What are your best reads?
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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>>>Kiss or Kill by Mark Twight. Literally changed my life in the past year. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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.) |
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The Accidents journal is hard to beat for introducing people to how things go pear-shaped. Sobering but invaluable. |
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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. |
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No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the Worlds 14 Highest Peaks by Ed Viesturs |
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Anything by John Long. Especially "Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs". Steph Davis's book is pretty awesome too. |
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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! |
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If you're interested in Alpine stuff: |
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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! |
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Burgess Book of Lies - Adrian and Alan Burgess |
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Feeding the Rat Al Alvarez
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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. |
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-Rock Warrior's Way, |
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Bill Duncan wrote:For leisure, Conquistadors of the Useless is hard to beatReading this now, about 1/3 of the way - excellent so far. Recently read In the Shadow of Denali by Jonathan Waterman - great read. |