The bright future of British Mountaineering is under the spotlight in this edition of the Alpine Journal with contributions from the latest generation of leading alpinists - Ben Silvestre, Uisdean Hawthorn, Tom Livingstone and Ben Tibbetts - and their compelling ascents in the Himalaya, Alaska and the Alps. Ian Parnell explains how mentoring schemes around the world have stimulated debate in Britain and led to a revamp of the Alpine Climbing Group. In this centenary year of the Armistice, we also commemorate the sacrifice of another era's young members who died in the First World War and recall how fighting reached the highest parts of Europe as troops from opposing armies faced off in the Alps and Dolomites. Jonathan Westaway examines the inspiring life of E O Shebbeare, an early Everest climber whose forestry career prefigure todays environmentalism. The clinical psychologist and Himalayan mountaineer Malcolm Bass applies his professional skill to his passion for alpinism, Mike Searle looks back on the Nepali earthquake - and forward to the next one. Victor Saunders take a wry look at societies attitude to risk. Terry Gifford considers mountain literature as a form of 'dark pastoralism' and Donald Orr takes a fresh look at the mountain art of Ferdinand Hodler. With its comprehensive look at mountain literature and coverage of first ascents around the world, the alpine journal is an indispensable resource for alpinists around the world.

April 2009 will see the publication of the new edition of "Western Grit". The original award-wining (Outdoor Writers' Guild "Guidebook of the Year") version was published in 2003, to widespread acclaim. It was reported to have redefined what made a popular cliff, with many venues that had been sadly neglected being brought back into the limelight. The new edition will be bigger and better with a complete new set of action and crag shots, expanded coverage of many venues and the "Western Grit" will be the new 'must have' climbing guidebook for anyone interested in the huge variety of cliffs that are scattered up the western side of the Peak and Pennines. Staffordshire area includes: Back Forest, The Roaches, Hen Cloud, Ramshaw Rocks, Newstones and Baldstones. Windgather area includes Wingather, Castle Naze, and New Mills Tor. Kinder includes Upper Edale Rocks, The Pagoda, Crowden Towers, Crowden Clough Face, Upper Tor, Nether Tor, Chinese Wall, Misty Wall, Ashop Edge and The Downfall. Bleaklow includes Shining Clough, Laddow, Tintwhistle and Hobson Moor Quarry. Chew Valley includes Wimberry, Rob's Rocks, Charnel Stones, Dovestones, Ravenstones, Standing Stones, Upperwood Quarry, Alderman, Running Hill Pits and Den Lane Quarry. Lanchire includes Wilton 1, 2 and 3, Brownstones, Anglezarke, Denham, Summit Quarry, Blackstone Edge, Cow's Mouth Quarry, Egerton Quarry, Hoghton Quarry, Troy Quarry, Cadshaw Castle Rocks and Witches Quarry. Cheshire includes Helsby, Frodsham and Pex Hill.

Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. 'As I sat cradling the man's head, with his blood and brains sticking to my hands, I heard a voice - my own voice. It was asking me something. Asking how I had ended up like this, desperate and lost among people who thought nothing of caving in a man's head and then standing back to watch him die.' Nick Bullock was a prison officer working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain's most notorious criminals. Trapped in a world of aggression and fear, he felt frustrated and alone. Then he discovered the mountains. Making up for lost time, Bullock soon became one of Britain's best climbers, learning his trade in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, and travelling from Pakistan to Peru in his search for new routes and a new way of seeing the world - and ultimately an escape route from his life inside. Told that no one ever leaves the service - the security, the stability, the 'job for life' - Bullock focused his existence on a single goal: to walk free, with no shackles, into a mountain life. Echoes is a powerful and compelling exploration of freedom, and what it means to live life on your own terms.

WINNER: Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature 1997 Paul Pritchard's Deep Play is a unique, stylish and timeless commentary reflecting the pressures and rewards of climbing some of the world's hardest and most challenging rock climbs. Pritchard started climbing in Lancashire before moving to join the vibrant Llanberis scene of the mid-1980s, at a time when the adventurous development of the Dinorwig slate quarries was in full swing. Many of the new slate routes were notable for their fierce technical difficulty and sparse protection, and Pritchard took a full part in this arcane sub-culture of climbing and at the same time deployed his skills on the Anglesey sea cliffs to produce a clutch of equally demanding wall climbs. Born with an adventurous soul, it was not long before Pritchard and his friends were planning exotic trips. In 1987, paired with Johnny Dawes, Pritchard made an epoch-making visit to Scotland's Sron Ulladale to free its famous aid route, The Scoop. Pritchard and Dawes, with no previous high altitude experience, then attempted the Catalan Pillar of Bhagirathi III in the Garhwal Himalaya in India, a precocious first expedition prematurely curtailed when Pritchard was hit by stonefall at the foot of the face. In 1992, Pritchard and Noel Craine teamed up with the alpinists Sean Smith and Simon Yates to climb a big wall route on the East Face of the Central Tower of Paine, Patagonia. Pritchard followed this with an equally fine first ascent of the West Face of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island. Other trips - to Yosemite, Pakistan and Nepal as well as returns to Patagonia - resulted in a clutch of notable repeats, first ascents and some failures. The failure list also included two life-threatening falls (one on Gogarth, the other on Creag Meaghaidh), which prompted the author into thought-provoking personal re-assessments, in advance of his later near-terminal accident on The Totem Pole in Tasmania. A penetrating view of the adventures and preoccupations of a contemporary player, Deep Play stands alone as a unique first-hand account of what many consider to be the last great era in British climbing.

'I believe we so far forgot ourselves as to shake hands on it.' - H. W. Tilman, on reaching the summit of Nanda Devi.In 1934, after fifty years of trying, mountaineers finally gained access to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in the Garhwal Himalaya. Two years later an expedition led by H.W. Tilman reached the summit of Nanda Devi. At over 25,000 feet, it was the highest mountain to be climbed until 1950.The Ascent of Nanda Devi, Tilman's account of the climb, has been widely hailed as a classic. Keenly observed, well informed and at times hilariously funny, it is as close to a 'conventional' mountaineering account as Tilman could manage.Beginning with the history of the mountain ('there was none') and the expedition's arrival in India, Tilman recounts the build-up and approach to the climb. Writing in his characteristic dry style, he tells how Sherpas are hired, provisions are gathered (including 'a mouth-blistering sauce containing 100 per cent chillies') and the climbers head into the hills, towards Nanda Devi.Superbly parodied in The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman, The Ascent of Nanda Devi was among the earliest accounts of a climbing expedition to be published.Much imitated but rarely matched, it remains one of the best.

The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland is an anthology of outrageous climbing adventures from twenty-six of the most extraordinary sea cliffs across Scotland. From the farthest flung sandstone sea stacks of the northern isles, to the granite playground of the Aberdeenshire coast, via the intricate archipelago of the Hebrides, all the major sea cliffs on the Scottish mainland and surrounding islands are covered in five distinct sections. Each area is described in rich detail and accompanied by personal accounts that offer an intimate perspective of the distinctive nature of this unique environment, and the generous rewards for those willing to accept the challenge of these seemingly improbable lines. With contributions from some of the most renowned pioneers and activists in the field of climbing, this compilation traces the remarkable history of Scottish sea cliff climbing and offers a glimpse of its future. Original poetry by Stuart Campbell complements each introductory section, and exclusive images from some of the UK's most distinguished photographers reveal the cliffs in high resolution with unique clarity and vibrance, capturing the drama and scale of these magnificent seascapes. Full list of contributors: Ross Jones, Tim Rankin, Guy Robertson, Andy Inglis, Lou Reynolds, Dave MacLeod, Wilson Moir, Grant Farquhar, Simon Nadin, Murdoch Jamieson, Rob Christie, Blair Fyffe, Steve McClure, Rick Campbell, Kevin Howett, Karin Magog, Alice Irmak Thompson, Pete Herd, Ian Taylor, Tess Fryer, Mick Fowler, Simon Richardson and Jason Currie. Original poetry by Stuart Campbell. Foreword by Julian Lines, author of Boardman-Tasker winning Tears of the Dawn, and the UK's most prolific deep-water solo climber.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 'The best Everest book I've read since Into Thin Air. Synnott's climbing skills take you places few will ever dare to tread, but it's his writing that will keep you turning pages well past bedtime.' - Mark Adams Veteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest. But a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition where a history of passionate adventure, chilling tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded. George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were last seen in 1924, eight hundred feet shy of Everest's summit. A century later, we still don't know whether they achieved their goal of being first to reach the top, decades before Hillary and Norgay in 1953. Irvine carried a camera with him to record their attempt, but it, along with his body, had never been found. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit and take a photograph before they fell to their deaths? Mark Synnott made his own ascent up the infamous North Face to try and find Irvine's body and the camera. But during a season described as 'the one that broke Everest', an awful traffic jam of climbers at the summit resulted in tragic deaths. Synnott's quest became something bigger than the original mystery that drew him there - an attempt to understand the madness of the mountain and why it continues to have a magnetic draw on explorers. Exploring how science, business and politics have changed who climbs Everest, The Third Pole is a thrilling portrait of the mountain spanning a century.

In 1924, George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine disappeared during a valiant bid to reach the world's highest summit. In May 1999 Mallory's body was found, partly resolving the riddle of whether they succeeded in their bid, 29 years ahead of Hillary and Tenzing. Peter and Leni Gillman assess the motives and goals of this inspirational yet complex figure, whose life was dominated by his two conflicting passions: his love for his wife Ruth, and Everest - forbidding, unclimbed, 'the wildest dream', as he called it. Drawing on family letters and helped by surviving members of the family, Peter and Leni Gillman present a powerful and affecting portrait of a man torn between competing desires, and the fatal choice he ultimately made.

Rock climbing is probably the last thing that comes to mind when most people hear the word 'Palestine'. But rock climbing turns out to be an incredible medium through which to explore this beautiful, troubled land. Climbing Palestine is the first comprehensive guidebook to rock climbing in the West Bank, detailing over 300 climbing routes at 9 different areas. The book also describes how to travel to and within Palestine, where to stay, what to do on rest days from climbing and where to eat the most delicious local food. Each chapter features detailed information on the history and access information for each cliff. All of the routes are accompanied by short descriptions, the French grade, and information on the required gear. The book offers unique insights into the political situation and local culture. By publishing this guidebook, the authors hope to put Palestine and its amazing rock on the international climbing map, encourage foreigners to visit and climb in this rich, incredible place and advocate increased freedom of movement for Palestinians.

'To those who went to the War straight from school and survived it, the problem of what to do afterwards was peculiarly difficult.' For H.W. 'Bill' Tilman, the solution lay in Africa: in gold prospecting, mountaineering and a 3,000-mile bicycle ride across the continent. Tilman was one of the greatest adventurers of his time, a pioneering climber and sailor who held exploration above all else. He made first ascents throughout the Himalaya, attempted Mount Everest, and sailed into the Arctic Circle. For Tilman, the goal was always to explore, to see new places, to discover rather than conquer. First published in 1937, Snow on the Equator chronicles Tilman's early adventures; his transition from East African coffee planter to famed mountaineer. After World War I, Tilman left for Africa, where he grew coffee, prospected for gold and met Eric Shipton, the two beginning their famed mountaineering partnership, traversing Mount Kenya and climbing Kilimanjaro and Ruwenzori. Tilman eventually left Africa in typically adventurous style via a 3,000-mile solo bicycle ride across the continent - all recounted here in splendidly funny style. Tilman is one of the greatest of all travel writers. His books are well-informed and keenly observed, concerned with places and people as much as summits and achievements. They are full of humour and anecdotes and are frequently hilarious. He is part of the great British tradition of comic writing and there is nobody else quite like him.

The forest of Fontainebleau is one of the major bouldering spots of the world. Thousands of sandstone boulders lie scattered over an area of 1,200 square kilometres of forest - wonderfully-shaped boulders of superb quality rock in a wilderness of pine, beech and oak trees. The climbing style is addictive, a subtle mixture of body positioning, footwork and power that is as demanding mentally as it is physically. There are problems at every grade imaginable, from the easiest of circuits to world class testpieces. Written by local climbers Jo and Francoise Montchausse and Jacky Godoffe, Fontainebleau Bouldering "Off-Piste" reveals the locations of over 3,000 of the best problems graded at Font 6a and above, and highlights 250 problems of outstanding quality. Some problems found on circuits, others are set apart and easily missed. This guide ensures that doesn't happen. Covering 92 different areas across the forest, the guide lists the harder problems in the main locations, and also on many lesser-known groups of boulders around the forest. There are 120 detailed maps - both general location maps and boulder layouts, colour photographs for every area and hints, tips and anecdotes throughout. This new edition also features a comprehensive alphabetical index to all the problems in the guide with those of the highest quality highlighted in bold type. More than enough for even the most dedicated enthusiast to go at. Fontainebleau Bouldering "Off-Piste" works particularly well when paired with the popular circuit guide Fontainebleau Climbs, written by the same authors.

'Only a man in the devil of a hurry would wish to fly to his mountains, forgoing the lingering pleasure and mounting excitement of a slow, arduous approach under his own exertions.' H.W. 'Bill' Tilman's mountain travel philosophy, rooted in Africa and the Himalaya and further developed in his early sailing adventures in the southern hemisphere, was honed to perfection with his discovery of Greenland as the perfect sailing destination. His Arctic voyages in the pilot cutter Mischief proved no less challenging than his earlier southern voyages. The shorter elapsed time made it rather easier to find a crew but the absence of warm tropical passages meant that similar levels of hardship were simply compressed into a shorter timescale. First published fifty years before political correctness became an accepted rule, Mischief in Greenland is a treasure trove of Tilman's observational wit. In this account of his first two West Greenland voyages, he pulls no punches with regard to the occasional failings, leaving the reader to seek out and discover the numerous achievements of these voyages. The highlight of the second voyage was the identification, surveying and successful first ascent of Mount Raleigh, first observed on the eastern coast of Baffin Island by the Elizabethan explorer John Davis in 1585. For the many sailors and climbers who have since followed his lead and ventured north into those waters, Tilman provides much practical advice, whether from his own observations or those of Davis and the inimitable Captain Lecky. Tilman's typical gift of understatement belies his position as one of the greatest explorers and adventurers of the twentieth century.

North Wales Trail Running is a comprehensive guide to off-road running across North Wales, including Snowdonia, Anglesey and into the Llyn Peninsula and the Clwyds. With 20 runs from 4km to 20.4km in length, this book is suitable for runners of all abilities. North Wales has some of the most diverse terrain in the UK, from rocky outcrops and large cwms to steep-sided valleys and magical llyns. It is a Mecca for the adventurous runner, and home to the 104km Paddy Buckley Round. In this book, author Steve Franklin has collected together many of his favourite runs, from low-lying loops around idyllic llyns and reservoirs, to serious hands-on-knees fell runs on some of Snowdonia's biggest mountains. Summit Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Conwy Mountain, and discover quieter corners of the country around Cnicht, the Northern Carneddau and the Crafnant valley. Each route features clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and timings, and refreshment stops and local knowledge.

'When an accident occurs, something may emerge of lasting value, for the human spirit may rise to its greatest heights. This happened on Haramosh.' The Last Blue Mountain is the heart-rending true story of the 1957 expedition to Mount Haramosh in the Karakoram range in Pakistan. With the summit beyond reach, four young climbers are about to return to camp. Their brief pause to enjoy the view and take photographs is interrupted by an avalanche which sweeps Bernard Jillott and John Emery hundreds of feet down the mountain into a snow basin. Miraculously, they both survive the fall. Rae Culbert and Tony Streather risk their own lives to rescue their friends, only to become stranded alongside them. The group's efforts to return to safety are increasingly desperate, hampered by injury, exhaustion and the loss of vital climbing gear. Against the odds, Jillott and Emery manage to climb out of the snow basin and head for camp, hoping to reach food, water and assistance in time to save themselves and their companions from an icy grave. But another cruel twist of fate awaits them. An acclaimed mountaineering classic in the same genre as Joe Simpson's Touching the Void, Ralph Barker's The Last Blue Mountain is an epic tale of friendship and fortitude in the face of tragedy.

"Fiva: An Adventure That Went Wrong" is the epic true account from Gordon Stainforth of a near-death experience on a mountain in Norway in 1969. In the summer of 1969, as Apollo 11 was blasting off to the moon, two teenage twin brothers, with only three years' mountaineering experience, set off to climb one of the highest rock faces in Europe. With just two bars of chocolate, some sandwiches, a four-sentence route description and an old sketch map, they left their tent early one morning with the full expectation of being back in time for tea. Within a few hours things had gone badly wrong, they were looking death in the face, and the English Home Counties seemed very far away...

The Alpine Journal is the oldest mountaineering periodical in the world, created as a record of mountain exploration and culture, and its 153rd publication celebrates some of the outstanding ascents of 2015. Two of Britain's best younger alpinists, Will Sim and Ben Silvestre, describe hard first ascents in Alaska, while a third, Andy Houseman, has an account of the first ascent of Link Sar West in the Karakoram, beautifully illustrated by Jon Griffith. The celebrated Italian mountaineer Simone Moro details his first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, after scores of attempts by himself and many others. There is also Mick Fowler's account of the first ascent of Gave Ding in far western Nepal, exploratory mountaineering of the highest order. The Journal also records exploration in the Andes, Pakistan, Zanskar, Tajikistan and two expeditions to Greenland. The Journal also has some exceptional writing on more cultural topics. Abbie Garrington looks at George Mallory's correspondence with his admirer Marjorie Holmes, while we also publish for the first time a long and revealing letter Jack Longland wrote from Everest in 1933. Jim Milledge describes the career of Stanhope Speer, pioneer in mountain medicine and noted spiritualist, while John Porter recalls his months spent working for Ken Wilson, climbing publisher and force of nature.

A New York Times and Wall Street Journal Nonfiction Bestseller! - What happened that night on Dead Mountain?The mystery of Dead Mountain: In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. Eerie aspects of the mountain climbing incident-unexplained violent injuries, signs that they cut open and fled the tent without proper clothing or shoes, a strange final photograph taken by one of the hikers, and elevated levels of radiation found on some of their clothes-have led to decades of speculation over the true stories and what really happened. As gripping and bizarre as Hunt for the Skin Walker: This New York Times bestseller, Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, is a gripping work of literary nonfiction that delves into the untold story of Dead Mountain through unprecedented access to the hikers' own journals and photographs, rarely seen government records, dozens of interviews, and the author's retracing of the hikers' fateful journey in the Russian winter. You'll love this real-life tale: Dead Mountain is a fascinating portrait of young adventurers in the Soviet era, and a skillful interweaving of the hikers' narrative, the investigators' efforts, and the author's investigations. Here for the first time is a historical nonfiction bestseller with the real story of what happened that night on Dead Mountain.

A book that will take you through the best Scottish winter journeys from the comfort of your favourite chair. There'll be detailed descriptions, accompanied by some fine photographs, of all the well-known winter classics such as the traverse of An Teallach, Ledge Route on the Ben Nevis, the Aonach Eagach Ridge and the Black Spout on Lochnagar. Some of the not so well-known schizzles included are Morrisons Gully on Beinn Eighe, Academy Ridge on Sgorr Ruadh, Summit Gully on Stob Coire nam Beith and the magnificent Deep South Gully on Beinn Alligin.

The cliffs along the sunny Cote d'Azur and the area just inland offer some of the best sport climbing found anywhere. The most famous venue is the magnificent Verdon Gorge with it walls of perfect limestone but this is only one of many great crags in the area. To the west is the beautiful Calanques with its amazing landscape, plus the spectacular Sainte Victoire. There are some great venues around Toulon, the sunniest city in France, plus there is the popular winter venue of Chateauvert and the less well known Esterel and Chateaudouble areas. Add in Saint Jeannet, Gorges du Loup and a selection of cliffs in the Nice area and you begin to see what an amazing amount of climbing the area has to offer.

No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant hardships and victories more brilliantly than critically acclaimed author Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest work from such magazines as Outside and Smithsonian, he explores the subject from the unique and memorable perspective of one who has battled peaks like K2, Denali, Everest, and, of course, the Eiger. Always with a keen eye, an open heart, and a hunger for the ultimate experience, he gives us unerring portraits of the mountaineering experience. Yet Eiger Dreams is more about people than about rock and ice-people with that odd, sometimes maniacal obsession with mountain summits that sets them apart from other men and women. Here we meet Adrian the Romanian, determined to be the first of his countrymen to solo Denali; John Gill, climber not of great mountains but of house-sized boulders so difficult to surmount that even demanding alpine climbs seem easy; and many more compelling and colorful characters. In the most intimate piece, "The Devils Thumb," Krakauer recounts his own near-fatal, ultimately triumphant struggle with solo-madness as he scales Alaska's Devils Thumb. Eiger Dreams is stirring, vivid writing about one of the most compelling and dangerous of all human pursuits.