Book Description
New in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series: instruction for the beginning to intermediate rock climber by an internationally known guide.

*Author is an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified rock guide and instructor
*Learning exercises reinforce key skills
*Step-by-step technique illustrated in over 150 photos

Craig Luebben has taught rock climbing basics to hundreds of clients and has conducted self-rescue clinics across the U.S. Here he presents the most common foot positions, hand grips, and body positions and how to use them precisely, from the smear to the crimp to the twistlock. Going beyond static moves, he emphasizes a dynamic style of movement for the greatest climbing efficiency--a style that makes the most of your strength and your time on the rock.

With an emphasis on safety and how to stay within your abilities, Luebben teaches how to evaluate potential hazards and then avoid them. Topics addressed include: risk management, face climbing, crack climbing, gear, knots, anchors, belaying, toproping, sport climbing, trad climbing, multi-pitch free climbs, rappelling, aid climbing, bouldering, training, and self-rescue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Heath
Excellent starting place to get into this kind of book, very good reference.I've climbing for the last five years, and I learned a lot from this book.

Best basic book on rock climbing
Guide, author and climbing gear inventor Craig Luebben's book won a National Outdoor Book award and it's well deserved. For anyone taking up rock climbing, or wanting to bring their knowledge up-to-date this is the book to start with.

It's well organized and well-illustrated. Luebben starts the basics of pure climbing - footwork, holds and jams along with special climbing challenges like chimneys and off-widths (he's the Yoda of off-width climbing). Then he covers the gear you'll need like shoes, harness and ropes. He describes basic climber knots and working with ropes and slings. Then he talks about protection, natural and man-made.

He tells you how to build anchors and keep your partner safe with proper belaying technique. He covers top-roping, sport climbing and the basics of traditional climbing including the approach, route-finding, setting pro and the physics and psychology of leading.. Later chapters introduce multi-pitch free climbing, descending and rappelling, bouldering and training for climbing. The concluding chapter explains how to avoid turning your climb into an epic by learning basic self-rescue techniques.

This is by far the best, most up-to-date book on basic rock climbing. After you've read it (more than once) and practiced the skills he describes, get Luebben's book on building climbing anchors.

Bill Becher

great for beginners or strong gym climbers moving to real rock
it may not be perfect, but it does everything it needs to (at least for me).as per the title, i'd recommend this book to any beginner or strong gym climber who wants to move to real crags.for advanced climbers who want to improve their skills there are probably better books out there.

A Comprehensive Rock Climbing Guide
From beginner through intermediate, this guide to rock climbing will not only teach you the basics, but provide you with exercises to help you improve your technique.

Excellent How-to Book for Climbers
Buy it, read it, use it! Mastering Basic Skills should be purchased at the same time as one's first pair of rock shoes. This book is as comprehensive as Freedom of the Hills but written for the rock climbing niche. It delivers a full spectrum of skills and knowledge every climber should develop. From placing protection to footwork to knots and anchors to self-rescue techniques, it's in there. The way information is parceled makes the entire book easy to comprehend, and to consult topic by topic. It's illustrated throughout with crisp photos. Receiving the benefit of the author's guide experience is a bonus; he's added advanced tips and exercises, as well as his own insights. This makes the material less dry, more practical and personal.

If you've mastered everything in Mastering Basic Skills, you truly are an advanced climber. Chances are good, though, that plenty of climbers who've been at it for while could learn something from this book, too.
... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (12)

The Undefinitive Guide to Climbing
I had great expectations for this book. I have been climbing for 6 months (in the gym) and am up into 5.11's. I was looking for some instruction and guidance on focusing my training and getting to the next level. Unfortunately this book does not provide much of what I am looking for.

Largely it consists of a number of unsupported theories (often backed up by bogus graphs) and gross generalities which the author uses to expound on general training techniques. Many of the authors suggestions are well known techniques that any athelete could use but there is very little direct guidance on specific exercises that will target specific climbing deficiencies. I read a chapter of the book and at the end really don't have a good idea of what specific exercises I should be employing. Also the book is full of unexplained climbing jargon which takes a while to figure out.

I definitely would not reccomend this book to a beginning or even intermediate climber and I assume most advance climbers would be beyond the level of the book.

I am going to keep searching for a good book on climbing training techniques.

Excelent.
It is really the definitive guide for climbing performance. Looks like "how to climb 5.12" with a lot more things. No doubt it is a good guide for who wants to upgrade his/her climb level.

Excellent training book
This book delivers what it says, "Training for Climbing". It is not a technique book but very specifically a guide to training most efficiently for climbing. If you want to climber harder, this book provides lots of good advice.

Thank you for this book!
I am an intermediate climber and have been searching for a good source of training techniques to better myself and accomplish more advanced climbs. "Training for Climbing" was suggested by the folks that work at my gym, so I ran out and bought it. This book is so full of information, that I'll be devouring it for weeks! Everything I've read so far is very fact based and straight forward. The parts on developing mental skills are especially interesting to me, as concentration is one of my biggest areas to work on.

My trainer at the gym has requested to look over the book and then we will formulate a work out program to get me in top shape for climbing. I can't wait! Thank you to Eric J. Horst for this comprehensive book on Training for Climbing.

Just what I was looking for...
I've been climbing for a few years and I wanted to begin a more serious, structured training program to help me break through to the higher grades. Training For Climbing is the book I was looking for, given its scientific look at improving technique, strength and the mind. While such a detailed, measured approach to training may not be for everyone, it has great appeal to me as a longtime athlete who engaged in formal training for other sports. Training For Climbing helped me understand the many unique aspects to, well, training for climbing, which I found to be much different than what I had been used to from my previous sports experience. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing the many research references and footnotes, and more importantly I was pleased by the overall LACK of "do as so-and-so hot-shot climber does" or "train like I train." Training For Climbing helped me diagnose and design the best training program for me, and I sense that the book will remain a key resource for me for many years to come. ... Read more

Book Description
Whether acclaimed food writer Madhur Jaffrey was climbing the mango trees in her grandparents' orchard in Delhi or picnicking in the Himalayan foothills on meatballs stuffed with raisins and mint, tucked into freshly baked spiced pooris, today these childhood pleasures evoke for her the tastes and textures of growing up.

This memoir is both an enormously appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory, vividly bringing to life a lost time and place. Included here are recipes for more than thirty delicious dishes that are recovered from Jaffrey’s childhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Madhur Jaffrey's remembrances of life and food in India
Madhur Jaffrey is a personal favorite - I loved her reading of Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance (Oprah's Book Club) & it's a delight to see her pop up unexpectedly in movies like Prime (Widescreen Edition) in small but juicy roles.So, it was a pleasure to read about the author's childhood in this enjoyable remembrance of an India past.

Ms. Jaffrey's family was obviously prosperous and privileged, as attested to by the grand house ("Number 7") that was the center of her early life.You quickly take that standard of life as a given.We get a look at the 'joint family' style of living - all the incomes pooled & the family living under the extended roof and paternal care of her respected and successful grandfather ('Babaji').

You'll want to rush out and order Indian food every night.Each remembrance is embraced with recollections of specific foods and the preparation that goes into making those dishes for a large family.There's a full 50 pages of family recipes that follow the Epilogue.

Delightful!
Madhur Jaffrey is one of the foremost authors of indian cookbooks. This book is a memoir of her childhood in northern India during the 40s and 50s. It is packed with all the joys and flavors of an extended family with liberal food descriptions and delightful flavors of multi ethnic indian cuisine. She obviously had a very rich, privileged up bringing which is perhaps not what every indian born child is privy to, but her writing is compassionate, mindful of the privileges she had in comparison to the rest of the country - and allows the reader to really travel visually and enjoy a taste of the same. One cannot help wishing though that she had dealt with, at some length, on some real struggles with a dysfunctional uncle (Shibbu dada), the changes in the family during the post independance era (all families went through a lot of struggle then, particularly privileged ones) or for that matter anything that lets the reader know that the journey was not always a happy or easy one. Read it anyway, and particulary if you are from India, it is truly a delightful nostalgic journey into the joys and flavors and family love that is so typical of extended family life in our homeland and sadly getting to be a rarity for even those who live there.

Wonderful Mirror of a Childhood spent in Delhi
This book brought back wonderful memories of a lovely 6 years spent in India.Her portrait of the lives of the wealthy and privledged of that era were hauntingly familiar.An excellent read.

Enjoyable
I know the author by her association with Said Jaffrey, an actor of some repute
in India, and her famous cookery show and books in the same domain.
Apparently, at one time the author was married to Mr. Jaffrey, but has since
divorced and is now re-married to a gentleman in New York and settled in the
same city.I presume she still writes books on Indian cooking.In any case,
the Jaffrey name and the title were enough of a ruse to get me to read the
book.What emerges is a tale of a priviledged childhood in pre-independence
India: her family traces its roots back to the time of emperor Aurangzeb
(the last Mughal ruler of India) in whose court Madhur's ancestors used to
ply their craft as writers.The emperor gifted land to her ancestors in what
would later became New Delhi, enabling Madhur a luxurious childhood by Indian
standards.Her family was well to do: grandfather was a barrister, father
owned mills, the family took trips to Europe and possessed two American cars -- and
this is in pre-independent India, mind you.The book itself is composed of short
chapters, each one detailing some memory of childhood: cousins, siblings, aunts and
uncles, grandparent, summer trips to Simla, train rides, traumas, first love, the
travails of a joint family, etc.A common thread that runs through all the chapters is
the association of food with the memories.Madhur (which means "sweet, honey-like" in
Hindi) draws upon her strength -- food -- to permeate each chapter.The writing
style is informal and colloquial, but enjoyable nonetheless.As an added bonus, the
last portion of the book contain her favorite recipes. (July 2007)

For anyone with an interest in India's complex history, culture, and cuisine.
Any fan of Indian cooking well knows the name of Madhur Jaffrey: in addition to hosting a TV show she's also published numerous cookbooks - and acted in many major motion pictures. Here's something different for the Jaffrey fan: a memoir of how she came to be equated with Indian cuisine in "Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India". Her memoir blends food memories with overall impressions of India's social and political changes, making for a wide-ranging coverage recommended as a pick not just for cooks, but for anyone with an interest in India's complex history, culture, and cuisine.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Product Description
The Complete Guide to Climbing (By Bike) is the ultimate guide to cycling climbing and the most difficult hill climbs in the United States. Included in its 224 pages are sections on training for climbing, memorable climbing performances and other climbing resources. The most difficult U.S. climbs are described in great detail including: - Easy to read directions with maps - Accurate climb information including total elevation gain, length and average/maximum grade - Appendices include multiple climb rankings (most difficult, highest altitude attained, greatest elevation gained, steepest, etc) and profiles of the 100 most difficult American hill climbs. This book contains everything cyclists need to know to locate and tackle the toughest climbs in the U.S. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book
So many times I had to look online to find out the grade of tough climbs and wonder if the answer was exaggerated, or the author knew what they were talking about.So many times I heard people say a climb was tougher than "Ventoux" or similar.This book takes the best climbs in the US and compares many to the climbs of the Tour and breaks them down into toughest 1 mile, 2 mile and 5 mile sections.I have climbed many of these including Old Priest Grade and was happily surprised to know my suffering was for a reason as it is one of the steepest in the US.This book is great.Fun to read and makes you dream of a 6 month road trip where you would climb each and every single one.

Great for planning a challenging climb...
This book was highly anticipated by my friends and I. We found it to be really enjoyable reading about the climbs in the US and comparing all of them. I am planning several road trips to hit a few of the BIG climbs...Good book.

climbing by bike
This book focuses almost exclusively on climbing, an essential and at times forgotten element within cycling literature.While the training section could have been more comprehensive it is helpful.The book focuses mainly on actual climbs and I was surprised by the number of tough climbs in the US and like the way each is laid out.Plenty of data in these pages that cyclists will find helpful.

This guide is excellent
The Complete Guide to Climbing by Bike is a guide to cycling climbing and a unique review of the most difficult hill climbs in the U.S.This data has not been available previously in one place which is a big help.Its introduction and following sections lead the reader into why climbing is the most important (and perhaps most diffcult) aspect of the sport.The sections on training, while brief, really gets to the truely important aspects of how to improve one's climbing ability.The climbing perfomances section, which include many unknown exploits, can inspire even bike flatlanders to take on America's toughest hills.

Most of the book is devoted to the most challenging climbs in the U.S.Each is described in detail including the total elevation gained, length, average and maximum grade and a rating.Maps and directions will lead you right to each climb and a short description of each lets the reader know what to expect on the way up.Appendices contain what must be the most complete cycling climbing database and includes multiple climb rankings in varous categories and climb profiles which I think will appeal to cyclists.

Overall this is an excellent resource for cyclists and contains very detailed statistics on Americ's most difficult climbs.A good read and database. ... Read more

Book Description
New in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series: everything climbers need to know about setting climbing anchors, in one comprehensive guide

· Author is an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified rock guide and instructor
· Learning exercises reinforce key skills
· Proper gear placement shown in more than 300 photos

Climbing anchors allow climbers to safely defy gravity. Solid anchors and proper rope techniques can prevent a fall from turning into a catastrophe, while bad anchors are an accident waiting to happen, says certified guide Craig Luebben, who invented his own type of climbing protection, the Big Bro. Since then, he has taught rock climbing to hundreds of clients and has conducted self-rescue clinics across the United States. He distills more than twenty-five years of experience into Rock Climbing Anchors.

This new entry in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series, for intermediate-to-advanced climbers, presents modern anchoring ideas and techniques for top-roping, rappelling, sport climbing, traditional rock climbing, and mountaineering—all in one comprehensive guide. Luebben covers the finer points of all types of commonly used anchors: removable anchors including hexes, wired nuts, tri-cams, expanding wedges, expandable tubes, and cams; natural anchors such as trees and boulders; and fixed anchors like bolts and pitons. Photos show a variety of gear placements, accompanied by discussion of the pros and cons of each. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Comprehensive and current!
Very current and well organized book!Craig Luebben has obviously absorbed the new anchoring concepts that have cropped up recently and has helped me understand the advantages and disadvantages to each new method. A better book in my opinion than John Long's new anchor book.Nicely illustrated and un-biased, this is the book I am recommending to my immediate/advanced clients. -Dave Lottmann, EMS Climbing Guide

THE Anchor Building Book!
I've read all the anchor building books and so far, I have found this one to be the best one.Easy to understand, backed up by testing, lots of pictures (a picture speaks a thousand words!), a well-written guide!

I highly recommend this to all climbers out there!

Great
Craig breaks anchors down into clear concepts, some of which John Long made blurry. The only thing I would have liked were color pictures...simply because some of the anchors were hard to see in B and W.

Best Anchors Book on the Market!!!!
Wow!!! That was literally the first word that popped into my head as I started reading this book.The number and quality of photos BLOWS away any other comparable book.It looks like there are about 3X as many photos as others on the market, making it THE BEST visual source of information on individual placements as well as overall anchor configurations.As we all know, "a picture is worth a thousand words."And, in this case, a picture could be worth your life as well. I could go on and on about how/why this book is so much stronger than others out there.Some highlights are below:

- Luebben's mechanical engineering background is very apparent when you read this book.Being an engineer myself, I really appreciate having a book written by someone who truly understands the mechanics involved with anchor rigging.
- He explains the v-angle and pulley effect (which others only elude to), and there is an appropriate distinction between body weight -- top roping, seconding, rappelling forces -- versus leader fall forces.
- There is a whole chapter explaining climbing physics, and there is a lot more information about cam and nut design and placement considerations.
- Many more anchor rigging options are discussed and pictured, including some minimalistic ones just using slings.
- Luebben does a much better job explaining how to make judgment-based decisions as opposed to following a standard set of rules for all situations.
- All of the above factors make Luebben's book a better source for more experienced climbers (in addition to beginners) than others on the market.
- According to the back cover, Lynn Hill has even recognized Luebben's experience and knowledge, as she selected Craig to be the main anchor and self rescue trainer for her climbing camps - that's pretty cool!

Bottom line...even if you have other books (new or old) it is well worth your money to invest in buying this book.So much has changed in anchor theory in recent years and this book brings together the latest and greatest options.

Excellent Reference
Nicely presented information on climbing anchors that was easy to follow. The photographs were well done and provided clarity. ... Read more

Book Description
·For climbers who know the basics and are ready to venture higher
·Written by longtime guides and climbing instructors certified by the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA)
·Teaches situational thinking and learning as well as technique

This intermediate-level guide addresses tools, skills, and techniques used in alpine terrain including rock, snow, ice, and glaciers at moderate altitude-approximately 5000 meters (16,000 feet) and lower. The technical protection systems are covered, of course. But 30 years of alpine climbing experience has convinced the authors that mastery-and safety-lie in the far more difficult task of knowing exactly which techniques to use, where and when. Therefore, they teach step-by-step decision-making skills, providing scenarios, checklists, and self-posed questions to inform the decision process.

Alpine Climbing assumes some prior knowledge, primarily in rock climbing skills and techniques. Basic knots, belaying, rappelling, building rock anchors, leading, placing rock protection, and movement skills on rock: variations of these skills that are of particular value in the alpine environment are addressed in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

This book is well researched and easy to read
I bought this book because I had been out of alpine climbing for 10 years and I wanted to get back into it.The authors are professional mountain guides but more than that, alpine climbing seems to be an integral part of who they are.I picked up a lot of very helpful information that covers everything from training, to equipment and boot selection, to alpine travel and avalanche knowledge. It is very suited to the Sierra Nevada range, where I do most of my climbing. This is the best book I have found on the subject.

Mountain judgment calls are everything!
Well, I am completely biased having climbed several times with Kathy.In practice, all her mountain judgment seems so seamless!One minute we're just chatting away and the next we're on an exposed ridgeline for five miles, still calm and collected.It's amazing how much judgment is about the conditions (the mountains and ours), and knowing how to read them correctly.One memorable experience was just killing some time during a complete whiteout, and seeing what was possible with a new GPS gizmo.Anyway, what I've learned from Kathy and this book?How to judge my limits far better than before.It's easy to get overconfident and stop thinking.When I'm alone in the mountains now, I actually pay attention and learn to retreat better.Those mountains will wait for another day -- although the glaciers may not!

good book, well thought out
I agree with the reviewers above (below) that this book complements "Freedom of the Hills". In particular it focuses more on the decision making process than most books of these types. Although I've never traveled with either of the authors, they seem like lovely people and the stories they tell flesh them out for the reader. They also answered a question I had when I wrote them via email. In all, a solid book that it would do to put on your bookshelf.

Excellent book for anyone venturing into the mountains
The section on Common Problems with Decision Making was alone worthy the purchase!I could identify many issues and suggestions with my own experiences. Very well laid out book and a must read for anyone venturing into the sport of climbing, or those of us who wish to brush up on skills and ponder ways of continuous learning no matter the level of prior experience. One of definite climbing "bibles" written by people who do it for a living and are prepared to share their experiences and knowledge. Five stars IMHO!!! Happy climbing!

Must have for all aspiring and experienced climbers
A gem of a book for all aspiring and experienced climbers. Mark Houston and Kathy Cosley are highly respected working mountain guides. Their book is full of practical and modern advice based upon their years of climbing around the world. Climbers of every level will want this well written addition to their library. ... Read more

Book Description
·Detailed directions to locate each climb
·Full-color photos of every route
·High-quality, moderate climbs that are sure to become your favorites
·Descent instructions for every climb

Many climbers who visit Joshua Tree spend as much time searching for good routes as they do actually climbing.This guidebook offers the moderate climber a fun, varied and challenging "tick-list" of 60 great Trad climbs, and makes it easy to find your way around.With color photos of every route, detailed maps, and easy-to-follow driving and hiking directions, you'll be able to climb numerous routes per day and make the most of your climbing trip.

Key features of each climb are described, and you'll even know what to expect when you reach the top of a route and want to set up an anchor and later descend. Are you looking for an area with a concentration of a certain grade or climb?Color-coded overview maps will help you choose your spot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

What a great book!
First of all, this book is written by some really nice people. This book is void of the elitism that usally comes with a guide book to an area like this. My wife and I have been to J-tree many times but this was our first year with this book. It truely enhanced our time there. The full color pictures are great, and they took all the pictures from such logical places that if you are following a road or trail and find yourself needing direction, you look up and see exactly what is in the picture for the climb you are looking for. My wife and I found ourself laughing on one climb when we were looking off in the distance for a rock formation and spotted the tree 6' in front of us that was also about 6' in front of the camera lense in the picture! And there are climbs that real people can do! I notice in other guide books the only highly rated climbs are 5.12 and up! Get this book, you won't be dissapointed. I only wish I could meet the authers and tell them of my appreciation.

Randy Vogel, READ THIS BOOK!!!!!
Sometimes, as the saying goes, less is more.This book is a classic example of producing a user friendly rock climbing guide to one of the premier cragging areas, by limiting the scope to climbs that most people who go to Joshua Tree actually enjoy.As the title stipulates there are no 5.12 sphincter squeesers here, just interesting traditional climbs (no bolts for the sport freaks).

Each climb is photographed in color with a graphic overlay clearly showing the route.Most of these routes are short, single pitch climbs that encompass a wide variety of problems with the emphasis on classic crack climbs.Approach info and the maximum protection requirement is noted along with a very abreviated strategy for the climb.Information on lodging and camping along with dining options are covered pretty well, though the surrounding areas offer a lot more variety than the book indicates.

If you're a beginner/intermediate climber and aspire to climb in JT, this is the guide to get.

Hands down the best 'Select' climbing book I've ever seen
This book is the best non comprehensive climbing guide book I have ever seen. The highlights are:

- Full color photos of the routes
- Both approach photos as well as close up route photos, making it easy to find the rock and specific route
- Full park map with relative camping and route locations listed
- Very good beta on each and every route (includes sun/shade, rack suggestions, etc), usually about a page per route not including another page for photos.

So basically if you're interested in the 5.5 to 5.9 trad routes in Joshua Tree you'll love this book, simple as that.

A MUST HAVE BOOK!!
Wow! Great book, color detailed photos of routes, sun/shade orientation for all routes & basically all the info that one needs to have a memorable trip in Joshua Tree.Also great to have a book that has a focus on climbs under 5.10.All in all this is the most informative climbing book I have ever purchased.Would have been happy paying twice the price I paid for it.

Confessions of a fellow climber
Okay, I confess that I've known Charlie & Diane Winger for over twenty years.What I can tell you is that they always pour their hearts and souls into their guide books, including "Highpoint Adventures (2002)" and "The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (2003)."Well,this year (2004) they've done it again with their nifty "The Trad Guide to Joshua Tree."Indeed, there is simply no better guide book available for making "fun" climbs in Joshua.The excellent route photos and superb reaseach makes you long to rope up right now! ... Read more

Book Description
This book is for climbers of all ages, abilities , and interests who wish to improve their performance. It is for weekend warriors who enjoy 5.6s yet desire to lead 5.10s, and for mountaineers interested in moving faster at altitude. It is for ice climbers who want to move more efficiently over frozen terrain and big wall climbers who want to increase their stamina.

The standard concept of training for climbing has long been, "just climb!" While that may suffice for a few gifted individuals, this philosophy has also resulted in countless climbers reaching performance plateaus and suffering recurring injuries. Even after the benefits of training began to be recognized, many of the regimens developed by climbers were physiologically unsound; some were downright dangerous. Climbing: Training for Peak Performance carefully details the foundation and fundamentals of nutrition for mind and body, flexibility training, aerobic, and strength conditioning, and how to put it all together to help you perform better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Worth the money
I was looking to improve my rock climbing abilities to prepare for the spring. This book is definiately informative with a clear and concise overview of what works and what is fad.

Good Information, But Not Great
I initially purchased this book without hesitation upon recognizing Clyde Soles' name and recalling his excellent work as the gear editor for "Rock and Ice."And while he has done an excellent job of amassing a wide variety of information and adjusting it to a climbers needs, none of the material presented is really that original or profound.The bottom line of this books is eat healthy, train both aerobically and anaerobically, and supplement your climbing with strength training.I would reccommend this book for someone new to climbing and looking to set the foundation for good health and climbing.More experienced climbers looking for an additional edge or those with a solid understanding of the principles of health and fitness, however, should look elsewhere.

Best training book for all-around climbers available!
There are numerous training books for sport climbers who want to send 5.13 or boulder V12. But this is the only book for everyone else. It's a great resource for alpinists, big wall climbers, weekend 5.8 craggers, and most other outdoor athletes. This takes the training and nutrition chapters in Mark Twight's "Extreme Alpinism" to the next level with far more content and detailed explanations. It offers practical advice and emphasizes time efficiency and having fun for a healty lifestyle. Definitely a good book for almost any climber!

What a Great Book
I had been climbing for a while, and wanting to get better.When I started to train with climbing in mind, I really didn't know where to start.So, I did the usual things and felt frustrated.Fortunately I came across this book.It really answers questions, is immensely practical, and is a pleasant read.If you want to climb stronger, get this book.

definitely a must-read
If you're looking for a book that explains not only what to do to increase your climbing performance but also how to do and why to do, don't look further, get Soles' book right away. I got into mountain climbing 3 years ago and all through these years I craved for a book about training for mountaineering explaining the principles and containing useful sample programs, but all that stuff out there were about training for rock climbing only, except Mark Twight's Extreme Alpinism with its valuable chapters on training. Twight's book is excellent, though the chapters about training are not detailed enough naturally, it's not a book about training after all. Well, I don't have to crave anymore, I found what I was looking for and more in Clyde's book. It doesn't matter if you're an alpinist or a sport climber or whatever, I'm sure this book will work for everyone.

Maybe most important of all, take Clyde's word, learn to have fun while training. This book surely will help you on this one... ... Read more

Amazon.com
Few scientific theories have been as influential or controversial in the past few centuries as Darwin's thoughts on natural selection; even now, laymen and scientists find fault with Darwin's argument. Richard Dawkins, the chair of the communication of science at Oxford University, has delivered a well-researched book supporting and supplementing Darwin's theories. Although not a work of Darwinian proportions, Climbing Mount Improbable is an advancement of those theories for scientists and general readers alike.Book Description
A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current shape and function must be the product of design. How could such an intricate object have come about by chance? Tackling this subject--in writing that the New York Times called "a masterpiece"--Richard Dawkins builds a carefully reasoned and lovingly illustrated argument for evolutionary adaptation as the mechanism for life on earth. The metaphor of Mount Improbable represents the combination of perfection and improbability that is epitomized in the seemingly "designed" complexity of living things. Dawkins skillfully guides the reader on a breathtaking journey through the mountain's passes and up its many peaks to demonstrate that following the improbable path to perfection takes time. Evocative illustrations accompany Dawkins's eloquent descriptions of extraordinary adaptations such as the teeming populations of figs, the intricate silken world of spiders, and the evolution of wings on the bodies of flightless animals. And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time. Climbing Mount Improbable is a book of great impact and skill, written by the most prominent Darwinian of our age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Dawkins' Plethora of Illustrated Examples of Gradual Evolution via Natural Selection
Climbing Mount Improbable may be treated as the sequel to The Blind Watchmaker but really reads more like a development of those thoughts. In fact Climbing Mount Improbable is an expanded transcript of Dawkins' Growing Up in the Universe, first broadcast in 1991 in five episodes, which was filmed during a series of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (which have been held in London annually since 1825 first started by Michael Faraday). For those who have seen the series, Climbing Mount Improbable is that whole series plus five years worth of updates (this book was first published in 1996). For those who haven't seen the series, its worth getting because the series compliments this book wonderfully.

Climbing Mount Improbable is a collection of examples of gradual evolution via natural selection with a good load of illustrations and photographs to back it up. In terms of value for money this book is essentially a pinnacle in Dawkins' thoughts on evolutionary biology with the evidence to back it up and so for that reason really does offer a lot more than most books for the price.

Nobody does it better than Dawkins when it comes to presenting biology lessons of a lifetime. The fact that this book is based on the materials for a set of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures says it all about the quality of the information in the pages. If there is a biology book you are going to get then get this at all costs. It's both the foundation and the finishing touch on assembling the facts surrounding living things.

Dawkins covers ten chosen topics. Each topic is about evolutionary biology. The main theme of the book is about the illusion of intelligent design and how natural selection is the right approach to understanding the gradual development of complex organisms from simpler ones. The metaphor of the mountain with many peaks is used throughout the book to describe the process of evolution via natural selection. This mountain is what Dawkins calls Mount Improbable.

Chapter 1 "Facing Mount Rushmore"
This chapter deals with illusions in natural design such as seeing John F. Kennedy in a mountain face and comparisons to actual intelligent designs such as Mount Rushmore. Dawkins then examines mimicry in insects such as ants mimicking beetles and beetles mimicking termites, all explained by natural selection. Dawkins covers several designoid objects such as the pitcher plant and pots made by potter wasps and mason bees. Convergent evolution describes how specific environmental conditions can produce the same evolved characteristics in separate species. Millipedes copulate face to face. The wild cabbage has bred an amazing diversity of cabbage-like plants. The Chihuahua has eventually been bred from the wolf. Dawkins famous blind watchmaker program is then shown to produce a variety of computer generated biomorphs to illustrate how complex organisms form through heredity via natural selection.

Chapter 2 "Silken Fetters"
Dawkins describes in deep detail the evolution of the spider-web before going on to explain adaptive variations and in the web design.

Chapter 3 "The Message From the Mountain"
Dawkins gives a general rundown on how natural selection gradually works including mutation and the error of calling evolution chance. Dawkins gives examples including the evolution of the elephant trunk and the giraffe neck. The topics of macro-mutations and punctuated evolution are covered.

Chapter 4 "Getting Off the Ground"
Dawkins describes the evolution of flight. Magnitude and volume in relation to evolutionary constraints under the laws of physics is extremely interesting. Creatures that glide are illustrated. Dawkins answers why mammals are found in the sea if mammals evolved from fish and then proceeds to give examples of fish that have strange adaptations via natural selection such as the flat-fish.

Chapter 5 "The Forty-fold Path to Enlightenment"
Dawkins describes the evolution of the eye in vast detail. The evolution of the eye is often called impossible by some yet the solution is again found in the gradual process of natural selection. Dawkins then goes on to show how the eye has independently evolved in other species.

Chapter 6 "The Museum of All Shells"
Using just three mathematical variables of the flare, verm and spire Dawkins systematically develops complex shells. Then by adding another dimension of size and change of each possible variable Dawkins surprises the reader with an array of every complex form of life on the planet today. This is a real eye-opener... and an evolved eye at that.

Chapter 7 "Kaleidoscopic Embryos"
If you have ever wondered how those amazing jellyfish look so mechanical Dawkins explains it using the idea of kaleidoscopes and natural selection. This chapter then leads up to another surprise of how body parts evolve into their complexities from less complex designs. This is yet another brain raiser... and an evolved brain at that too.

Chapter 8 "Pollen Grains and Magic Bullets"
Dawkins illustrates and describes the symbiotic relationships between flowers and the insects they need to reproduce them, all developed via natural selection.

Chapter 9 "The Robot Repeater"
All living things are in fact hosts for DNA. DNA for wings is there so that wings can help DNA spread. DNA says copy me to copy me. That's it! This is the meaning of life in a nutshell. Shockingly simple but this is what has been at the heart of all biological questions since humans first asked "why we are the way we are?" using our emergent consciousness.

Chapter 10 "A Garden Inclosed"
Dawkins does the evolution of the fig via natural selection in a way that only very patient readers or professional biologists will appreciate. It's the book's example of tour-de-force natural selection. It is highly complex and requires several readings to even begin to comprehend it.

This book is a world beyond the question of whether evolution is real or not. Not only is this book dealing with the fact of evolution but its business is with the mechanisms of natural selection in all its forms as a real process that is observable, testable and verifiable. For people who are still unsure about evolution this book will not only convince but does so by going into the deep end and presenting what biologists know about this certainty of life.

The style of critical thinking is also something to learn outside of the book's topic. Dawkins writes likes it is the reader who is doing all the work, and they are if they can think through every step of his mountain climb. You will never see life the same way again. Everything, and I mean everything, you see will be subject to analysis. Dawkins has set his standards as high as Everest. You will stand at the summit with a refined critical mind and that is guaranteed.

Dawkins' Plethora of Illustrated Examples of Gradual Evolution via Natural Selection
Climbing Mount Improbable may be treated as the sequel to The Blind Watchmaker but really reads more like a development of those thoughts. In fact Climbing Mount Improbable is an expanded transcript of Dawkins' Growing Up in the Universe, first broadcast in 1991 in five episodes, which was filmed during a series of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (which have been held in London annually since 1825 first started by Michael Faraday). For those who have seen the series, Climbing Mount Improbable is that whole series plus five years worth of updates (this book was first published in 1996). For those who haven't seen the series, its worth getting because the series compliments this book wonderfully.

Climbing Mount Improbable is a collection of examples of gradual evolution via natural selection with a good load of illustrations and photographs to back it up. In terms of value for money this book is essentially a pinnacle in Dawkins' thoughts on evolutionary biology with the evidence to back it up and so for that reason really does offer a lot more than most books for the price.

Nobody does it better than Dawkins when it comes to presenting biology lessons of a lifetime. The fact that this book is based on the materials for a set of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures says it all about the quality of the information in the pages. If there is a biology book you are going to get then get this at all costs. It's both the foundation and the finishing touch on assembling the facts surrounding living things.

Dawkins covers ten chosen topics. Each topic is about evolutionary biology. The main theme of the book is about the illusion of intelligent design and how natural selection is the right approach to understanding the gradual development of complex organisms from simpler ones. The metaphor of the mountain with many peaks is used throughout the book to describe the process of evolution via natural selection. This mountain is what Dawkins calls Mount Improbable.

Chapter 1 "Facing Mount Rushmore"
This chapter deals with illusions in natural design such as seeing John F. Kennedy in a mountain face and comparisons to actual intelligent designs such as Mount Rushmore. Dawkins then examines mimicry in insects such as ants mimicking beetles and beetles mimicking termites, all explained by natural selection. Dawkins covers several designoid objects such as the pitcher plant and pots made by potter wasps and mason bees. Convergent evolution describes how specific environmental conditions can produce the same evolved characteristics in separate species. Millipedes copulate face to face. The wild cabbage has bred an amazing diversity of cabbage-like plants. The Chihuahua has eventually been bred from the wolf. Dawkins famous blind watchmaker program is then shown to produce a variety of computer generated biomorphs to illustrate how complex organisms form through heredity via natural selection.

Chapter 2 "Silken Fetters"
Dawkins describes in deep detail the evolution of the spider-web before going on to explain adaptive variations and in the web design.

Chapter 3 "The Message From the Mountain"
Dawkins gives a general rundown on how natural selection gradually works including mutation and the error of calling evolution chance. Dawkins gives examples including the evolution of the elephant trunk and the giraffe neck. The topics of macro-mutations and punctuated evolution are covered.

Chapter 4 "Getting Off the Ground"
Dawkins describes the evolution of flight. Magnitude and volume in relation to evolutionary constraints under the laws of physics is extremely interesting. Creatures that glide are illustrated. Dawkins answers why mammals are found in the sea if mammals evolved from fish and then proceeds to give examples of fish that have strange adaptations via natural selection such as the flat-fish.

Chapter 5 "The Forty-fold Path to Enlightenment"
Dawkins describes the evolution of the eye in vast detail. The evolution of the eye is often called impossible by some yet the solution is again found in the gradual process of natural selection. Dawkins then goes on to show how the eye has independently evolved in other species.

Chapter 6 "The Museum of All Shells"
Using just three mathematical variables of the flare, verm and spire Dawkins systematically develops complex shells. Then by adding another dimension of size and change of each possible variable Dawkins surprises the reader with an array of every complex form of life on the planet today. This is a real eye-opener... and an evolved eye at that.

Chapter 7 "Kaleidoscopic Embryos"
If you have ever wondered how those amazing jellyfish look so mechanical Dawkins explains it using the idea of kaleidoscopes and natural selection. This chapter then leads up to another surprise of how body parts evolve into their complexities from less complex designs. This is yet another brain raiser... and an evolved brain at that too.

Chapter 8 "Pollen Grains and Magic Bullets"
Dawkins illustrates and describes the symbiotic relationships between flowers and the insects they need to reproduce them, all developed via natural selection.

Chapter 9 "The Robot Repeater"
All living things are in fact hosts for DNA. DNA for wings is there so that wings can help DNA spread. DNA says copy me to copy me. That's it! This is the meaning of life in a nutshell. Shockingly simple but this is what has been at the heart of all biological questions since humans first asked "why we are the way we are?" using our emergent consciousness.

Chapter 10 "A Garden Inclosed"
Dawkins does the evolution of the fig via natural selection in a way that only very patient readers or professional biologists will appreciate. It's the book's example of tour-de-force natural selection. It is highly complex and requires several readings to even begin to comprehend it.

This book is a world beyond the question of whether evolution is real or not. Not only is this book dealing with the fact of evolution but its business is with the mechanisms of natural selection in all its forms as a real process that is observable, testable and verifiable. For people who are still unsure about evolution this book will not only convince but does so by going into the deep end and presenting what biologists know about this certainty of life.

The style of critical thinking is also something to learn outside of the book's topic. Dawkins writes likes it is the reader who is doing all the work, and they are if they can think through every step of his mountain climb. You will never see life the same way again. Everything, and I mean everything, you see will be subject to analysis. Dawkins has set his standards as high as Everest. You will stand at the summit with a refined critical mind and that is guaranteed.

Evolution of eyes, spiderwebs, wings, and clamshells
Many people find it difficult to understand how complex structures like eyes and wings evolved through random evolution.Dawkins does a thorough job here laying out just how evolution works.He makes it clear that evolution is not random--it is the accumulation of gradual changes, over centuries and millenia.Mutations are random; evolution is not.Dawkins is very good at explaining how each gradual change to a complex structure like an eye or a wing would have been useful enough to the animal possessing it to have contributed to its survival and producing more babies than its rivals.Those babies then become the starting point for the next round of evolution.The key word here is CUMULATIVE.

The book does get tedious in a few spots.I am less fascinated than Dawkins is by the details of the computer programs he uses to simulate certain types of evolution.

"Climbing Mount Improbable" is more or less a sequel to Dawkins' book "The Blind Watchmaker," with additional detail.Although "Climbing Mount Improbable" is good, if you can read only one of the two books, I would suggest "The Blind Watchmaker."

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

Not the Best Dawkins Book
Although I called this "Not the best Dawkins Book," notice I still gave it four stars. If you're looking for a dispute against creationism as I know a lot of Dawkins' readers are, then I'd recommend The Blind Watchmaker instead. However, if you're looking for a few interesting examples of the beauty of natural selection at work, Dawkins articulates them well in this book touching on: elephant trunks, spider webs, wasps & figs, the eye, flying things, and some molluscs.

There is current empirical evidence for evolution and speciation
I know this forum is supposed to be about the book, but I am so tired of people in the evolution vs. no-evolution debate claiming there is NO EVIDENCE (it's always in caps) for evolution. Can any of these people honestly claim they've done the research to support their claims? How many hours have they logged in research libraries? How many footnotes and bibliographies have they gone through and followed up on? I'm not saying there aren't issues with evolutionary theory and possible lines of argument. But the age-old "there isn't any direct evidence" simply is not true and it does a disservice to the debate to keep saying that. Here are just a FEW examples I've come across with minimal research:

First, the Grant's have done a 20 year, exhaustive, fasicinating study of the CURRENT evolution of the Galapogos finches. They have recorded measurable changes in morphology and behavior due to natural selection. It is not philosophy, it is not conjecture, it is in the data. Gigabytes of it.

Two, ACTUAL SPECIATION has been observed and studied in at least one species of fruit fly.

Microbiologists and pathologists (and anyone fighting disease today) can show you numerous example of evolution in action. MEASURABLE, QUANTIFIABLE evolution. Even if they didn't (and they did) does anyone out there think that antibiotics are becoming less effective because of intelligent design?

Several species of guppy's have been used to perform REPEATABLE, MEASURABLE expirements that demonstrate natural selection in action. This is a "real" experiment in a real lab, as if that's the only kind of science that means something; but still, if that's what people are complaining doesn't exist, they are wrong.

There is a journal devoted to covering evolution in action and the scientists that are observing it in nature and running experiments in the lab. You can read countless more stories (one of my favorite is the frog taking over Australia after 80 years of harmless-ness due to a favorable mutation).

The papers are all out there. The data is there. You just have to look (and be willing to look). And this is stuff I've come across as just a casual reader with an interest in evolution. I actually started out believing the DARWIN WAS IN CRISIS! Oh heavens! I read that there is was no evidence of evolution so maybe it evolution is just an unprovable theory (= philosophy). I actually believed that. But then I took the step that so many don't:I actually did some research - and it didn't take much. What a crazy idea.

So please, please stop saying there is no evidence until you have done the hard work of the research yourself and stop repeating cliche's from people with an agenda. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent book, with a lot of up to date information.
I like this book a lot.I've been climbing for over 20 years, but took a break in the last 5 or so and am just getting back into it.A lot can change in 5 years, and this book really was a big help in getting familiar with the latest in anchor system building.The real test data for various systems is a big plus that exposes problems with many systems I once viewed as 'good enough' (using John Long's terminology).If you were taught only one or two methods of setting up anchor systems, get this book.You'll be surprised how much variety can be in the various systems, and you'll see how one system can have advantages over others in different situations.To end on a funny note, I got a real kick out of the front and back cover pictures.It would seem that given that both pictures are of climbers on apparently chossy unstable towers, the strength of their anchor systems is the least of their worries! I'm not sure if this was intentional, but it did make me giggle to see such photos on an anchor system book. :)

too complicated to be useful ?
I was a little disappointed about John Long new anchor book.I felt the book lost touch with the reality that climbing safe often means climbing fast, especially in the mountains and on long routes..While the new tests reported on belay anchors are interesting, they seem to miss statistical validity and the conditions used to carry out the tests seem very extreme and seldom occur in real climbing.What the book does not say is how many accidents have occurred in the real climbing world because of the type of failures that were observed in the testing lab.If that is a significant number, I am willing to change the way I rig my anchors, otherwise it is probably better if I stick to my older simpler method.The solutions proposed to make better (more equalized) anchors are so complicated that it is difficult to imagine how to rig them properly after you climbed 20 pitches with a power bar for lunch.Maybe the information disclosed in the book is useful in specific cases, when all your pieces are awful.I am not an expert, but I just wonder if trying to make belay anchors so complicated at all the time, even when your pieces are great, may cause more accidents due to mistakes and more epics due to wasted time.I would appreciate an expert opinion on this matter.Thanks.

Concise, informative, and well researched
This is a well written and well researched book. The most significant aspect for me are the new tests on various anchors presented in the book. As a novice outdoor climber, I was most interested in rigging good top-rope anchors and was quite surpised to learn about the faults of the cordelette. Fortunately he introduces a better alternative called the equalette. He also dispels some myths about the sliding X and the fear many have of potential shock loading. The chapter where he describes the tests of various anchor setups is quite eye opening. It really begs for additional tests to be performed and has me thinking about what other false assumptions exist in this sport. A good reference and essential reading for any outdoor climber.

Building Solid Climbing Anchors
This newly updated reference guide will teach you how to build safe and secure anchors while climbing.These techniques have been scientifically tested.

The last word on climbing anchors
Climbing Anchors (2nd Edition) by John Long is a newly updated guide and reference to building safe and solid climbing anchors.It combines the best content from "Climbing Anchors" and "More Climbing Anchors" published in 1993 and 1996 respectively.

Here in one comprehensive volume is all the necessary instruction to help climbers place pro, tie critical knots, and construct SRENE anchors.Introduced in this volume is the "self-equalizing" but "limited extension" Equalette anchor system.This technique is an important one to have in a climber's anchor-builing arsenal. ... Read more

Book Description
From the editor of Urban Climber magazine: solid, clear instruction that takes gym climbers from novice to master.

*Indoor climbing is growing rapidly-significantly faster over the past five years than surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and mountain climbing according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association *Author is a pioneering instructor and gym climbing course developer*Key exercises reinforce fundamental skills, illustrated in sequential photos

Gym climbing has evolved into a sport in its own right and Matt Burbach has been there to spur it on. He established, developed, and directed the Indoor Climbing School of Earth Treks Climbing Center in Maryland, the largest climbing gym on the east coast. Now he presents the same techniques and training exercises honed by coaching hundreds of climbers.

Burbach covers all aspects of indoor rock climbing in detail, including what to look for in a gym, analysis of equipment and how it works, proper top-rope systems management, and movement technique. More advanced indoor climbers will appreciate chapters on topics such as indoor leading, performance, competition climbing, and bouldering. For outdoor rock climbers now training in gyms, this guide aids the "reverse" transition from climbing on real rock to pulling on plastic. Throughout, Burbach not only demonstrates the proper techniques and skills, but goes one step further to explain why those practices are better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

recommendable
It is a recommendable book if you want to learn about climbing, lots of pictures that show precisely how to proceed. The best book I found so far.

If you climb you need this book!
Matt Burbach (a.k.a. M@ at Urban Climber Magazine) continues to impress with this instructive and comprehensive book on gym climbing.The photos and descriptions of everything from technique to learning how to lead are really useful for someone like me who is beginning to climb hard routes more consistently.I don't climb outdoors very often, so the other books discussing climbing on "real" rock don't really give me the information I need to improve at my local rock gym.Burbach's book is different.It is specifically geared toward "urban climbers" like myself who climb in gyms and want to improve.I recommend this book to people wanting to maximize their indoor experience. ... Read more

Book Description
When your climbing team is in trouble on the mountain—how to get yourself out of a jam without calling 911.• Self-rescue procedures for teams of two—the most common climbing party size• Techniques equally effective on rock, snow, and ice• Utilizes gear climbers already carry in their rack • Includes 40 one-page rescue scenarios and solutions for analysisThe rope is stuck—or too short. A crucial piece of gear is MIA. You've wandered off route into dicey terrain. An injury leaves you or your partner in need of help. Climb long enough and finding yourself in a jam far from help is inevitable. In Climbing: Self Rescue, two longtime climbing instructors and guides teach how to improvise your own solutions, calling for outside help only when necessary.

Because few climbers carry fancy (and expensive) search and rescue gear, all skills taught in this book use the items typically found on a climbing rack: rope, carabiners, slings, and cord. Text, illustrations, and photos explain knots, belaying and hauling systems, rappelling, ascension, passing knots, how to safely assist and rig an injured climber, and more. Roughly half of the book is devoted to real-life climbing scenarios and solutions ranging from moderate to severe. Because real-life situations rarely unfold as they do in practice, Climbing Self-Rescue teaches how to analyze and improvise your way out of a crisis.

ANDY TYSON is a guide for Alpine Ascents, Exum and Antarctic-logistics and Expeditions. MOLLY LOOMIS is an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Alpine Ascents and Prescott College. Tyson is the author of Glacier Mountaineering; Loomis has written for Rock & Ice, Climbing, She Sends, and other publications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Should be on the shelves of any serious, regular climber.
How best to respond when your climbing team gets into difficulty? First, read CLIMBING SELF-RESCUE: IMPROVISING SOLUTIONS FOR SERIOUS SITUATIONS from cover to cover. It holds the keys to using the team's abilities to effect self-rescue, pairing illustrated techniques with insights on using them in all conditions, from rock to snow and ice. Nearly thirty rescue scenarios are outlined with solutions involving as few as two climbers. No other book holds the solution-oriented scenarios of CLIMBING SELF-RESCUE: it should be on the shelves of any serious, regular climber.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Best Self-Rescue Book Money Can Buy
I concur with the previous review.Excellent detail and a plethora of photographs to illustrate each point.This book includes a section on ascending out of a glacier crevasse as well.Andy Tyson and Molly Loomis have done a lot of research and work to put this book together to include such detail as a flow chart for you to methodically determine which rescue scenario to persue.Not only do they give qualitative data, but they included quantitative data compiled from various sources to help you understand the strengths of knots and their weaknesses as well.29 rescue scenarios are explored for your better understanding of rescue techniques. If you have Fasulo's book, this will be a great addition to your rescue book collection.If you are just getting into rock climbing, I strongly advise seeking a mentor and purchasing this book to complement the side of climbing that many people overlook, self-rescue.Practice, practice, practice, then have someone critique your rescue skills.

Essential reading for trad climbers
This is currently the best book on self rescue. Tyson and Loomis provide clear instructions that are understandable to climbers new to leading and detailed enough for long-timers. There's a lot of information, so it can be a bit overwhelming, but you can quickly glean the important stuff. The final chapter offers 29 realistic scenarios with discussion on solutions that provide good food for thought.

Like first aid, even if you think you know all this stuff, it's important to refresh your knowledge. This is the definitive text on self rescue that can literally save you when the s**t hits the fan. Get it. Read it! ... Read more

Amazon.com
In May 1996, Lene Gammelgaard became the first Scandinavian woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest. The next day she made history again by surviving the mountain's deadliest disaster. The catastrophic blizzard that killed eight climbers, including Gammelgaard's friend and expedition leader Scott Fischer, spurred controversy over the commercialization of Everest, and has been exhaustively chronicled in accounts such as Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

Fortunately, Climbing High offers an original, insightful view of the tragedy and steers clear of the need to explain what went wrong: "You cannot expect anyone to help you ... up there. Your fate is in your own hands, your own two feet." Gammelgaard kept journals throughout the expedition, and her account stays true to this form: short, intense, and subjective entries on the pressures of financing the climb, the fierce physical and psychological challenges women face in extreme sports, and the tricky cluster of personalities that can make or break a summit bid. Yes, there are gripping moments, such as the desperate night she and seven others spent exposed in the storm above 20,000 feet, but Gammelgaard is at her best when providing insights into what drives people to risk--and sometimes lose--their lives. --Svenja SoldovieriBook Description
On May 10, 1996, Lene Gammelgaard became the first Scandinavian woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.But a raging storm and human error conspired to turn triumph into catastrophe.Eight of her team's climbers, including its renowned leader Scott Fischer, perished in a tragedy that would make headlines around the world.In her riveting account, Gammelgaard takes us from her weeks of determined training to the exhilaration of arriving in Nepal to the arduous climb and deadly storm that forced her and her fellow climbers to huddle throughout the night, hoping to stay alive.Gammelgaard also writes movingly of Everest's awesome beauty; of the passion and commitment required to face the daunting challenge of climbing to high altitudes; and of the complex personal relationships forged in the pursuit of such dangerous ventures.Arlene Blum, author of the classic account of women and mountaineering, Annapurna:A Woman's Place, calls Climbing High "an honest and deeply personal account." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

It's About The Big Thing: Me, Myself & I.Oh! And Everest!
I am a rabid Everest-phile, reading everything I can get my hands on and I've got all the books by the best and brightest to have ever climbed Everest.

Lene's book wasn't the worst, certainly not the best. Definitely readable because I looked forward to reading it each night before I fell asleep.

The problem with Lene is she is not comfortable in here own skin or life. She has had a laundry list of occupations: sailor, attorney, drug counselor, psychotherapist, journalist and on. I think summitting Everest was supposed to finally make her feel worthy or complete. Of what, I don't know. I don't think she found what validation she sought on Everest either and all she preached about for pages, like a mantra, was "must summit, must return safe" as if that was the secret to eternal happiness and self-acceptance: summitting Everest!

Curiously, she only writes of her small enclave of friends on this ill-fated climb and there were tons of people in Scott Fisher's group and Rob Hall's. Possibly because NOT a lot of people LIKED her. She never mentions Jon Krakauer as if he did not exist on that trip. Maybe because he had a HUGE bestseller and she didn't.

I also wonder about the relationship between she and Scott as they had a history of constant mail correspondence and running off to exotic mountains together. She does not delve deep into this.

It was a readable book however, and I loved that there was the entire climb itinerary from Base Camp to the final standby at Camp 4. Her narrative was excellent when it came to describing being trapped by the unexpected storm on Everest and what the other climbers were going through.The photos, unfortunately black & white, were quite informative though.

If you've read ALL the other books on Everest and are still hungering for more, this is NOT by far the worst of the series, just not the best.

A badly written and researched book - saving grace? the few photos!
This book is pooly written - I dont know if this is the author's insistance or some kind of translation error from danish to english, but the style of writing really puts you off.

I find it hard to believe that any american publisher's editors did not notice the bad translation, maybe this is just the style of the writing insisted by the author.

The book is about the authors trip to everest summit. There is very little substance in the book. This is more a fit for a one page or two page article in a magazine than to be published as a hard bound.

After you read Krauker's book, you are bowled over by the style, the research and the facts crammed into it. Even though Krauker may have titled it as a personal narrative, there is no disputing the fact that 'Into Thin air' provides all the information that you may want to know about the expedition, and is essentially a 'History' of the tragedy. This book on the other hand offers zilch.

The only saving grace are a couple of photos - one showing the hillary step from the bottom, the other showing the areas of the camp and'the huddle' on South col. Avoid it if you can.

Not the best book out there about Everest 1996
What it is about:
In May 1996 Lene Gammelgaard became the first Scandinavian woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest.This is another book about the 1996 Everest tragedy.



What it is good about it:

It is interesting to have a woman's perspective on what happened during that season on Mount Everest.She is more sensitive to expedition's leaders than other authors who have written about this tragic event.It is also good to know that she didn't write this book after seeing all the fame that other authors received and try to cash in on this tragic event but in fact she was one of the first writers of the event and was only published later in the US.



What is bad about it:
I have a lot more bad to say then good.This is a steam of consciousness sort of writing and it just rambles.I am also in awe that this woman would write this way about herself.I don't know if that is bravery, some sort of moral adherence to the truth or if she hasn't figured out that she sounds like a high paying amateur that she complains about.She didn't even know what kind of equipment to use and she kept arguing with her expedition leader on whether or not she could climb w/o oxygen (which is very rare)!

Conclusion: There are better everest books out there!

A badly written book!
The author came across as a rather selfish and arrogant person, totally self involved. There were enough problems up there on Mt. Everest without Gammelgaard throwing temper tantrums because Scott Fischer wanted her to summit with oxygen. She frequently drew conclusions about other's thoughts and motivations without any basis for these judgements.The writing was boring, choppy, and unedited for grammar.Hopefully, Gammelgaarddid get around to paying Mountain Madness the balance of what she owed them. She tried to convince us that she did in fact pay in full.Not true.Frankly, the woman has difficulty in relating the facts with truthfulness. I could never recommend a book this poorly written. She didn't really write about mountain climbing. She wrote more about love of self. Her own self, that is.

Read This Book After You Read Into Thin Air and The Climb
This book is very valuable to read in combination with "Into Thin Air" and "The Climb." These two books have more details on what happened up on Mount Everest during the tragedy. This book is focused more on Lene's personal journey during, before and after the Everest tragedy. It was an amazing journey and she was very determined and brave. ...