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What are your best reads?

Original Post
Jason Krug · · Flagstaff, AZ · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 5

Need book recommendations for a noobie. I know that the best way to learn to climb, and get inspiration is found at the crag with other fellow climbers...but in idle time I often need a good book. Need some recommendations for a good book or your favorite books that will

1.) teach me better technique/skills
2.) inspire me
3.) or is just a damn good read

thanks

Bryan G · · June Lake, CA · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 6,167

50 Classic Climbs of North America, if you can find it at a reasonable price. It's been a while since they last reissued it.

Mark Kroese's more modern book, 50 Favorite Climbs of North America is pretty good too.
mountaineersbooks.org/produ…

If you're interested in Yosemite, Roper's "Camp 4" makes a good read
mountaineersbooks.org/produ…

Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415
amazon.com/Close-Falcon-Gui…

Close Calls: Climbing Mishaps & Near-Death Experiences
E Wydeven · · Austin, TX · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 10

Do you know how long I've been waiting for this thread? Solo Faces, by James Salter. It's fiction, but the protagonist is a real badass mountaineer, a hardman who leads a rescue on the icy Les Dru in Chamonoix. Salter gets climbing. This is the only book I've ever read that properly depicts what it feels like to be up high on a wall and operating at your edge. Anyway. It's pretty cool and I recommend it to anybody that likes to read or climb.

And Freedom of the Hills.

ZANE · · Cleveland, OH · Joined May 2011 · Points: 20

>>>Kiss or Kill by Mark Twight. Literally changed my life in the past year.

Climbing Light fast and high by Mark twight. Great to learn all the techniques.

Beyond the Mountain by Steve House. Pretty good.

Eiger Dreams by Krakaur

I'm reading No shortcuts to the top right now, hoping it'll meet expectations.

Chris D · · the couch · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 2,230
The Schreckhorn
(With thoughts of Leslie Stephen)

Aloof, as if a thing of mood and whim;
Now that its spare and desolate figure gleams
Upon my nearing vision, less it seems
A looming Alp-height than a guise of him
Who scaled its horn with ventured life and limb,
Drawn on by vague imaginings, maybe,
Of semblance to his personality
In its quaint glooms, keen lights, and rugged trim.

At his last change, when Life's dull coils unwind,
Will he, in old love, hitherward escape,
And the eternal essence of his mind
Enter this silent adamantine shape,
And his low voicing haunt its slipping snows
When dawn that calls the climber dyes them rose?


Thomas Hardy -1897
Chris Clarke · · Davis, WV · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 130

Everything that Joe Simpson has written. Same for David Roberts. Tom Patey is great, too. Gaston Rebuffat's Starlight and Storm. Krakauer and Boukreev on one of the Everest disasters make a great study in contrast.

The Boardman Tasker Omnibus is also excellent.

And then you can just read all the Alpinists from 0-35 . . .

The American Alpine Journal is available for free online and it has plenty of great stories.

Bill Duncan · · Glade Park, CO · Joined Mar 2005 · Points: 3,410

For learning, believe it or not, the Royal Robbins books are very dated, but contain the fundamentals everyone should know. (Also insert a plug for Freedom of the Hills here.)

For leisure, Conquistadors of the Useless is hard to beat, and No Picnic on Mt. Kenya and Starlight and Storm are classics. John Long has excellent stuff too.

Rob Dillon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 759

The Accidents journal is hard to beat for introducing people to how things go pear-shaped. Sobering but invaluable.

mcarizona · · Flag · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 180

I like Krakaur(s books, yes all of it..except under the 'under heaven' one) and Dave Breshiers Everest book. I will take some of the other posts' advice and get some reading done. I'm trying to get through Death in Yosemite, but it sucks.

Steve

ZakM · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 5

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the Worlds 14 Highest Peaks by Ed Viesturs
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aaron Ralston

Both fall somewhere between 2 and 3. Inspiring and entertaining.

J.B. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 150

Anything by John Long. Especially "Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs". Steph Davis's book is pretty awesome too.

Jason Antin · · Golden, CO · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,375
ZANE wrote:>>>Kiss or Kill by Mark Twight. Literally changed my life in the past year. Climbing Light fast and high by Mark twight.....
+1 If you like alpine.

Any John Long book, and Rock Warriors Way is a good quick read too!
Joshinator · · Longmont, Colorado · Joined Aug 2011 · Points: 45

If you're interested in Alpine stuff:

Beyond the Mountain by Steve House
No Way Down by Graham Bowley
-148 by Art Davidson (Hard to find, but an incredible book)
Forever on the Mountain by James M. Tabor
White Winds by Joe Wilcox
Anything by Krakauer, but mainly Into Thin Air
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson (Classic)
The Crystal Horizon by Reinhold Messner

Rock Climbing:
Climbing Free by Lynn Hill
Stories of a Young Climber by Pat Ament

Avoid all climbing fiction.

Brett Brotherton · · Arvada, CO · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 121
joshua.s wrote: Avoid all climbing fiction.
+1 There is so much good non-fiction why bother.

+1 on the David Roberts comment he is an excellent writer, and "On the Ridge Between Life and Death" is one of the best climbing books I have read.

Kiss or Kill is also fantastic, even if you don't do alpine its a great read, and to keep things even and entertaining after that read John Sherman's Slightly Censored Climbing Stories.

Also, just finished reading "The Ledge" and it was surprisingly good!
Nathan Stokes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 440

Burgess Book of Lies - Adrian and Alan Burgess
The Hard Years - Joe Brown
Anapura - Herzog
The White Spider
Both of Bourkreev's Books
My Life - Robbins
American Rock - Mellor

I've got an entire bookcase at home of just non-fiction non instructional literature.

The Mountaineer in Keene Valley has an extensive Mountaineering / Climbing Literature section. They get the obscure stuff too like European imports.

Marc H · · Longmont, CO · Joined May 2007 · Points: 265
Feeding the Rat Al Alvarez
Nathan Stokes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 440
Chris D · · the couch · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 2,230
joshua.s wrote:Stories of a Young Climber by Pat Ament. Avoid all climbing fiction.
-1 on "Stories of a Young Climber." Could more appropriately be entitled "Stories of a Huge Ego"

I read this book not long ago and actually managed to suffer through the whole thing. The last few chapters were unbearable. The climbing history mixed in with Ament's wranglings with personal and emotional issues isn't enough to make the book of value to anyone except the reader who must consume all available Colorado climbing history. Ament's "Wizards of Rock" does a better job of telling that story anyway.

Also, interesting juxtaposition of advice, since it could be (and has been) argued that there's a lot of climbing fiction in Ament's book.
JPVallone · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2004 · Points: 195

-Rock Warrior's Way,

-and everything Craig Luebben ever wrote!

JoeP · · Littleton, CO · Joined Sep 2006 · Points: 0
Bill Duncan wrote:For leisure, Conquistadors of the Useless is hard to beat
Reading this now, about 1/3 of the way - excellent so far.

Recently read In the Shadow of Denali by Jonathan Waterman - great read.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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