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greyghost
Aug 22, 2002, 12:02 AM
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I read Lynn Hill's book. It was a really enjoyable book. I would suggest it to anyone looking for a good book with some great stories.
don't stop the scream
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jbone
Aug 22, 2002, 12:15 AM
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How about Steve Roper's Camp IV
The Golden age of climbing in Yosemite, makes even the most hardened sporty's hands sweat..
For Training I would Reccommend
How To Climb 5.12 by Eric Horst
Not so technical that it's actually good to read..
Any Climbing Mag put out before 1995..
JBone
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fitz
Aug 22, 2002, 12:17 AM
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FWIW, I recently received two books as gifts, Lynn Hill's CLIMBING FREE, and SOLO FACES, a novel by James Salter. I started reading them during my vacation last week, and finally finished both off.
What I found interesting is that, in the work of fiction, the climbing was pretty 'fake', but the central character seemed fairly real. On the other hand, Lynn Hill's climbing is about as real as it gets, but her book gave me surprisingly little insight into her as a person.
This is too bad, because the book purposely focuses on her overall "personal journey" and does not really go into nitty gritty details of many of her major accomplishments. IE, it is a memoir, not a documentary.
Ms. Hill has seemed a little shy the few times I have seen her speak, but also open and clear. I got a much better glimpse of her drive, outlook, and personal motivations from a brief QA session after a slideshow, then I got from reading the book.
It might be Greg Child's involvement. I don't know anything about him personally, but I've always found his magazine articles pretty lacking when it comes to people, perspective, and emotions. Or, maybe Ms. Hill wasn't comfortable being too personal in print.
Whatever the reason, I wish the person who gave me the book had just sent a $20 check directly to Ms. Hill instead.
-jjf
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mike
Aug 22, 2002, 12:40 AM
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"Climber's Choice" for sure. These stories have real literary merit, not just: " Day 3, I was killed in an avalanche". Stories cover bouldering to mountaineering. Oh yeah, my all time favorite: "kingdom of Adventure: Everest" by James Ramsey Ullman, found it in a used book store, it was published in 1947. Interesting to read about the attempts and discussions of problems before Everest was climbed.
[ This Message was edited by: mike on 2002-08-21 17:45 ]
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melonhead
Aug 22, 2002, 1:20 AM
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Let me put it this way. I barley know how to read and hate to do it. However, I just finished reading "Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hangdogs" by John Long.....for the second time. Go buy it, you'll love it. TRUST me.
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climbercam
Aug 22, 2002, 1:35 AM
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I second ffaalliinngg and melonhead. John Long's books are absolutely hysterical I still think Gorilla Monsoon is his best where you'll find the story "tiradas los tubos" - probably spelled wrong but a fantastic non-climbing adventure story as are the rest of the true short stories within the book.
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jt512
Aug 22, 2002, 2:04 AM
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Learning to Rock Climb by Michael Loughman. Out of print, but used copies in excellent condition can be purchased cheap from Amazon.com's Marketplace Sellers.
-Jay
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camhead
Aug 22, 2002, 2:13 AM
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'The High Lonesome' by John Long ruled. A compilation of essays by and/or about free soloists. Excellent.
Lynn Hill's autobiography was outstanding as well. I've read it twice so far.
If you haven't had enough excitement with those two, then I recomment the Falcon Guide "How to Rappel"
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sparky
Aug 22, 2002, 3:25 AM
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Posts: 438
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into thin air
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passthepitonspete
Aug 22, 2002, 11:01 PM
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This website is too full of young whippersnappers.
I'm not home, so can't consult my library.
Here are some suggestions:
If you read Into Thin Air by Krakauer, be certain to read The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev. After you read the latter, you will need to reread the former!
Definitely One Man's Mountains by Tom Patey.
After you read Annapurna by Herzog, be sure to read True Summit by David Roberts which considers the possibility if not probability that Herzog did not reach the summit.
You must also read stuff by the French guides Lionel Terray and Gaston Rebuffat with Conquistadors of the Useless at the top of the list.
You should become absolutely immersed in the great British climbers, starting way back with the early attempts on Everest in the 1920's through Don Whillans and Joe Brown, of course Christian Bonington, and naturally Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker.
You need to read as much of Messner's stuff as you can get your hands on! His account of his solo of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat is fundamental.
I've never read anything bad by Greg Child.
Cheers,
Pete
Note to young whippersnappers:
Most of these Classic Mountaineering Volumes are available at your public library.
If you plan on knowing what the hell you are talking about, and do not want to be plain vanilla like most everyone else on this website, then you should go to the library and start signing out and reading these books!
It took me nearly two years to read through all the mountaineering volumes in the rather modest library in Hamilton, Ontario, so if you are in a larger city, your supply should be virtually limitless.
Understanding the tradition of mountaineering is FUNDAMENTAL to becoming the best climber you can be!
It pays to learn from someone else's mistakes.
Being familiar with your history will make you more likely to stay alive when you get into dangerous situations on the crags and in the mountains.
Note to old farts:
This stuff is of benefit to us, too!
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hornj
Aug 23, 2002, 1:07 AM
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For mountaineering books try "Addicted to Danger" by Jim Wickwire and "Nanda Devi" by John Roskelley. Though you get the feeling in addicted to danger that it isn't safe to know Jim Wickwire after he describes all the people that died around him.
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greyghost
Aug 23, 2002, 1:16 AM
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I have read Into Thin Air and The Climb.....they are both good books.
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fitz
Aug 23, 2002, 1:28 AM
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"It pays to learn from someone else's mistakes."
In that vein, AAC's Accidents in North American Mountaineering is almost always an educational read.
-jjf
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fishypete
Aug 28, 2002, 3:34 PM
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Registered: Apr 5, 2002
Posts: 200
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What a great list!
I'm heading off to the Amazon right now....
(and no, not the tropical rainforest one...)
Cheers!
Fishy.
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grandwall
Aug 28, 2002, 6:25 PM
Post #40 of 49
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Registered: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 152
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Check out Free Spirit - Reinhold Messner.
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jhundrup
Aug 28, 2002, 6:48 PM
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Posts: 410
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Try "The Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine" It is about the expedition that went and recovered George Mallory's body. It is a great book about the history of their expedition and speculation on whether or not they actually summited.
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mmindtrap
Aug 28, 2002, 7:01 PM
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Registered: May 30, 2002
Posts: 268
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If you need a good guide book, pick up Rock and Road, it will become your destination bible.
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rollingstone
Aug 28, 2002, 11:20 PM
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Registered: May 22, 2002
Posts: 273
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Oh, Pete, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You had to go and ask this question, didn't you? You could not leave it alone and just climb! Now you want to actually read about it, too. Well, let's just say that a man cannot serve two masters (three if he is married, ha, ha); you will end up feeding the rat on this one. Rainy days will be spent scouring book stores hoping to find an odd volume not in your collection, and the more you look, the more you will discover! and pretty soon it will be like an unconquerable addiction that has to be fed over and over and over...no amount of books will ever suffice until all, ALL AVAILABLE BOOKS IN OR OUT OF PRINT are in your collection, and they are yours, ALL YOURS, and no one else can touch or see them unless they ask nicely, and NOT EVEN then will you let them because they are your precious books that you will someday read when you have time.
I will warn you now, my friend, (may I call you that?, even though we have never met, but I feel we can talk plainly in public like this, because this warning is not just for you, but for any who read this post), the addiction is real and sucks away time and money and climbing equipment until you just have to get just ONE MORE BOOK that you don't have. It's just endless.
Consider: in London, the Alpine Club Library has over 15,000 volumes in its collection. If you decided to read them all (oh, sweet Heaven, could one really do such a thing??), you could read 3 books/day for 13.7 years and only then would you finish the first 15,000. But you would be behind!!behind, I say, because even as you were reading the OLD stuff, some publisher would be insidiously printing NEW stuff that you would have to read, and some (but not all) you would HAVE TO POSSESS, and the addiction would start all over again.
I will check my small collection to see what I have forgotten I own, but besides PTPP's suggestions (all outstanding, I might add, IMHO) I recommend Messner's Seventh Grade. There is a ton of outstanding literature that has never appeared in books, but is available in various periodicals. If your local Alpine Club has a collection, see if you can find a set of the Sierra Club publication Ascent; this fine magazine has a broad selection of mountaineering writing by some excellent writers. Everyone's posts previous to mine are all great references too!!
But, please, save yourself while there is still time. Like Dorothy read in The Wizard of Oz, "I'd turn back if I were you!" Just pick up the phone, call a friend and go climb something until the urge to read passes, and you may still be able to save yourself...as for me, I have to log off and go into my books...I'll try to get back to you again someday...after a little reading...
P.S. I think Big Wall Climbing, by Doug Scott, is a great book that gives a sense of history of development up to the early 70's.
[ This Message was edited by: rollingstone on 2002-08-28 16:25 ]
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fishypete
Aug 29, 2002, 8:02 AM
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Registered: Apr 5, 2002
Posts: 200
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Busted!
I just cant get enough! Right now, I just KNOW that there is someone out there publishing something, at this very moment, that has already rendered my collection obsolete and out of date...
But it gets worse.
I also have a cam fetish as well...I cant help myself!!
Perhaps it is time for a cleansing declaration:
"Hello, my name is Pete, and I admit, I have a problem".
Ahh, better now.
But as I see it, the solution to my problem is to buy more books and cams!
Mick, thanks heaps Mate! Keep those recommendations coming!
Cheers
Fishy.
PS: Great Big Wall suggestion! I love big wall history, and that is one I hadn't heard of!
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jmlangford
Aug 30, 2002, 4:22 AM
Post #45 of 49
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Registered: Sep 2, 2001
Posts: 1569
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This is a pretty good one:
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lafell
Aug 30, 2002, 4:38 PM
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my favorite is White Spider, but check out Fall of the Phantom Lord. two books i like to carry on trips are the classics Call of the Wild and Sidartha. Not climbing related but helps fuel the soul...
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reno
Aug 30, 2002, 6:20 PM
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Posts: 18283
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"American Rock" by Don Mellor.
Don is a long time (would say "old" but afraid he'd head south to kick my butt) Adirondaks/Northeast climber. His book covers all regions of the USA, discusses the history of climbing in each of those regions, and lets you get a good feel for the background of climbing.
Bought it early on a Sunday from Barnes and Noble, sat on my deck with a cold beer and a pack of smokes, and finished it five hours later. Start to finish.
Great book.
Best,
JRB
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snibdogg20
Sep 9, 2002, 4:53 AM
Post #48 of 49
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Registered: Aug 27, 2002
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I gotta agree, "American Rock" and "Fifty Favorite Climbs" are great books, check them out!
ROCK ON,
Cary
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duskerhu
Sep 9, 2002, 7:35 AM
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Registered: Apr 13, 2002
Posts: 1023
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I have to agree with Jody, How To s--- In The Woods is a very interesting little manual!
Also, adding to PTPP's Everest tragedy suggestions, get David Breashears High Exposure. It's mostly an autobiography about his climbing and film making life (which is very interesting). Of course, the last section of the book deals with his Imax Everest expedition (1996, same year as the "tragedy") and the fateful events from his teams perspective.
Continuing on the Everest tragedy line, Beck Weathers Left For Dead is an incredible account of his ordeal on Everest and his short climbing career (he started climbing on a family vacation to Colorado and immediately progressed to the Seven Summits quest) and how it almost destroyed his family.
Feed that Rat dude!
Live Free!
Play Hard!
Cli.... Read On!
duskerhu
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