Climbing and mountaineering Books

806 products


  • Into Thin Air

    Pan Macmillan Into Thin Air

    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 *

    £10.44

  • The Living Mountain

    Canongate Books The Living Mountain

    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 * *

    £10.44

  • Mountains Of The Mind: A History Of A Fascination

    Granta Books Mountains Of The Mind: A History Of A Fascination

    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 *

    £9.49

  • The Climbing Bible: Practical Exercises:

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd The Climbing Bible: Practical Exercises:

    20 in stock

    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.

    20 in stock

    £18.00

  • Touching the Void

    Vintage Publishing Touching the Void

    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 *

    £10.44

  • Mountaineering

    Quiller Publishing Ltd Mountaineering

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisMountaineers Books is proud to present the 10th edition of this master guide, commonly referred to as "Freedom."

    5 in stock

    £31.50

  • Fontainebleau Fun Bloc: Escalade - Bouldering

    Jingo Wobbly Euro Guides Fontainebleau Fun Bloc: Escalade - Bouldering

    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.

    £32.40

  • Highland Scrambles South: Including Cairngorms,

    Scottish Mountaineering Club Highland Scrambles South: Including Cairngorms,

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis guide describes some of the best scrambles and easy rock climbs to be found in Scotland (excepting Skye and the Northern Highlands which are described in separate SMC guides). It covers the Cairngorms, Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, as well as the islands of Rum, Mull and Arran. All kinds of outings are described; from short routes on the gabbro crags of Ardnamurchan to major undertakings on the ridges of Ben Nevis. A number of the outings are described for the very first time.Highland Scrambles South completes the Scottish Mountaineering Club's three volume coverage of scrambling and easy climbs among the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.The guide describes 215 routes in The Cairngorms, Lochnagar, Ben Nevis & The Mamores, Glen Coe & Glen Etive, Knoydart, Ardgour & Ardnamurchan, Creag Meagaidh & Ben Alder, Southern Highlands, Southern Uplands and on the islands of Mull, Rum and Arran.

    7 in stock

    £23.75

  • How Champions Think

    Simon & Schuster How Champions Think

    10 in stock

    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

    10 in stock

    £10.44

  • Above the Clouds

    HarperCollins Publishers Above the Clouds

    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

    £13.49

  • The Zen of Climbing

    Saraband The Zen of Climbing

    5 in stock

    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

    5 in stock

    £8.54

  • Alone on the Wall: Alex Honnold and the Ultimate

    Pan Macmillan Alone on the Wall: Alex Honnold and the Ultimate

    10 in stock

    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 *

    10 in stock

    £11.69

  • The Climbing Bible: Technical, physical and

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd The Climbing Bible: Technical, physical and

    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

    £25.50

  • Climbers

    Orion Publishing Co Climbers

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis''No one alive can write sentences like he can. He''s the missing evolutionary link between William Burroughs and Virginia Woolf'' Olivia Laing''Among the most brilliant novelists writing today'' Robert Macfarlane''Truly gets to the heart of that strange, indefinable otherness of the wild northern landscape'' Benjamin MyersRetreating from the ruins of his marriage, Mike leaves London for the wildness of the Yorkshire moors, where he falls in with a group of climbers - a band of misfits and mavericks bound by the pursuit of the unattainable: the perfect climb.Travelling from abandoned urban quarries to misty, lichened crags, Mike discovers an intensity of experience - a wash of pain, fear and excitement - that causes the rest of his world to recede. Increasingly addicted to the adrenaline, folklore and camaraderie of the sport, he begins to lose his grip on the line between passion and obsession - at a cost.With an introTrade ReviewM. John Harrison has abjured the high-pitched melodramatics of TOUCHING THE VOID for a microscopically observed novel about a group of climbers . . . Descriptions of the various climbs are painstaking and suspenseful, and Harrison has a sharp ear for dialogue. But most impressive is his acute sense of place . . . the raw beauty of the Pennines * Daily Telegraph *Stunning . . . Harrison makes an intensely poetic and evocative brew of the interstices between sport, passion and obsession. Moments of exquisite surreality rub against others in which you can smell the soil and stone * The Times *More than anything I've ever read, Climbers truly gets to the heart of that strange, indefinable otherness of the wild northern landscape, and the odd people compelled to conquer it in their own odd ways. It feels more than book - it's an adrenalized dream, a series of moods as changeable as the sky above. Unique is the only word for it * Benjamin Myers *Harrison draws the reader on by the clarity of his vision and writing . . . The way he handles the sport and the social background bears comparison with that of David Storey in THIS SPORTING LIFE. I know no higher praise * Independent *Sheer brilliance -- Iain M. BanksA vivid, restless, deeply cunning novel * Sunday Times *A poetic portrait of the strange and fascinating, very niche world of rock climbing * Helen Mort, author of Black Car Burning *Like prose poetry, it's beautiful -- Harriett GilbertReading Climbers today it's not just the incredible sense of a place and part and time of England that is so vividly done, but also the warm, complicated drawing of its people. As soon as I finished the book I missed, deeply, all that odd little gang with their obsession and their jargon and their pastime. Harrison's book is fossil and debris, with the qualities of both stone - pure, clean, hard, and the strange uncanniness that comes with finding a bottle top, say, that takes you back to a past decade * Will Burns, author of The Paper Lantern *Future critics will find in his writing a distinct, clear-eyed vision of late-twentieth and early-twenty-first-century life * J.S. Barnes, Times Literary Supplement *Harrison is a linguistic artist, constructing sentences that wrap and weave like a stream of consciousness without ever breaking focus * Sci-Fi Now *Harrison is without peer as a chronicler of the fraught, unsteady state we're in * Guardian *If fiction's greatest achievement is in affecting the way the reader sees the world, then Harrison's spare and beautiful prose has conjured up here a feeling of almost permanent dislocation from the routines of everyday life. Even when the book has been closed, it's a feeling that is incredibly hard to shake off * The Herald *[A] masterpiece . . . celebrated for its fine-grained depictions of the landscapes of Northern England through the seasons . . . Harrison is a psychological novelist whose fascination with trauma, repression and memory remains constant throughout his work. Climbers - the great hinge in Harrison's career - is a novel-length attempt to view the past so clearly you can see the beard-frost * London Review of Books *Over the past 50 years, M. John Harrison has produced a remarkably varied body of work . . . He is not easily pigeon-holed - an intentional state of affairs, but one that has denied him a large readership . . . When he moves into less exotic terrain, he's able to make everyday experiences feel alien - the best example being his 1989 novel Climbers, set in the Pennines among misfits who claw their way up crags, escaping one kind of precariousness by chasing another . . . The prose ripples with mystery and lustrous turns of phrase, and there are flashes of humour, too . . . The landscapes are part J.G. Ballard, part Iain Sinclair . . . Equally at ease depicting suburban midlife crisis and parallel universes, Harrison writes memorably about people who are bewildered, sidetracked, trapped or on the lookout for opportunities to change * The Spectator *A lot of literary fiction has become its own cliché and it's become very mannered. Of course there's a lot of appallingly bad pulp fiction but when this stuff finds something new and locates itself as part of the tradition it's as good as anything. There are some writers in that tradition in terms of their use of language who as prose stylists are the equal of anyone alive. I'm thinking of people like John Crowley, M John Harrison, Gene Wolfe. * China Miéville, 3AM Magazine *Magnificently unsettling . . . Harrison described this real, gritty world with the same precise and estranging fluency with which he has more often mapped galactic space, using the dense idiolect of climbing to make atmosphere and geology resonate on an emotional, interior level. Some kind of breach or fault line was being cautiously staked out, a post-industrial, late-capitalist collapse in credit and confidence so amorphous and inarticulable that it would vanish altogether if apprehended too directly. . . . No one alive can write sentences as he can. He's the missing evolutionary link between William Burroughs and Virginia Woolf, bringing together new blooms of language, gathering up advertising copy and internet lingo and arranging them in startling hybrid forms. * Olivia Laing, Guardian *

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Mountaineering Women

    Thames and Hudson Ltd Mountaineering Women

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first illustrated book to celebrate the remarkable stories and achievements of twenty of the most daring women mountaineers from around the globe. As adventure pursuits like climbing and mountaineering continue to gain popularity on the world stage, women's visibility in the sport has also grown. Mountaineering Women is the first publication of its kind, a richly illustrated collection of the awesome and oft surprising stories that celebrate the achievements of twenty women climbers from across the globe. From the Amazigh (Berbers) of the Atlas Mountains to the Inca Empire, high in the Andes, women have long traversed the world's most forbidding peaks. When, many centuries later, mountaineering took off as a sporting activity in the West, it was plucky Victorian women who defied convention to tackle the fabled summits of the European Alps. Yet despite the fact that women have a pronounced and rich history in the sport, they are conspicuously absent from mountaineering literature. Mountaineering Women seeks to redress a narrative that frequently focuses on the exploits of white, male explorers'. The climbers come from a wide range of nations, and each of their compelling stories is accompanied by a specially commissioned ink illustration and evocative black-and-white photographs. Three 16-page photographic sections, meanwhile, reveal the mountaineers in action and the mountainscapes in all their grandeur. Bookending the main chapters is a comprehensive introduction, written by Nandini Purandare, and a closing essay by Ashima Shiraishi, looking towards the future of the sport.

    10 in stock

    £24.00

  • Beyond Possible: '14 Peaks: Nothing is

    Hodder & Stoughton Beyond Possible: '14 Peaks: Nothing is

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis**THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER** 'An inspirational study in leadership and a powerful testament to the human spirit at its very best.' - Mail on Sunday'The energy of the book gives it pace and you whip through, rather as Purja nips up verticals... Whether or not you are a lover of the mountains, you will marvel at his tenacity, his fearlessness. No one can fail to be inspired by what he achieved.' - The Times'Not only does Nims have exceptional physical stamina, he's also a leader with great skills in financial management and logistics.' - Reinhold Messner, the first person to climb all fourteen highest mountains in the world'The magnitude of his achievement is astonishing.' Soldier Magazine'A Living Legend.' Trail Magazine***Welcome to The Death Zone. Fourteen mountains on Earth tower over 8,000 metres above sea level, an altitude where the brain and body withers and dies. Until recently, the world record for climbing them all stood at nearly eight years. So I announced I was summiting them in under seven months. People laughed. They told me I was crazy, even though I'd sharpened my climbing skills on the brutal Himalayan peaks of Everest and Dhaulagiri. But I possessed more than enough belief, strength and resilience to nail the job, having taken down enemy gunmen and terrorist bomb makers while serving with the Gurkhas and the UK Special Forces. Throughout 2019, I came alive in the death zone. Soon after, I was showing the world a new truth: that with bravery and enough heart and drive, the impossible was possible...Trade ReviewThe man's sheer grit is astonishing. Time and again he forces himself through everescalating pain barriers, driving himself and his loyal team on through willpower alone. As he says, quitting is not in his blood, and his book is both an inspirational study in leadership and a powerful testament to the human spirit at its very best. * Mail on Sunday *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Crack Climbing: Mastering the skills & techniques

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd Crack Climbing: Mastering the skills & techniques

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe ability to climb cracks is at the core of a climber’s craft. Crack Climbing by Pete Whittaker provides a single point of reference for all crack climbing techniques, regardless of the grade you climb. Pete is widely regarded as one of the best crack climbers in the world, having made dozens of cutting-edge first ascents and hard repeats, including the first ascent of Century Crack (5.14b) in Canyonlands, Utah. In this book, Pete has drawn on years of experience to demonstrate the many different techniques and to give you an understanding of when, why and how to use them. Develop these skills with confidence and your climbing standard will improve. The book is split into easily accessible sections on techniques for different widths of cracks, including finger cracks, hand and fist cracks, offwidth cracks and chimneys. Pete looks at the basics, including the hand jam – the essential technique in any crack climber’s repertoire – right through to advanced techniques such as the sidewinder and the trout tickler. Step-by-step practical information and how-tos are supplemented with tips and tricks from Pete alongside illustrations by Alex Poyzer and photographs. Additional chapters cover how to tape up, as well as essential gear and equipment. Pete has also interviewed some of the world’s top crack climbers so that you can learn from the best. Gain insights from Lynn Hill, Alex Honnold, Barbara Zangerl, Peter Croft and more.Master the craft and advance your climbing. It’s time to jam!Table of ContentsPrefaceA NoteBefore We Begin: Key Terms1 Introduction: the Five Rules of Crack ClimbingMeet the master: Beth Rodden2 Finger CracksMeet the master: Lynn HillMeet the master: Jerry Moffatt3 Hand CracksMeet the master: Barbara Zangerl4 Fist CracksMeet the master: Peter Croft5 Offwidth CracksMeet the master: Randy LeavittMeet the master: Mason EarleMeet the master: Alex Honnold6 Squeeze ChimneysMeet the master: Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll7 ChimneysMeet the master: Hazel Findlay8 StemsMeet the master: Nico Favresse9 Roof Cracks Meet the master: Tom Randall10 Placing GearMeet the master: Ron Fawcett11 Equipment and ProtectionMeet the master: Jean-Pierre ‘Peewee’ Ouellet12 Taping Meet the master: Will StanhopeAcknowledgementsIndex

    3 in stock

    £22.50

  • The Girl Who Climbed Everest

    Hodder & Stoughton The Girl Who Climbed Everest

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis''What I''ve learned from climbing mountains is that we can push ourselves far beyond what we think we are capable of, and it''s outside of our comfort zones that the most amazing things happen.''What drives us to go to our limits and beyond? What does it take to make dreams come true over all else? And how can you turn fear into courage? From Everest to K2, The Girl Who Climbed Everest is the story of Bonita Norris'' journey undertaking the world''s toughest and most dangerous expeditions. Once an anxious teenager with an eating disorder it was the discovery of a passion for climbing that inspired Bonita to change her life. Drawing on her experiences to capture the agonies - both mental and physical - and joys of her incredible feats Bonita also imparts the lessons learned encouraging you to harness greater self-belief.The Girl Who Climbed Everest is an honest exploration of everything Bonita has learnt from climbing. Life lessons about

    10 in stock

    £11.69

  • Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish hills

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish hills

    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

    £9.49

  • Chamonix: Rockfax

    Rockfax Ltd Chamonix: Rockfax

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisChamonix is the most famous climbing area in Europe. Nowhere else has as much quality rock, spectacular peaks and varied mountaineering history. For most climbers a trip to Chamonix is an integral part of their climbing and mountaineering career. This new edition of the incredibly successful 2016 Rockfax book covers everything you need - perfect granite rock routes, magnificent long ridges, intimidating north faces and some valley sport climbing for the 'rest days'. All the information has been checked and improved with many new crags and action photos. The crucial text information has been updated and amended to fit with the current glacier conditions maps and with excellent detailed descriptions

    10 in stock

    £33.26

  • Touching The Void

    Vintage Publishing Touching The Void

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisJoe Simpson is the author of several best-selling books, of which the first,Touching the Void, won both the NCR award and the Boardman Tasker Award. His later books are This Game of Ghosts - the sequel to Touching the Void - Storms of Silence, Dark Shadows Falling, The Beckoning Silence and two novels, The Water People and The Sound of Gravity.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 *

    4 in stock

    £10.44

  • Knots and Knot Tying The Practical Guide to

    Anness Publishing Knots and Knot Tying The Practical Guide to

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis reference manual and practical handbook presents over 200 knots, illustrating how to tie them in step-by-step photographs and clear, detailed text by an expert.

    5 in stock

    £13.50

  • Annapurna

    Vintage Publishing Annapurna

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisOne of the finest mountaineering books. A phenomenal tale of strength and valour. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JOE SIMPSON In 1950, no mountain higher than 8,000 meters had ever been climbed. Maurice Herzog and other members of the French Alpine Club resolved to try. This is the enthralling story of the first conquest of Annapurna and the harrowing descent. With breathtaking courage and grit manifest on every page, Annapurna is one of the greatest adventure stories ever told. As well as an introduction by Joe Simpson, this new edition includes 16 pages of photographs, which provide a remarkable visual record of this legendary expedition. The distinguished French mountaineer Maurice Herzog was leader of the 1950 expedition to Annapurna. He was one of the two climbers to reach the summit.Trade Review'A classic of its kind... His vivid, high powered but never overdramatised account of the ascent still reads splendidly' * The Irish Times *After being swept off his feet by an avalanche and left dangling by a rope around his neck, Herzog 'began to pass water, violently and uncontrollably'. Your reaction may be only slightly less extreme as you move from one nail-biting moment to the next in this wonderful 1952 tale of triumph and frostbite. * Outside *Quite simply the greatest mountaineering book ever written. * Joe Simpson, from the Introduction *The climb took place before the Himalayas were a tourist attraction and before Gore-Tex cold-weather gear was available in Marks & Spencer. They had no oxygen, little food and on the descent Herzog lost his gloves, got trapped in a storm, was buried in an avalanche and became frostbitten. His descriptions don't stint on the details of maggot-ridden flesh and amputations without anaesthesia -- Richard EyreThose who have never seen the Himalayas...will know that they have been a companion of greatness * New York Times Book Review *

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Fear Bubble Harness Fear and Live Without

    HarperCollins Publishers The Fear Bubble Harness Fear and Live Without

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe brilliant, inspirational next book by the author of the incredible No. 1 bestseller FIRST MAN IN.Without fear, there's no challenge. Without challenge, there's no growth. Without growth, there's no life.Ant Middleton is no stranger to fear: as a point man in the Special Forces, he confronted fear on a daily basis, never knowing what lay behind the next corner, or the next closed door. In prison, he was thrust into the unknown, cut off from friends and family, isolated with thoughts of failure and dread for his future. And at the top of Everest, in desperate, life-threatening conditions, he was forced to face up to his greatest fear, of leaving his wife and children without a husband and father.But fear is not his enemy. It is the energy that propels him. Thanks to the revolutionary concept of the Fear Bubble, Ant has learned to harness the power of fear and understands the positive force that it can become. Fear gives Ant his edge, allowing him to seek out life's challenges, whetheTrade Review Praise for First Man In: ‘[A] thumping bestseller… searingly honest’ Sunday Times ‘The best book of the year. First Man In will supercharge your life. Incredible’ Tom Marcus, author of bestseller Soldier Spy ‘Superb, fist-biting fun’ GQ ‘Visceral… Inspirational reading’ Daily Mail Books of the Year

    10 in stock

    £8.54

  • Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites Volume 1:

    Cicerone Press Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites Volume 1:

    Book SynopsisThis guidebook presents 75 via ferrata routes in the stunning Italian Dolomites. Part of a 2-volume set, this book covers Val di Fassa/Canazei, Selva, Badia/La Villa, Covara, Arabba, Falzarego, Cortina, Misurina, Sesto and Auronzo in the northern, central and eastern Dolomites. Routes are graded by technical difficulty and seriousness and there are comprehensive route descriptions accompanied by access notes, maps and topos. A wide range of grades, lengths and styles, from routes for novices to difficult and technical climbs are covered. Stunning photography completes this inspirational guide to some of the most breathtaking via ferrata routes in the world. The Italian Dolomites boast some of the most magnificent mountain scenery on the planet and some of the most iconic. Soaring rocky spires and jagged ridgelines are interspersed with gentle valleys and idyllic mountain villages. The Dolomites are also home to the world's greatest concentration of via ferratas - mountain routes or climbs that are protected by a series of cables, metal rungs, pegs and ladders.Table of ContentsOverview map Map key Route summary table Foreword Introduction What is a via ferrata? Using this guide When to go Getting there Getting around Accommodation Telecommunications Maps and place names Weather Route gradings Equipment Cable etiquette What to wear Accidents and mountain rescue A brief history Geology Plant life Wildlife Val di Fassa/Canazei Route 1 Sentiero Massimiliano Route 2 Via Ferrata Laurenzi Route 3 Via Ferrata Passo Santner Route 4 Via Ferrata Roda di Va#xe8;l Route 5 Via Ferrata Masare Route 6 Via Ferrata Catinaccio d'Antermoia Route 7 Via Ferrata Franco Gadotti Route 8 Via Ferrata I Magnifici Quattro Route 9 Via Ferrata Kaiserjäger Route 10 Sentiero Attrezzato Bepi Zac Route 11 Via Ferrata Paolin-Piccolin Route 12 Via Ferrata dei Finanzieri Route 13 Via Ferrata Hans Seyffert Route 14 Via Ferrata Eterna Brigata Cadore Selva Route 15 Via Ferrata Sass Rigais Est/Sud Route 16 Sentiero Attrezzato Piz Duledes Route 17 Via Ferrata Sandro Pertini (closed and wire removed) Route 18 Via Ferrata Oskar Schuster Route 19 Via Ferrata Col Rodella Route 20 Via Ferrata Mesules (Pössnecker) Badia/La Villa Route 21 Sentiero Attrezzato Günther Messner Route 22 Sentiero Attrezzato Sass de Putia Route 23 Via Ferrata Sasso Santa Croce Route 24 Sentiero Attrezzato Piz de les Conturines Route 25 Via Ferrata Furcia Rossa Corvara Route 26 Via Ferrata Piz da Cir V Route 27 Sentiero Attrezzato Gran Cir Route 28 Via Ferrata Brigata Tridentina Route 29 Via Ferrata Vallon Route 30 Via Ferrata Piz da Lech Route 31 Sentiero Attrezzato Sassongher Arabba Route 32 Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta Route 33 Via Ferrata delle Trincee Route 34 Via Ferrata Sass de Rocia Route 35 Sentiero Attrezzato Col di Lana Falzarego Route 36 Sentiero Attrezzato Sass de Stria Route 37 Via Ferrata Cesco Tomaselli Route 38 Sentiero dei Kaiserjäger Route 39 Sentiero Attrezzato Galleria del Lagazuoi Route 40 Via Ferrata degli Alpini al Col dei Bos Route 41 Via Ferrata Averau Route 42 Via Ferrata Ra Gusela Cortina Route 43 Via Ferrata Scala del Menighel Route 44 Via Ferrata Giovanni Lipella Route 45 Sentiero Attrezzato Grotta di Tofana Route 46 Sentiero Astaldi Route 47 Via Ferrata Punta Anna and Gianni Aglio Route 48 Via Ferrata Lamon and Formenton Route 49 Sentiero Giuseppe Olivieri Route 50 Via Ferrata Maria e Andrea Ferrari Route 51 Sentiero Attrezzato Giovanni Barbara/Lucio Dalaiti/Cengia de Mattia Route 52 Via Ferrata Ettore Bovero Route 53 Via Ferrata Michielli Strobel Route 54 Sentiero Attrezzato Terza Cengia del Pomagagnon Route 55 Sentiero Attrezzato Ren#xe8; de Pol Route 56 Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona Route 57 Via Ferrata Marino Bianchi Route 58 Via Ferrata Sci Club 18 Route 59 Via Ferrata Giro del Sorapiss Misurina Route 60 Sentiero Attrezzato Capitano Bilgeri/Monte Piana/Monte Piano Route 61 Via Ferrata Merlone Route 62 Sentiero Attrezzato Alberto Bonacossa Route 63 Sentiero delle Forcelle Route 64 Via Ferrata De Luca/Innerkofler Route 65 Via Ferrata delle Scalette/Curato Militare Hosp Sesto Route 66 Via Ferrata Strada degli Alpini Route 67 Via Ferrata Nord Route 68 Via Ferrata Mario Zandonella Route 69 Via Ferrata Aldo Roghel/Cengia Gabriella Route 70 Via Ferrata Mazzetta Auronzo Route 71 Sentiero Cengia del Doge Route 72 Sentiero degli Alpini Route 73 Sentiero Attrezzato Amalio da Pra Route 74 Via Ferrata Sartor Route 75 Via Ferrata Via di Guerra/CAI Portogruaro Appendix A Useful contacts Appendix B Glossary of mountain terms Appendix C Further reading

    £18.95

  • Rockfax Ltd Mallorca Sport Climbs

    20 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    20 in stock

    £31.46

  • Cairngorm John: A life in mountain rescue

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd Cairngorm John: A life in mountain rescue

    Book Synopsis‘A fascinating account of a man of great humility and remarkable courage.’ – The Daily Record. The Cairngorm mountains in Scotland are a magnet for climbers and walkers. John Allen spent more than thirty years in the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team saving the lost and injured, and in Cairngorm John he shares stories of life and death, alongside discussions of hypothermia, first aid, new technology and rescue dogs. Allen's book is a must-read for anyone who spends time in the great outdoors, whether as a casual hillwalker or as part of a mountain rescue team. This latest edition includes additional photographs and new chapters discussing how mountain rescue has developed in the early years of the twenty-first century.Trade Review‘Indispensable to those who love the hills. The stories it contains are poignant and full of emotion.’ * The Inverness Courier *‘A fascinating account of a man of great humility and remarkable courage.’ * The Daily Record *‘The twisting mix of sadness and wit are blended together with perfection. Kick Ass Day and the true meaning of TLC are the kind of priceless gems that we all need.’ -- Neil Woodhead * Mountain Rescue Magazine *‘Cairngorm John portrays the human side of mountain rescue, clearly demonstrating the emotional roller coaster that's involved, as well as the camaraderie that exists within teams like Cairngorm Mountain Rescue.’ * TGO Magazine *‘Allen’s book is an invaluable source.’ * Climber Magazine *Table of ContentsThree reasons for writing this book Acknowledgement List of illustrations Introduction by Sir Chris Bonington PROLOGUE: The Mountains A LIFE IN MOUNTAIN RESCUE EPILOGUE: The Sea TEN YEARS AFTER 1. Rescue from the ai 2. New technology: Can-Ams and Ski-Doos, Go-Pros, Apps and Drones 3. A new beginnin 4. Safety in the mountain AFTERWORD: Thai Boys MAPS Cairngorm Mountains Northern Corries Cairngorm Plateau Glossary of climbing terms Gaelic pronunciation and meanings Select bibliography About the author

    £12.30

  • Touching My Father's Soul: Climbing Everest in

    Ebury Publishing Touching My Father's Soul: Climbing Everest in

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis'A story of passion, hardship and endurance' - Reinhold Messner'There is much to marvel at in these pages. It taught me a great deal... Enthralling' - Jon Krakauer, bestselling author of Into Thin AirIn this gripping and inspirational book, Jamling Norgay interweaves the story of his Everest summit during the infamously deadly 1996 season with the first real account of his father Tenzing Norgay's historic first ascent with Edmund Hillary in 1953. For Jamling, the climb was a journey of danger and of discovery. Discovery of the spiritual heritage of the Sherpa tradition, of his father's past and of the obsession that makes men and women risk their lives to summit the tallest peak on earth.A classic of mountaineering literature re-issued for the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, this is a compelling and emotional account of two unbelievable ascents, and of the unique relationship between a father and son.Trade ReviewA story of passion, hardship and endurance * Reinhold Messner, mountaineer and explorer *There is much to marvel at in these pages. It taught me a great deal... Enthralling * Jon Krakauer, bestselling author of Into Thin Air *As profoundly uplifting as it is disturbing, Jamling Tenzing Norgay's revealing account of his quest to understand what led his father to first climb Everest succeeds in every wayGalen Rowell * Galen Rowell, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer *

    7 in stock

    £11.69

  • Highland Scrambles North

    Scottish Mountaineering Club Highland Scrambles North

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis newly delineated guide describes some of the best scrambles and easy rock climbs in the North-West Highlands of Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and Rum. With 200 routes stretching from Sutherland in the north to Glenfinnan in the south, and from Uist in the west to Caithness in the east, its scope and range offer scrambling options across all levels and rock types. Keen hillwalkers can build their confidence on straightforward itineraries with a bit of exposure, and there's plenty to whet the appetites of those who already have some experience and want to explore new territory on sustained, technical journeys requiring greater commitment. From the elegant bands of Lewisian gneiss that comprise much of the Outer Hebrides and the northern hinterland of Ben Stack and Foinaven to Torridon's terraced sandstone cliffs and the pinnacled ridges of An Teallach, there are many hidden gems to discover. You'll also find updates of well-established and much-loved classics, including the Forcan Ridge, Stac Pollaidh and the Rum Cuillin. Presented in our new contemporary style, Highland Scrambles North includes high-resolution photo diagrams and beautifully rendered maps for greater clarity and accessibility. With venue and route information accompanied by advice on conditions, this guidebook has everything you need for a superb day out in the Scottish mountainsTrade ReviewThe design is superb and easy to use ... it’s easy to pick up and plan future adventures, rekindle some great memories or just dream about long routes in remote locations — Adrian Trendall, All Things Cuillin

    10 in stock

    £23.75

  • Cliffhanger: New Climbing Culture and Adventures

    Die Gestalten Verlag Cliffhanger: New Climbing Culture and Adventures

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £28.00

  • The Shining Mountain: The first ascent of the

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd The Shining Mountain: The first ascent of the

    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

    £9.49

  • The Art of Climbing

    Thames and Hudson Ltd The Art of Climbing

    7 in stock

    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.

    7 in stock

    £24.00

  • No Way Down Life and Death on K2

    Penguin Books Ltd No Way Down Life and Death on K2

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE GRIPPING, TERRIFYING STORY OF A BRUTAL STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL ON THE UPPER SLOPES OF THE HIMALAYAN K2, THE WORLD''S MOST HOSTILE TERRAIN. ''Unputdownable. A portrait of extreme courage, folly and loss, leavened by a small dose of survival'' Financial Times________________K2, August 1st, 2008. Thirty climbers are attempting the summit of the most savage mountain on Earth. They make it. But before they start their descent an ice shelf collapses, sweeping away their ropes. It is dark. Their lines are gone. They are low on oxygen. And it is getting very, very cold. How many will make it down alive?________________ ''A gripping hour-by-hour dissection of events in the Western Himalayas over three deadly days. A fitting shelfmate to the modern classic Into Thin Air. A cracking read'' Sunday Times''The best mountain-disaster memoir since Into Thin ATrade ReviewRiveting and powerful; an extraordinary story of an extraordinary tragedy. Reading No Way Down is the closest you can come to being on the summit of K2 on that fateful day -- Sir Ranulph FiennesA gripping hour-by-hour dissection of events in the Western Himalaya over three deadly days... a fitting shelfmate to the modern classic Into Thin Air -- Brian Schofield * Sunday Times *Stories of heroism, sadness and extraordinary endurance against all the odds are woven into a thrilling drama -- Christopher Hudson * Daily Mail *Unputdownable... a portrait of extreme courage, folly and loss, leavened by a small dose of survival' * Financial Times *Artfully and assiduously pieces together an account of a fractious day in brutal real time. Fatality by fatality... devastating * New York Times *A tour de force of a book...a triumph of storytelling * Associated Press *Probably the best mountain-disaster memoir since Into Thin Air * Mail on Sunday *One of the best books I've ever read. But take it to the beach at your peril - it's impossible to put down. Sunburn is guaranteed * Outdoor Science *

    3 in stock

    £10.44

  • Rockfax Ltd Costa Blanca Rockfax 2026

    4 in stock

    4 in stock

    £33.26

  • The Mountains of My Life

    Penguin Books Ltd The Mountains of My Life

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisCollects Walter Bonatti's classic writings detailing his exploits on numerous expeditions to different mountains of the world, as well as the real story behind the controversy over the events on K2 that changed his life.

    3 in stock

    £11.69

  • ALPENGLOW - THE FINEST CLIMBS ON THE 4000M PEAKS

    Ben Tibbetts ALPENGLOW - THE FINEST CLIMBS ON THE 4000M PEAKS

    3 in stock

    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

    3 in stock

    £45.00

  • The Last Hillwalker: A sideways look at forty

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd The Last Hillwalker: A sideways look at forty

    5 in stock

    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

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • Rock Climbing

    Mountain Training Rock Climbing

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe definitive and comprehensive 'how to climb' textbook (55,000 copies sold), now in its revised and updated third edition. It covers un-roped bouldering and movement skills as well as every aspect of indoor, single and multi-pitch rock climbing

    5 in stock

    £22.46

  • Mont Blanc Lines: Stories and photos celebrating

    Vertebrate Publishing Ltd Mont Blanc Lines: Stories and photos celebrating

    Book SynopsisIn Mont Blanc Lines, photographer and alpinist Alex Buisse has travelled the Mont Blanc massif to capture images of all the major mountain faces and to trace the classic climbing and skiing lines. As well as Mont Blanc itself, also featured are other Alpine icons, including the north faces of the Grandes Jorasses and the Droites, the Aiguille du Midi, and the Grand Capucin.Whether on the ground in crampons or on skis, or in the air by ultralight or paraglider, he has captured the majesty of the range so that he can tell the story of these classic lines and present them to us in the most stunning way possible.Mont Blanc Lines features images taken during over a decade of mountaineering while Alex worked as a professional photographer based in Chamonix. Alex Buisse’s story of these iconic mountain faces is mixed with the stories of climbers who have experienced great moments there. As a bonus feature, also included are the legendary faces of the Matterhorn and the Eiger North Face in Switzerland.Table of ContentsIntroductionMont Blanc – North FaceMont Blanc – East FaceMont Blanc – South FaceMont Blanc – South-West FaceGrandes Jorasses – North FaceDroites – North FaceAiguille Verte – North FaceAiguille Verte – South FaceDrus – North FaceDrus – South FaceAiguille du Midi – North FaceAiguille du Midi – South FaceAiguilles de Chamonix – North FacesAiguilles de Chamonix – North-West FacesAiguilles de Chamonix – South FacesMont Blanc du TaculGrand CapucinDent du GéantAiguille d’ArgentièreAiguille du ChardonnetAiguille du TourDômes de Miage – North FaceThe MatterhornThe Eiger – North Face

    £34.00

  • Ben Tibbetts Cabin Wild Alpine Bivouac Huts

    4 in stock

    4 in stock

    £28.80

  • HarperCollins Publishers The White Spider

    5 in stock

    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

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • Lofoten Climbs

    Rockfax Ltd Lofoten Climbs

    20 in stock

    Book SynopsisLofoten is a magical area; towering granite peaks rise above deep blue fjords, with tiny wooden fishing villages squeezed between the mountains and the oceans. The extensive climbing is on magnificent granite cliffs and the vast majority of it is traditionally protected.

    20 in stock

    £33.26

  • Everest 1922: The Epic Story of the First Attempt

    Atlantic Books Everest 1922: The Epic Story of the First Attempt

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThough it remains by far the world's most famous mountain, in recent years Everest's reputation has changed radically, with long queues of climbers on the Lhotse Face, lurid tales of frozen corpses and piles of high altitude trash. It wasn't always like this though. Once Everest was remote and inaccessible, a mysterious place, where only the bravest and most heroic dared to tread. The first attempt on Everest in 1922 by George Leigh Mallory and a British team is an extraordinary story full of controversy, drama and incident, populated by a set of larger than life characters straight out of Boys Own and Indiana Jones. The expedition ended in tragedy when, on their third bid for the top, Mallory's party was hit by an avalanche that left seven men dead. Using diaries, letters, published and unpublished accounts, Mick Conefrey creates a rich character driven narrative, exploring the motivations and private dramas of key individuals and detailing the back room politics and bitter rivalries that lay behind this epic adventure.Trade ReviewThe 1922 expedition was perhaps the most exciting of all Everest ventures. One hundred years ago virtually nothing was known about the effects of extreme altitude and those brave pioneers were making it up as they went along, pushing the boundaries of human possibility. With his usual forensic analysis and keen eye for the previously untold anecdote, Mick Conefrey re-illuminates one of the greatest mountain adventures of all time. * Stephen Venables *A gloriously British failure: The lost story of the tweed jacket-wearing and Kendal mint cake-eating band of eccentrics who were the first to try to conquer Everest is finally told 100 years on ... The story of that first attempt on the mountain is one history has largely erased. Failure tends to be forgotten. But in its centenary year, that 1922 expedition is celebrated in a gripping new book by mountaineering historian Mick Conefrey. Yes, it was a failure - but a glorious one. * Daily Mail *Table of Contentsi: Dramatis Personae ii: Introduction 1: Himalayans at Play 2: No Place for Old Men 3: The Hardest Push 4: Larger than Life 5: Oxygen Drill 6: News from the North 7: We May Be Gone Some Time 8: The Gas Offensive 9: Summit Fever 10: Trouble in the Sanctuary 11: A Terrible Enemy 12: 2020 Hindsight iii: Bibliography and Sources iv: Acknowledgements v: Index

    3 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan

    Allen & Unwin The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisShortlisted for Biography of the Year at the Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2020Shortlisted for Adventure Travel Book of the Year at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2020On June 3rd 2017, professional climber Mark Synnott was in Yosemite to witness something that only a handful of people knew was about to occur: his friend, Alex Honnold, was going to attempt to summit one of the world's most challenging ascents, a route called Freerider on the notorious rock formation El Capitan. It is an extraordinarily dangerous and difficult climb, and yet Alex was going to do it 'free solo'. Meaning no help. No partner. No equipment. No rope. Where a single small mistake would mean certain death. Indeed, to summit El Cap free solo was a feat likened to Neil Armstrong first walking on the moon.As Alex plots, rehearses and ultimately attempts his heart-stopping ascent, Mark also shares his own personal history of climbing, filled with triumphs, defeats and dilemmas, in this deeply reported, inspiring exhortation to live life to the fullest.Trade ReviewAn enthralling new book. Few sports have as rich and varied a literature as climbing...and this gripping work from the vastly experienced mountaineer and adventurer Mark Synnott is a magnificent addition to the canon...This compelling book reads like a thriller as it ranges over the rarefied world of extreme climbing. * Daily Mail *With the possible exception of the lunar landings, free-soloing El Capitan may rank as one of the most audacious--and terrifying--things a human being has ever done. Synnott's narrative plasters you to a 3,000-foot granite cliff and doesn't let you go until the climb is done. It is one of the most compelling accounts of a climb and the climbing ethos that I've ever read. -- Sebastian Junger, author of THE PERFECT STORMImmensely enjoyable. Tapping his own impressive mountaineering resume, Mark Synnott dives deep into the rebellious counterculture of extreme climbing to get inside the head of Alex Honnold, the planet's foremost rock climber. What motivated Honnold to free climb El Capitan without a rope? "Because it's there" doesn't come close to explaining it. Synnott's The Impossible Climb does. -- Andy Hall, author of DENALI'S HOWLMark Synnott's The Impossible Climb is to climbing what William Finnegan's Barbarian Days is to surfing. -- John Long, writer, producer, and pioneer of 'free solo' rock climbingYes, The Impossible Climb is the gripping story of the most perilous rock ascent of all time - but it's much more than that. In seamlessly fusing memoir, reporting, social history, climbing lore, technical expertise and intimate glimpses of his tribe, Mark Synnott has given us a kind of epic of life on the edge. Even readers who have never set toe to rock are going to find themselves glued to this insanely brilliant account of extreme athletic ambition and endurance. -- David Laskin, author of THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARDAn accomplished portrait of two remarkable lives * New York Times Book Review *Fast paced and enjoyable. * Wall Street Journal *Synnott, with the skill of a master craftsman, weaves into this text stories about Alex's climbing. . . . fascinating reading. . . . Synnott uses his experience both as a climber and as a writer to paint an incredible canvas. The Impossible Climb is not to be missed. -- Keith Sharples * Climber *Table of ContentsPart One: Youth 1: "The Hon Is Going to Solo El Cap" 2: Crazy Kids of America 3: A Vision of the Stonemasters' Lightning 4: The Stone Monkey Part Two: The Professional World 5: Crashing the Gravy Train on the Vertical Mile 6: The Secret Weapon, Mr. Safety, and Xiao Pung 7: Nonprofit 8: Secret Dawn Walls Part Two: Topping Out 9: Amygdala 10: The Source 11: "Her Attitude Is Awesome" 12: Fun

    3 in stock

    £12.34

  • Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Updated and

    Hodder & Stoughton Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Updated and

    15 in stock

    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 *

    15 in stock

    £9.74

  • The Moth and the Mountain

    Penguin Books Ltd The Moth and the Mountain

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH BEST SPORTS WRITING AWARD 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD 2021''One of the best books ever written about the early attempts to conquer Everest. A fine, fine slice of history by a truly special writer who proves time and time again that he is among the best of his generation'' Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets''A small classic of the biographer''s art'' Sunday TimesIn the 1930s, as official government expeditions set their sights on conquering Everest, a little-known World War I veteran named Maurice Wilson conceived his own crazy, beautiful plan: he would fly a Gipsy Moth aeroplane from England to Everest, crash land on its lower slopes, then become the first person to reach its summit - all utterly alone. Wilson didn''t know how to climb. He barely knew how to fly. But he had pluck, daring and a vision - he wanted to be the first man to stand on top of the wTrade Review'Ed Caesar has written a slim, ravishing chronicle that is absolutely bursting with life - doomed romance, the dread of the battlefield, the lure of adventure, hair-raising tales of amateur aviation, and, above all, the beauty and madness of the quest to ascend Earth's tallest summit. Maurice Wilson is as rich and full of surprise and contradiction as a character in a novel, and through painstaking historical research, Caesar brings his hero back to vivid life in all his messy, inspiring, ultimately tragic glory. A major feat of reporting and elegant storytelling' -- Patrick Radden Keefe, author of the Orwell Prize-winning Say Nothing'The Moth and the Mountain is gripping and exquisite. A mad, magnificent, and moving tale' -- Philippe Sands, author of East West Street'Maurice Wilson was an amazing human being. Passionate, heroic, hilariously deluded, inspired, brave to the point of lunacy, determined, war damaged, lovelorn and gloriously unhinged. The Moth and the Mountain is a wonderful, elegiac account of an extraordinary life written with a wry, compassionate humour. It is clear that Ed Caesar loves his hero. I think I do too' -- Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void'The adventurer Maurice Wilson was a forgotten figure until Ed Caesar's brilliantly written book restored him to his rightful place in the annals of exploration... Caesar's book received enormous praise on publication last year and rightly so. This splendid tale is every bit as exciting as any adventure novel and deeply moving' -- Alex Larman * Observer *'This bonkers ripping yarn of derring-don't is a hell of a ride ... scrupulously researched ... Maurice Wilson was a one-off, quite outside the ordinary run of people, and The Moth and the Mountain is a "sorry, beautiful, melancholy, crazy" tribute to a man who, like a leaf in autumn, burnt brightest just before he fell' -- John Self * The Times *'An urgent and humane story that invites not mockery of a madman, but pity and admiration. A small classic of the biographer's art' -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *'Caesar is a journalist with a novelist's eye for character ... Wilson's story is bonkers, but also beautiful. The profile Caesar builds is compelling, colourful and warm - of a complex, contradictory man with admirable self-belief and a healthy disregard for class boundaries and national borders' (Book of the Week) -- Sam Wollaston * Guardian *'A riveting tale of trauma, spiritual awakening and postwar derring-do ... a gem of a book ... meticulously researched' (Book of the Week) * Observer *'An outstanding book . . . The Moth and the Mountain returns readers to a romantic era when Everest was terra nova rather than an experience to be bought . . . the author, a contributing writer for the New Yorker, is a talented storyteller with a flair for detail. . . Wilson's story is an entry less in the annals of mountaineering than in the Book of Life. That such an extraordinary person even existed is cause for celebration' * Wall Street Journal *'A wonderful adventure story, beautifully told. Based on years of painstaking archival research, Ed Caesar's The Moth and the Mountain brings us a modern-day myth with a beguiling, impossible hero from a vanished era of empire, one man on an epic quest that is by turns gripping and heartbreaking' -- Adam Higginbotham, author of Midnight in Chernobyl'The Moth and the Mountain is a gripping story of heroism, adventure, madness and thwarted love, told with extraordinary empathy and intelligence. Ed Caesar is a writer of rare style and depth, and he has written a great and moving work of non-fiction' -- Mark O'Connell, Wellcome Book Prize-winning author of To Be a Machine and Notes from an Apocalypse'In the 1930s, an Englishman, Maurice Wilson - a traumatized veteran of the Great War - decided he would fly to Mount Everest, crash-land on the slopes and climb to the summit alone. (Never mind that he was a novice pilot and had never climbed a mountain.) It's not a spoiler to say that things didn't go well, but Caesar puts the man, and his quest, in historical context' -- New York Times, 'New Books to Watch Out For''An engrossing biography ... credit to Caesar for rescuing such a splendid tale of an engaging maverick from the footnotes of Everest history. * Spectator *'Praise is due to Ed Caesar for managing to tell this tale so well, because the sheer madness of Wilson's life would surely have thrown off all but the most sure-footed biographer. Caesar sets about it with fantastic energy and makes use of a marvellous collage of letters, diary entries, poetry, telegrams, interviews and archival iced gems. He is to be applauded for giving romantic, adamantine, lion-hearted Maurice Wilson his overdue day in the sun' -- Dan Richards * Literary Review *'Why climb the world's highest mountain? For King and Country; for the glory of God; because it is there. Or, as for Maurice Wilson, because of an unhappy love affair, a wartime trauma, and a longing to get away from a life whose values are measured at the cash register. In Ed Caesar's telling, the hapless, defiant Wilson becomes an unexpected hero - an unforgettable inspiration for anyone who chafes at the limits of ordinary life' -- Benjamin Moser. Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sontag'Gripping at every turn ... it's impossible not to root for Wilson' * Outside *'Engagingly depicts Wilson and his times in ebullient and well-written prose ... a widely appealing and affecting character study, microhistory, story of love and loss, and inquiry into some surprising effects of trauma and personal tragedy' * Booklist *'Riveting... Caesar's biographical tale of Wilson rightly restores a footnoted figure of alpine history to the storied peaks of Mount Everest, where his body lays still today' * InsideHook *

    7 in stock

    £10.44

  • Space Below My Feet

    Orion Publishing Co Space Below My Feet

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA classic mountaineering memoir by one of the UK's foremost female climbers.'A story of climbing and compulsive love of mountains ... magnificent' OBSERVERIn 1945, when Gwen Moffat was in her twenties, she deserted from her post as a driver and dispatch rider in the Army and went to live rough in Wales and Cornwall, climbing and living on practically nothing. She hitch-hiked her way around, travelling from Skye to Chamonix and many places in between, with all her possessions on her back, although these amounted to little more than a rope and a sleeping bag.When the money ran out, she worked as a forester, went winkle-picking on the Isle of Skye, acted as the helmsman of a schooner and did a stint as an artist's model. And always there were the mountains, drawing her away from a 'proper' job.Throughout this unique story, there are acutely observed accounts of mountaineering exploits as Moffat tackles the toughest climbs and goes on to become Britain's leading female climber - and the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide.Trade ReviewAs a story of climbing and compulsive love of mountains, SPACE BELOW MY FEET is magnificent * OBSERVER *This book is not an account of love between men and women, it is the testimony of the love one woman has for air and light and splendid, rocky, isolated spires; of wakening and feeling the hot sun on a sleeping bag, of being in a hostel watching the English getting up to open the window and the Continentals getting up to close it. Even if you have never climbed a mountain, you will enjoy this story of a brave, restless woman * SUNDAY TIMES *A series of love affairs with impossible places ... She owns nothing. She needs nothing * DAILY HERALD *In piquant contrast to the well-off, well-connected donnish women climbing writers of the last generation, she shows herself with painful honesty in SPACE BELOW MY FEET as rebel and vagabond * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *

    3 in stock

    £11.69

  • Sicily: San Vito Lo Capo, Macari, Castelluzzo,

    Rockfax Ltd Sicily: San Vito Lo Capo, Macari, Castelluzzo,

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Mediterranean island of Sicily offers holiday sport climbing in an excellent climate on superb rock. It has something of the character of Kalymnos with easily accessible cliffs many with a beautiful westerly aspect. There are steep tufa-caves, expansive vast walls and shorter single pitch cliffs mostly in easy reach of some delightful holiday accommodation. The climate is just what yoiu would expect for winter sun in the Mediterranean. This will be the biggest guide yet for the island covering the areas of San Vito Lo Capo, Macari, Castelluzzo and Palermo in the same book.

    10 in stock

    £33.26

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