Climbing and mountaineering Books

Book SynopsisThe Climbing Bible: Practical Exercises by Martin Mobråten and Stian Christophersen is a collection of exercises specifically designed to help you train technique and strength so that you can develop and improve as a climber. After two decades of climbing, training and coaching, the authors have built up a huge library of exercises, and they share many of them with you in this book.The first section focuses on your technique, with emphasis on footwork, grip positions, balance, direction of force and dynamics, among other things. The second section features exercises to help you train strength and power – with on-the-wall exercises, finger strength and fingerboarding exercises, arm exercises and more. Also included is a section for children and young climbers to help their parents and coaches create great sessions for kids. This chapter presents games, technique exercises and physical training ideas for children.Illustrated with over 200 technique and action photos, and with insights from the authors and other top climbers, The Climbing Bible: Practical Exercises will inspire you to try new exercises in every training session. Keep it in your climbing wall bag, cover it in chalk and embrace the variety so easily found in climbing.

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Book SynopsisMore and more people around the world are discovering how great climbing is, both indoors and outdoors. The Climbing Bible by internationally renowned climbers and coaches Martin Mobråten and Stian Christophersen is a comprehensive guide to help you train effectively to become a better climber. The authors have been climbing coaches for a number of years. Based on their own extensive experience and research, this book collates the best European training techniques into one book with information on how to specifically train for the technical, physical and mental performance factors in climbing – including endurance, power, motivation, fear of falling, and much more. It also deals with tactics, fingerboarding and finger strength, general training and injury prevention, injuries related to climbing, and training plans. It is illustrated with 400 technique and action photos, and features stories from top climbers as well as a foreword by climber and bestselling author Jo Nesbø. The Climbing Bible will help and motivate you to improve and develop as a climber and find even more joy in this fantastic sport.Trade Review'This book has a fantastic structure, and each chapter develops from the basics to a slightly more advanced perspective. It is a beautiful book, with a clear layout and some great anecdotes throughout. It has incredibly useful information through each chapter, with enough to keep any keen climber busy and to give you ideas to focus on.' – Emma Twyford, Chalkbloc'This will form the backbone of your climbing and training life. In times of struggle and disillusion you’ll be able to read back on a new mental cue. When you’ve tapped out you fingerboard adaptation, there’s another protocol. When you’re looking for a new technique drill to up your slab climbing game, it’s there. You used to have to buy all the training books in the climbing store, now you just need one!' – Tom O'Halloran, Vertical Life

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Book SynopsisJon Krakauer is a mountaineer and the author of Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, (which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and was made into a film starring Emile Hirsch and Kristen Stewart) Into Thin Air, Iceland, Under the Banner of Heaven and Where Men Win Glory. He is also the editor of the Modern Library Exploration series.Trade Review[Krakauer] has produced a narrative that is both meticulously researched and deftly constructed. -- Alastair Scott * New York Times Book Review *This is a great book, among the best ever on mountaineering. Gracefully and efficiently written, carefully researched, and actually lived by its narrator. * Washington Post *Into Thin Air ranks among the great adventure books of all time. * Wall Street Journal *A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism. * People *Krakauer is an extremely gifted storyteller as well as a relentlessly honest and even-handed journalist, the story is riveting and wonderfully complex in its own right . . .To call the book an adventure saga seems not to recognize that it is also a deeply thoughtful and finely wrought philosophical examination of the self. * Elle *

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed sports psychologist Bob Rotella has advised everyone from professional golfers to NBA superstars to business executives on how to flourish under pressure and overcome challenges. “Rotella’s philosophy is astonishingly simple…his success rate…is phenomenal” (The New York Times). Now, for the first time, he’s distilled his decades of in-depth research and practical experience into a potential-unlocking guide for everyone, from businesspeople to athletes to parents.     Most psychology is focused on trying to make abnormal people normal. Bob Rotella’s work is to make normal people exceptional. How Champions Think takes readers inside the minds of winners in many fields. It explores how to keep the mind from holding you back, whatever your physical gifts or other talents. It’s about how to make a commitment, how to persevere, how to deal with failure. It’s about how to train your mind to create a self-image that promotes confidence and accomplishment.     Any successful life starts with how you see yourself. And with these pearls of wisdom from the nation’s preeminent sports psychologist, you can learn to achieve the success of your dreams. “Straightforward and simple...Do the math. Read Rotella” (The Wall Street Journal).Trade Review"Having counseled such sports stars as LeBron James and PGA great Hal Sutton, sports psychologist Rotella extends his sports-centric guidance to those seeking to enhance their everyday acumen through the power of focused positive thinking….A solid motivational text for the sports-minded and thoseinterested in the bridging of athletics and exceptionalism.” —Kirkus Reviews“Intriguing and persuasive….Though Rotella’s primary concern here is with the very successful, “ordinary” people should also find useful tips here for smoothly handling life’s challenges and opportunities.” —Publishers Weekly“The author is, unquestionably, the premier mental coach for golf, having worked with Darren Clarke and Keegan Bradley as well as athletes in other sports, along with business executives…What makes golf an interesting metaphor is that even the truly luminary succeed, but only a fraction of the time. Rotella emphasizes the importance of goals-setting and the discipline that is required to achieve those aims….[How Champions Think is] so good that this reviewer has recommended it to all,golfers and non-golfers alike.” —Library Journal (starred review)“Rotella’s philosophy is astonishingly simple . . . [and] probably owes more to Vince Lombardi than it does to Sigmund Freud. . . . Rotella has counseled a dozen athletic teams and organizations (the New Jersey Nets, for one), the employees of some twenty corporations—among them Merrill Lynch, General Electric, and Time Warner—and assorted individuals, including a tennis champion trying to make a comeback and a musician with a bad case of stage fright. . . . Though Rotella’s tips are undeniably useful, they cannot account for his success rate, which is phenomenal.” —The New York Times“Straightforward and simple...Do the math. Read Rotella.” —The Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisFontainebleau is the world centre for boulder style climbing, with thousands of boulders scattered throughout the majestic forest. This 2nd volume covers all of the quieter areas that are 'deep' in the forest (TOP SECRET), hidden from the crowded hotspots. The climbing in these areas is stunning, with over 130 classic circuits that comprise of 5000+ problems. The beautifully clear graphics and 1400+ photo topos, also allows for an additional 4000+ off circuit problems to be included. This book gives an exceptional level of detail with problem styles, heights, and even crash pad ratings. * 9000+ climbing routes - 60 venues - beginner to expert* 130+ quiet circuits away from the crowds, covering all standards* Ultra modern graphics, and 1400+ quality photo topos* Ideal for indoor bouldering gym enthusiasts to explore outside* Bi-lingual guidebook, French and EnglishThis is the second in the series from Jingo Wobbly. Font Bloc Vol 1 - Fun Bloc, covers 7000 problems with 100 circuits. 9781873665152.

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Book SynopsisWhat happened to Joe, and how the pair dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.Trade ReviewA brilliant, vivd, gripping, heart-stopping account of their terrifying adventure... Superbly written * Sunday Express *One of the absolute classics of mountaineering...a document of psychological, even philosophical witness of the rarest compulsion -- George Steiner * Sunday Times *On every level it is an outstanding literary achievement * Independent *A quite extraordinary and moving book...Touching the Void touches the Great Questions in an understated yet utterly compelling way * Guardian *A truly astonishing account of suffering and fortitude...the narrative acquires an irresistible force, carrying all before it * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA classic of mountaineering literature, this is the story of the harrowing first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the most legendary and terrifying climb in history.Heinrich Harrer, author of Seven Years in Tibet' and one of the twentieth century's greatest mountaineers, was part of the team that finally conquered the Eiger's fearsome North Face in 1938. It was a landmark expedition that pitted the explorers against treacherous conditions and the limits of human endurance, and which many have since tried and failed to emulate.Armed with an intimate knowledge that comes only from first-hand experience of climbing the Eiger, Harrer gives a gripping account of physical daring and mental resilience. A new introduction by Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void', confirms the lasting relevance of this true adventure classic.Trade Review‘An outstanding book in the mountaineering library.’ Guardian ‘Even to look at the photographs of the terrible slopes of the Eiger chills the blood. Heinrich Harrer enables the reader to vicariously experience the cold and the terror of the climb.’ Irish Press ‘”The White Spider” provides almost the classic statement of the weird and frequently misunderstood psychology of the modern rock-climber. Despite the grimness of much of what he is doing, Harrer communicates the irresistible joy of climbing as an antidote to the idea that climbers are masochistically trying to prove something to themselves.’ Sunday Times ‘A true classic from the early days of mountaineering…The terror and respect that the Eiger inspires is evoked superbly in Harrer’s narrative.’ Maxim

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Book SynopsisWhat do Zen masters, sixteenth-century Samurai, and the world’s elite climbers have in common? – They have perfected the art of awareness, of poise amidst chaos. Climbing is a sport of perception, and our level of attainment is a matter of mind as much as body. Written by philosopher, essayist, and lifelong climber Francis Sanzaro, The Zen of Climbing explores the fundamentals of successful climbing, delving into psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and Taoism. Awareness, Sanzaro argues, is the alchemy of climbing, allowing us to merge mental and physical attributes in one embodied whole. This compact volume, by the author of the classic The Boulder: A Philosophy of Bouldering, puts the climber’s mind at the forefront of practice.Trade Review'The Zen of Climbing is a fascinating read. We are climbing our best by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment. The book integrates different forms of practice for developing your physical, cognitive, and mental domains. Highly recommended!' -- Udo Neumann, climber, coach, filmmaker, co-author of Performance Rock Climbing'Between the start and finish of every climb, big or small, is a vertical gulf we can see across but never fully chart beforehand. The Zen of Climbing provides a peerless working model of how to embrace the unknown, cross that gulf and come to know the crazy wonderful sorcery of ascent.' -- John Long, author of more than forty books, storyteller, stonemaster

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Book SynopsisFontainebleau Fun Bloc is a new photo topo style guidebook to the very best areas of the forest. This is a unique style that includes over 1600 photo topos, which makes recognising the problems very easy, and includes every single problem in an area 1a-8c. This book will appeal to every level of climber, and particularly groups of boulderers that are of mixed ability who all want to climb in the same general area. It has also been designed to work with little use of language, since all of the problems are colour coded and are very easily identifiable. With over 7000 problems, this will give anyone a huge amount of fun. There is a large overview map on the inside front cover. Each area has its own approach map that is very easy to use, and shows best routes for buggies or those carrying giant crash pads. They also link together so you can easily go from one outcrop to another. Outcrop maps are highly detailed showing the outline of every boulder precisely. Every single boulder has been perfectly mapped for this book, and this level of detail is totally unique. The design of Fun Bloc is simple. Every area has a very detailed layout map with all boulders perfectly drawn, and every single problem marked with a coloured dot. All boulders highlighted in green feature as full photo topos with lines marked, grades, and names of problems. The photography for this book has taken several years to capture all of the boulders in the best possible illustrative light. The graphics show all of the variations and even illustrate which holds are in or out. The book has also been edited by local climbers who regularly climb up to 8c. This book is the full beta of the forest by climbers who know it inside out. 26 principal areas are covered in 100% detail, featuring every possible climbing problem from 1a up to 8c. 17 individual children's circuits are fully illustrated bloc to bloc. 48 outcrop maps illustrate the exact location of over 7000 boulder problems - all colour coded and graded. Over 100 Fontainebleau circuits are fully covered in the book. Details for all local campsites and supermarkets are included. There are over 80 superb action photos which feature throughout the book to give it a very enticing feel. This book is dual language - in both French and English.

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Book Synopsis‘When it comes to training for climbing, you are your own experiment.’Beastmaking by Ned Feehally is a book about training for climbing. It is designed to provide normal people – like you and me – with the tools we need to get the most out of our climbing. It is written by one of the world’s top climbers and a co-founder of Beastmaker. It features sections on finger strength, fingerboarding, board training, mobility and core, and includes suggested exercises and workouts. There are insights from some of the world’s top climbers, including Alex Honnold, Shauna Coxsey, Adam Ondra, Alex Puccio and Tomoa Narasaki.Free from jargon, it is intended to provide enough information for us to work out what we need to train, and to help us to train it.

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Book Synopsis‘Riveting . . . Honnold is neither crazy nor reckless. Alone on the Wall reveals him to be an utterly unique and extremely appealing young man’ - Jon Krakauer, bestselling author of Into the Wild.This updated edition contains the account of Alex's El Capitan climb, which is the subject of the Oscar and BAFTA winning documentary, Free Solo. Alex Honnold is one of the world's best ‘free solo’ climbers, he scales impossible rock faces without ropes, pitons or any support of any kind. Exhilarating, brilliant and dangerous, there is a purity to Alex's climbs that is easy to comprehend, but also impossible to fathom; in the last forty years, only a handful of climbers have pushed themselves as far, ‘free soloing’ to the absolute limit of human capabilities. Half of them are dead. From Yosemite's famous Half Dome to the frighteningly difficult El Sendero Luminoso in Mexico, Alone on the Wall explores Alex's seven most extraordinary climbing achievements so far. These are tales to make your palms sweat and your feet curl with vertigo. Together, they get to the heart of how – and why – Alex does what he does. Exciting, uplifting and truly awe-inspiring, Alone on the Wall is a book about the essential truth of being free to pursue your passions and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of mortal danger.Trade Review[Honnold] is the foremost practitioner of the dark art of free solo rock climbing - ascending extremely difficult cliffs hundreds, sometimes thousands, of feet tall without ropes or protection hardware of any kind. That is every bit as stupefying as it sounds * Wall Street Journal *Riveting . . . Honnold is neither crazy nor reckless. Alone on the Wall reveals him to be an utterly unique and extremely appealing young man -- Jon Krakauer, bestselling author of Into the Wild.Honnold has free-soloed the longest, most challenging climbs ever. Most peculiar of all, even to elite rock climbers, Honnold does this without apparent fear, as if falling were not possible. * New York Times *Alex Honnold spends his life cheating death * New York Times Magazine *Honnold here recounts his ascents on some of the world's most dangerous rock walls. You'll come away questioning his sanity for choosing this controversial sport…but it's also impossible not to feel awe * People *Honnold blows wide open any conventional understanding of the term 'comfort zone' . . . He engagingly conveys his love of climbing -- Barbara J. King, NPRAlone on the Wall is set to inspire multitudes [of climbers]. With his off-the-charts abilities and laconic, whip-smart, no-B.S. persona, Honnold has made climbing cool * Men's Health *[Honnold's] ability to connect with a larger audience and bring a humble perspective to his many accomplishments makes him a great ambassador to the sport . . . Reading the vivid descriptions captured by Honnold and Roberts will surely cover the book's pages in a fine layer of palm sweat * Gripped Magazine *The world's most daring free climber * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThis title is the second in the series of 4 books for general sport climbing in France, and is designed for all levels of climber. The title says it all, collecting together all of the great places to go climbing for the weekend in one book. - The perfect weekend book for climbers. - 3a to 8c all levels, ideal for indoor climbers going outside - 10 000 sport climbing routes in East France (250 cliffs) - Great access maps, GPS info, campistes and picnics - Family friendly, bi-lingual guidebook

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Book SynopsisIncrease your strength, power, skill, and focus to maximize your climbing performance. Praise for Training for ClimbingTraining for Climbing is a great resource. Whether you're just starting out or already ticking 5.13, you'll find valuable information here to help you climb harder. This is the most complete and up-to-date training guide available.Rock and Ice magazineDrawing on the latest climbing research, this third edition of the international best-selling Training for Climbing presents a comprehensive, evidence-based program for improving climbing performance. With the unique perspective of a veteran climber, researcher, and coach, Eric Hörst blends leading edge sport science with his decades of climbing and coaching experience to create a content-rich text packed with practical how-to and what-to-do information.A few of the new topics explored include: Energy system training to develop greater strength, power-endurance, and aerobic endurance. Recalibrating the brain's central gov

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Book Synopsis‘It’s a preposterous plan. Still, if you do get up it, it’ll be the hardest thing that’s been done in the Himalayas.’So spoke Chris Bonington when Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker presented him with their plan to tackle the unclimbed West Wall of Changabang – the Shining Mountain – in 1976. Bonington’s was one of the more positive responses; most felt the climb impossibly hard, especially for a two-man, lightweight expedition. This was, after all, perhaps the most fearsome and technically challenging granite wall in the Garhwal Himalaya and an ascent – particularly one in a lightweight style – would be more significant than anything done on Everest at the time.The idea had been Joe Tasker’s. He had photographed the sheer, shining, white granite sweep of Changabang’s West Wall on a previous expedition and asked Pete to return with him the following year. Tasker contributes a second voice throughout Boardman’s story, which starts with acclimatisation, sleeping in a Salford frozen food store, and progresses through three nights of hell, marooned in hammocks during a storm, to moments of exultation at the variety and intricacy of the superb, if punishingly difficult, climbing. It is a story of how climbing a mountain can become an all-consuming goal, of the tensions inevitable in forty days of isolation on a two-man expedition; as well as a record of the moment of joy upon reaching the summit ridge against all odds.First published in 1978, The Shining Mountain is Peter Boardman’s first book. It is a very personal and honest story that is also amusing, lucidly descriptive, very exciting, and never anything but immensely readable. It was awarded the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for literature in 1979, winning wide acclaim. His second book, Sacred Summits, was published shortly after his death in 1982.Table of ContentsForeword by Chris Bonington 'A Great Partnership'Chapter 1 From the WestChapter 2 The Rim of the Sanctuary (22nd August-7th September)Chapter 3 The First Stone (8th-20th September)Chapter 4 The Barrier (21st-27th September)Chapter 5 Survival (28th September-2nd October)Chapter 6 Recovery (3rd-8th October)Chapter 7 The Upper Tower (9th-13th October)Chapter 8 Beyond the Line (14th-13th October)Chapter 9 Descent to Tragedy (15th-19th October)Chapter 10 The Outside (20th October-1st November)Chronology

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Book SynopsisThe most accomplished mountain runner of all time contemplates his record-breaking climb of Mount Everest in this profound and free-flowing memoiran intellectual and spiritual journey that moves from the earth's highest peak to the soul's deepest reaches.What drives a person to the edge of one of the most difficult and revered mountains in the world? How much is one willing to sacrifice and suffer to pursue an authentic and bold life? The most accomplished mountain runner of all time, Kilian Jornet ponders these questions as he contemplates his record-breaking climb of Mount Everest, exploring the mountain's changing nature over four seasons and his own existence.As he recounts a life spent studying, tending, and ascending the greatest peaks on earth, Jornet ruminates on what he has found in naturesimplicity, freedom, and spiritual joyand offers a poetic yet clearheaded assessment of his relationship to the mountain . . . at times his opponent, at others, his greatest muse.In this sweeping, soulful journeythe flip side of stories like Into Thin AirJornet illuminates with beauty and brilliance what it means to be an athlete, a competitor, and a human facing the greatest life challengesfor him, the mountain he yearns to climb and honour.Trade Review"Inspiring and humbling… A raw, honest account of what it's like to climb the biggest mountains in the world. [Above the Clouds] reveals what the human body is capable of." – ALEX HONNOLD "Kilian Jornet is the most dominating endurance athlete of his generation." – NEW YORK TIMES "Kílian’s motivation isn’t what you might imagine. It has nothing to do with race results. And his happiness derives not from victory. Instead, it’s adventure that sparks Kílian’s joy. Immersion in nature. Living outside the comfort zone. And always, always exploring." – RICH ROLL

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Book Synopsis‘The brain is the most important muscle for climbing.’ – Wolfgang GüllichMastermind by climbing legend Jerry Moffatt is a guide to mental training for climbers. Drawing on his own personal experiences from an international climbing career spanning three decades, as well as inspiring stories from the current elite of the sport including Alex Megos, Adam Ondra, Alex Honnold and Barbara Zangerl, Jerry invites climbers and other sportspeople to explore and maximise their mental potential. This updated edition features a new foreword by American climbing legend Chris Sharma. Broken down into easy-to-read sections, including Mind Control, Self Image and Visualisation, Mastermind will help you utilise the power of your mind to make the most of your existing strength, technique and ability so that you can perform under pressure – not just in climbing, but in all sport. Trade Review'Not only highly informative, but a pleasure to read ... I would recommend this book to any climber who wants to improve, whether that's at 5a or 9a, as well as to anyone who's interested in the mindsets or experiences of professional climbers.' Theo Moore, UKClimbing.comTable of ContentsIntroEmpty CupMind ControlSuccessMotivationBeliefDesire Commitment WillStrengthConfidenceConcentrationUnconscious ThoughtConscious ThoughtSelf ImagePositive DeclarationGoalPlanDiaryVisualisationAnti-goalsFlowOptimismTalking Yourself UpRehearsalPressureFailureObstaclesChokingRoutine & Final ThoughtBoulderOn-sightRedpointSoloingCompetitionTradOn Your WayGo!

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Book SynopsisWired Guides' book Northern Rock beautifully presents the best traditional climbing, sport climbing and bouldering in Yorkshire (grit and limestone), Northumberland, Lancashire and the North York Moors.

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Book Synopsis'I have given my whole life to the mountains. Born at the foot of the Alps, I have been a ski champion, a professional guide, an amateur of the greatest climbs in the Alps and a member of eight expeditions to the Andes and the Himalaya. If the word has any meaning at all, I am a mountaineer.'So Lionel Terray begins Conquistadors of the Useless - not with arrogance, but with typical commitment. One of the most colourful characters of the mountaineering world, his writing is true to his uncompromising and jubilant love for the mountains.Terray was one of the greatest alpinists of his time, and his autobiography is one of the finest and most important mountaineering books ever written. Climbing with legends Gaston Rébuffat, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, Terray made first ascents in the Alps, Alaska, the Andes and the Himalaya. He was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and he came out a hero. Conquistadors of the Useless tells of his wartime escapades, of life as an Alpine mountain guide, and of his climbs - including the second ascent of the Eiger North Face and his involvement in the first ever ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, Annapurna. His tales capture the energy of French post-war optimism, a time when France needed to reassert herself and when climbing triumphs were more valued than at any other time in history.Terray's death, in the Vercors, robbed mountaineering of one of its most passionate and far-sighted figures. His energy, so obvious in Conquistadors of the Useless, will inspire for generations to come. A mountaineering classic.Trade ReviewLittle compromise and total commitment are features common in both Terray’s writing and his climbing, the lines of his autobiography are every bit as powerful as the lines he followed in the mountains. – John Baker, Climbers' Club JournalConquistadors of the Useless captures the energy of an optimistic world shaking off the restraints of war and austerity, and is sure to inspire today’s climbers with the irresistible passion of his mountaineering. – Scottish Mountaineering Club JournalConquistadors is one of the great books, hardly perfect but with bursts of powerful writing, especially about climbing. It is irresistible, even to those grown up enough to know better. There’s a Gallic cynicism, a dismissive brilliance that is achingly cool, and which Sutton does capture in his translation. And of course it is an outstanding account of arguably the greatest Alpine career of the 20th century. – Ed Douglas, Climber MagazineFrank, witty, clean, often controversial, Terray irresistibly conveys his lifelong passion for the mountains. – Lara Dunn, Adventure Travel MagazineTable of ContentsNote for the 2001 EditionForewordChapter One – DiscoveryChapter Two – First ConquestsChapter Three – War in the AlpsChapter Four – I meet LachenalChapter Five – The North Face of the EigerChapter Six – Guide to the Great ClimbsChapter Seven - AnnapurnaChapter Eight - Mountain RangingPostscriptAppendix One – The Ascent of Mount HuntingtonAppendix Two – Lionel Terray’s Climbs and Expeditions, and other Achievements

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Book SynopsisChallenge and train your hands, feet, body and brain with over 120 climbing games. This book is for anyone wanting to have fun climbing while developing crucial skills. The games described can be used in a wide range of activities from working on specific skills to fun warm-ups. As an aid to a climbing session or as the sole activity, climbing movements can be broken down and practised in a safe but challenging environment.The book takes an introductory look at which specific aspects of climbing and methods of coaching are important - together with some aspects of sports science, this give the text a dual purpose as a coaching manual and as an encyclopaedia of games.Many of these games are particularly suited to those that are new to climbing and wish to improve their skills. If you're new to climbing, you'll find games which introduce some essential skills (such as 'crimping' a hold). Equally, old hands may welcome new games as an aid to helping friends progress or as an addition to a weekly climbing session.As a qualified instructor or an informal coach teaching friends or a parent teaching their children, this book provides an invaluable tool for hours of practical training or even just entertainment for rainy afternoons! The easy to use format allows those coaching or even the client themselves to select their own games based on current needs and desires. The overview of skills employed in each game will help you turn play into progress.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements1. IntroductionHow to use this bookEquipmentSafety issues2. The fundamental skillsBalanceBody awarenessConnection points3. Warm-up games4. Traversing games5. Balance games6. Body awareness games7. Footwork games8. Other un-roped games9. Encouragement/fun games10. Roped games and activitiesIndexFurther reading

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Book SynopsisALPENGLOW takes the reader through a journey of personal adventure, immersive art and breathtaking scenery, combining inspiration with detailed local knowledge. Climbing the 4000m peaks of the Alps is one of the great and enduring challenges in mountaineering. It is a project that requires endurance, courage, skill, and humility. Whether you are a lover of mountain landscapes, an aspiring alpinist, or already a veteran of many adventures, this book will provide a wealth of original and inspiring material to help with planning future excursions or simply immersing yourself in the beauty of the high mountains.Trade Review"The photographs are sumptuous, inspirational, unique... the result of an obsessional effort to be in the right place at the right time. The historical research meticulous, the drawings beautiful and the texts capture the essential character of each route. Find a copy, feast your imagination, be in-spired..."; Victor Saunders, author, mountaineer & IFMGA mountain guide; ; ; "Tibbetts has produced a book that I find deeply impressive and inspiring. Bringing together route descriptions, historic content and the story of Tibbetts's own journey... I find myself dreaming of climbing all these peaks..."; Kenton Cool, 13 times Everest summiteer, IFMGA mountain guide; ; ; "Alpenglow is a rare tome of climbing routes that have all been climbed by the author. Tibbetts's first-hand experience on each of the highest summits of the Alps adds depth and insight, but it is undoubtedly the dazzling alpine photography that sets this book apart from others."; Colin Haley, mountaineer

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Book SynopsisI can move only with the aid of barrels of anti-inflammatory gel, sticking plasters and real ale anaesthetic. Martin and I descend from hours of walking to the small town of Middleton-in-Teesdale. I walk, stiff legged, into the campsite office and a plump, middle-aged woman looks up from her desk and can see the old timer is in trouble.“Oh, what a shame you weren’t here last week,” she says, pity radiating from behind her horn-rimmed specs. “You’ve missed him.”I look at her, puzzled.“Elvis!” she explains. “You missed Elvis.”Oh God, now I’m hallucinating…In Bothy Tales, the follow-up to The Last Hillwalker from bestselling mountain writer John D. Burns, travel with the author to secret places hidden amongst the British hills and share his passion for the wonderful wilderness of our uplands.From remote glens deep in the Scottish Highlands, Burns brings a new volume of tales – some dramatic, some moving, some hilarious – from the isolated mountain shelters called bothies. Meet the vivid cast of characters who play their games there, from climbers with more confidence than sense to a young man who doesn’t have the slightest idea what he’s letting himself in for…Table of ContentsGhost RidersFaindouranAre You a Real Man?The Unforgiven MountaineerThe Night the Bothy BurnedDry Man WalkingOf Fire and MenOf Bothies and BikesWe Are LegendsGelder Shiel BothyBen Alder CottageA Night in Two-Hat BothyA Quiet WordRequiem in SutherlandBlack Norman’s HouseNever on SundayThe Cherry Tree King of KearvaigThe Yellow-Eyed Bird of Glen Dubh-LigheFrom My Cold Dead HandThe Man from the MinistryFolk Lost on the HillThe Ghost BothyThe Journey ContinuesAlso by John D BurnsThe Last Hillwalker

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Book SynopsisAn essential companion for anyone visiting or hiking in the Alpine regions of France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Alps remain one of Europe''s foremost tourist destinations not just for its world-famous scenery, but also its remarkable and diverse wildlife. Field Guide to Alpine Wildlife covers all of the animals and plants you are likely to see on a trip to this extraordinary place, including mammals such as Mouflon and Ibex, birds like the Bearded Vulture, White-winged Snowfinch and Wallcreeper, and a diversity of insects and wild flowers that will stop even seasoned wildlife-watchers in their tracks. It is packed with photography of each species, with photos carefully chosen to help pinpoint key identification criteria. Portable and pocket-friendly crucial for all travellers in this mountainous region this book is an essential companion for anyone visiting or walking through this spectacular part of central Europe.Table of ContentsIntroduction Animals Mammals Birds Reptiles and Amphibians Fish Insects Plants Ferns, Mosses and others Trees and Shrubs Flowers and Grasses Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the only book to clearly illustrate and systematically guide readers through glacier anatomy, equipment, route finding, and rescue techniques and, just like our other books that are illustrated by Mike Clelland, it is guaranteed to entertain the whole way through.

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Book SynopsisIn May 1996 a number of expeditions attempted to climb Mount Everest on the Southeast Ridge route. Each group contained world class climbers and relative novices, some of whom had paid tens of thousands of pounds for the climb. As they neared the summit twenty-three men and women, including the expedition leaders, were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disorientated, out of oxygen and depleted of supplied, the climbers struggled to find their way to safety. Experienced high-altitude guide Anatoli Boukreev led an exhausted and terrified group of climbers back to safety before going back out into the blizzard to help others stranded on the mountain. Rescuing a number of people from certain death, he emerged a hero. The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev is an honest and gripping account of true endurance and contains interviews with most of the surviving climbers, medical personnel, Sherpa guides, and families of the dead who experienced the tragedy.This edition also includes the transcript of the Mountain Madness debriefing, recorded five days after the tragedy, as well as G. Weston de Walt's response to Jon Krakauer.Trade ReviewPowerful . . . a breath of brisk, sometimes bitter clarity . . . Boukreev did the one thing that denies the void. He took action. He chose danger, and he saved lives. * New York Times *The Climb has a story that will grip and haunt you. -- Alex Garland, author of The Beach and The TesseractThis is essential reading for anyone who has read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air . . . Krakauer painted Boukreev as an irresponsible Russian villain; but that night, Boukreev effected on of mountaineering history's most remarkable rescues. * Guardian *One of the most amazing rescues in mountaineering history, performed single-handedly a few hours after climbing Everest without oxygen by a man some describe as the Tiger Woods of Himalayan climbing. * Wall Street Journal *Boukreev acted with extraordinary heroism . . . [In The Climb] first-person anecdotes, plus excerpts from taped base-camp interviews, are skillfully fleshed out by co-author G. Weston DeWalt * Rock & Ice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA guidebook to 38 walks and 4 short treks of 3-4 days in the stunning Picos de Europa mountains of northern Spain. The walks cover the areas of Cangas de Onís, Cabrales, Liébana, Valdeón and Sajambre and range from easy valley walks to ascents of the high peaks, so there is something to suit every ability. The walks range from 6 to 22km, and take between 3 to 8 hours. Four short treks of 3-4 days are also summarised in brief. 1:50,000 maps included for each walk GPX files available to download Detailed information on accommodation, facilities and public transport Highlights include the Covadonga lakes and the Cares Gorge Information given on local geology and wildlife

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Book SynopsisWhen it comes to training for climbing, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there. In The Science of Climbing Training, top Spanish climbing coach Sergio Consuegra has analysed our sporting needs from the perspective of exercise and sports science to provide an evidence-based approach to training for climbing. It is designed to help us improve climbing performance, whether we’re taking the next step in our training as we work towards a project, or if we’re a coach looking to optimise our athletes’ training. It doesn’t contain any 'magic' training methods, because there are none – although you might be shocked by the science behind some popular methods.The first part explains what training is and how different training methods are governed by the physiological and biomechanical processes that occur in the body. The second part looks at how to improve specific needs (such as finger strength and forearm muscle endurance) and general needs (such as basic physical conditioning, pulling strength, pushing strength, strength training for injury prevention) for the different demands and types of climbing and bouldering. The third and final part suggests the best ways to fit it all together. It looks at adjusting training volume and intensity, and tapering to encourage supercompensation, all to help us achieve improved performance, whether it’s a breaking into a higher grade, ticking that long-standing project or climbing a dream route.Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I: UNDERSTANDING TRAINING1. THE PROCESS OF TRAINING Definition Intensity and thresholds Homeostasis, GAS and supercompensation The principles of training What to train 2. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTH What is strength? Types of muscle contraction Types of muscle fibre and recruitment Causes of fatigue Muscle failure: Is it really necessary? Ways to develop strength: hypertrophy and neural Strength training for injury prevention 3. UNDERSTANDING AND OPTIMISING MOBILITYWhat is mobility? Flexibility, elasticity and stiffness Active vs passive flexibility and mobility reserve Myotatic reflex and autogenic inhibition or inverse myotatic reflex Threat perception as a limiting factor of ROM Brain maps, SIMs and DIMs Options for optimising mobility 4. BRIEF NOTES ON ANATOMY Upper body: pulling muscles Core: the connecting chain Lower body: pushing muscles Connective tissue: tendons and ligaments 5. MUSCLE CHAINS, FASCIA AND BIOTENSEGRITY Fascia anatomy, deep fascia and superficial fascia Main muscle chains The body as a biotensegrity structure 6. BIOENERGETICS AND METABOLISM Focus: energy production The ATP-PCr system Anaerobic glycolysis Aerobic glycolysis Fat oxidation or lipolysis The energy continuum 7. ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS IN CLIMBING PERFORMANCE The old paradigm of performance: intensity and energy systems according to number of moves New findings about limiting factors in climbing performance: routes and bouldering PART II: OPTIMISATION OF TRAINING8. WHAT CAN I OPTIMISE IN MY TRAINING SESSIONS? Definition of training goals General warm-up. Joint mobilisation. Coordination-based cardio. Increasing ROM. Muscle activation Core activation Specific wall-based exercises Traversing. Introducing the session’s target technique Wall-based core work. Resistance band exercises. Body tension Enhancing performance: post-activation potentiation Climbing-specific training needs Maximum strength training Maximum grip strength. Deadhangs. Evidence and protocols. Adaptation to different levels of training Maximum pulling strength. Pull-ups. Velocity-based training. Maximum intensity methods and calculating your RM Maximum isometric strength. Lock-offs Recovery time during and between sessions Power and RFD training Campus board training Recovery time during and between sessions Integrated strength, power and RFD training: bouldering Endurance training Physiological effects of different intensities Increasing forearm blood flow. Continuous, long interval and intermittent methods. Blood flow restriction training (BFR) Improving recovery. High-intensity interval methods. Active wall-based recovery. Intermittent deadhangs Physical conditioning for climbing Strength training to maximise performance. Methods and techniques for upper body, core and lower body exercises Strength training for injury prevention Cardiovascular endurance training for climbing. Base endurance, HIIT, body composition and SIT Mobility training for climbingPART III: PLANNING OF TRAINING9. TRAINING SESSION DESIGNSingle-focus sessions. Example sessionCriteria for planning a multi-focus session. Transfer and interference 10. PERIODISATION MODELS: IN SEARCH OF OPTIMAL PEAK FORM Basic concepts: macrocycle, mesocycle and microcycle Linear periodization: traditional and reverse. General and specific preparation period. Competition and tapering period. Advantages and disadvantages. Example periodization ATR periodization: accumulation, transmutation and realisation mesocycles. Types and order of microcycles. Advantages and disadvantages. Example periodization 11. DETRAINING Acknowledgements Author bio Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis guidebook presents 60 routes covering some of the best day walks, scrambles, hut-to-hut walks, alpine mountaineering, sport climbing, via ferratas, mountain-biking routes, road rides, city and trail runs and family activities the Innsbruck area has to offer. Ideal for a multi-activity holiday or for the keen amateur seeking a summary of the local highlights, it includes suggestions to suit most abilities and ambitions, from gentle strolls to adrenalin-filled mountain adventures, suitable only for those with the appropriate equipment and experience. Nearly all the activities are accessible by public transport from Innsbruck and many take advantage of the region's fantastic network of alpine huts. Route descriptions are illustrated with maps, profiles and photo topos, and you'll also find practical advice on transport, accommodation and equipment. Long popular as a winter sports destination, Innsbruck also has much to offer the summer visitor, with many kilometres of paths and trails, sport climbing crags, via ferrata routes and engaging activity trails for children.Table of ContentsMap key Regional overview map Innsbruck city map Overview map: walks and family activities Overview map: adventure walks and scrambles, alpine mountaineering, sport climbing and via ferratas Overview map: cycling and running routes Introduction History of the region Geography and geology Plants and wildlife Art and culture Other activities Getting there and getting around When to go Accommodation Tourist information Language Health and safety Mountain guides Using this guide Walking Day walks Route 1 Innsbrucker Almenweg Route 2 Zirbenweg Route 3 Grawa waterfall Route 4 Dreiseen hiking trail Route 5 Elferhütte Route 6 Three lakes, Seefeld Plateau Route 7 Arzler Alm Route 8 Aldranser Alm Route 9 Bodenstein Alm Route 10 Kreither Alm Adventure walks and scrambles Route 11 Wildewasserweg Route 12 Südlicher and Nordlicher Polleskogel Route 13 Glungezer klettersteig Route 14 Brandjochspitze Route 15 Nordgrat-Vordere Sommerwand Route 16 Nordgrat Zwölferkogel Overnight hut walks Route 17 Halltal hike Route 18 Nordkette traverse Route 19 Karwendel traverse Route 20 Rofan Range hike Alpine mountaineering Route 21 Habicht Route 22 Wilder Freiger Route 23 Zuckerhütl Route 24 Wildspitze Sport climbing Route 25 Arzbergklamm Route 26 OeAV klettergarten Route 27 Engelswand Route 28 Rofan cragging, Achensee Route 29 Klettergarten Oetz Route 30 Emmentaler multi-pitch Via ferratas Route 31 Innsbrucker klettersteig Route 32 Achensee 5 Gipfel Route 33 Crazy Eddy klettersteig Route 34 Peter Kofler klettersteig Route 35 Ochsenwand/Schlicker klettersteig Route 36 Geierwand klettersteig Route 37 Kühtai Panorama klettersteig Route 38 Absamer klettersteig (plus Westgrat and Eisengattergrat klettersteig) Mountain biking Route 39 Nordkette singletrail Route 40 Karwendel loop Route 41 Rinn to the Rinner Alm Route 42 Aldrans to Aldranser Alm Route 43 Maria Waldrast tour Route 44 Mutters loop Road cycling Route 45 Gnadenwald Plateau Route 46 Innsbruck loop Route 47 Igls loop Route 48 Innsbruck to the Mieminger Plateau Route 49 Innsbruck - Telfs - Innsbruck City and trail running Route 50 Brücken Runde Route 51 Bergisel-Lauf city run Route 52 Sill-Inn-Schleife Route 53 Wolfele-Wilde-weg Route 54 Mühlau Runde Family activities Route 55 Wusel lake trail, Achensee Route 56 Ghost trail, Oberperfuss Route 57 Scheibenweg trail Route 58 Kugelwald Adventure World, Glungezer Route 59 Patscherkofel summit path Route 60 Piburgersee Appendix A Route summary tables Appendix B Useful contacts Appendix C Glossary Appendix D Index of routes by location

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Book Synopsis''The finest book ever written on nature and landscape in Britain'' GuardianIntroduction by Robert Macfarlane. Afterword by Jeanette WintersonIn this masterpiece of nature writing, Nan Shepherd describes her journeys into the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. There she encounters a world that can be breathtakingly beautiful at times and shockingly harsh at others. Her intense, poetic prose explores and records the rocks, rivers, creatures and hidden aspects of this remarkable landscape. Shepherd spent a lifetime in search of the ''essential nature'' of the Cairngorms; her quest led her to write this classic meditation on the magnificence of mountains, and on our imaginative relationship with the wild world around us. Composed during the Second World War, the manuscript of The Living Mountain lay untouched for more than thirty years before it was finally published.Trade ReviewThe finest book ever written on nature and landscape in Britain * * Guardian * *Most works of mountain literature are written by men, and most of them focus on the goal of the summit. Nan Shepherd's aimless, sensual exploration of the Cairngorms is bracingly different -- ROBERT MACFARLANEReading [The Living Mountain] seems to me to explain why reading is so important. And odd. And necessary. And not like anything else. There is no substitute for reading * * Jeanette Winterson * *If you read it, you too will feel changed. This is sublime, in the 18th-century sense, when landscapes like these were terrifying. And she achieves it in language that is almost incantatory, like a spell -- Nicholas Lezard * * Guardian * *A masterpiece . . . Amongst the greatest works of nature writing to come out of Britain -- Chitra Ramaswamy * * The Scotsman * *An impressionistic and weather infused memoir of her experiences of walking and living in the wild landscape of the Cairngorms . . . A key influence on modern nature writers such as Robert Macfarlane * * Herald * *I absolutely loved The Living Mountain - part memoir, part field notebook, part lyrical meditation on nature and our relationship with it, evocative of Rachel Carson and Henry Beston and John Muir -- MARIA POPOVA, ‘Brain Pickings’ * * New York Times * *

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Book SynopsisA dramatic collection of photographs revealing the world's most beautiful climbing locations, from Tsaranoro in Madagascar and Teplicke in the Czech Republic to Mount Huashan in China. The popularity of rock climbing is burgeoning across the globe, with dedicated communities practising everything from bouldering to sport climbing, top-roping to free soloing, in beautiful locations around the world. This stunning collection of climbing photography reveals the beauty of the sport from behind the lens, where patterned rock faces, vertical spires, honeycomb holds and sweeping landscapes of ochre, slate and snow all provide breath-taking visual drama. Capturing the beauty, theatre and emotions of a climb in a single shuttered moment invites the viewer to reflect, and meditative texts, written by the world's premier climbers and focusing on themes from intensity to environment, lines to roofs, trace the experience of being out on the rock face. A reference section includes practical details such as a glossary, grading table and list of selected routes. From the beauty of movement to the bounds of human endeavour, the splendour of landscapes and the allure of otherworldly formations, the art of rock climbing is shown in all its glories.

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Book Synopsis'One of the greatest mountaineering survival stories never told.' – The Sunday Times Some mountains are high; some mountains are hard. Few are both. On the afternoon of 13 July 1977, having become the first climbers to reach the summit of the Ogre, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington began their long descent. In the minutes that followed, any feeling of success from their achievement would be overwhelmed by the start of a desperate fight for survival. And things would only get worse. Rising to over 7,000 metres in the centre of the Karakoram, the Ogre – Baintha Brakk – is notorious in mountaineering circles as one of the most difficult mountains to climb. First summited by Scott and Bonington in 1977 – on expedition with Paul ‘Tut’ Braithwaite, Nick Estcourt, Clive Rowland and Mo Anthoine – it waited almost twenty-four years for a second ascent, and a further eleven years for a third. The Ogre, by legendary mountaineer Doug Scott, is a two-part biography of this enigmatic peak: in the first part, Scott has painstakingly researched the geography and history of the mountain; part two is the long overdue and very personal account of his and Bonington’s first ascent and their dramatic week-long descent on which Scott suffered two broken legs and Bonington smashed ribs. Using newly discovered diaries, letters and audio tapes, it tells of the heroic and selfless roles played by Clive Rowland and Mo Anthoine. When the desperate climbers finally made it back to base camp, they were to find it abandoned – and themselves still a long way from safety. The Ogre is undoubtedly one of the greatest adventure stories of all time.Trade Review'One of the greatest mountaineering survival stories never told.' – The Sunday Times. Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPART I1. The Mountain2. Ancient History of Exploration3. European Interest in the Region4. The East India Company5. Scottish Contribution to Empire6. The Blanks on the Map7. Early MountaineeringPART II8. The Climbers9. March to Base Camp10. Climbing the Ogre11. The Epic Descent12. The Final StretchAfterwordAcknowledgementsFurther ReadingThe Author

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Book SynopsisWith four years in the Parachute Regiment, ten years in the SAS and two Everest summits to his name, no one is better equipped than Jay Morton to reveal what it takes to become the best of the best.Soldieris Jay Morton's masterclass in mindset, strategy and excellence. Drawing on his extraordinary personal experience, it provides in-depth, comprehensive lessons and practical takeaways.Whether serving as an elite soldier, training as a high-level shooter or becoming an expert in HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) and HAHO (high-altitude, high-opening) parachuting, Jay has always strived to be at the very top of the game.More than most, Jay knows that military service develops skillsets you'd never dreamed of having, and which can be applied to our day-to-day lives. We are prone to underestimating ourselves, but physical and mental endurance and resilience as well as realising our own full potential are well within our reach.

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Book Synopsis'The most exhilarating history of mountaineering ... a riveting read' Jeremy Paxman 'A truly inspiring read' Sir Ranulph Fiennes 'It simply fizzes with insights into the sublime madness of mountaineering' Roger Deakin Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk of adventure, and to explore the strange impulses that have for centuries lead us to the world's highest places. WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARDTrade ReviewA truly inspiring read -- Sir Ranulph FiennesA marvellous, distinguished book that jolted my heart ... It simply fizzes with insights into the sublime madness of mountaineering -- Roger DeakinA gripping history of man's irresistible and sometimes fatal attraction to big hills -- Sunday TimesA magnificent book * New Scientist *A brilliant book, beautifully written -- GuardianMacfarlane's writing is exquisite and so evocative of his surroundings. As a reader it's difficult not to be drawn into his excitement for his subject matters. The books don't just make you want to keep reading, they make you want to climb or lose yourself or roam or hike, and experience some of what he's experiencing * Bath Life *

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Book SynopsisWhen Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top.  No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist

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Book SynopsisThe definitive guidebook for trekking in the Everest Region: essentialreading for both guided and self-guided trekkers. This book really knocks theball out of the park. It fully describes the Classic Everest Base Camp Trek, 3-PassesTrek, Gokyo Lakes & 7 other incredible treks.

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Book SynopsisFrom somewhere out in the vast whiteness of the blizzard we hear a cry for help. Instinctively the three of us turn and head across the mountainside. We find two men and a woman, huddled together in the snow, unable to descend the steep icy slope between them and safety.The woman asks if we are experienced in conditions like this. My friends and I have tackled a few winter hills in the Lake District and bumbled up easy rock climbs, but we have never been in a full Scottish winter snowstorm. I laugh and assure her that this is nothing to mountaineers like us.Soon our hills will be empty and one day the last hillwalker will disappear over the horizon. In the 21st century we are losing our connection with the wild, a connection that may never be regained.The Last Hillwalker by bestselling author John D. Burns is a personal story of falling in and out of love with the hills. More than that, it is about rediscovering a deeply felt need in all of us to connect with wild places.Trade ReviewCaptures the essence of what it means to love mountains and love being in mountains. -- Chris Townsend * The Great Outdoors Magazine *Table of Contents1 Psycho Killer2 American Pie3 Horizontal Everest4 Three Men in a Tent5 The Hidden World6 Winter in Langdale7 The White Giant8 North and South9 Dangerous Days10 Meeting the Reaper11 Death by Armchair12 The Bothy Hunter13 The Last HillwalkerPostscriptThe Journey Continues

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Book SynopsisMountaineering in the Ecrins Massif showcases the Ecrins' most beautiful summits through a selection of the area's best lower grade snow, rock and mixed climbs.Authors Frederic Chevaillot, Paul Grobel and Jean-Rene Minelli have chosen 25 classic Ecrins routes – graded between F and AD – that have come to be regarded as classics due to their quality, their altitude or, simply, their easy access.These routes provide the essential pleasures of mountaineering: getting off the beaten track, enjoying the pure mountain air and delighting in the charms of the high mountains. Most of these routes are at the boundary between hiking and technical alpinism and should be within the capabilities of any fit hiker-mountaineer.Routes and peaks featured include: the Aiguille du Goleon; the north ridge of the Aiguille Dibona; the south ridge of Pic Coolidge; the north-east face of the Meije Orientale; and the traverse of the Barre des Ecrins ridge, plus many more.Each route features a detailed and comprehensive route description, a sketch map and a route summary detailing the start point, difficulty, timings, height gain, best time of year and the gear required. A conscious decision was made to limit the selection to relatively easy climbs, and so the routes described in this book – a mere fraction of the climbs in the magnificent Ecrins Massif – should be within the capabilities of almost all mountaineers.Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Aiguille du Goléon: Via the Lombard Glacier2 Pic Jocelme: South Face3 Pic de la Grave: North Face4 Dôme du Monêtier: Pic de Pormillouse, Pic du Pif – Traverse5 Roche Faurio: South-East Face6 Pic Coolidge: South Ridge7 Grande Ruine: Pointe Brevoort – North Face8 Tête de Lauranoure: North Slope & North-West Ridge9 Pointes de la Pilatte: North Face & Ridge10 Les Rouies: South-East Face & Traverse11 Dôme de Neige des Écrins: North Face12 Tête des Fétoules: North/North-East Ridge13 Râteau (East Summit): South Ridge14 Aiguille Dibona: North Ridge15 Tête Nord du Replat: South-East Ridge16 Roche Paillon: South Couloir & Traverse to Col Émile Pic17 Meije Orientale: North-East Ridge18 Montagne des Agneaux: South-East Ridge19 From the Promontoire to the Aigle: Traverse of the North Face20 Col Claire: North Face21 Pic Central de la Meije: Doigt de Dieu North-East Face22 Roche de la Muzelle: North Ridge & Traverse23 Mont Pelvoux: Traverse and Descent via the Glacier des Violettes24 Barre des Écrins: Traverse of the Ridge25 Traverse of The Ailefroide: From the Orientale to the CentralePractical information, hut access

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Book SynopsisA guidebook to 32 walks and scrambles in the Aosta Valley. Exploring the dramatic scenery of the Italian Alps there’s something for both beginner and experienced walkers, from short leisurely walks to scrambles and protected routes bordering on mountaineering. Routes range from 4 to 20km (2–12 miles) in length and can be enjoyed in 1–6 hours. A handful of trail runs and via ferrata are also summarised in brief. 1:50,000 maps are included for each route GPX files available to download Detailed information on accommodation, public transport and wildlife Highlights include walks to Forte di Bard and Grand St Bernard Monastery Table of ContentsMap key Overview map Route summary table Introduction Geography Geology Wildlife Plants and flowers Weather History Art and culture Trail running Places of interest When to go Access and travel Accommodation Clothing Food and drink Language Maps and navigation Waymarking Safety and emergencies Insurance Using this guide Main Valley Route 1 Forte di Bard and the Roman road, Donnas Route 2 Napoleon's diversion route Lower Lys Valley Route 3 Plan des Sorci#xe8;res and Col Portola Route 4 The Two Monts: Mont Roux and Mont Bechit Route 5 Colma di Mombarone Route 6 Mont Mars traverse Upper Lys Valley Route 7 Via Regina to Castel Savoia Route 8 Punta Regina: the queen's peak Route 9 Alpenzu and the Walser villages Route 10 Source of the Lys Route 11 Punta Indren and Indren glacier crossing Route 12 Bettolina ridge to Rifugio Quintino Sella Valtournenche and Cervin/Matterhorn Route 13 Eastern balcony: Cervinia to Valtournenche Route 14 Western balcony: Cervinia to Valtournenche Route 15 Becca d'Aran Valpelline Route 16 Rifugio Prarayer Route 17 Ru di-z-Aagne and Fontina Route 18 Lac Mort Route 19 Ru du Rey: a marvel of hydro-engineering Route 20 Pointe Cornet Route 21 Alta Via 1: Col de Breuson Route 22 Rifugio and Col Champillon Great Saint Bernard Pass Route 23 Via Francigena to Great St Bernard Monastery Route 24 Mont Fourchon Route 25 Two Cols Route 26 Grande Chenalette and Pointe de Drône via ferrata Upper Aosta Valley - Courmayeur Route 27 Mont Ch#xe9;tif Route 28 Mont de la Saxe and Col Sapin Route 29 Rifugio Bonatti and Mont Blanc panorama Route 30 Mont Fortin Route 31 Tour of the Pyramides Calcaires Route 32 Mont Ch#xe9;tif via ferrata Appendix A Useful contacts Appendix B Useful phrases Appendix C Clothing and equipment

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Book SynopsisEl Chorro is one of the legendary climbing areas of Spain. Famous for its iconic gorge, it has suffered from rumours of access problems over the years. Meanwhile the local climbers have been steadily developing the areas around the gorge with brilliant routes, both single and multi-pitch. Access is no longer a problem and the whole area is now thriving as a major destination for climbers, walkers and visitors attracted to the Caminito - the redeveloped walkway down the Gorge.

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Book Synopsis'Always the leader and always the best' Bear Grylls 'Fiennes has so much to fit in, it's a wonder to grasp the full breadth of a lifetime of adventuring' - Compass Magazine'Even readers with a broadly low tolerance for macho heroism will find themselves gripped . . . compelling' - Time OutSir Ranulph Fiennes has travelled to the most dangerous and inaccessible places on Earth, almost died countless times, lost nearly half his fingers to frostbite, raised millions of pounds for charity and been awarded a polar medal and an OBE. He has been an elite soldier, an athlete, a mountaineer, an explorer, a bestselling author and nearly replaced Sean Connery as James Bond.In his bestselling autobiography, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, he describes how he led expeditions all over the world and became the first person to travel to both Poles on land. He tells of how he discovered the lost city of Ubar in Oman and attempted to walk solo and unsupported to the North Pole - the expedition that cost him several fingers, and very nearly his life.And now the extraordinary life story of the world's greatest living explorer is re-published to celebrate his 75th birthday, with two new chapters to bring his story up to date - telling of more mountains climbed, including his ascent to the top of Mount Everest, and even more extraordinary and risky adventures.Trade ReviewRip-roaringly readable * Guardian *Even readers with a broadly low tolerance for macho heroism will find themselves gripped . . . compelling * Time Out *It's exhausting just reading about his exploits, so it is a perfect bedtime book. It's delightful to plump up one's duck-down pillows while vicariously enduring Fiennes's successive plunges into the deadly waters of the Artcic, and his festering crotch-rot. * Helena Drysdale, New Statesman Books of the Year *It is lively and vivid, and often exciting as we anticipate each plunge into deadly Arctic waters. There are some wonderful throwaway lines . . . So, not an alien species after all but - as they say - a national treasure. * Spectator *enthralling * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive Dartmoor guide from the Climbers Club is packed with tongue-in-cheek Devonian wit and banter plus some 600 routes and 1200 boulder problems with full photo-topos. These are partnered with stunning action shots showcasing this unique and fantastic area at its finest.

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Book SynopsisIn January 1959, ten experienced young skiers set out for Mount Otorten in the far north of Russia. While one of the skiers fell ill and returned., the remaining nine lost their way and ended up on another mountain slope known as Kholat Syakhl (or ‘Mountain of the Dead’).

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