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I asked andrew szalay to write an article on the best mountaineering books because I couldn’t think of anyone better suited to write on the subject than andrew.
You are reading: Best books on mountaineering
andrew szalay is a dc dweller just like i used to be. while he calls the plains home, he still often thinks of the great mountain ranges around the world. andrew writes extremely eloquently and thoughtfully about the current state of mountaineering and the world of mountaineering books and literature and blogs for him the suburban mountaineer. I highly recommend checking it out!
10 essential mountaineering books
in 1965, david roberts returned home with two climbing buddies after completing the most difficult new route in alaska to date. These college-age climbers were all students at Harvard University and members of the Harvard Mountaineering Club. it was a successful ascent, however when they went to alaska there were four of them.
at home, roberts was in an uproar. he didn’t know what happened. There was literally a spark in the dark and oddly enough there was no screaming, just silence, but he knew his string partner, Ed Bernd, was gone. it was sudden, final, and deeply shocking.
while grieving and dealing with emotional stress after returning home, roberts walked upstairs to his father’s house and sat in front of the typewriter hammering away at the mountain of my fear. he wrote it in a day and sent it to an editor unedited and without revision. it was raw, passionate and authentic. That’s why it’s on this list of great climbing books.
the genre of mountaineering literature has literally hundreds of titles and several hundred more that are out of print. With so many titles, you can easily make a list of the 100 best mountaineering books. but sorting through a long list like that to find the real gems can also be difficult.
So here are 10 that were written with authenticity and passion as Roberts first book and possibly his best work, or at least significant enough to stand the test of time.
If you are a rock climber or an armchair climber, you must read and familiarize yourself with these amazing mountaineering books:
10. k2: the wild mountain of charles houston and robert bates
charles houston (the author) led the 1953 american bid to be the first to summit the second highest mountain in the world, k2, and to be the first to summit an 8,000 meter peak .
the adventure was full of dangers and the houston book was full of harrowing moments.
In particular, this is the climb where Pete Schoening accomplished the most memorable feat in all of mountaineering – a miracle that saved the tragic expedition from disappearing altogether along with Houston’s significant history.
9. everest: the west ridge by tom hornbein
The summit of Everest had already been reached, but the mountain remained mysterious. Tom Hornbein writes about America’s second ascent of the mountain and the most daring ascent of the line to the top at the time.
he and willi unsoeld chose the west ridge engagement route and to complete the route for the first traverse of the peak.
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hornbein tells the story, which included a dramatic bivouac just below the summit, with the energy and confidence of a daring explorer.
8. scrambles between the alps in the years 1860-69 by edward whymper
This is the oldest book to make this short list of climbing books; It was written in 1870 by the legendary Edward Whymper.
recounts early adventures in the alps while providing practical instructions (such as how to tie a rope to travel across a glacier).
At that time, mountainous regions were no longer considered wastelands or “boils”; they began to romanticize themselves and became the site of new “sporting” activities. In particular, Whymper covers his multiple attempts to climb the iconic Matterhorn. despite the age of the book, it is still very readable.
7. annapurna: a woman’s place by arlene blum
climbing annapurna is more dangerous than k2, based on the ratio of climbers to climber fatalities per mountain.
To highlight the power of women, Arlene Blum organized a women’s team to climb Annapurna.
To raise money for her search, she even sold T-shirts that said “a woman’s place is at the top.”
was provocative, controversial and inspiring. while there has been controversy over how the ascent was actually executed, the courage and pioneering spirit transcend accusation, which is why it appears on the list of the 10 best mountaineering books.
6. reinhold messner’s crystal horizon
Reinhold Messner repeatedly pushed boundaries, but this soliloquy from his second trip to the highest point on the surface, and his first solo, brings the reader closer to feeling like a mountain climber at the turn of a page.
His writing has been called “dry” by some, but it’s actually because it restricts his huge ego from sharing his moment-by-moment thoughts during his ascent and the events that happened during his ascent to stand on his own merits collective. .
5. the mountain of my fear by david roberts
David Robert’s book is listed as the third climbing book in National Geographic’s extensive ranking of the 100 Best Adventure Books of All Time, after Herzog’s Annapurna and Airborne Krakauer, respectively.
roberts retells his story, with unprecedented insight, about making the most progressive climb in alaska to date, the harvard route on mount huntington.
4. no picnic on mount kenya by felice benuzzi
locked up in a prisoner of war camp in Africa during World War II, soldier and mountain climber Felice Benuzzi could see Mount Kenya from his prison.
He knew that escaping from prison to political freedom was useless because the desert around him was so vast. on the other hand, going out just for the chance to attempt the kenya technical mount was something that would kill his boredom and redeem his time.
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That was, of course, if he could escape, continue on his way, and survive the ascent.
3. the shining mountain by peter boardman
I shared a preliminary list with some experts, and dougald mcdonald, editor-in-chief of climbing magazine and executive editor of the american alpine club, noted that he had left this off my list.
(I immediately slapped myself on the forehead, to say “of course!”)
Written by peter boardman, member of the dynamic duo of the boardman tasker award of the boardman-tasker mountain literature award, the book takes the reader on a quest for a mountaineer, and the journey is compromising.
2. annapurna by maurice herzog
This account of the first ascent of an 8,000 meter peak by Maurice Herzog is actually the number one climbing book in National Geographic’s extensive ranking of adventure books.
While disputes have recently arisen over the accuracy of the book, the significance of the ascent and the dramatic narrative of the pioneering climb make criticism minor, especially compared to the influence this book has had in inspiring future climbers. generations of climbers from all over the world. .
1. the mountains of my life by walter bonatti
this is the autobiography of walter bonatti.
He is arguably one of the greatest mountaineers of all time based on his originality, pioneering achievements, and tenure.
The book meets the standard of man and that is why it is number one on this list of the best mountaineering books.
what are your favorite climbing and mountaineering books? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
about andrew szalay
andrew szalay is a washingtonian (d.c. type) who believes that climbing is important, especially when you live in a metropolitan area. he writes a blog, called suburban mountaineer, about humanity’s achievements in mountains and climbing culture, and aspires to be an expert on mountaineering books and literature. you can also follow him on facebook and twitter.
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