On May 16, 2002, Phil and Susan Ershler reached the top of Mt. Everest and became the first couple in history to scale the fabled Seven Summits. What made their achievement all the more remarkable was that Susan was not a mountain climber, but a high-powered Fortune (r) 500 executive who had never hiked or climbed until she met Phil at the age of 36. Phil, a professional mountain guide who was the first American to summit Everest from its treacherous north face, had climbed his whole life with Crohn's disease, a chronic, debilitating illness. Adding to these challenges, just before their final summit, Phil was diagnosed with colon cancer, and the resulting surgeries and complications were expected to end his career. This is Susan and Phil's story: a tale of love set in the mountains, a story of triumphal highs and devastating lows in quest of a seemingly impossible drea

This thoroughly revised and updated third edition of Better Bouldering presents all the techniques and tricks gleaned from the forty-plus bouldering career of John Sherman, America's most noted and notorious bouldering guru. Sharing the most recent trends in techniques, equipment, and injury treatment and prevention, Sherman imparts his insider knowledge of the sport through colorful instructional text and "combat" stories from his own bouldering career-allowing both beginning and accomplished boulderers to learn from the author's mistakes rather than their own.

This 2nd edition of "Ben Nevis: Britain's Highest Mountain" brings the history of Ben Nevis right up to date from the 1st edition, by adding the period from 1986 to 2008. This is a highly illustrated and painstakingly researched history of a mountain whose global status far outstrips its modest altitude; a story of climbers, poets, geologists, map makers and pioneering meteorologists. For more than 100 years, mountaineers have honed their skills and equipment on its flanks and ridges and applied them to dazzling effect in the Alps and Greater Ranges. Today, climbing on Ben Nevis is more popular than ever and the mountain's international reputation continues to grow, as its cliffs offer up some of the most challenging traditional summer and winter climbs in the world. This title offers fully updated history of Britain's most famous mountain from 1585 - 2008. It is highly illustrated with more than 400 (mostly colour) photographs, diagrams and maps. It features significant new research and historical photographs, and includes chapters on: Ben Nevis Observatory, Ben Nevis Distillery, Ben Nevis Aluminium Smelter, Ben Nevis Hill Race, Environment and Conservation, Gaelic Place Names, Geology and Mapping.

A classic mountaineering memoir by one of the UK's foremost female climbers. 'A story of climbing and compulsive love of mountains ... magnificent' OBSERVER In 1945, when Gwen Moffat was in her twenties, she deserted from her post as a driver and dispatch rider in the Army and went to live rough in Wales and Cornwall, climbing and living on practically nothing. She hitch-hiked her way around, travelling from Skye to Chamonix and many places in between, with all her possessions on her back, although these amounted to little more than a rope and a sleeping bag. When the money ran out, she worked as a forester, went winkle-picking on the Isle of Skye, acted as the helmsman of a schooner and did a stint as an artist's model. And always there were the mountains, drawing her away from a 'proper' job. Throughout this unique story, there are acutely observed accounts of mountaineering exploits as Moffat tackles the toughest climbs and goes on to become Britain's leading female climber - and the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide.

The new guide by Anavasi is the first of a new series called "Green Guides". These guides will focus on the mountain regions of Greece. The aim of this small guide is to point out the beauty and unique qualities of the three mountains: Giona, Vardoussia and Parnassos. With photos and texts on the flora and fauna, details on routes that go through the villages and monuments and a wide range of trekking routes with maps and descriptions, winter and summer climbs, routes for cross country skiing. Finally, the guide also contains information on the Parnassos ski centers and the best places for paragliding.

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.

Deadly Peaks is a collection of the most notable mountaineering disasters and near-disasters in history. Exhaustively researched by two of the most respected authorities on mountaineering history, the book is structured in a unique way: Longer recitations in chronological order followed by a group of briefer narratives, which all offer an intimate glimpse into the worst case-scenarios high altitude adventure can offer.

Most of us can watch an old episode of the holiday programme Wish You Were Here without it having the life-changing effect that it had on postman Edward Buckingham. For Ed, a young man from humble origins in Cornwall, the draw of Kilimanjaro and the high mountains of the world would change his life forever. It would also very nearly end his life during a fall from high on Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world. Drawn to high places, Ed embarked on a journey that would take him to the summit of the highest mountain on every continent. His seven summits actually involved ten summits - he climbed the highest summit in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, and the highest in Continental Europe, Mount Elbrus, as well as summiting Australia s Mount Kosciusko and the far more remote Papua New Guinea summit of Carstenz Pyramid, the highest point in Australasia. And, of course, Cho Oyu. In 7 Summits, Ed tells of hardship and near-death experiences on Cho Oyu, the sheer scale and suffering in being the first Cornishman to ascend Everest, as well as his final summit, Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Ed develops as a man throughout his quest. Always humble, working hard for the Royal Mail delivering post to fund his trips, on his early trip to Aconcagua and on his first attempt on Mont Blanc he is very much a novice mountaineer, but his passion for the outdoors and willingness to help his fellow climbers is always there. During his fifteen-year quest Ed's experience grows, particularly in the sub-Arctic of Alaska, where his ascent of Denali tested his stamina and equipment to the limit. At the culmination of his quest, he emerges as a capable climber, fit and strong and by sheer determination has become a world-class athlete, running full and ultra marathons, climbing mountains and delivering post.

This handy, pocket-size manual provides easy-to-understand, step-by-step guidance to climbers transitioning from basic rock climbing to sport climbing, which involves scaling larger, more challenging rock walls that have fixed anchors.

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.

This is a dual language (English and French) rock climbing guide to the Mont Ventoux area in the Avignon region of Southern France. The South of France with its excellent record of fine weather and superb quality limestone cliffs, has always been one of the most popular climbing destinations in Europe. This is a highly modern and up-to-date topo guidebook, with over 1000 routes from beginners 3a's up to an 8c's, and will suit anyone going on holiday, and at any time of the year. With over 200 colour photos and 100 colour topos that evocatively illustrate both the climbing and the region, this book will be the ideal holiday companion for anyone that seeks sunshine and climbing.

* More than 350 sport routes for climbing in Thailand, rated 1-5 stars for their appeal * Up-to-date post-Thailand tsunami information * Information on Thai history, culture, and geology, along with useful Thai language phrases * Author royalties used for route rebolting efforts in Thailand, done in conjunction with the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) This new guide contains everything climbers need to make the most of Thailand, both on the rock and off. You'll find information on local transportation, lodging, sightseeing, guide schools, and gear shops, as well as how to preserve your gear from the wear and tear of warm salt water breezes, and much more.

Each spring, over eight hundred climbers attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The conditions are challenging, and without warning can become life-threatening. Some make it to the top of what is considered the worlds most majestic mountain, but others are not so lucky, and in the attempt to reach the elusive summit, many more have tragically lost their lives. Not all are recovered, their bodies left to the mountain. In the spring of 2010, 18,000 feet above sea level, documentary filmmaker Dianne Whelan immersed herself in the challenging and captivating world of base camp on Mount Everest. In this personal and eye-opening expose, Whelan shares gripping stories of Maoist rebels, avalanches and dead bodies surfacing out of a dying glacier. From her perspective at base camp Whelan interviews climbers, doctors and Sherpas all living for months on end in the belly of the mountain as they wait for a weather window to summit the top of the world. Woven into the personal stories of these climbers is the devastating truth of the human impact on the mountain and the eerie and unforeseen effects of climate change. Experts believe there are over 250 bodies buried on the path from base camp to the peak of Mount Everest. With the glacier melting and moving at over four inches a day, the toll of the human desire to conquer the mountain is slowly and irreversibly surfacing at base camp.

Ice climbing continues to grow more popular every year. Advances in equipment and technique have helped make the sport accessible to a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts. How to Ice Climb! is the most complete and up-to-date reference available on the sport. Climber and accomplished photographer Tim Banfield provides all the information beginners need to get into ice climbing, as well as many valuable tips that the experts will appreciate, too. Starting with an overview of the history of ice climbing, the authors move on to cover clothing, gear, approach strategies, avalanche safety, snow climbing, frontpointing, overhanging ice, mixed climbing, hazards....all facets of ice climbing are thoroughly examined and explained. Full color photos complement the text to make How to Ice Climb! the most complete resource available.

Northern Limestone : Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire from Rockfax covers the premier limestone sport crags of the UK with the big three of Malham, Kilnsey and Gordale and their world class climbing. Alongside these titans are numerous other destinations that offer both sport and trad climbing throughout the grades, ranging from the intimidating walls of Blue Scar and Trow Gill to the long lines of newly developed low to mid-grade sport crags such as Moughton Nab and Giggleswick South. Low to mid-grade trad climbing is also well catered for on the walls and escarpments at the likes of Trowbarrow Quarry, Twistleton Scar, Attermire Scar and Witches Quarry.Virtually all of the crags in the book are set in beautiful countryside and are close to fabulous pubs, villages, camping and bunkhouse accommodation.Twistleton Scars, Trow Gill, Robin Proctor's Scar, Crummackdale, Panorama Crag, Moughton Nab, Pot Scar, Giggleswick North, Giggleswick South, Langcliffe, Castleberg Crag, Attermire Scar, Malham Cove, Gordale, Stony Bank, Yew Cogar Scar, Blue Scar, Kilnsey, Dib Scar, Loup Scar, Troller's Gill, Scout Scar, Mill Side Scar, Chapel Head Scar, Humphrey Head, Trowbarrow Quarry, Witches' Quarry.

This biography tells the story of one of the most colourful - some might say eccentric - people of the Canadian West, who also happens to be a climber. Forest didn't take up the sport until he was in his mid-40s. At a time when most men are thinking of retiring from strenuous activities, Don was busy setting records: the first person to climb all the 11,000-foot peaks in the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains and the oldest person to climb Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain. Apart from Don's climbing achievements, for which he received the Banff Mountain Festival's Summit of Excellence Award in 1990, Don is renowned for his idiosyncrasies, which the author and Don's friends have documented in detail.

The first man to set foot on the summit of Everest, the man who led a team of tractors to the South Pole, the man who jetboated up the Ganges from the ocean to the sky has, for the first time, gathered all the remarkable adventures of a long life into one volume. But there is more to Edmund Hillary than this. He is also the man who repaid his debt of fame to the Himalayas by inaugurating a programme of building schools, clinics, airstrips and bridges in Nepal. With his still active support, these have gone from strength to strength in the 50 years since he himself mastered the Hillary Step and led his companion Tenzing Norgay up Everest's final summit ridge. View from the Summit is a thoughtful and honest reappraisal of a life spent pushing human ability to its limits and relishing the challenges thrown down by the elements. It is also the story of a man whom the world has taken to its heart.

This gripping and triumphant memoir from the author of "The Mountain" follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time.
For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But" No Shortcuts to the Top" is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.
A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air.
"In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs's odyssey, "No Shortcuts to the Top "is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

Now completely updated and revised with new color photos and topos, this guidebook is the ultimate resource to technical climbing routes, hiking trails, and peak-bagging routes in Wyoming's Wind River Range, a popular playground for backcountry enthusiasts and alpine rock climbers. More than 200 new climbing routes have been completed in the Wind Rivers since this book was last published in 1994, and this guide is the only comprehensive collection of information available to climbers. Includes hiking and climbing information for these areas: Ross LakesGreen RiverDinwoody GlacierPeak LakeTitcomb BasinAlpine LakesMiddle Fork LakeEast Fork ValleyBaptiste LakeCirque of the TowersDeep LakeSouth Pass

- hundreds of favorite routes, many of moderate difficulty, at Tahquitz and Suide Rocks- Trivia and route history sidebars- Stunning action photos- color topo maps with detailed directions to parking areas (GPS coordinates included)Best Climbs Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks is part of FalconGuides' Best Climbs series, appealing specifically to nonlocal climbers and locals with minimal time on their hands, all of whom seek visually appealing, to-the-point guides that filter out the very best climbs in some of America's most popular climbing destinations, with an emphasis on moderate routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.10.

Few things suggest rugged individualism as powerfully as the solitary mountaineer testing his or her mettle in the rough country. Yet the long history of wilderness sport complicates this image. In this surprising story of the premier rock-climbing venue in the United States, "Pilgrims of the Vertical" offers insight into the nature of wilderness adventure.

From the founding era of mountain climbing in Victorian Europe to present-day climbing gyms, Pilgrims of the Vertical shows how ever-changing alignments of nature, technology, gender, sport, and consumer culture have shaped climbers relations to nature and to each other. Even in Yosemite Valley, a premier site for sporting and environmental culture since the 1800s, elite athletes cannot be entirely disentangled from the many men and women seeking recreation and camaraderie.

Following these climbers through time, Joseph Taylor uncovers lessons about the relationship of individuals to groups, sport to society, and nature to culture. He also shows how social and historical contexts influenced adventurers choices and experiences, and why some became leading environmental activists including John Muir, David Brower, and Yvon Chouinard. In a world in which wild nature is increasingly associated with play, and virtuous play with environmental values, Pilgrims of the Vertical explains when and how these ideas developed, and why they became intimately linked to consumerism.