There can be no more enduring symbols of the Alps than the Eiger and the Matterhorn. These two great mountains have inspired climbers throughout Europe while the towns at their feet, Grindelwald and Zermatt, have become World famous resorts. A Long Walk in the Alps describes a journey beginning under the shadow of the Eiger's infamous north wall and finishing in the high meadows beneath the soaring ridges of the Matterhorn. The trail from Grindelwald leads first through the idyllic Jungfrau Region before heading off to high passes, forgotten valleys and sleepy alpine villages on the way to its destination in Zermatt.

A tiny island very rich in monuments and ancient remains. More than 50 Byzantine chapels, dozens of rock carved cisterns and old agricultural settlement and a well-preserved medieval castle with a ruined medieval settlement at its foot. This Anavasi map will be your guides to discover all these little known remains, most of them accessible only by footpaths.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

In 1937, Mount Lucania was the highest unclimbed peak in North America. Located deep within the Saint Elias mountain range, which straddles the border of Alaska and the Yukon, and surrounded by glacial peaks, Lucania was all but inaccessible. The leader of one failed expedition deemed it "impregnable." But in that year, a pair of daring young climbers would attempt a first ascent, not knowing that their quest would turn into a perilous struggle for survival. "Escape from Lucania" is their remarkable story. Classmates and fellow members of the Harvard Mountaineering Club, Brad Washburn and Bob Bates were two talented young men -- handsome, intelligent, and filled with a zest for exploring. Both were ambitious climbers, part of a small group whose first ascents in the great mountain ranges during the 1930s and 1940s changed the face of American mountaineering. Setting their sights on summitting Lucania in the summer of 1937, Washburn and Bates put together a team of four climbers for the expedition. But when Bates and Washburn flew to the Walsh Glacier at the foot of Lucania, they discovered that freakish weather conditions had turned the ice to slush. Their pilot was barely able to take off again alone, and there was no question of returning with the other two climbers or more supplies. Washburn and Bates found themselves marooned on the glacier, more than a hundred miles from help, in forbidding and desolate territory. Eschewing a trek out to the nearest mining town -- eighty miles away by air -- they decided to press ahead with their expedition. "Escape from Lucania" recounts Washburn and Bates's determined drive toward Lucania's 17,150-foot summit under constant threat of avalanches, blinding snowstorms, and hidden crevasses. Against awesome odds they became the first to set foot on Lucania's peak, not realizing that their greatest challenge still lay beyond. Nearly a month after being stranded on the glacier and with their supplies running dangerously low, they would have to navigate their way out through uncharted Yukon territory, racing against time as the summer warmth caused rivers to swell and flood to unfordable depths. But even as their situation grew more and more desperate, they refused to give up. "Escape from Lucania" tells this amazing story in thrilling and vivid detail, from the climbers' exultation at reaching the summit to their darkest moments confronting seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It is a tale of awesome adventure and harrowing danger. But above all it is the story of two men of extraordinary spirit, inspiring comradeship, and great courage. Today Washburn and Bates, now in their nineties, are legends in climbing circles. Bates co-led 1938 and 1953 expeditions to K2, the world's second-highest mountain. Washburn, whose record of Alaskan first ascents is unmatched, became founding director of Boston's Museum of Science and is one of the premier mountain photographers in the world. Some of his remarkable images from the 1937 Lucania expedition are included in this book.

'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 ambition, values, risk, happiness, the courage to fail, and what's ultimately important. An indispensable and important book for anyone who has ever doubted their potential or put limits on themselves - whatever challenge you face or ambitions you want to achieve, The Girl Who Climbed Everest will inspire you to take action and live life more fearlessly.

In Journey To The Top Of Africa, Patrick Mages tells a fascinating story of a night crossing of the Amboselli Game Reserve in Kenya, a five day climb of the fabled 19,300 foot Mt. Kilimanjaro and a four wheel drive descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, a long-extinct volcano and home to most species of African wildlife. If you've never climbed a mountain this is an ideal book for the armchair mountaineer. Patrick explains what it takes both mentally and physically to ascend the highest mountain in Africa. He laces the entire adventure with humor, fact, fiction, sensitive observations and many personal reflections from a life on the move, driven by endless curiosity and positive spirit.

We all know that climbing is a headgame, and many climbers recognise that their mindset is holding them back. But what psychological skills do you need for climbing, and how do you develop them? If you have ever wanted to learn how to climb with more confidence, to learn how to stick to a training plan, or to understand how to tap into flow, then this book is for you. Split into three sections, covering getting started on a mental skills training programme, fixing problems in your climbing caused by anxiety, and finessing your mental skills, this book provides clear explanations and practical exercises to improve your mindset for climbing. You'll learn to analyse your mental strengths and weaknesses, set effective goals, change habits, overcome fear of falling, fear of failing, fear of injury and social anxieties affecting climbers' performance. Chapters on confidence, focusing skills, imagery and visualisation, and problem solving and creativity in your climbing are all written in a practical and easy to understand format, so you can incorporate these skills into your climbing training. There is also a section on mental wellbeing for climbers, with hints and tips on healthy perfectionism, as well as mental health. This book draws on the latest in climbing and sport psychology research, and translates it into practical accessible ideas and exercises for climbers at all levels of the sport.

I needed a break. I needed ."an off-the-wall dalliance. An all-boys' adventure in a faraway land. An adventure far away from telephones and faxes and lawyers. An adventure with an abundance of humor, serious physical exertion, and danger nominally short of life-threatening." After a little research and a few phone calls, I decided that a climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, with four friends, via the "Tourist Route," would fit the bill. In this book, the author tell the story of the climb-four days up, and two days down-with a humorous yet sensitive slant, describing the perils of altitude, the vicissitudes of Mother Nature, the enjoyment of multi-generational and multi-ethnic collaboration, the travails of disappointment, and the exhilaration of success. And where it suits his fancy-and does no harm to accuracy-he embellishes an observation or encounter to illuminate the pure joy of the experience. After all, it was about good fun, and the telling of it should be too.

Joshua Tree National Park is the most popular rock climbing area in the world--and for good reason. When other climbing locales are buried in snow, Josh is basking in Southern California sunshine. Thousands of sport and traditional routes on park's distinctive domes offer climbers of all abilities endless variety, from classic, well-protected cracks to delicate friction faces and edgy vertical testpieces. Excellent bouldering abounds, and superb camping in the beautiful, high-desert environment encourages extended stays. Simply put, no climber's career is complete without at least one trip to Joshua Tree, and many people find themselves returning year after year.
"Rock Climbing Joshua Tree West is the first of two volumes that together replace "Rock Climbing Joshua Tree, published in 1992 and 1986. Covering climbs in the western half of the park, completely revised and with thoroughly updated route information, and extensively illustrated, it's the climber's comprehensive and indispensable guide to the area.

The Best Climbing Writers Present Their WorkEdited by Pat AmentNo other sport has produced such an extensive volume of fine writing as climbing. Climbers Choice brings together Chris Bonington, Greg Child, Joe Simpson, Stephen Venables, and 19more of the worlds best climbing authors, who were asked to select those short pieces of which they were the proudest. The result is a convocation of men and women who have conquered many of the most forbidding mountains and rock faces in the world and who write about their experiences with an uncommon force that has the power to transfix, amaze, and occasionally terrify.

Without risk, say mountaineers, there would be none of the self-knowledge that comes from pushing life to its extremes. For them, perhaps, it is worth the cost. But when tragedy strikes, what happens to the people left behind? Why would anyone choose to invest in a future with a high-altitude risk-taker? What is life like in the shadow of the mountain? Such questions have long been taboo in the world of mountaineering. Now, the spouses, parents and children of internationally renowned climbers finally break their silence, speaking out about the dark side of adventure.
Maria Coffey confronted one of the harshest realities of mountaineering when her partner Joe Tasker disappeared on the Northeast Ridge of Everest in 1982. In "Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow," Coffey offers an intimate portrait of adventure and the conflicting beauty, passion, and devastation of this alluring obsession. Through interviews with the world's top climbers, or their widows and families-Jim Wickwire, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, Joe Simpson, Chris Bonington, Ed Viesturs, Anatoli Boukreev, Alex Lowe, and many others-she explores what compels men and women to give their lives to the high mountains. She asks why, despite the countless tragedies, the world continues to laud their exploits. With an insider's understanding, Coffey reveals the consequences of loving people who pursue such risk-the exhilarating highs and inevitable lows, the stress of long separations, the constant threat of bereavement, and the lives shattered in the wake of climbing accidents.
"Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow" is a powerful, affecting and important book that exposes the far reaching personal costs of extreme adventure.

Having spent the last twenty years as a workaholic, the daughter of the author finally persuaded her father to undertake a three-day climb of the Rinjani mountain in Indonesia. Little did the author know of the challenge ahead as he had envisaged a casual three-day trek. Although there were rumours that climbing Rinjani was a real, dangerous challenge, the expedition left on a rather lighthearted note. The author departed only in a tee shirt and jeans and training shoes choosing not to heed the warnings of the more experienced. Borne in the North of England, he had maintained the belief that man is a man and that scaling a mountain in a tee shirt is the right thing to do.

While Diana pressed ahead, her father soon felt the fatigue of climb, and confidence was soon replaced with fear, and as the first night set in, the cold was intense having decided that sleeping bags were not required.

A lighthearted story of interaction between daughter and father and fellow companion but with a real sense of adventure and achievement. On average, 20 people a year lose their lives on Rinjani and this was a challenge that none of the companions would regret.

The author explores 17 top climbing peaks in the majestic Drakensberg. Each climb is discussed in detail and written about by experts who have experienced wonderful and terrifying moments on the various faces of this mountain range. An ideal read for all those interested in rock-climbing, whether beginners or experienced summiteers, Serpent Spires offers stories of epic adventures, detailed route guides and useful tips. It will appeal to all rock climbers, adrenalin junkies and those who have a deep and abiding love of the mountains. For those "armchair adventurers" not wanting to take the risk involved in climbing sheer rock faces, it is a riveting read.

Modern Mountaineering on Alpine Rock, Snow, and Ice.

If your experience as a backpacker or rock climber is drawing you higher; if the cold, remote alpine environment calls you nearer, this book is for you. "The Mountaineering Handbook" will teach you the skills that will take you to the top. Even if youre already an experienced mountaineer, youll find detailed descriptions of the newest and most effective techniques to refine and organize your methods and equipment. "The Mountaineering Handbook" isn't mired in outdated traditionalism; its new-school techniques are safer, more effective, and more fun for mountaineers at every level. With constant emphasis on light, fast, and efficient mountaineering, Craig Connally shows you how to: . . Move quickly up and down rock, snow, and ice with appropriate safety systems. Manage mountain hazards, including rockfall, avalanche, lightning, and high-altitude illness. Select the best equipment for your personal style and objectives. Maintain sound nutrition and training according to the most up-to-date science. Understand the human factors of mountaineering--the social and psychological forces that influence critical decisions. .

Connallys passion for mountaineering is evident in his writing--"The Mountaineering Handbook" is clever, insightful, and entertaining. He intends to move mountaineering into the twenty-first century, but hes also determined to turn the traditional how-to book on its ear by injecting personality, humor, and thoughtfulness into every page..

"Backpackers venture into the wilderness to see a little farther, but mountaineers describe their adventures as means of looking more closely into their own selves--to see alittle deeper. Climbing mountains compels introspection because every detail--from the smallest to the most ominous--must be constantly attended to. Thats both exhausting and exhilarating. Exhilarating, because the criteria for success are absolute and absolutely objective--they are chosen by the mountain, not by the mountaineer, and every person is equal when judged by mountains. Success requires mountaineers to appraise their own physical and mental capacities and to know, or discover, the extent of their reserves of competence, commitment, and courage. Mountaineering does not build character so much as it reveals it.""--from "The Mountaineering Handbook,"

Craig Connally puts many years of mountaineering, ski mountaineering, and climbing rock and ice into his engaging writing. More importantly, he has applied his advanced degrees in science and his career as an engineering manager to sort out and explain what works and what doesnt in the mountains..

Several years ago, Wendell Berry recommended we read Marco Pallis' Peaks and Lamas. He had obtained a copy of this out of print and elusive title, and upon reading it wrote saying, "I have a very high opinion of it." He praised the writing on travel and mountaineering, but he was specially drawn to the writing about Buddhism, the chapters on Tibetan Art, and went on "this is the best book, in my limited reading, in connecting a form of Buddhism with its sustaining culture. It would be useful to anybody interested in what a traditional culture is or might be, and how such a culture might preserve itself." With Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder and Robert Aitken offering encouragement, we could hardly ignore the imperative of putting this remarkable text, out of print for at least thirty years, back into print for a whole new generation of readers.

Hans Florine embodies the genius of "and"-collaborative and competitive, fast and safe, audacious and disciplined, visionary and quantitative. The themes that run through Florine's 101 ascents of Yosemite's most iconic route can benefit people who will never climb a rock, indeed anyone inspired by the idea of a passionate, lifelong quest of any type. -Jim Collins, author of Good to Great Hans Florine is a big-wall climbing legend in his own time. He holds the speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that's considered the Everest of the rock-climbing world. Ascending the Nose takes most climbers anywhere from 12 to 96 hours. Florine, along with climbing partner Alex Honnold, does it in an astounding 2.5 hours. But Florine's story is not one of super-human athletic prowess; it's one of persistence and dogged determination. In 30 years of climbing, he's ascended the Nose a mind-blowing, death-defying 100 times, more than anyone else ever has, and most likely ever will. In On the Nose, Florine describes the most dangerous, pivotal, and inspirational of those climbs, providing a rare look inside the adrenaline-charged world of competitive climbing in Yosemite Valley. He tells of his very first attempt on the Nose, which ended in failure after 14 hours, his friendships (and rivalries) with climbing's most colorful personalities, and his battle with Dean Potter to secure the definitive speed record on the Nose-an endeavor that's been called the wildest competition known to man. Perhaps most interestingly, Florine attempts to answer the question why. Why would anyone undertake one of the greatest adventure epics on earth 100 times? His answers provide unique insights on how to live a satisfying life, how to achieve big goals, and how an otherwise ordinary guy can become a rock star.

Traversing a century of climbing that begins with Victorian enthusiasts and ends with the conquerors of the Himalayan peaks, "Mountain Men" tells the stories of the extraordinary men who were the first to climb the world's best-known mountains: the Matterhorn, McKinley, Everest, and K2. Edward Whymper's relentless siege of the Matterhorn ended in controversy when four of his companions plunged to their deaths an hour after leaving the summit. In Alaska there have been many disputed claims to the first conquest of Mt. McKinley, and locals still insist that the honor belongs to three miners who climbed on a bet, armed with homemade climbing irons and bags of donuts. For a hundred years mountaineers have fallen victim to the fatal attraction of K2. An Italian aristocrat, an American millionaire, and an English Satanist were among the first to reach its slopes. They found a place of disappointment and madness; one of them never returned.Accompanied by unique archival materials, detailed maps, and photographs, Mountain Men invites us to follow in the footsteps of these fearless explorers, and tells us their stories with all the romance and audacity, bravado and suffering, courage and miscalculation intact.

Now in paperback, the book Lynn Hill called "the first and only book to look at American climbing as a whole." American Rock is a celebration of the diversity of American rock climbing and an authoritative history of how the sport evolved at dozens of climbing hotspots around the country. The United States offers rock climbers a greater variety of geologic environments than any other country in the world. In recent years the sport has exploded and American climbers, once isolated from each other, now cross the country in search of new rock, sharing techniques, equipment, and information. In this thoughtful history and overview, veteran climber Mellor celebrates a dazzling mosaic of American geologic regions and the distinct climbing styles they have engendered. The rock, regions, and styles he explores include: Adirondack and White Mountain granite; Shawangunk conglomerate; the fragile red sandstone in the desert Southwest; western big-wall climbing on stark white walls of Sierra granite; steep walls and overhanging sandstone in the Southeast; and high-altitude mountaineering in the Rockies, Tetons, and Cascades. Mellor also chronicles the rich history and vibrant personalities of the climbing scene, and explores the meaning behind ongoing debates over access, techniques, and equipment.

Three centuries ago, mountains were considered forbidding and forbidden—the abodes of dragons and other ill-tempered grotesque beasts. But with the growing recognition that the Earth’s surface had not been created once and for all but was slowly evolving, mountains came to be seen as the unexplored text of the Earth’s story—a terrain that scientists, adventurers, naturalists, and, finally, travelers began to explore. In Mountains of the Mind, Robert Macfarlane blends cultural history, meditation, and memoir to show how early geologists helped transform our perceptions of the wild, chaotic landscapes; how the allure of height increasingly drew fearless climbers, culminating in the romantic figure of George Mallory, the passionate Englishman who died on Mount Everest in 1924; and how the elemental beauty of snow and ice coalesced into an aesthetic of the sublime.
Mountains of the Mind is at once an enthralling work of history, an intimate account of Macfarlane’s own experiences, and a beautifully written meditation on how memory, landscape, imagination, and the landscape of mountains are joined together in our minds and under our feet.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard was one of the youngest members of Robert Falcon Scott’s legendary expedition to Antarctica, the last man sent out to meet Captain Scott and his men in February 1912, when they were expected to return victorious any day from the South Pole. He embarked on his own epic journey into the Antarctic winter to collect eggs of the Emperor penguin. It was dark all the time, his teeth shattered, and the tent blew away in the cold. “But we kept our tempers,” he wrote, “even with God.”

After serving in the First World War, with zealous encouragement from his neighbor George Bernard Shaw, Cherry wrote the undisputed masterpiece of polar literature, The Worst Journey in the World. But as the years progressed, he faced a terrible struggle against depression and despair. Sara Wheeler’s Cherry is the first biography of this great hero of Antarctic exploration, written with unrestricted access to his papers and with the full cooperation of his family.

In 1963, Willi Unsoeld became an international hero for his conquest of the West Ridge of Everest. A charismatic professor of philosophy, Unsoeld was one of the greatest climbers of the twentiethth century, a man whose raw physical power and casual fearlessness inspired a generation of adventurers.

In 1976, during an expedition to Nanda Devi, the tallest peak in India, Unsoeld’s philosophy of spiritual growth through mortal risk was tragically tested. The outcome of that expedition continues to fuel one of the most fascinating debates in mountaineering history.

Fatal Mountaineer is a gripping look at Willi Unsoeld and the epic climbs that defined him---a classic narrative blending action with ethics, fame with tragedy, a man’s ambition with a father’s anguish.

New Jersey is a state of surprises. Did you know there was a castle in Passaic Country? Or that Essex County's Branch Brook Park, rather than Washington, D.C., has the largest concentration of flowering cherry trees outside of Japan? Did you know you could walk through a bamboo forest on the Rutgers University campus, dig for fossils in Middletown's Poricy Brook, visit an owl haven on the site of the Battle of Monmouth, or see wild river otters in Salem County? Despite its proximity to major urban areas and its high population density, the state has dozens of absolutely marvelous natural areas and preserved spaces. It boasts something for everyone, from Atlantic seashore to rugged mountains, rolling farmland to winding canals, historic trails to formal gardens, birdfilled marshes to hardwood forests, pine barrens to fragrant vineyards and orchards. There are outings for hikers, bikers, beachcombers, gardeners, power-walkers and strollers of all kinds, and A Guide to Green New Jersey is your key to finding it all. The book is conveniently organized into forty geographic areas, spotlighting more than 200 nature walks. Each entry includes a description, visitor hours, fees, driving accessibility, and other pertinent information for walkers. At the end of the book, the authors provide an index with the names of each site, and their guide to choosing an outing according to individual tastes and interests. They identify sites that are wheelchair accessible, especially fun for kids, best for bicyclists, and those that are particularly physically challenging. Newcomers to the state will find the book indispensable, and long-time New Jerseyans will find it a pleasantly eye-opening guide to wonderful walks right in their own backyards.

When Anatoli Boukreev died on the slopes of Annapurna on Christmas day, 1997, the world lost one of the greatest adventurers of our time.

In Above the Clouds, both the man and his incredible climbs on Mt. McKinley, K2, Makalu, Manaslu, and Everest-including his diary entries on the infamous 1996 disaster, written shortly after his return-are immortalized. There also are minute technical details about the skill of mountain climbing, as well as personal reflections on what life means to someone who risks it every day. Fully illustrated with gorgeous color photos, Above the Clouds is a unique and breathtaking look at the world from its most remote peaks.

Barbara Washburn never set out to become a mountaineering pioneer, but in 1947, defying social conventions, she became the first woman to climb Alaska's Mount McKinley.