'All I wanted to do was go to sleep. And I was certain that if I did drift off, it would be for the last time.' In 1998, Paul Pritchard was struck on the head by a falling rock as he climbed a sea stack in Tasmania called the Totem Pole. Close to death, waiting for hours for rescue, Pritchard kept himself going with a promise that given the chance, he would 'at least attempt to live'. Left hemiplegic by his injury, Pritchard has spent the last two decades attempting to live, taking on adventures that seemed impossible for someone so badly injured while plumbing the depths of a mind almost snuffed out by his passion for climbing. Not content to simply survive, Pritchard finds ways to return to his old life, cycling across Tibet and expanding his mind on gruelling meditation courses, revisiting the past and understanding his compulsion for risk. Finally, he returns to climb the Totem Pole, the place where his life was almost extinguished. The Mountain Path is an adventure book like no other, an exploration of a healing brain, a journey into philosophy and psychology, a test of will and a triumph of hope.

'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.

This is the first definitive sport climbing guide for Scotland, written by 18 of the leading Scottish sport climbers. The guidebook includes 1300 routes, from grades 3 to 9a spread across over 100 crags from the Central Belt to Shetland and Arisaig to Aberdeen. It is lavishly illustrated with action photos for each main crag, easy-to-use maps and photo diagrams, and a colour-coded route grading system. The guide covers sport climbing as well all Scotland's world-class 'dry tooling' routes. The landscape format is designed to lay open at the crags, and the cover flaps contain useful reference information for those new to sport climbing as well as climbers visiting from other countries. Sport climbing has a wider audience than traditional climbing; with quick drying accessible crags, it suits the busy modern climber and the family-friendly climbing day.

'Jenny Tough writes with the same talent, imagination, and sheer courage that she displays in her athletic endeavours. This book will broaden the horizons of all who venture between its covers.' - Emily Chappell, author of Where There's a Will 'I love that SOLO is part-self help and part adventure story. Jenny shows us all that the journey to self-belief comes with just as many ups and downs as the mountains she traverses and that, with a little trust in ourselves (and a few good cups of coffee) the next seemingly insurmountable pass is never beyond our reach.' - Anna McNuff, author of Bedtime Adventure Stories for Grown Ups Jenny Tough is an endurance athlete who's best known for running and cycling in some of world's most challenging events - achieving accolades that are an inspiration to outdoor adventurers everywhere. But SOLO tells the story of a much more personal project: Jenny's quest to come to terms with feelings and emotions that were holding her back. Like runners at any level, she knew already that running made her feel better, and like so many of us, she knew that completing goals independently was empowering, too. So she set herself an audacious objective: to run - solo, unsupported, on her own - across mountain ranges on six continents, starting with one of the most remote locations on Earth in Kyrgystan. SOLO chronicles Jenny's journey every step of the way across the Tien Shan (Asia), the High Atlas (Africa), the Bolivian Andes (South America), the Southern Alps (Oceania), the Canadian Rockies (North America) and the Transylvanian Alps (Europe), as she learns lessons in self-esteem, resilience, bravery and so much more. What Jenny's story tells us most of all is that setting out to do things solo - whether the ambitious or the everyday - can be invigorating, encouraging and joyful. And her call to action to find strength, confidence and self-belief in everything we do will inspire and motivate.

Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes is a collection of the 100 must-do climbing routes in the Mont Blanc Massif. Modern alpinism is a multi-faceted activity for which the Mont Blanc Massif is the perfect playground. Classic routes to which every mountaineer can aspire are surrounded by the towering rock faces, huge mixed walls, precipitous ice shields, serrated ridges and narrow gullies that define the massif's harder climbs. In order to attain these prestigious summits via the most interesting itineraries, this book presents a modern selection of 100 must-do routes, ranging from historic classics to more recent lines, described in order of increasing difficulty. Author and mountain guide Philippe Batoux provides a comprehensive account of each route, outlining its history and atmosphere and giving all the technical information needed to climb it. These written descriptions are complemented by photo diagrams and detailed topos. In addition, every route is illustrated with superbly evocative photos that make best use of the book's large format. The routes were chosen for the quality of the rock, the reliability of the in-situ gear, the beauty of the surroundings, the prestige of the summit and the enthusiasm the route inspires. Preference has been given to routes in the modern idiom, whether they are gullies that only form in winter, difficult free climbs on high-altitude cliffs, long ridge scrambles or traverses of major summits. There are routes here for all tastes, from famous classics such as the Cosmiques Ridge on the Aiguille du Midi, the American Direct on the Petit Dru, the Whymper Couloir on the Aiguille Verte, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses and the Kuffner Ridge on Mont Maudit to more recent gems such as Je t'ai conquis, Je t'adore on Pointe Lepiney, No Siesta on the Grandes Jorasses and Le Vent du Dragon on the Aiguille du Midi.

This is the 114th volume of the world's oldest and most prestigious mountaineering publication - the "Alpine Journal". Features include expedition accounts by UK mountaineers Mick Fowler, Simon Yates, and Andy Parkin. A special section is devoted to all six climbs nominated for the 2009 Piolets d'Or awards, including articles by Ueli Steck on Teng Kangpoche, Patrice Glariron-Rappaz on Nuptse and Japanese climbers, from the Giri-Giri Boys, on Kamet, Kalanka and Denali. The Journeys section includes a record-breaking run down the Everest trail and adventures in Mongolia. There's an account of climbing all the 4000m peaks of the Alps, surveys of the mountains of Sikkim and the Cordillera Huaytapallana in Peru, plus commentary on environmental and wilderness issues, ethics and a disputed first Himalayan ascent. There are some 200 fabulous photographs, mostly in colour, plus evocative watercolours by Simon Pierse of the Alps, Ladakh and Kangchenjunga. As usual, this "AJ" also contains extensive reviews, obituaries, and a country-by-country record of recent significant ascents. Editor of the "AJ" since 2004, Stephen Goodwin is a journalist, climber and guidebook author. He went freelance in 1999 after 13 years as a staff correspondent on "The Independent", mainly covering politics at Westminster. In 1998, he reached the south summit of Everest, filing an award-winning diary to "The Independent". His guidebook, "20 Day Walks in the Lake District", was published this year by Vertebrate Graphics.

Jules Lines, Britain's most accomplished free solo climber, gives a rare and candid glimpse into the mind of one of climbing's most audacious and determined legends. Tears of the Dawn is a journey unlike any other. With artistic eloquence and an unexpected humbleness, Lines recreates the triumphs, tribulations, friendships, romances and perhaps most poignantly of all, his close encounters with death, leaving the reader breathless, on edge, and, as the sunlight breaks, dreaming of mountain tops, oil rigs and a sense of adventure. This heartfelt and at times humourous, adrenaline-infused account is more than a story of adventure, it is a tale of obsession, addiction, passion, courage and the ability to push boundaries. Beautifully designed and illustrated, for dreamers and realists alike, Tears of the Dawn is an awe-inspiring and toe-tingling tale to be enjoyed by all. This second edition of the sellout original includes refreshed photography.

'Upon this trackless waste of snow, cut by a shrewd wind they sat down and wept.' In China to Chitral H.W. 'Bill' Tilman completes one of his great post-war journeys. He travels from Central China, crossing Sinkiang, the Gobi and Takla Makan Deserts, before escaping to a crumbling British Empire with a crossing of the Karakoram to the new nation of Pakistan. In 1951 there still persisted a legend that a vast mountain, higher than Everest, was to be found in the region, a good enough reason it seems for Tilman to traverse the land, 'a land shut in on three sides by vast snow ranges whose glacial streams nourish the oases and upon whose slopes the yaks and camels graze side by side; where in their felt yorts the Kirghiz and Kazak live much as they did in the days of Genghis Khan, except now they no longer take a hand in the devastation of Europe'. Widely regarded as some of Tilman's finest travel writing, China to Chitral is full of understatement and laconic humour, with descriptions of disastrous attempts on unclimbed mountains with Shipton, including Bogdo Ola-an extension of the mighty Tien Shan mountains- and the Chakar Aghil group near Kashgar on the old silk road. His command of the Chinese language-five words, all referring to food-proves less than helpful in his quest to find a decent meal: 'fortunately, in China there are no ridiculous hygienic regulations on the sale of food'. Tilman also has several unnerving encounters with less-than-friendly tribesmen ... Tilman starts proper in Lanchow where he describes with some regret that he is less a traveller and more a passenger on this great traverse of the central basin and rim of mountain ranges at Asia's heart. But Tilman is one of our greatest ever travel writers, and we become a passenger to his adventurers.

On Saturday, 26 April 2003, Aron Ralston, a 27-year-old outdoorsman and adventurer, set off for a day's hike in the Utah canyons. Eight miles from his truck, he found himself in the middle of a deep and remote canyon. Then the unthinkable happened: a boulder shifted and snared his right arm against the canyon wall. He was trapped, facing dehydration, starvation, hallucinations and hypothermia as night-time temperatures plummeted. Five and a half days later, Aron Ralston finally came to the agonising conclusion that his only hope was to amputate his own arm and get himself to safety. Miraculously, he survived. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is more than just an adventure story. It is a brave, honest and above all inspiring account of one man's valiant effort to survive, and is destined to take its place among adventure classics such as TOUCHING THE VOID.

Guidebook on Scandinavians most spectacular mountain region with maps, photos and description of various walks, scrambles climbs and ski tours.

The ultimate guide to Peak District gritstone sets out to embrace the best climbs across the whole of this, the most beloved of all the climbing areas in the UK. From Eastern royalty - Stanage, Froggatt, Curbar and Millstone - to the Western bastions - the Roaches, Ramshaw and Hen Cloud. From the cosy edges of the Burbage Valley to the wild heights of Kinder, Bleaklow and the Chew Valley. It's all here. Big crags, small outcrops, famous climbs and shy classics. If you need to know about it, chances are you'll find it in here. Published by the British Mountaineering Council in collaboration with the Wired Group, the book contains 2,500 routes from MOD to E10 from Eastern and Western Grit and is packed full of action shots, quality maps and topos, and contains comprehensive information.

The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland is a celebration of climbing in Scotland's wild places, compiled by Guy Robertson and Adrian Crofton. Featuring contributions from many of Scottish mountaineering's great writers and climbers, and beautifully illustrated with breathtaking photography, it delves deep into the heart of some of the oldest mountains on Earth. This is a book for anyone with an interest in Scotland's wild places, where the mountains and cliffs, rather than the climbs, take centre stage, transporting the reader far from towns and cities, and deep into the wilderness. The crags are the tallest, steepest and most majestic anywhere in the British Isles. They are all situated in a high mountain environment, and always a good hike from the nearest road. A visit to any of these great crags is therefore a worthy end in itself. For those wishing to venture onto the crags, all the climbs described are highly adventurous, relying solely upon leader-placed protection. Many of the crags and climbs are described and illustrated here in detail for the very first time. Among these pages are accounts of some of Scottish mountaineering's greatest triumphs, but also accounts of necessary failures - chasing elusive conditions, knowing when to go down, when to return. The authors relate their personal experiences of these cliffs and the climbing, and contained here are real treasures: schoolboy Dave MacLeod soloing on The Cobbler in winter after catching the train from Dumbarton, Mark McGowan's gripping first-hand account of soloing Shibboleth on Slime Wall of Buachaille Etive Mor, Grant Farquhar's recollections of a cherished first ascent on the Great Prow of Skye's Bla Bheinn, Es Tresidder falling under the spell of Creag Meagaidh's Pinnacle Face, and Brian Davison's 15-year waiting game for the first winter ascent of Mort on the Tough-Brown Face of Lochnagar. Split into four sections - The South West Highlands, The North West Highlands, The Islands and The Cairngorms & Central Highlands - this book features unique contributions from, amongst others, Nick Bullock, Rick Campbell, Jason Currie, Brian Davison, Kevin Howett, Julian Lines, Martin Moran, Andy Nisbet, Simon Richardson and Tony Stone. Each section is accompanied by an original poem by Stuart Campbell, and renowned author and mountaineer Andy Cave has contributed the foreword.

In Distant Snows, mountaineer John Harding recollects his worldwide adventures spanning sixty years across Europe, Iran, East Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Arctic. He climbed many classic peaks including Mont Blanc, Mount Kenya, and Mount Cook, explored obscure ranges, and pioneered ski mountaineering expeditions in Turkey, Spain and Greece. Written with candour, a sharp eye for the tragicomic and with a sympathetic insight into the history and culture of indigenous mountain peoples, Harding's compelling narrative proclaims the power of nature, the glory of landscape and the spirit of the mountains. Distant Snows is a window into the mind and passions of a mountaineer while faithfully preserving the memory of the many characters who accompanied him on his mountain odyssey. With a foreword by the celebrated explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison, Distant Snows offers tales of serious undertakings as well as more leisurely exploits, complemented by Harding's personal photographs and hand-drawn maps. This is a must-read for mountaineers, lovers of the natural world and those with aspirations of adventure.

Bob Shepton is an ordained minister in the Church of England in his late 70s, but spends most of his time sailing into the Arctic and making first ascents of inaccessible mountains. No tea parties for this vicar. Opening with the disastrous fire that destroyed his yacht whilst he was ice-bound in Greenland, the book travels back to his childhood growing up on the rubber plantation his father managed in Malaysia, moving back to England after his father was shot by the Japanese during the war, boarding school, the Royal Marines, and the church. We then follow Bob as he sails around the world with a group of schoolboys, is dismasted off the Falklands, trapped in ice, and climbs mountains accessible only from iceberg-strewn water and with only sketchy maps available. Bob Shepton, winner of the 2013 Yachtsman of the Year Award, is an old-school adventurer, and this compelling book is in the spirit of sailing mountaineer HW Tilman, explorer Ranulph Fiennes, climber Chris Bonington and yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnston, all of whom have been either friends of Bob's or an inspiration for his own exploits. Derring do in a dog collar! Ranulph Fiennes: 'A wonderful true tale of adventure.' Bear Grylls: 'You are going to enjoy this...as a Commando, Bob is clearly made of the right stuff!'

The first in a series of selective guidebooks, "France: Haute Provence" presents many of the finest sport climbing destinations in the world together in one clear and colourful book. Covering all the best areas from the magnificent walls of Ceuse in the north to the impeccable climbing playground of Buoux to the south, this book has a lifetime's worth of climbing waiting on its pages. Produced in the universally-praised Rockfax style, the books presents the reader with clear landscape photos of each crag, never-before-seen close-up photo-topos, and a wealth of action photos specifically taken for the book. Whether you're planning your trip from home, or choosing your next route at the crag, this guide will have everything you're looking for: from inspiration to perspiration. This will be the only english language guidebook that covers this wide range of crags and the only book that is easily available to travelling climbers. It will also be the only guidebook in print for several of the crags. The Crags Covered include: Ceuse, Sisteron, Volx, Orpierre, Bellecombe, Baume Rousse, Ubrieux, Saint Julien, Saint Leger Rochers du Groseau, Combe Obscure, Les Dentelles de Montmirail, Venasque, and Buoux.

Though 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.

Knots have been around for thousands of years – even Neolithic man tied the reef knot, clove hitch and running noose. There are several thousand knots in existence and an almost infinite number of variations. This reference manual and practical handbook presents over 200 of the most essential knots. All the key knot types are covered, including bends, hitches, bindings, loops, mats, plaits, rings and slings. You will find familiar knots, such as the simple overhand or thumb knot, and more challenging knots such as the seizing bend, boom hitch, Chinese button knot and variations of the square Turk’s head. Each set of instructions is accompanied by photographs taking you through every step of tying the knot. Includes a clear guide to the variety of cords and ropes; their breaking strengths, construction and application. Each one is clearly identified by its category of use: angling and fishing; boating and sailing; caving and climbing; and general purpose and outdoor pursuits, with easy-reference symbols denoting each knot’s use at the top of each page. Whether you are an eager beginner or a lifelong devotee of knot-tying, this will prove an absorbing and indispensable guide.

This guide covers South Lake Tahoe's top crags from the smooth Yosemite-like cracks at Sugarloaf to the giant dikes at Lover's Leap.

An inspirational larger format guidebook to 20 summer treks in the Alps across Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and Slovenia, including the classics such as the Tour of Mont Blanc and lesser-known routes like the Traverse of the Slovenian Alps. Perfect for planning, the treks included are: Tour of Mont Blanc, Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of Monte Rosa, Walker's Haute Route, Tour of the Jungfrau Region, Tour of the Vanoise and Dolomites AV 1 & 2; (longer trans-Alpine routes) GR5 (Lake Geneva to Nice), Eastern Alps E5, Italian Alps GTA and the Traverse of the Slovenian Alps; and (for the Alpine adventurer) Alpine Pass Route, Tour of the Oisans, Tour of the Queyras, Tour of Mont Ruan, Stubai High Route, Zillertal High Route, Gran Paradiso AV2 and the Ratikon Hoehenweg. Outline schedules for each trek allow you compare the routes and become inspired to take up the challenge. Basic day-by-day route descriptions for each route are illustrated with maps and profiles, helping you choose the best routes to walk.

Tackling the unclimbed west face of the remote Siula Grande in the Andes, Joe Simpson and his partner Simon Yates achieved the summit before disaster struck. A few days later, an exhausted Simon staggered into base camp to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out, where they found Joe, badly injured, crawling through the snowstorm. Far from causing Joe's death, Simon had saved his friend's life when he was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope.

Nature sports in general and hiking in particular have become, in our urban and post-industrial societies, a growing phenomenon practiced by millions of citizens. The motivations and interests of this large group are varied, but they have a common element: to disconnect from stressful modern life and reconnect with nature. National parks and other protected areas are the preferred destinations, but they present an challenging contrast for land management: conservation versus tourist use. While once considered a romantic practice of escape and discovery, hiking is now a consumer product and a tourist experience. It promises experiences of disconnection, quiet and health; yet, natural spaces are increasingly scarce and more often than not they are crowded by other recreationalists. This book presents a multidisciplinary perspective on the latest trends and developments in hiking. In particular, the authors work from a European perspective with various outdoor recreation models represented and different conservation initiatives explored in the contexts of Spain, Norway, Poland, Germany and Lebanon. Collectively, the authors attend to hiking as a social phenomenon and economic opportunity, which has the potential to sustainably revitalize rural destinations, if managed properly.

If you want to get a total body work out, climbing is the way to do it, and building your own climbing wall allows you to train and have fun any time you want, rather than having to drive to a climbing gym during open hours. Building Your Own Climbing Wall provides the essential information you need to plan and construct your own indoor or outdoor climbing wall, including step by step instructions, equipment lists, information on how to make your own holds, and specific building plans and design ideas for making your climbing wall make maximum use of the space you have.