Distant Mountains: Encounters with the World's Greatest Mountains Book

A collection of writings from 11 climbers with an abundance of experience in climbing in the toughest and highest mountain ranges in the world--each one of them is as skilled at putting in to words the spirit of the mountains as they are at scaling them. Most continents are represented--the Pyrenees and Alps of Euorpe, the Canadian Rockies of North America, the Andes and Inca country of South America, not forgetting Patagonia, Africa and Asia, and of course Bonnie Scotland too! The essays are intriguing as they portray not only the mountains, but also their character of their climbing companions, their hopes and fears and the mental and physical battles within themselves as each attempts to achieve their ambitions. The essays are beautifully illustrated by one of the climbing world's most prestigious photographers, John Cleare, who has been climbing for more than 40 years. Cleare has travelled to six continents on various expeditions, no less than 20 of them in the mountains of the "roof of the world"--Nepal--as well as India, China and Pakistan. He was a member of the 1971 International Everest Expedition and he led the successful American ascent of China's Mustagh Ata in 1982. Cleare is also a successful broadcaster and this is his 16th major book on landscape subjects. The photographs were all taken by Cleare on various expeditions and assignments over the years and they were rekindled from his files to put together this book. For those of us whose greatest climbing ambition might be to scale Ben Nevis, Sca Fell and Snowdon, this is an interesting and enjoyable book which will stretch our horizons. For those who have set their ambitions on greater heights, there is a wealth of information. Excellent writing, sparkling photography and (to steal a quotation from Ruskin via Cleare): "These threatening ranges of dark mountains ... are in reality sources of life and happinesss ... fuller and more beneficient than the bright fruitfulness of the plain". The truth of this depends on what each person sees as they encounter the magnificence of mountains. Read this book and make your own judgement. --Ben NaylorRead More