This is a complete introduction to Alpine mountaineering. If you are planning your first trip to the Alps or anxious to improve on your performance on previous trips, you need this book. Even seasoned Alpinists will benefit from Bruce's clarity and depth of experience. Everything you need to know is here and none of the issues are ducked, from dealing with hut guardians to moving roped together. The first part of the book deals with the knowledge and techniques you will need. The second part consists of a choice of good routes to help you gain experience. In this guidebook-style section the route length is included together with the area, where to stay, access, map and kit requirements and the full route descriptions. The chapters are: Going Alpine; About the Alps; Objective Dangers; Weather; Kit; Technical Equipment; Alpine Movement; Protecting Yourself; Glacier Travel; Speed vs Security; Navigation; Rescue; Via Ferrata; Planning an Alpine Trip; Am I Ready?; and, Guidebook.

One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home.

It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks. He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way, by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world all around him.

It was 2:41 P.M. Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.

And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston. With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death -- trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon. As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't drown him before that.

What does one do in the face of almost certain death? Using the video camera from his pack, Aron began recording his grateful good-byes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure, and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it. (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time.) The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself.

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place" -- a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life -- will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories.

Changing the narrative of mountaineering books, Sherpa focuses on the people who live and work on the roof of the world. Amid all the foreign adventurers that throng to Nepal to scale the world's highest peaks there exists a small community of mountain people at the foothills of Himalayas. Sherpa tells their story. It's the story of endeavour and survival at the roof of the world. It dives into their culture and tells of their existence at the edge of life and death. Written by Ankit Babu Adhikari - a writer, social science researcher and musician - and Pradeep Bashyal - a journalist with the BBC based in Nepal - Sherpa traces their story pre- and post-mountaineering revolution, their evolution as climbing crusaders with previously unpublished stories from the most notable and incredible Sherpas of the last 50 years. This is the story of the Sherpas.

"Rock and ice Climbers' Guidebook to The Cairngorms area of Scotland" - a definitive climbing guidebook from the Scottish Mountaineering Council. "The Cairngorms" all in one volume.This, the next in the SMC's brand new series of "Climbers' Guides", covers all the summer and winter climbing in the northern and southern Cairngorms area.This title includes a number of the most popular and well-known climbing areas in the country. It is fully comprehensive and up to date, covering both summer and winter climbs. It contains much new and updated information. It features full colour throughout with photo-diagrams and action pictures.It is written by climbers with an in-depth knowledge of the area. It is user friendly in a successful and well presented format. It contains a page marker ribbon to ease the location of climbs. It covers the massive Cairngorms area in one guidebook.This title is written by a number of authors and previous guidebook writers who are mountain guides and leading activists sharing their expert knowledge of the area.

Mt Kyllini (Ziria) area of the northern Peloponnese on a light, waterproof and tear-resistant, contoured and GPS compatible map 1:30,000 from Anavasi, overprinted with recommended hiking trails. Coverage, with an overlap between the sides, extends from the coast of the Gulf of Corinth between Messineika / Kamari in the east and Palaria Platanou in the west, inland across the Mt Kyllini to just beyond Lake Stimfalia. All place names are in both Greek and Latin alphabet. The map has contours at 20m intervals plus altitude colouring and spot heights. Within the Mt Kyllini area an overprint highlights hiking trails indicating their waymarking signage, with the accompanying legend showing their length, walking time and change in altitude. Other local paths indicate wide or narrow and well defined or faint trails. Symbols show mountain refuges, gorges suitable for canyoning, historic sites and interesting locations, etc. Road network indicates roads in good or poor condition, and shows distances on main routes. The map has a 1km UTM grid. An index, printed on the detachable map cover, lists both Greek and Latin versions of village names. Map legend includes English.

Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world and a notoriously difficult and dangerous mountain to climb. First climbed from the west in 1955 by a British team comprising Joe Brown, George Band, Tony Streather and Norman Hardie, it waited over twenty years for a second ascent. The third ascent, from the north, was made in 1979 by a four-man team including the visionary British alpinist Doug Scott. Completed before his death in 2020, and edited by Catherine Moorehead, Kangchenjunga is Doug Scott's final book. Scott explores the mountain and its varied people - the mountain sits on the border between Nepal and Sikkim in north-east India - before going on to look at Western approaches and early climbing attempts on the mountain. Kangchenjunga was in fact long believed to be the highest mountain in the world, until in the nineteenth century it was demonstrated that Peak XV - Everest - was taller. Out of respect for the beliefs of the Sikkimese, no climber has ever set foot on the very top of Kangchenjunga, the sacred summit. Scott's own relationship with the mountain began in 1978, three years after his first British ascent of Everest with Dougal Haston. The assembled team featured some of the greatest mountaineers in history: Scott, Joe Tasker, Peter Boardman and Georges Bettembourg. The plan was for a stripped-down expedition the following spring - minimal Sherpa support, no radios, largely self-financed. It was the first time a mountain of this scale had been attempted by a new and difficult route without the use of oxygen, and with such a small team. Scott, Tasker and Boardman summited on 16 May 1979, further consolidating their legends in this golden era. Kangchenjunga is Doug Scott's tribute to this sacred mountain, a paean for a Himalayan giant, written by a giant of Himalayan climbing.

A guide to reaching the summit of every country in Europe - driving, walking and climbing routes to the tops of 50 countries in Europe. Detailed route descriptions, sketch maps - advice on transport, seasons, grading and gear. Heading to the highest point of any European country is an experience not to be missed. The continent has a wealth of adventure and a huge variety of dazzling scenery awaiting the walker and climber. And each of Europe's 50 countries celebrates its national high point in a different way. This guide brings together detailed route descriptions for those seeking to get to the highest peaks in countries from Liechtenstein to Latvia and Germany to Greece. Whether attempting to climb individual high points or complete all 50 ascents, these routes are crammed with some of the most stunning landscapes and exciting terrain that Europe has to offer. From the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle to the arid plains of the Sierra Nevada, this book contains something for everyone with routes ranging from afternoon strolls in Malta and Moldova to three-day mountaineering ascents on classic Alpine routes such as Mont Blanc and Dufourspitze.

Joe Tasker lies, struck down by illness, in a damp, bug-infested room in the Himalaya, wondering if he will be well enough to climb Dunagiri, his first venture to the 'big' mountains. One of Britain's foremost mountaineers and a pioneer of lightweight climbing, he is about to attempt one of the first true 'alpine-style' climbs in the Greater Ranges. The Dunagiri attempt forms part of Tasker's striking tale of adventure in the savage arena of the mountains. A superb writer, he vividly describes the first British winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the first ascent of the West Wall of Changabang - considered a 'preposterous' plan by the climbing world - and his two unsuccessful attempts on K2, the second highest mountain on Earth. Savage Arena is both moving and exciting, an inspirational tale of the adventuring spirit which follows its own path, endlessly seeking new challenges, climbs and difficulties to overcome. It is not reaching the summit which counts, it is the journey to it. It is also a story of the stresses and strains of living for long periods in constant anxiety, often with only one other person, and of the close and vital human relationships which spring from those circumstances.

Surrounded by low hills with volcanic and sandstone outcrops, Glasgow gives the boulderer an excellent choice of blocs, perfect for a summer's evening session or escape to solitude on a day off. Including the classic collection of problems at Dumbarton Rock, this guide also features sandstone venues such as Craigmaddie, the popular outdoor boulder park at Cuningar, and new venues such as Cochno, Croy, and Craigton. The guide features a historical introduction to the bouldering heritage of a major city and how it has made the most out of its collection of urban walls, quarries, crags, boulder fields and more esoteric stones

Set your sights on a new climbing challenge, with the Scratch Off Snowdonian Climbs Print! 190 climbs in and near Snowdonia, including traditional, bouldering and ice climbs, featuring info of their grade difficulty, number of climbs, bolted face direction and restrictions. You can document your climbs by scratching off the foil for every peak, to reveal a colour. The Scratch Off Snowdonian Climbs Print is an inspired gift for avid climbers and will guarantee to take their breath way, much like their views from the top of every peak they climb. Simply pick a peak and get scratching!

This select guide includes detailed, easy to follow directions to climbing 100 of Washington's most visible, historically significant, and interesting mountains with summits over 5,000 feet. From introductory level off-trail summit hikes and scrambles to multi-pitch alpine rock and high volcano climbs, this guide is suitable for beginning scramblers and alpine rock climbers as well as more experienced climbers. Blending all types of climbing at all levels of difficulty, you'll find routes to popular scrambling peaks such as Mount Si, classic alpine rock peaks such as Prusik Peak, and to big volcanoes including Mount Rainier. Fully revised and updated, this book has been praised by scramblers, alpine rock climbers, volcano climbers, and trip leaders alike as being an accurate, user-friendly guide with superb, easy-to-follow route descriptions and drawings, to the summits of the mountains that people actually want to climb.

This wonderfully appealing and practical gift book features step-by-step instructions on how to tie over 50 knots and when and where to use them. The beautiful two colour illustrations and clear instructions quickly teach you how to tie classic knots, such as the Reef Knot and Bowline, through to more specialist knots such as the Alpine Butterfly and the Taut Line Hitch. The knots are clearly organised for safe application across a range of activities including sailing, climbing, fishing, camping or for decoration. The useful introduction and reference section tells you all you need to know about knot work; including an explanation of the key terms, recommended techniques and a complexity rating for tying each knot. So, if you want to make a rope ladder with your kids, sail the oceans, be safe climbing in the mountains or make a True Lovers knot then this book has every knot you should know how to tie, plus many more. The perfect gift for craftsmen and women alike and the adventurer in all of us. Featuring an exclusive foreword from Tim Treloar of TT Adventures, co-presenter of the BAFTA-winning Survival School with Bear Grylls.

The 54 walks in this guidebook explore the popular region around Mont Blanc. These routes showcase the best mountain walking to be found on both the French and the Italian sides of the Mont Blanc massif. The 50 contrasting day walks (3-20km) range from high-level walks to easy summits, mountain huts, viewpoints and mountain lakes, as well as less strenuous valley walks. Also included are four multi-day treks: Vallorcine to Plaine Joux, Vallorcine to Servoz, the Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges and a circuit of the Italian Val Ferret. Walks are organised according to the nearest town base: St Gervais les Bains and Les Contamines, Servoz and Plateau D'Assy, Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentiere, Vallorcine and Courmayeur. Walks are Graded 1 to 3: grade 1 walks are manageable by any reasonably fit person on good, usually waymarked paths, while grade 3 routes are long, tough routes, often without waymarking, making navigation difficult: there could also be some scrambling. Additionally there is often a valley walk that can be done whatever the weather, or on rest days, with children, by bike, or as a run. All routes feature a detailed route description and mapping.

***** 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage' - Selena Gomez 'An incredibly powerful story' Sunday Independent 'In the Shadow of the Mountain has all the elements a great memoir requires - a strong voice, cinematic prose, a hero to root for - in essence, an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman's life' - San Francisco Chronicle 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her life' - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love 'Powerful' - New York Times YOU DON'T CONQUER A MOUNTAIN. YOU SURRENDER TO IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. Despite a high-flying career, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado knew she was hanging by a thread. Deep in the throes of alcoholism, and hiding her sexuality from her family, she was repressing the abuse she'd suffered as a child. When her mother called her home to Peru, she knew something finally had to change. It did. Silvia began to climb. Something about the sheer size of the mountains, the vast emptiness and the nearness of death, woke her up. And then, she took her biggest pain to the biggest mountain: Everest. The 'Mother of the World' allows few to reach her summit, but Silvia didn't go alone. Trekking with her to Base Camp, were five troubled young women on an odyssey that helped each confront their personal trauma, and whose strength and community propelled Silvia forward... Beautifully written and deeply moving, In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of compassion, humility, and strength, inspiring us all to find have faith in our own heroism and resilience.

This comprehensive book is an excellent planning resource for those who wish to venture into the Swiss Alps. Whether you are planning a walk, scramble, climb or ski tour this larger format guide describes each mountain area throughout Switzerland - the peaks, passes, valleys and bases - to help readers identify the best destinations for their chosen mountain activity. Dozens of individual valleys are described, together with the mountains that wall them, with recommendations given for their finest walks, treks and climbs. Working eastwards across the country, this guide is divided into seven chapters: Chablais Alps, Pennine Alp, Lepontine and Adula Alps, Bernina, Bregaglia and Albula Alps, Bernese Alps, Central Swiss Alps and the Silvretta and Ratikon Alps, each devoted to a specific range or group of connecting ranges. However, this is not a route guide and detailed descriptions are not provided. The aim of the book is to inspire as well as inform; to show first-time visitors just what the Swiss Alps have to offer and provide a new perspective for those who have been before.

This year's "Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal" has the usual great mix of articles - several involving adventures abroad. Martin Moran describes some mega routes in the fjords of Norway, Mark Litterick describes winter climbing in Austria, Graham Little describes rock climbing in Albania and Steve Chadwick gives an account of ascending Mount Cameroon in Africa. A scholarly piece looks again at the climbs of WH Murray. Other articles describe a rescue on Ben Nevis, the use of modern technology in the hills, how to have an epic, a monster run in the Alps, and a discussion of the disease of Munro bagging...and as usual details are included of all the new routes pioneered in Scotland over the last year.

There are few destinations in Europe where you can enjoy typical 'summer' outdoor pursuits in the middle of winter. However, Spain's Costa Blanca is one such place and the range and quality of activities on offer is outstanding. This multi-activity guide presents a handpicked selection of 60 ridge routes, via ferratas, canyons, sport-climbing crags, trad-climbing crags, hikes, trail runs and road-cycling routes to inspire keen adventurers to explore the region's striking ridges, peaks, crags and barrancos (canyons). A broad spectrum of activities is covered - although since many of the routes involve climbing skills and rope-work, the guide is particularly well suited to climbers interested in a multi-activity holiday - and there are plenty of mid-grade options. Although quieter in winter, Costa Blanca is well served for accommodation and facilities, with easy access from Alicante. The guide includes plenty of useful information to help you plan your holiday and directions to help you locate the start-point for each activity. All of the activities are clearly graded and include route description and mapping and - for the climbing routes and via ferratas - photo topos illustrating the line of the route. Handy tables summarise the key information, making it easy to choose an activity to suit. With inspiring colour photography to whet your appetite, Costa Blanca Mountain Adventures is the perfect companion to discovering the adventures that await in this bounteous region.

The cold conditions last winter were exceptional and a bumper crop of new routes were put up across Scotland. These are fully described in the New Climbs section. There is also an account of a repeat of the Scottish Haute Route on skis from west to east over seven days in March. Other articles include an account of an ascent of Nanga Parbat as well as past adventures on Vulcan Wall and Route 2 Direct on Ben Nevis. There is also another look at the most appropriate criteria for identifying separate mountains - particularly Munros. The 'bagging game' still fascinates...This year also sees the return, for the first time for many years, of the detailed accident reports from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.

In 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.

This guidebook, Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites Volume 2, is the second in a series of two published by Cicerone Press, which now fully replaces the previous Cicerone guidebook, Scrambles in the Dolomites, adding many new routes through the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.Volume two documents southern Dolomites Via Ferrata routes in the major mountain ranges of Civetta, Schiara and Pala as well as those to the west in the Brenta. A significant addition (and, as far as we are aware, not previously published in any English-language guidebook) is the inclusion of routes around the northern end of Lake Garda and the Piccole Dolomites north of Vicenza. Here the mountains are generally lower and you can enjoy ferrata climbing over a much extended season, with some routes accessible for most of the year. While volume one covered the eastern, northern and central areas of the Dolomites, book two completes the picture, focusing on the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.

At age 16 Chris Kopczynski carved into the handle of his ice axe the words "Everest/Eiger", marking his goal to climb the two mountains known as the highest and the hardest. He accomplished that goal by the age of 33, becoming the ninth American to summit Everest and the first American to summit both the North Face of the Eiger and Mt. Everest. With the climbing addiction in his blood, he set new goals and became the twelfth in the world to climb the highest peaks on seven continents. Chris' lifelong odyssey to the top of the world includes the climbs, attempts and summits of every continent's highest, hardest, and most significant mountains. He gives us the details, the stories of perseverance and survival as he achieved his dreams on Robson in the Canadian Rockies, Chimney Rock in Idaho, the Pamirs and Elbrus in the USSR, Denali in Alaska, Makalu in Nepal, Antarctica's Vinson, Chile's Aconcagua, Kosciuszko in Australia, and Africa's Kilimanjaro and Carstensz. Kopczynski has climbed with John Roskelley for over 55 years becoming all-around mountaineers from their early days bouldering around Spokane and tackling the vertical and technical big walls of the Pacific Northwest to more challenging peaks around the world. Roskelley calls Chris the most underrated American mountaineer. With the publication of Chris' life story, the climbing world can recognize and applaud the accomplishments of this premier world climber.

Being in the right place at the right time is critical when Scottish Winter Climbing. This guide will help you make the right choices - do you go high or low, head east, west or north, or attempt snowed-up rock, mixed or ice climbs? With more than 600 new Scottish Winter Climbs to his credit, Simon Richardson reveals his simple strategy for success and selects 50 climbs to put on your hit-list.There is a detailed analysis of the strategy and tactics Scottish Winter Climbers need, taking into account Scotland's sometimes fickle conditions and unpredictable weather. There are sections on using weather forecasts, using the internet, avoiding avalanches, clothing and equipment, protection, navigation, timing, partners and psychology. Simon also presents 50 climbs mostly in the Grade III to VI range, specifically selected to match a variety of Scottish conditions. Each climb is supported by a map and topo, with access and descent details, route description, optimum conditions and top tips. Climbs include well-known classics and lesser-known gems. There are suggestions for more than 200 alternative routes from Grade II to Grade VII.Detailed overviews are included of approaches and descents on Ben Nevis with North Face panorama and map and summit descent bearings. There is also the largest ever collection of photographs of Scottish Winter Climbers in action!

Mani is a wild and sparsely inhabited region. Past the fertile zones of Githio and Itilo, the map will guide you to the bleak and arid part of the peninsula known as "Deep Mani" and as far as Cape Matapan, the southernmost point of the Peloponnese and entrance to the underworld. Many chapels are to be found dating from the mid-Byzantine period and hundreds of towers isolated or grouped in villages. Additional sights include the Frankish castle of Passavas and Diros caves