Total Alpinism by Rene Demaison is a bit of an epic. Him and Hamish MacInnes, they don't make 'em like that anymore
Been meaning to get a copy of that. Wasn't he the guy who got trapped below the summit of the Grand Jorasses for a week or more in winter? On those same lines of legendary European climbers,
Conquistadors Of The Useless by Lionel Therray - hard as nails that guy, a great read. Also Hermann Buhl's Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, stories of some bold solo climbing leading to an amazing account of reaching the summit of Nanga Parbat solo and barely making it back after an unplanned standing bivi on a ledge above 8000m
Mick Fowler's On Thin Ice is probably one of the best adventure books I have, if only for his attitude towards getting things done as well as having an eye for interesting stuff rather than 'big tick' routes. Going through a load of books on the shelf over lunch and feeling the need to see some big mountains again : ) or at least re-read the books!
Very similar to what I would’ve posted. Talking about Terray, I really enjoyed Rébuffat’s books too.
But then… too many books I enjoyed to pick a few.
Then there’s The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Gerrard.
They collected penguin eggs in an Antarctic winter…
Or Jack London's John Barleycorn: Alcoholic Memoirs
"Been meaning to get a copy of that. Wasn't he the guy who got trapped below the summit of the Grand Jorasses for a week or more in winter? On those same lines of legendary European climbers"
Yeh while sat next to his dead climbing partner!!!
I enjoyed all the Shipton and Tillman books. Anything by Andy Kirkpatrick or Andy Cave is a guaranteed good read. Johnny Dawes' Full Of Myself was superb - but may not work for everyone. He's bonkers. Jim Perrin's biogs of Don Whillans and Menlove Edwards are good too.
Sorry to drag this back up with a stupid question...
Paul Howard has written 'Eat Sleep Ride' about doing the tour divide.. But he's also written 'Two Wheels On my Wagon' - which is also about cycling the tour divide... I'm not finding enough information to tell me if one is a reprint of the other or an american version.. or a different book Anyone know?
Apologies if it's super obvious, it's friday morning!
The Last Gentleman Adventurer-Coming of age in the Arctic is a great book about a man named Edward Beauclerc Maurice who at 16 signed on with the Hudson Bay Company in the 1930's and tells his story about living with the Inuit and and running a fir trading post a really interesting read as he was one of last of his kind as it was at the end of the era for the Empire and at the dawn of modern era for Canada. I read the book in one sitting stayed up all night couldn't put the book down and have read it twice more I don't think anyone will disappointed if this kind of is of interest.
The Big Open by RIck Ridgeway- tale of him and a couple of other climber/adventurer types hauling carts into a remote part of Tibet looking for the breeding ground of a rare antelope. Very out there in terms of any chance of rescue or such.
Ordered this, arrived the other day. Top tip, thanks. Another one of Conrad Anker's amazing trips. A few years ago I stumbled upon a site by the first guy to ride solo across the same area, 19 days with all food carried in and crazy-cold conditions. It looks amazing if you like huge open spaces. I do, but the pictures don't capture the winds and temperatures that would make it very hard going.
Anyone know?
