want to do. This book included enough routes for you to do in months. Also it includes bouldering areas around Bishop such as Rock Creek. <br /> <br />Cons: As expected, some errors of index and references. Such as route number on the picture is not corresponding to the description. Some reference number on the overall area map is incorrect as well. They can be easily figured out though. Also, the graphic layout is different between the main Bishop area and the surrounding area, my guess is that it was done by different graphic artist, or at different time. It should have been more consistent. <br /> <br />I believe the 2nd edition will be perfect! <br />The town of Bishop, in eastern California, is a boulderer s paradise, one of the few places in the world where a high concentration of world-class bouldering combines with magnificent scenery, convenient amenities, and near-perfect weather. Bishop Bouldering details more than 2000 problems at this internationally popular climbing destination, providing complete coverage of the Buttermilk Country (including outlying areas like Dales Camp and the Pollen Grains), The Happy and Sad Boulders, The Druid Stones, and Rock Creek and The Sherwin Plateau (north toward Mammoth). Bishop Bouldering also showcases the region s bouldering with hundreds of color photographs, including stunning action shots from pro shooters like Dan Pattitucci, Jim Thornburg, Stephan Denys, Simon Carter, and Wills Young.0976523523097216091409721609300972937307093041057217285General17281California17263States17227United States27Travel1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books11086921General26Sports1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books712982011General AAS465600New & Used Textbooks251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books713014011General AAS319654011Qualifying Textbooks251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books1585740144http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Mountains-Far-Away-Wilderness/dp/1585740144%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D15857401442474604http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HBWTZV0YL._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HBWTZV0YL._SL160_.jpg160107http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HBWTZV0YL.jpg475319Gregory McNameeHardcover508.799781585740147901585740144The Lyons PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8302295USD$22.95The Lyons Press1176Book2000-06-01The Lyons PressThe Lyons Press705601USD$0.011USD$0.0111300011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewiEn9AB8ej8lHPNfDa9HRbR13tARxlMQIl9cn7HWtxAd8ytJk9Ij%2FPwEwB51K1Ku4o%2BJeyrBX3EQfDfnuBHlrtA%3D%3D1859USD$18.59Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks4.53115857401445112004-06-26

A small package of brilliance

McNamee's heartfelt essays of humankind's relationship to the natural world are beautifully and poetically written, and reveal the subleties of the arid American Southwest in much the manner of Edward Abbey, minus the politics. Which is not to say that McNamee does not have strong convictions. His analysis of Las Vegas is searing, as is his detailing of desert development in general. What he points out here is how alive the desert is and how easy it is to miss that aliveness. Those of us who have lived here a long time still learn from these uplifting letters.15857401445562001-03-21

First read of McNamee

This is my first experience with McNamee's writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed this work. Rarely have I read an environmental work that conveyed so much of the spirit of the Southwest, in such an informative and yet, lighthearted fashion. Here, too, we have blue mountains on the horizon, but they are often obscured by the haze of the the civilization surrounding them. His writing makes me long for the spare uncluttered areas he writes about. It is strange to think of a place where there is so little moisture, since we have so much, yet he makes it come alive.15857401443682001-01-14

Disappointing effort for McNamee

Tucson resident Gregory McNamee has written some of the best eco-prose about the Southwest, such as _Gila: The Life and Death of an American River_. But this volume was a real disappointment. A collection of essays from Tucson Weekly, North Dakota Quarterly, and other reviews, this book doesn't achieve any sort of meaningful coherence. The large print and brevity (only 161 pages) means that no topic is covered in any depth. The low for me was a glimpse of Howard Hughes, based uncritically on a biography by Michael Drosnin (who has foisted the execrable Bible Code on a gullible public).<p>This book doesn't give much bang for the buck. Avoid it, and get a paperback copy of _Gila_ instead.<DIV>In this collection of essays, McNamee presents a startlingly beautiful vision of the miracles of nature and the dangers that humans present to their continuation.<br></div>To live in the vast American Southwest is to understand, writes Gregory McNamee, who lives near Tucson, that "you cannot find a landscape that is not bordered, somewhere, by a blue fringe of mountains." Hence the title of this superb collection of 13 essays that wander the landscape those mountains define. These are meditations on exploration inward and out that revel in nature, honor the environment, touch the land, ponder science and art, contemplate religion, and, with an almost alchemical touch, make big moments small and understandable and small moments big and awesome. The essay "Walking," for instance, is a pointed antidote to the hurly-burly on the surface most of us inhabit: <blockquote>"<I>Solvitur ambulando</I>," Saint Jerome was fond of saying. To solve a problem, walk around. Walk until your shoe leather falls off, until no moleskin patch can save the tattered remnants of your heels--only walk, walk as only a human can until the mysteries of the ages unravel before you. </blockquote> There is a lot of walking in these pages--up mountain trails, beside rivers, over deserts, along paths. Indeed, walking is a continuous thread. "To live in the desert requires a certain kind of madness," McNamee writes, "that is epidemic out this way. To wander off into that desert, alone or in company, is to test the very limits of one's endurance and to tempt the end of one's tenure on this otherwise green planet." The point? "Such ventures make us human.... We were made to wander afoot.... and we were made to keep moving. When we settle down, it seems, we tend as a species to become nastier rather than more civilized." For McNamee, these walks within the perimeter of the blue mountains keep him at least civilized if not wholly sane. His evocations are meant to lead us down paths toward blue mountains of our own. <I>--Jeff Silverman</I>13857General75Science1000Subjects283155Books14505Mountains14452Nature & Ecology75Science1000Subjects283155Books16311131Natural History14452Nature & Ecology75Science1000Subjects283155Books68141General68140Mountaineering26Sports1000Subjects283155Books171225Nature Writing290060Outdoors & Nature1000Subjects283155Books764418Reference290060Outdoors & Nature1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksB000078UN6http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Treks-Spectacular-Hikes-World/dp/B000078UN6%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000078UN6160803http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K2C6GPYBL._SL75_.jpg7554http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K2C6GPYBL._SL160_.jpg160114http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K2C6GPYBL.jpg475339Bill BirkettHardcoverBargain Price4000USD$40.001192Book2000-055202USD$52.024177USD$41.772400004.531B000078UN65242005-03-19

wonderful read

What a great armchair book, I am inspired to do two new walks. wish there was a sequel, thisis a great book for checking out various classic walks, and decicding if they are for you. I love the format, please, please write another one.....B000078UN64882002-08-22

Lovely book... pictures and information could be better.

Having been to 5 of the 30 I have noticed that the hikes are most definitely spectacular, but the photos in this book are not. They are nice, just not spectacular and if you are a professional photographer in front of something spectacular then you should be able to take a spectacular photograph.<p>Do not think you can plan a trip on the infomation in this book. It gives you a basic overview and a place to start your research. <p>The list of 30 is great and I hope that I can finish them all. I finished the longest in the book last summer and it was truly spectacular.B000078UN6516172000-07-31

Great book with great suggestions and cautions

I greatly enjoyed this book. The pictures and advice have prooved to be accurate and timely. The only addition I would add would be alternatives to trips that last longer than 3 or 4 days. It's a great book with great and useful information. I would recommend if for anyone who likes to dream of vacation well in advance and for whom planning and anticipation is half the fun." Classic Treks will help you realize your dreams -- of trekking among the world's highest mountains, discovering remote areas far from the noise and stress of civilization, encountering rare animals and birds, glorying in sunsets over snow-covered peaks, and experiencing the satisfaction of completing some of the world's most spectacular hikes. Written by a team of experienced guides who have hiked each of the featured treks, the text evokes the scenery, wildlife, forests and flowers, and local culture -- and transports you to some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the world. Detailed fact files provide all the essential information needed to plan your trip: distance and duration, difficulty and altitude, permits, maps and guidebooks, when to visit, health and personal safety, as well as key features about wildlife, plants, facilities, local food and customs, and scenic highspots. Stunning photographs, illustrations, and specially commissioned maps combine to give a vivid picture of the special nature of each hike and also provide a visual guide to the terrain and difficulty level. A practical introductory section gives advice on choosing a trek, equipment, preparation, general health and safety, tips on camping and provisioning, and guidance about how to protect the wilderness in which you are hiking. From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the foothills of Everest, Classic Treks provides both inspiration and information to help you plan your next adventure. Hikes vary from two days to three weeks in length, and from high altitude climbs in rugged, remote country to undemanding coastal walks, so that no matter whether you are a highly experienced hiker or weekend adventurer, you will find routes to suit your capabilities and inclinations. With a worldwide directory of useful contracts, and covering all the major mountain ranges in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, Classic Treks is sure to be the ultimate inspiration for hikers worldwide. More than 350 color photographs and illustrations."It's easy to argue with the selection of 30 treks chosen from around the world, but there's no arguing with the presentation. Each annotated trip is accompanied by big colorful photos of awe-inspiring scenery: the pastoral highlands of England's Coast to Coast walk; Machu Picchu rising above the ruins on Peru's Inca Trail; austere glacial cirques in Colorado's Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The images, in fact, will have any game outdoorsperson chomping at their camelback and ready to hop on the next flight to one of these far-flung and sometimes isolated locales--so it's a good thing that there's so much more than pretty pictures. Route maps, walk profiles (showing difficulty levels and altitude gains), and "factfiles" set expectations and provide essential information (e.g., climate, flora and fauna, transport, background reading), while a detailed itinerary provides a suggested breakdown of daily mileages and camping spots. Some of the classic treks include the California Sierra's John Muir Trail, Vermont's Long Trail, part of the Pyrenean High Route between France and Spain, a Nepalese loop in the shadow of Everest, Mount Kenya in Africa, and New Zealand's Ring of Fire. Even if you don't manage to wear down your Vibram soles on any of these glorious trails, just flipping the pages of <I>Classic Treks</I> will stir the calf muscles and probably send you out the door to your nearest trailhead. 0393057968156975302407892080160789208474142620125717041Guidebooks17025Reference & Tips27Travel1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books