Reviews (1)

Superb!
A superb book. Highly recomended first-hands descriptions of fantastic climbs in the andes. Full of interesting histories and facts. Outstanding! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports    2. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering    3. Travel / South America    4. Andes    5. Mountaineering    6. South America    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Travel   

Reviews (2)

Good background book, out of date guidebook
I got this book and Wee Changrua/Elke Schmitz's "Rock Climbing in Thailand" (3rd ed, Dec 2005) guidebook.Sam's book is good in giving you background and route descriptions but it is hard sometimes to find climbs with his photos.Also some data is out of date.For example the Diamond Cave area, only 2-3 climbs go the full height of the wall to the roof but looking at Sam's book it looks like they all go to the roof.Wee's book is upto date on this.Also Wee has a new edition, availible in Railay and Tonsai with the newest info; such as Stalagasaurus losing it's defining stalactite.
The Big Green Book: fluff and more
There are no fewer than four climbing guides for Thailand of which I am aware. Sirichai Pongsopon's "Thailand Rock Climbing Guide Book" (2005), Wee Changrua/Elke Schmitz's "Rock Climbing in Thailand" (3rd ed, Dec 2005), the King Climber's guidebook (not certain the date on this one), and, of course, Sam Lightner, Jr.'s "Thailand: A Climbing Guide" (2005).
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast    2. Guidebooks    3. Mountaineering    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Thailand    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel Guides   

Reviews (3)

The Reality of Being A Real Climber
Although written more than 20 years ago, David Robert's Moments of Doubt is still applicable to the many nuances of mountaineering today and the issues that make the headlines.
No Doubts Whatsoever
This book of essays is one of the finest of its type I have read.They cover a time span from 1968 - 1986, and though most are on mountaineering, one of the best is on white water rafting.Mr. Roberts has divided the book into three sections:Adventures, Profiles and Reflections.I confess I wasn't looking forward to "Reflections."Most climbers are not at their best at "reflecting" on anything.They find it difficult to achieve that fine balance between false modesty and arrogance.Dave Roberts is a happy surprise.He pulls no punches and has a reporter's eye for the absurd.One of the intriguing Reflections, "Boulders and Gunks" compares young climbers in the mid-80's to youngsters of his own era, the late `60's. first ascents
By chance, I started reading mountaineering literature with this book. I would recommend it to anyone, climber or not. It is the single best book I have found on the subject. Its only rival, in my opinion, is the volume combining Roberts' two memoirs of Alaskan expeditions, "Deborah" and "The Mountain of My Fear."Read more

Subjects:  1. 1943-    2. Essays    3. Mountaineering    4. Mountaineers    5. Outdoor recreation    6. Roberts, David,    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Climbing & mountaineering    10. Roberts, David    11. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Mountaineering    3. Nevada    4. Red Rock Canyon National Conse    5. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area    6. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (Nev.)    7. Rock climbing    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. United States - Pacific - Las Vegas    11. United States - Pacific - Nevada    12. United States - West - Pacific (General)   

Reviews (5)

Hiking August 17 - 22 - 2005
I just completed a six day haike in Soutghern Wind River area and I found the book Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range very informative prior to making the hike.However, it could be more complete as to the various hikes and it needs some update in regard to the tails that i took.I will at a later date give my comments inmore detail

Hiking Guide Review
This guide was a good introduction to a new hiking area for us.The trails were well described and easy to follow and the prose was useful in suggesting the prominent features of each hike.

Detailed trail descriptions, but poor maps, no index
This is a frustrating book to use although the meat of it---the trail descriptions and stats---is very detailed and well written.The lack of an index, or any way to use all the maps together, and the fact that the maps are very incomplete, make it very annoying to use.Add to this that there is an almost explicit LACK of information or routes for any of the peaks, and one wonders why one bought the book at all.There is no route to the top of Square Top Peak, nor over Dinwoody Pass, or up to Gannett.Even the non-technical peaks are omitted.There is also no "About the Author" section (although it says that there is one), and this is important when one is going to rely on him to guide you into the Wind River Range. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Guidebooks    3. Hiking    4. Mountaineering    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. United States - Mountain - Wyoming    8. Wind River Range    9. Wind River Range (Wyo.)    10. Wyoming    11. Travel / United States / West / Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY)   

Reviews (1)

Damn shame Rock Gear is out of order
Rock Gear gives a full 100% introduction to everything and even more you wanted to know about rock gear. Most complete technical book I've seen until now. Sometimes a little outdated. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Equipment and supplies    2. Mountaineering    3. Outdoor Life    4. Rock climbing    5. Sporting Facilities And Equipment    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (6)

Well, at least I didn't pay for it
This was a free, 4-for-3 book that looked interesting and I thought would be a good way for me to put together a climbing wall for my foster children that wasn't a plastic one you get at the toy stores. Children get bored on those little tiny walls with plastic holds; I am experienced in woodworking and masonry and wanted to put something up in my basement or garage (which the book specifically promises to be geared to). I don't have a 25-foot ceiling like he does and there seems to be no way to scale down the walls (no pun intended). The entire first page basically says, "Don't build your own wall without an architect or a structural engineer." Thanks.

Weak
This book hardly even covers the basics in building a wall.Very few diagrams and even fewer innovative ideas.He doesn't even bother to include many picture of walls in order to get ideas.Even the limited information free on the web surpasses the details in this book.

Pathetic
This book is an awful intro to building indoor rock walls.Outdated and too thin.It reccommends creating your own holds which is a good way to make poor holds.The Metolious website offers at least as much info as this book and it's free.Unfortunately, there is no other book to reccommend that covers building indoor walls.Someone still needs to write it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Climbing gyms    2. Mountaineering    3. Rock climbing    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Climbing & mountaineering    7. DIY    8. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

Reviews (10)

Basic essentials
I am planning to Summit Mt. Shasta in the upcoming year; however, I cannot even consider myself a novice--beginner, maybe.I have NEVER climbed before--this book gave me basic information that will help me to plan my trip...everything from general mountain climate to a packing list.Without reading this book, I am afraid I may have not known the essentials (basics) to take with me!

Guide book designed to get you to the top...
After reading the review titled "A big disappointment" it seems the reviewer has misconceptions about the book. From his eyes, not knowing anything at all about Mt. Shasta and never climbing it before, he was looking for a book that would match climbing Mt. Everest or one that is so advanced that the reader climbing Mt. Shasta for the first time would have no choice but to "look elsewhere." It would be like writing a guide book and then adding a review that condemns the book because it does not have information about the American presidents. The reviewer talks about his extensive climbing experience in his bio. Guide book designed to get you to the top...
After reading the review titled "A big disappointment" it seems the reviewer has misconceptions about the book. From his eyes, not knowing anything at all about Mt. Shasta and never climbing it before, he was looking for a book that would match climbing Mt. Everest or one that is so advanced that the reader climbing Mt. Shasta for the first time would have no choice but to "look elsewhere." It would be like writing a guide book and then adding a review that condemns the book because it does not have information about the American presidents. The reviewer talks about his extensive climbing experience in his bio.Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering    2. United States - Pacific - California    3. California    4. Climbing    5. Hiking    6. Hiking & Camping    7. Mountain Climbing & Mountaineering    8. Mountaineering    9. Travel   

Reviews (3)

Fantastic
If you're a travel buff or fantasize about travel, you'll find this tale of Watkins' journey through the mountainous terrain of central Norway a page turner. His descriptions of ladscapes are vivid. Additionally, he aquaints the reader with the people, customs, and foods of the area. In fact, he does a phenomenal job such that if you really get into the book, you'll feel as if you've traveled to central Norway yourself. He carries books by those before him who have already made the journey. He uses previous tales of Norwegian travels to guide his tour. These are his ghosts, i.e. the ones before him. He constantly refers to these previous works, giving the reader a synopsis of previous travels by others in addition to the vivid description of his own account. If you're a sightseer and enjoy the outdoors, you will likely enjoy Watkins' tale. If, on the other hand, you prefer to spend you time indoors and in the city, you might find his tale quite dull. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but I love the outdoors, state and national parks etc.

An Inward Journey
Paul Watkins' "The Fellowship of Ghosts" is equal parts highly readable travelogue and introspective musings as the author hikes and travels through the mountains of Central Norway.The ghosts of the title are earlier, mostly English, authors who wrote about their travels in the mountains of Norway: Watkins travels much of the same ground and notes what has and has not changed.As an American graduate of an English boarding school, the author is in a position to critique his precessors.
A trekk through a Nordic Wilderness
I just finished this travel memoir, THE FELLOWSHIP OF GHOSTS by Paul Watkins about his solitary hiking trip through the lesser traveled area of Norway that lies just below Trondheim.I gave it 3 stars in relative to a general audience, but for those who have a genuine interest in this type of trip, it is a definite 5 star find.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1964-    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Description and travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Europe - Scandinavia    6. General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Mountaineering    10. Norway    11. Travel    12. Watkins, Paul,    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Travel writing   

Reviews (2)

more to add
I wanted to to what I said below that it seems to me that the books in the Climbing Specialist series are almost always inferior to their counterparts in the How to Rock Climb! series.In this case Sherman's Better Boulderingis definately the way to go.

Not near worth the money!!
For the price of the book, you get little more than flashy full color photos of bobbi lifting weights.The only thing this book did well was a two paragraph description of the figure four reach. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bensman, Bobbi    2. Mountain Climbing    3. Mountaineering    4. Outdoor Skills    5. Rock climbing    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Climbing & mountaineering   

Reviews (6)

A great biography of Hermann Buhl
This book, written by Hermann Buhl, was largely re-written by his friend and editor Kurt Maix, at least according to Reinhold Messner, author of a climber's biography of Herman Buhl.This may be so, but I think this book conveys what Hermann Buhl wanted to say- after all he approved it.
an average book from one of the best climbers in history
Everyone interested in Alpine and Himalayan mountain climbing knows of Herman Buhl (Messner considers him the best climber of all time). His feat of survival alone in a bivouac above 8,000 meters on Nanga Parbat is among the most remarkable achievements in the history of Himalayan Mountaineering! One of the best...
This is without a doubt one of the two best mountaineering books.Incredible stories of close shaves and lucky escapes make it clear that the final ending on Chogolisa was bound to happen sooner or later.Only Terray's "Conquistadors of the Useless" reaches the same heights.They don't write them like this anymore .... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1924-1957    2. Austria    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Buhl, Hermann,    8. Historical - General    9. History    10. Mountain Climbing    11. Mountaineering    12. Mountaineers    13. Nanga Parbat    14. Pakistan    15. Sports - General    16. Buhl, Hermann    17. Climbing & mountaineering   

Reviews (10)

Prejudice, and nonsense
Don't buy this book. My family has lived in the heart of Appalachia 200 years and these quaint stereotype are just not true. We are, and have always been, much like Scotch-Irish people anywhere else in America, (after all, they came from us). Ohhh, O.K., maybe we're a teensy bit better.

Our Southern Highlanders
This is another excellent source to better understand these people in their very unique culture.

Our Southern Highlanders;entertaining and insightful
Our Southern Highlanders by Horace Kephart gave me a new perspective on people who live in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.Though some of Mr. Kephart's views on ethnic groups are clearly out of step with modern sensibility, his depiction of the settlers of our mountain regions gives readers an insightful view of these proud Americans.Furthermore, Mr. Kephart is not pedantic or boring in giving his depictions of mountain folk; but, instructs readers through amusing tales and descriptions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Region, Southern    2. Appalachians (People)    3. Description and travel    4. Ethnic Studies - General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History - U.S.    8. History: American    9. Social life and customs    10. United States - State & Local - General   

Reviews (3)

"Up or down, it is all the same now..."
This book languished on my shelf for over a year until I'd had my fill of fiction for a while and turned to Smoke's book as a possible literary escape into the mountains. Ten pages in, I was hooked and the more of it that I read the more I wanted to know. Mr. Blanchard's tales of old-school climbing and mountaineering on Mt. Hood were enthralling. The book goes on to detail his walks, climbs and bicycle rides in the Sierra's, Alaska, India, Japan, and Nepal - among other places. It details his friendship with uber-mountaineer, Norman Clyde and his wanderings with so many notable mountaineers and climbers of the day. His writing style was humble, yet often very amusing, like it seems he himself was. His tale isn't told with the usual balls-out - `We almost freaking died!' inflection that seems to be the trap of many of today's travel/adventure writers. Instead of leaving me breathless, Walking Up and Down in this World left me with a smirking smile and a want to take a week off from work, strap on my crampons, and head up into the winter clouds and snows of the high Sierras. The book is a good read and I highly recommend it to anyone who climbs in the California Sierras, boulders in the Buttermilks, or just want to read about an extraordinary mountaineer and trekker.
Intriguing rambles
Smoke's stories are as amusing and intriguing as his style is at once eloquent and personal.He seems to write, not to tell what he has done, but to recount familiar tales to the curious listener.His adventures in the mountains of California, Alaska, Nepal, and everywhere in between are not told in high-action style.Instead, he enjoys the telling of adventures past and current, inviting the reader to take a hand in the making of their own experiences.

Hit the trails "smoking"
this is quite an adventure for someone who has only hike locally in the Cascade Mountains.It is a great way to relax at the end of the day, after sitting at my desk in downtown Seattle all day.I even find my mindwandering-pretending that I am with Smoke on his advenures. Do yourself afavor and take a hike---with Smoke! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1915-    2. Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, etc    3. Biography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Blanchard, Smoke,    6. Mountaineering    7. Mountaineers    8. United States    9. Blanchard, Smoke    10. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (2)

Odd choices for "classic rock climbs"
This is an odd collection of JTree climbs -- some truely classic, but many seem to have been thrown in just because they are near some better climb. It has a mixture of photos and sketches (topos), yet still skips any sort of graphics for many of the climbs. Every climber I know owns this book.
This is the most widely used guidebook for Joshua Tree, and is basically a classic. The only fault I've found with it is that sometimes the rock formations are difficult to recognize from the black and white, strangelyangled illustrations. When it comes back into print, many people will behappy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Mountaineering    3. Parks & Campgrounds    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - Pacific - California    8. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)    9. Climbing    10. Guidebooks    11. Joshua Tree National Monument    12. National parks   

Reviews (4)

nice intro to canyon flora and fauna
This book was a nice introduction to the geology, plant and animal life of the grand canyon. It is small enough to take in your pack and is fun to read once you've arrived at camp and try to identify the plants, animals and strata you saw. Not too much specific information about any one species, strata, etc., but good general intros to flora, cacti, etc. I'd recommend it if it's your first hike in the canyon and you're just looking for a simple book to become familiar with the names of thing. You can find it in the gift shops on both rims too.

best available guide to plants and wildlife
Handy easy-to-use guide to birds, flowers, cacti, wildflowers, reptiles, mammals, geology of the grand canyon.Nothing like it anywhere.

Concise, and yet thorough
I agree with everything the previous reviewer said, except that I really like the overviews of Canyon geology and so on, and don't feel that those make to book too heavy to be useful as a field guide.This is probably thebest and most informative guide for a hiker or visitor to the Grand Canyonto take along. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arizona    2. Grand Canyon    3. Grand Canyon (Ariz.)    4. Guidebooks    5. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    6. Natural History    7. Parks & Campgrounds    8. Reference    9. Travel    10. Travel - United States    11. Travel Guides - U.S.    12. United States - Mountain - Arizona    13. Climbing & mountaineering    14. North America    15. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    16. USA   

Reviews (5)

As Great as a Book Can Be
For anyone who doesn't know, bouldering is a branch of rock climbing in which no ropes or harnesses are used.Because of this, the climber usually doesn't go more than a dozen feet up and should have pads and a spotter ready to help should he or she fall.
basics, just stuff you know
this book would be great for someone who has never seen a problem in their life but i've been bouldering for about 5 months and I'm working V5 problems and this book didn't tell me anything i didn't know. I'm not saying i know everything but the information given can and should have been attained after a few months of serious climbing. Again i'm sure the author knows more than i will ever know but he didn't go past the "duh" advice in his book. Waste of money for advanced climber seeking improvement. Great for green climber looking to get started. Rock on. Nice move. Go static.

A "painfully" objective guide to the bouldering trade
Having come from a traditional climbing background, and having discovered John Gill through Pat Ament during my peak, I evolved into a boulderer for the sake of bouldering, rather than just training for traditional climbing.Why? For me personally, bouldering was the obvious channel for a mortalbeing to follow while coping with the reality that I am a maturing human.Because the nectar of laying hands on Mother Earth's various forms oflithified artwork was never to evaporate, the need to ascend soaringheights of the stuff has. In short, no more Sentinel Mental Journey's. JohnSherman has written an honest, humorous, and quality book that describesthe nuances involved with high limit bouldering. Of particular credit isJohn's painfully objective efforts at describing even those controversialelements of bouldering that exist such as cheater stones, route alteringand manufacturing, etc. Don't despair John, it was the right thing to do.The beauty of bouldering is in its inherent variety of ways it can beapproached. John Sherman does not advocate one way or the other but doesindeed get his beliefs across to the reader without appearing tooevangelistic. That is noble. So whether you choose to boulder nude withoutshoes or chalk, or if you choose to approach bouldering with a flak jacket,John Sherman's book epitomizes its title, Better Bouldering. He should beproud of this book and you should buy it and read it if you too decide thatyou don't want anymore Sentinel Mental Journeys. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mountaineering    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation    4. Climbing & mountaineering    5. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering    6. Bouldering    7. Outdoors    8. Instruction    9. Rock Climbing   

Subjects:  1. Mountaineering    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (15)

A Great Gift
This is the second copy I have purchased as a gift.Also I have one that was a gift to me.The book is outstanding for the hiker/traveler.My copy is dog-eared from all the attention it gets.It is well organized and accurate in its descriptions and directions.

Highpointing: Adventure and Great Family Fun
After thru-hiking the AT, my wife decided she wanted to go to the highest point in at least the continimerous 48 states (plus Hawaii as a reward). I bought a membership to the Highpointers Club and a copy of this book. We've used it to summit 13 states so far including easy drive-ups like Florida and Arkansas as well as challenges like Colorado (second highest point in the lower-48) and New Mexico.
This one has it all
Excellent guidebook.Provides everything you need in a few concise pages for each "mountain":Location, directions, summary statistics and comparisons, maps, alternate routes, nearby attractions, and human interest.The hiking distance and vertical elevation charts for each route are instantly helpful.The absence of errors is truly amazing for a book category that is continuously travel directions, distances, and routing.This book is so reliable that I have occasionally gone into the backcountry without procuring the mandatory real map.I own many dozens of mountain guidebooks--this may be the best for quick lookup of needed information!It is even a very convenient page size for fitting into a day pack.The authors have made these journeys a much simpler task compared to the days of the Frank Ashley book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Mountaineering    4. Mountains    5. Reference - General    6. States    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States    10. United States - General   

Features

• Large Print

Reviews (43)

A Brilliant Addition To A Great Story
I can recall being 13 years old at summer camp in 1977 when I read the incredible non fiction book "Alive" by Piers Paul Read. It was a story that haunted me and stayed in my memory for many years. As I came of age, I wondered what had become of the two "expeditionaries", Nando Parrado and Roberto Cannessa, who traipsed their way for 10 days out of the wreckage of the fuselage of the wrecked Uruguayan Fairchild and through the Andes to freedom and rescue. It was then, a great thrill, to have Nando and Vince Rause write this awe-inspiring followup 30 years later. The factual chronology that Read used were incredible, but this firsthand account takes the story to a different, more personal level. His daily struggle to survive, both physically and spiritually, are nothing short of extraordinary. To paraphrase Nando, the opposite of death IS LOVE. This is a book that makes one believe it and seek to live it.

This book has the power to change your life!
First let me say I read about a book a week and this is the best book I have ever read.If your not hooked by page 42 or so I dont know what book could hold your attention.This story, this incredible story of the will to survive and the process the human mind goes through in the face of unimaginable pain, suffering and starvation should be manditory reading for everyone.

Even the casual reader will be glued til the end
After reading an excerpt of the book in a outdoors magazine, I knew I had to buy and read this entire book. I am not a frequent reader, and I feared that I would end up buying this and not finishing it as I so often do. But I knew just a few pages into the book that I would finish it. I had too many questions that I knew would be answered if I finished it. The only real certain part(having never seen the movie 'Alive!') was that Nando would make it out, since he wrote the book. But past that, I had no idea who would and wouldnt survive and the series of events about to unfold.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Aircraft accidents    2. Andes Region    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Cannibalism    5. Mountaineering    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc    10. Travelers    11. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Mountain Climbing    2. Mountaineering    3. Sports    4. Sports & Recreation    5. United States - West - Mountain (General)    6. Winter Sports