mountaineering

If you haven't read Touching the Void...read it first as Joe makes several references to it. I read Touching The Void...and couldn't put it down - outstanding book, and a must read for any climber!

I bought this one hoping for the same. The book was good by all standards but Joe seemed to lose focus on what he was writing about in several places. I think it would have been better if this were divided into two books: one about the flying and one about climbing.

If you're in doubt, buy it...its worth the cover price just for the Eiger history and Joes attempt on it; and Joe is such a talented writer that he can make some mistakes and still create a great book.

Having read each of Simpson's five mountaineering books, I walked away from this one with the feeling that Joe has finally reached a certain acceptance of himself, the world he is a part of and the dangers that go along with being a climber. Whereas some of his previous efforts have been dark and devoid of humor ("Storms of Silence" and "Dark Shadows Falling" for example), I found myself frequently laughing out loud at this one. Joe has mastered the art of storytelling and this may be his best effort since his classic "Touching the Void," which of course is in a class by itself.

This book starts off as somewhat of a tribute to a friend of his who gave up mountaineering because of a fundamental war-weariness to its dangers only to be killed in a paragliding accident a short time later. This leads Simpson to vow to give up serious mountain climbing himself ... but not before completing a handful of classic climbing routes (a "tick list" as he calls it). Among these is the 1938 route of the North Face of the Eiger, which is the focus of the second half of the book. There seem to be a few phrases in this one that were ripped off right out of Heinrich Harrer's "The White Spider" and Joe tacidly acknowledges some unintentional plagarism at the end of the book, explaining that he's read so many books on the North Face of the Eiger that he doesn't even know where much of his knowledge had its origin. A little lame, but I bought it. And fear not, the reader who has come to expect Simpson (the "Mr. Magoo" of the climbing world) to be in a precarious situation will not be disappointed.

I've been reading a ton of mountaineering books lately, and this is quite possibly one of the best. Up until now, I've really liked Mark Twight's writing, mostly becuase he's really funny. But this book has really made me think about why I like to climb, and if it's really worth it. I think that Simpson's writing also does an excellent job of making you feel as though you are right there, if not belaying him, then standing at the belay watching. In the first chapter, there is a good account of his attempt(s) at Alea Jacta Est (a difficult mixed climb in France) and I could really feel the tension. Not quite the same feeling as you get when you are really running out a lead yourself, but not too far from it.

Anyways, I would heartily recommend this book to the climber and non-climber alike. It isn't so esoteric that non-climbers would feel intimidated, and it really makes one think about the whole point of climbing.