Mountaineering Books

The collection of factual and fictional stories captures the essence of mountains and of the people who try to climb them. It contains electric stories of survival and breathtaking introspectives that indirectly try to answer the question of why people risk their lives to reach the top. Its an excellent book for a panoramic view of the mountain climbing world

Another anthology of John Long's favorite climbing literature. This compendium includes excerpts from books and articles from climbing magazines. Some of the material is repeated from his other collections. His essay, `The Green Arch', seems to be in all his books as a matter of course. If you're a fan of climbing literature, you'll probably have a lot of the selections included from the original source, I did. However, Long did turn me on works that are out-of-print and/or hard to find in their original form. For this reason this anthology is a worthy addition to anyone's bookshelf.

As my title said, this is a step-by-step project book written by the editors of VICTORIA MAGAZINE.

The book has very pretty photos at the very beginning of every project, and then it provides step-by-step instructions which have diagrams following each step to the project making.

There are not that many projects though, so that's why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 stars.

I may not make all of the projects suggested inside but they are lucious to look at. I like adapting ideas to suit my particular design style and needs. I usually purchase books published more than 2 yrs old from the Used sellers.

The Falcon Guide to Yosemite Free Climbs covers an enormous number of climbs. And there are an enormous number of climbs in Yosemite Valley. But it doesn't cover any of them in very much detail. I had difficulty using this book to find my climbs, and I noticed that the Supertopo book gave much more detailed information. However, the Supertopo book was limited to the more popular climbs only.

But having already purchased the Falcon Guide on Amazon, I was stuck with it. I discovered that by using the free driving and hiking maps provided by the park service, I was able to fill in most of the missing gaps. It turns out this book will tell you, for example, which way to walk from the Church Bowl parking lot to the climbing wall, but it won't tell you where the parking lot is. Or in other words, it assumes you already know your way around the Valley.

That said, the climbing walls are so huge, and the park service maps good enough, that this book is adequate for a first timer, though not ideal. Once you have your bearings, the route-finding beta is pretty good. The photos of the walls are very useful. And although it seemed like the written directions were missing detail, they were accurate.

If you are coming from out-of-state to spend a week or two in Yosemite and plan to stay on the trade routes only (like we were), then you would probably be better served with the Supertopo guide. On the other hand, if you live near Yosemite or visit often enough to venture beyond the most popular climbs, then the Falcon Guide would be the better of the 2 books.

The most important function of any climbing guide book (in my opinion) is getting you to your selected route. Great topos are vital, but if you can never find the route...what does it matter. Don Reid is a master at both getting you there and great topo beta. Even if it is your first time in the Valley, the book gives such great directions you would be hard pressed to get lost. And, as always, Don is a master topo "artist". Don't accept any cheap substitutes, this is the book to have.

This book is a breathtaking introduction to high-altitude climbing with anecdotal history about the Everest expeditions and the region's history. It is a well-researched book for both a hobbyist and a serious climber and focuses both on the Khumbu region and the lesser know Tibet face.

Genre: Non Fiction

Title: Adirondack Hikes in Hamilton County-The Book

Author: Peter Klein

As an avid hiker myself, my bookshelf contains many hiking trail and guide books. Adirondack Hikes in Hamilton County is a unique addition in that it is more personal than technical, more descriptive than mundane. I always find that I am bored by the many maps, geological notes, etc included in many guide-books.

Peter Klein takes readers on a hiking journey, describing the flora and fauna, the smells, the sounds, the sites and the feel of the area. He makes the trails real to the reader and definitely convinces the avid hiker or the everyday walker that visiting this area would be an excellent experience.

The book lists several areas in Hamilton County-Rock Lake Trail, Blue Ledges, Whortleberry and Big Bad Luck Ponds. Each trail includes location, short history and a recommendation for the best time of year to visit. The book also contains some excellent tips and advice for readers before venturing into the woods, very informative for beginners. Hikers and walkers should pick up a copy of this book if visiting Hamilton County.

Peter Klein is the author of both non fiction and fiction. He incorporates much of his flair for description into this book.

Reviewer: Shirley Roe, Allbooks Review.

I've never reviewed a book for Amazon before, but I had to review this book after reading the Publisher's Weekly review.

This was a terrific book, the best part for me being the family saga. I've gotten so tired of the dysfunctional family as the basis of modern novels. This novel has a non-dysfunctional, but very real and believable, family at its center. The mystery of what happened on the mountain isn't really the point. It's the relationships within the family that make the story interesting.

This book is a romanticized, sanitized account of the 1950 French expedition to the Himalayas by its so-called leader, Maurice Herzog. It is a book that is reflective of the times in which it was written. Still, it should be a must read for anyone who is interested in high altitude climbing.

I first read this book in the early 1960s as a young teenager. I recall being enthralled by it and amazed at the hardships the climbers endured to bring glory to France. In reading it again as an adult, I find myself still enthralled, but more attuned to the fact that it is written in a somewhat self-serving style.
The book itself chronicles the attempt by the French to climb an 8,000 meter peak in the Himalayas. They had two alternatives: Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. In those days, the Himalayas were largely uncharted and any topographical maps, which existed at the time proved to be largely incorrect. So, the French expedition spent a large portion of their time in reconnaissance. Not only were they there to climb the mountain, they had to find a way to get to it and then map out a route on the unknown terrain to the summit. Ultimately, they chose to climb Annapurna.

In reading this book, one must remember that the climb took place without the sophisticated equipment or protective clothing available today. This was before gortex and freeze-dried foods. This climb was made before Nepal or climbing the Himalayas became a major tourist attraction. The conditions for travelers were extremely primitive and difficult under the best of circumstances.

When the expedition finally finds a route to Annapurna, the reader almost feels like cheering for them. When they start to climb, one senses that, in comparison to latter day expeditions, they are not so well equipped or savvy about the dangers one can encounter during a high altitude climb or the risks in doing it without supplemental oxygen, as they did. Then one realizes that they were pioneers. They were paving the way for others.
The climb to the summit by Maurice Herzog and his partner, Louis Lachenal, is interesting, but it is their harrowing descent and return to civilization that is riveting. The two summiteers begin their descent but run into difficulties. They are fortunate to encounter two of their fellow climbers, Lionel Terray and Gaston Rebuffat, who are contemplating their own summit assault but, instead, choose to aid their comrades in the descent, foregoing their own quest for the summit.

The travails which the climbers encounter on the descent would have finished off less hardy souls. Maurice Herzog loses his gloves during the descent and has no spare pair. One of them falls into a crevasse which, believe it or not, turns out to be a good thing. They are caught in an avalanche. They get lost in a storm. They become frostbitten and two of them, are, ultimately, forced to endure amputations.

The medical treatment they received by the expedition doctor is unbelievable and almost primitive. Employing treatments for frostbite that have since fallen onto disrepute (excruciatingly painful arterial injections, for example), the doctor is almost frightening, at times. The reader cannot help but feel pity for the suffering the injured climbers endured: maggot ridden flesh, amputations without anaesthesia, and lack of proper medical care for a protracted period of time.

The heroics of some of the Sherpas, as on most expeditions, go largely unsung. One must, however, pause to reflect on the fact that as this all took place before airlifts were available, the injured climbers had to be carried. Their exodus back to the frontier took about five weeks. Who carried them down the mountain, over the moraines, on makeshift bridges over flooded, raging rivers, through dense jungle? Who else but the Sherpas. What thanks did they get? None, as usual.

Anyway, when the expedition finally return to France, Maurice Herzog is lauded as a national hero by the French. He becomes the media darling. The other three climbers, as are the rest of those on the expedition, are largely ignored and forgotten. Therein lies the tale. If you want to know how this polarization came about, I highly recommend that you also read 'True Summit' by David Roberts. It gives you the inside scoop about the expedition and how things really were.

Notwithstanding its idealization, romanticism, and everything is hunky-dory routine, Herzog's book is still a must read for all climbing enthusiasts.

The first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna is told in Bonington's characteristically engaging style. No detail of organization, logistics or communication is left out, with the result that we end up knowing quite a lot about what the climbers had for breakfast and what was said during their radio conversations; but I see this as a good thing. The book is slightly lacking in exciting scenes of actual climbing, as many expedition books unfortunately tend to be, but has plenty of gripping material nevertheless.

The book is 294 pages and has 16 selections. For the most part they are all good adventure/survival tales but if you really enjoy this genre then you probably already read Outside, Men's Journal and Nat'l Geographic Adventure. So there's the catch. Four of the pieces appeared in Men's Journal over the past year, three in Adventure, and two in Outside - over half the book. Of the remaining seven selections, three are from magazines and four are book excerpts. (In last year's annual nine of 14 were book excerpts and only one magazine was used twice.) Anyway, it is good stuff, and worth reading again. Four selections deal with mountaineering or avalanches. There are profiles of bull riders and stunt flyers. You'll read about killer lions, trekking central Africa, torture in Burma and being taken hostage in Columbia. Several selections are a chronicle of the times we live in: the World Trade Center, bombings in Bali, and the murder of Daniel Pearl. I'm thinking this would be a good holiday present for a a guy, especially a teenage boy who likes adventure and/or the outdoors. (I say 'guy' only because all the stories focus on men or the male point of view in the adventure, though several do involve women.) It is fast, enjoyable reading that hits a pretty wide variety of activity. It makes a good introduction to the Adrenaline Series or the books that provided the excerpts, a couple of which I will now be looking for.