Description
Book Synopsis'Me not belong in the mountains? Why, I couldn't go on living without them! My thoughts, my dreams, my whole life were nothing but the mountains!'
In 1953 Hermann Buhl made the first ascent of Nanga Parbat - the ninth-highest mountain in the world, and the third 8,000-metre peak to be climbed, following Annapurna and Everest. It was one of the most incredible and committed climbs ever made.
Continuing alone and without supplementary oxygen, Buhl made a dash for the summit after his partners turned back. On a mountain that had claimed thirty-one lives, an exhausted Buhl waded through deep snow and climbed over technical ground to reach the summit, driven on by an 'irresistible urge'. After a night spent standing on a small ledge at over 8,000 metres, Buhl returned forty-one hours later, exhausted and at the very limit of his endurance.
Written shortly after Buhl's return from the mountain, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage is a classic of mountaineering literature that has inspired thousands of climbers. It follows Buhl's inexorable rise from rock climber to alpinist to mountaineer, until, almost inevitably, he makes his phenomenal Nanga Parbat climb. Buhl's book, and ascent, reminded everyone that, while the mountains could never be conquered, they could be climbed with sufficient enthusiasm, spirit and dedication.
Table of ContentsTranslator's introduction Introduction to the 1998 edition About the author In the mountains of North Tyrol 'They'll never make a climber of me' A lesson from death End of an Alpine apprenticeship Grade VI - in the limestone cliffs Three routes on the Schusselkar The dying mountain - the north wall of the Praxmarerkarspitze Head-first to life The extreme edge of the abyss - the Mauk west wall Straight on up - the Laliderer wall Change of occupation - the ski-racer Avalanches, plaster casts and a hint of spring The Dolomite fairyland Smuggler's journey into Fairyland Once in a lifetime - Goldkappel south wall The north-east wall of the Furchetta A climb on probation Ice-glazed rock, waterfalls and stones The Royal Wall of the Civetta Winter training In the hell of a blizzard - Schusselkar wall Twenty-five summits in thirty-three hours The cold arete In the ice of the Western Alps The wall of ice and grit The north wall of the Triolet Only eight hours - but productive! Christmas on the precipices Climbing on steeples Turned down by the Jorasses Dreams come true Thunder on the Aiguille Noire A storm on the Monarch The south-west wall of the Marmolada, in winter Down a crevasse and an Alpine wager The buttress of the Grandes Jorasses Fifteen peaks at one bite The Matterhorn and a flagon of wine Gymnastics on rock - the north wall of the Western Zinne A climber went a-wooing We had to bivouac after all - on the Tofana buttress Badile - north-east wall Preparation for a great objective The mountain crucible - Eiger north wall The daily round intervenes Alone on a winter's night - east wall of the Watzmann Nanga Parbat Below 26,000 feet Above 26,000 feet Epilogue - A year later.
