[tomtom]

Hello,
I need to get a gift or two to say thank you to my host in Australia who has put me up for the last 10 days or so. Last time I stayed with him I got him a couple of mountaineering books (Boukreev's 'Climb' and the White Spider) which went down well. So I was wondering if anyone had any decent suggestions... he's not a climber but likes going on long trips/walking expeditions (patagonia, Mt Kenya etc..)... will be using the power of Amazon to order...
Sneaky pic of his bookshelf below...
Thanks,
T

[slackline]

Just read Steve House "Beyond the Mountain" which was brilliant.

Perhaps Robert Twigger's "Voyageur" may be if interest too (about travelling from East to West across the Rockies in a birch-bark canoe).

[SA Chris]

Get him "No Picnic on Mt Kenya". About the Italian POWs who break out of the prison and climb Mt Kenya with home made kit and a picture on a can of Conder Beef as a topo. I kid you not.

[slackline]

Oh yeah, Paul Pritchard's "Deep Play" is very good too, reading House's "Beyond the Mountain" I thought the two were very similar in terms of explaining the motivation to climb.

[Johnny Brown]

The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
The best of the Polar exploration books, has been in print continuously for 100ish years. Alternatively Shackleton's South comes a close second. Possibly the greatest epic in recorded history where yet 'no one died'. He's more likely to have read it though, and it doesn't feature the Penguin's egg epic.

Mountaineering-wise, I liked Simpson's This Game of Ghosts over any of his other stuff. Again, not the obvious choice which I see he already has. Lots of childhood stuff which is always good, plus some early epics (including their bivvy ledge falling off during the night!!!) and good stuff on the why question.

I'll second House's Beyond the Mountain too. Its been a long time since someone at the very top of their game has written such a good book. Brilliant.

Others to consider - Galen Rowell - High and Wild (seems hard to get hold of at the mo, but throws some amazing photos into the mix), if he's into nature Mark Cocker's Crow Country is my favourite book of the last few years.

[dave]

(including their bivvy ledge falling off during the night!!!)

yeah that's fucking dynamite.

[slackline]

The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
The best of the Polar exploration books, has been in print continuously for 100ish years. ....and it doesn't feature the Penguin's egg epic.

  Forgot about that, only finished it a few months ago too  Very good read, a bit repetitive (get up, walk, rest, walk, sleep, get up walk, rest, walk, sleep, blizzard, sleep, get-up, walk all interspersed with cooking, and detailed provisions etc.), but a great book with some "heroic" feats from those involved.

[dobbin]

I liked Andy Cave's learning to breathe.

Also games climbers play. Not finished this yet - more something to dip into from time to time rather than wade through (as its a collection of magazine articles).

Theres a good one near the start about a fictional zen character called Tronc Feuilleau (sp deffo not right) who does these amazing impossible climbs under cover of darkness, and noones ever seen him etc etc, which prompted me to write "Scott Feuilleau", but a) only adam would have got it, and b) I didnt have the talent to pull it off.

[Johnny Brown]

That's one of my favourite climbing pieces ever. Could only have been written by a frenchman in thrall to the east. I'll wad you for Scott Feuilleau anyway.

[Drew]

A couple which I've enjoyed recently

As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me. One man's escape from prison camp, and a massive long walk thereafter. Maybe not quite what you asked for, but a brilliant read anyway.

Norway: The Northern Playground. 19th Century (I think) explorer wrote a kind of guidebook to the mountains, and fjords of Norway. It's pretty inspiring.

[tomtom]

Thanks Everyone 

There are some great suggestions there- the Mt Kenya one sounds great and the Worst Journey in the World sounds like a classic companion to go with that...

I liked Game of Ghosts too... though I think I gave my copy to a (now ex) girlfriends mum after she was taken with touching the void.. I may have to re-order for myself.

I was toying with getting him 'Mountains of the mind' but having read and largely enjoyed it I'm not quite sure whether its a good book or up its own arse!

[Johnny Brown]

I was toying with getting him 'Mountains of the mind' but having read and largely enjoyed it I'm not quite sure whether its a good book or up its own arse!

Ditto. Its enjoyable and annoying at the same time - the problem is MacFarlane is a writer first and a climber second. His approach to the book is entirely through the romantic literary tradition and ignores the last century of writing and mountaineering. I found the same with The Wild Places - beautiful writing interspersed with geological gaffes and a palpable sense of him only going outdoors to get material to write about.

[clm]

go old school.  shiptons and tilmans larks in the himalayas are wicked.  summat likie ascent of nanda devi.  no idea if they are in print though.  ive only got really old ones.

[SA Chris]

go old school. 

I really enjoyed A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby - clueless adventurers drive off to do big mountains. Love in the Apenines is good too.

Do not get Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer. I was given it, so felt obliged to read it, and it's pretty terrible.

[Falling Down]

Another vote for Beyond The Mountain, the best mountaineering/climbing book I've read in years. 

[cofe]

Another vote for Beyond The Mountain, the best mountaineering/climbing book I've read in years. 

I know I'm biased (we published it in the UK) but I thought it was outstanding. A very special book.

[benpritch]

not mountaineering but certainly qualifies as exploration - 'the darkness beckons' by martin farr, totally amazing stories about the history of cave diving.

[slackline]

For anyone who enjoyed Beyond the Mountains, I just came across a video of someone climbing the Slovak Direct route (which House climbed alpine style in something like 72hrs with two others).

Full report here

[erm, sam]

I really enjoyed A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby

Oh, that reminds me: I thought the above was good, but I enjoyed "The last grain race" by Eric Newby more. Working on one of the last commerical sailing ships to Australia and back. Particularly good if you pal likes sailing.
Lost of hardship, weather and swearing.

[Falling Down]

For anyone who enjoyed Beyond the Mountains, I just came across a video of someone climbing the Slovak Direct route (which House climbed alpine style in something like 72hrs with two others).

By coincidence, it was ten years ago yesterday. Pic of House, Twight and Backes celebrating the anniversary yesterday on Gym Jones this morning.

[Jim]

The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
The best of the Polar exploration books, has been in print continuously for 100ish years. Alternatively Shackleton's South comes a close second. Possibly the greatest epic in recorded history where yet 'no one died'. He's more likely to have read it though, and it doesn't feature the Penguin's egg epic.

Listened to this one sunday in the car on radio 4 driving back from a wedding in london.
Was proper grim but excellent and seemed to complement the hung-over grimness state we were all in.
can't comment on how it reads as it was obviously a radio adaptation but was still an excellent tale

[clm]

 :owhere do you get sanskrit joy division t shirts?

[Johnny Brown]

Same place you get the oven gloves I expect.

[Houdini]

^ Sacriledge.





There's a great book I sent to Popp last year.  One about a trek, modern, across the Taklamakan Desert in Far-Western China. 

If he pipes up he may recall the title. 




2nd the Pritchard collection of essays/stories, Deep Play.  Good general reading.


I'd suggest some biographies of notable dead National Socialists, but I'd hate to give the wrong impression 




edit.  I forget why

[butters]

Those gloves really do take sacrilege to a whole new level - almost makes them desirable.

Quick Google for "Taklamakan Desert book" throws up this - not sure if it is the one Houdini is on about but looks interesting.