Climbing Literature

hey guys im just looking for some new reading, i just previously finished reading fear of falling by royal robbins and camp 4 by steve roper. Looking for a story based book, not an instructional or how to book, i love books that get into the philosophy of climbing but just throw out some titles of your favorites!

On the Ridge Between Life and Death - David Roberts

Ed Viesturs K2 book is actually a pretty good read too - nice mix of the history of the mountain plus his personal experiences.

Lots more, but those are two of my latest favorites.

"Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs"- John Long!

Long On Adventure, started reading it on a plane ride home and almost fell into the aisle laughing.

"The Stone Masters" by John Long. It is beyond amazing!

A few to get you started:

Games Climbers Play, ed. Ken Wilson

Mirrors in the Cliffs, ed. Jim Perrin

Moments of Doubt, David Roberts

This Game of Ghosts, Joe Simpson

Savage Arena, Joe Tasker

Stories Off the Wall, John Roskelley

The Mountain of My Fear
Deborah

by David Roberts

Both are often included in single book. Probably the best mountain literature I've read.

Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs - John Long
Eiger Dreams - John Krakauer
Touching the Void - Joe Simpson
The Rock Warrior's Way - Arno Ilgner

I still shudder thinking about the late Tobin Sorenson climbing desperate 5.11 cracks with the rope noosed around his neck... Largo can tell a story like no one else...

Any book by either Joe Simpson or Jon Krakauer. I liked "The Beckoning Silence" a lot, and will read anything Krakauer writes.

"Beyond the Mountain" as stated before is down right bad ass! Steve House is as good of a writer as he is climber!

"The High Lonesome" by John Long is a series of short stories which were fun to read as well.

El capitan: historic feats and radical routes, by daniel duane. STELLAR

Pickets and dead men, bree loewen****

High infatuation, steph davis. *****

Climbing free, lynn hill

Revelations, Jerry moffatt

And my favorite, the handren guide to red rocks, tons of history essays not to mention the routes to fantasize about

Also any and every issue of accidents in north American mountaineering to remind you how fast things can go very wrong

Also early days in the range of light, Daniel Arnold

Giza wrote:The Mountain of My Fear Deborah by David Roberts Both are often included in single book. Probably the best mountain literature I've read.

'No Picnic on Mt Kenya' is a great story about a guy that breaks out of a prison camp to climb Mt Kenya during WW2.

kiss or kill
the ultimate high
beyond the mountain
free spirit

So what's your next book?

John T. Martinez wrote:"Snow in the Kingdom, My Storm Years on Everest" by Ed Webster

High Infatuation by Steph Davis +1
Sherman Exposed

Classics (sorry if some are repeats):

This Game of Ghosts (Simpson)
Breaking Point (Randall)
The White Spider (Harrer)
The Last Step (Ridgeway)

+ a couple of newer books:

The Ledge (Davidson)
Two Shadows (Winger)

I personally believe Nick Bullock is the single best contemporary climbing writer around. He has a book due out next year.

nickbullock-climber.co.uk/

Otherwise, Kiss or Kill, Beyond the Mountain, or Enduring Patagonia (by Gregory Crouch). Enduring Patagonia is by far the most evolved and refined lit on the subject. I personally can't stand too much of David Roberts work, although at times I absolutely love it. Maybe I just need to give him more of a chance, but I hate how often he reflects on his HMC days, Harvard, Hampshire College, and all his whole academic career. He does make up for it with his honest tales of exploration and adventure though... A former student of his, Nancy Lord, who he writes about in "On the Ridge Between..." is a leading environmental writer, especially in regards to Alaska, and I highly recommend her book "Rock, Water, Wild".

Now ignore everything I wrote and check out anything written by Jack Turner - especially Teewinot or The Abstract Wild. Turner has written the best mountain literature of the past decade, hands down.