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Best climbing book

Original Post
oatsmeal · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 0

What is your favorite book on climbing/climbing lifestyle? This may have been a thread before but I'm new here

Nick Votto · · CO, CT, IT · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 320

Ahhh, there's so many...I really liked Steve House's Beyond the Mountain, being about one of the most hardcore alpinists ever. As far a historic climbing Starlight and Storm by Gaston Rebuffat is awesome

JJNS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 531

Annapurna is so classic! Into Thin Air is also amazing.

Victor K · · Denver, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 170

I'm reading "Scrambles Amongst the Alps" by Whymper. It's great because you see a kindred spirit from a much different age. The engravings are spectacular.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

Downward Bound', by Warren Harding. Pokes some fun at the first bolting and ethics issues of early 60's.

Choss Chasin' · · Torrance, CA · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 25

+1 for Into Thin Air

No Shortcuts to the Top, was also very good.

JJNS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 531

Anyone read anything by Messner?

Eric Robertson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 0

While not about any overly extreme mountaineering, Good Morning Midnight by Chip Brown tells a really great story. Another favorite that is High Infatuation by Steph Davis.

Kevin Landolt · · Fort Collins, Wyoming · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 585

Are you people kidding me?

Kiss or Kill

Enduring Patagonia

RyanO · · sunshine · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 145

I loved the climbing of the Matterhorn in "On the Road" :)

fossana · · leeds, ut · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 13,318
JJNS wrote:Anyone read anything by Messner?
The Naked Mountain - not a great book but an interesting story

+1 for Good Morning Midnight as an excellent tangentially related book
Mut Adelman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 0
JJNS wrote:Anyone read anything by Messner?
I read a Messner book and thought it was epic. I forget the name but it was a compilation of different stories from different climbs. He talks about wondering around the base of so e peak looking for his dead brother. It was a really good book. I wish I knew the name. Sorry.

On another note, I just read The White Spider which is a book about the Eiger. I liked it.
Allen Hill · · FIve Points, Colorado and Pine · Joined Jun 2004 · Points: 1,410

+1 for Rum Doodle. I think "Starlight and Storm" is a beautifully written book that even a non climber would enjoy. Its my current favorite.

Ben Cassedy · · Denver, CO · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 315

The Self-Coached Climber.

JJNS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 531

High Exposure by David Breashears and Memoirs of a Mountain Guide by Lou Whittaker.

Micahisaac · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 80

"White Spider" is amazing! That is why I climb.

Good contemporary books have been mentioned, but my favorites have been "Touching The Void" and "High Exposure". Can't believe this topic hasn't been covered. Prolly has, but I'm too lazy to use the search bar.

edit: I stopped being lazy and found two threads

mountainproject.com/v/gener…
mountainproject.com/v/commu…

matt davies · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 25

"The Shining Mountain" by Peter Boardman

joel douglas · · Denver CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 0

The Long Walk

Garrett Soper · · Duluth, Minnesota · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 20

Solo Faces by James Salter. A stunningly good novel.

John Maurer · · Denver, CO · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 530
Thus Spoke Zarathustra . . . "'I am a wonderer and a mountain climber,' he said to his heart. 'I do not love the plains, and it seems that I cannot sit still for long. And now whatever may come to me as fate and experience - a wandering will be in it and a climbing of mountains: in the end one experiences only oneself.'"

-Friedrich N.
Graham Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 0

No Picnic on Mt. Kenya by F. Benuzzi - probably read that 10-15 times. Such a great story.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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