Book Review: The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer

Since discovering a little fondness for mountaineering literature, I decided to do a little research into what was considered a true classic. Those who are familiar with the genre won't be surprised to learn that the first book I focused my attention on was: The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer. Everywhere I looked online suggested that this was a 'must read' for anyone who is even remotely interested in alpinism and mountaineering; I couldn't wait to start reading.

After the first couple of pages, I wasn't sure if this was the right book for me. The first part of the book focuses on the history of the Eiger and, while this is very interesting, I found the dated writing style quite hard to read and follow. However, I was determined to give this said 'classic' a fair chance and stuck with it; I was not to go unrewarded.

After the initial history and prologue, Harrer turns to the nitty-gritty and focuses on the early attempts on The North Face; the many failures and numerous tragedies. There a some shocking tales but by far the most hard-hitting is that of the tragedy of Toni Kurz. I don't think anyone could read this chapter and not be moved by such a sad tale - be they a climber, mountaineer or neither.

The book then becomes extremely enjoyable and easy to read, as the historical style changes to subjective accounts of attempts on The North Face. Harrer's personal account of the first ascent is a truly fascinating read; if you are a modern climber or mountaineer, it is quite hard to imagine the hardships suffered on The Face, as one has the comfort of modern technology and equipment - a truly magnificent achievement for the day.

Each chapter then focuses on either a different tale of a number of ascents or a landmark year for the Eiger's North Face. This keeps the reader interested, as each chapter is filled with epic tale after tale.  Harrer clearly carried out an enormous amount of research to piece all of these accounts together and lets the reader make up their own mind; where there is any doubt about what really happened on an attempt. He writes with a very open mind and does not pass any judgement whatsoever on his fellow alpinists, and I feel the author commands respect here and deserves a great deal of credit. Indeed, one can imagine that it would be easy to judge others and criticise individuals for the many fatal mistakes that were made over the years on The Face. On a personal note, I particularly enjoyed the account of the first rescue attempt from the summit that involved the use of a winch and steel cable - clearly a revolutionary tactic and a groundbreaking method at the time.

After being unsure about this text initially, I am so very glad that I persevered with it - as it is a true classic in mountaineering literature. A must-read for any climber or mountaineer.

Book Review: No Way Down: Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley

After reading, and greatly enjoying, Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick, I was keen to see what other gems of mountaineering literature were out there. A quick look along the bottom shelf of my bookcase revealed yet another book that I had been leant by a family member but never got around to reading: No Way Down.

I can remember Herbie going on about it a few months back and saying how 'nuts' the story was and how so many people had died. Intrigued, I decided to make it my next read - and I very glad that I did.

The book starts with a brief history of the K2 and some of the (very!) early attempts to conquer its mighty summit. Some crazy tales of how vast royal entourages made an assault on the mighty peak. This, I must say, was the most enjoyable part of the book for me personally; as I am extremely fond of mountaineering history. The main story then starts by setting the scene in early August back in 2008 by introducing the reader to each of the mountaineers who were planning a summit bid. Bowley has clearly researched each individual's history and personal story and it is clear that even in high altitude mountaineering: there are folk who come from many different backgrounds and from all walks of life - but on the mountain, everyone is equal. It was interesting to read about each of the mountaineers; their previous success and near-misses. What is clear from the background of these mountaineers, is that no-one stood out as being 'under qualified' to be on that mountain and all deserved to be there and making a push to claim the top.

The tale of the cerac collapse then begins by describing the mass approach to the summit, the long train of climbers, how slow the progress was, and how late in the day events were unfolding. It is at this point that I was thinking that some sort of human error or mistake would lead to accidental death or a multitude of tragedies, as Bowley builds up the suspense. After most parties summit, the real tale of death and survival unfolds before the reader's eyes and we are given an account from many of the mountaineers' perspective - a truly fascinating read. It is at this point that Bowley inserts minor elements of speculative fiction (e.g. some of the final thoughts of those that perished, and some small elements of what actually happened at the very end), but without this, the story would not flow as well and the reader may well feel a little 'cheated' and wanting more answers. Where fact is unsure, Bowley offers opinions of others that were actually there and other possibilities in an attempt to answer most questions and doubts that the reader may have.

Picturing the tragic events that unfolded that day and imagining oneself in that position is a difficult thing to do and the reader wonders what they could have done differently or if there were any other alternatives to the decisions that were made. A brilliantly well-written and fascinating story that will strike fear into the heart and soul of anyone, whether they are a mountaineers or not.

I think I found this book so enjoyable because it focused on the facts about what actually happened and not on the minor details or the 'nuts and bolts' of mountaineering. The focus of the story is very much on the individuals who where there and those that lost their lives on K2 over those eventful few days. The result is a text that many folk will be able to relate to and appreciate the fear and hardship that these brave souls endured.

I would be interested to know if anyone who has read this book has gone on to summit K2, because I can tell you right now that it has certainly put me right off!

Book Review: Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick

Despite being a climber myself and a general outdoor 'all-rounder', I've never particularly been interested in climbing and mountaineering literature. Touching the Void, for example, wasn't really for me; because I couldn't relate to the situation? Perhaps...

As a general rule, I tend to steer clear of climbing 'novels', but a few weeks ago I was looking for my next piece of bedtime reading and spotted a copy of Psychovertical on the shelf. No doubt it had remained on the shelf since being baught for me as a gift by a relative one Christmas past. With an open mind, I decided to give it a chance... and I was certainly pleasently surprised.

Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick breaks all the rules when compared to other climbing 'stories' and doesn't feel (or read) like a climbing tale of adventures, hardships and over-hyped 'epics'. Andy is clearly more of a climber than he is a writer and this is a breath of fresh air, as the text reflects that it was written by quite a 'normal' bloke; not by someone who is blinded by their own ego.

Kirkpatrick switches between his life story and the tale of his impressive solo of Reticent Wall. This style of following two stories combined with a very easy-to-read writing style and humour, makes Psychovertical very enjoyable to read and extremely hard to put down. Andy's account of his childhood and early life comes across with humour and honesty. I found it fascinating to read about his learning difficulties at school and being diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 19.

It is clear that Kirkpatrick hasn't lived the high-life or gained fame or fortune through climbing or writing. Indeed the book outlines the frequent struggle he has endured with the latter - although this particular text isn't badly written whatsoever. Despite leading a fairly 'normal' daily routine, Andy has managed an impressive tick-list over the years and as the book and story progresses, the reader is treated to numerous short tales of adventures in the Alps and epics in Patagonia - never a dull moment. I really liked the way that he is open and honest about not having much of a clue when he started out in the Alps and gaining experience through errors and tricky situations - this I felt that I could easily relate to on some level.

I honestly couldn't put it down. The book is a great read and very funny in places. I suspect that folk who have no knowledge of climbing would enjoy it just as much as I did and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, as it is so entertaining. Another outcome has surprised me somewhat; I am now quite keen to rediscover some of the other mountaineering literature that I have been avoiding on my bookshelf over the years; watch this space...!