By Ed Viesturs, David Roberts

The bestselling writer of No Shortcuts to the pinnacle and K2 chronicles his 3 makes an attempt to climb the world's tenth-highest and statistically deadliest height, Annapurna within the Himalaya, whereas exploring the dramatic and tragic background of others who've made -- or tried – the ascent, and what those exploits educate us approximately dealing with life's maximum challenges.

As a highschool scholar within the flatlands of Rockford, Illinois, the place the top items at the horizon have been water towers, Ed Viesturs learn and was once captivated via the French climber Maurice Herzog's recognized and grisly account of the 1st ascent of Annapurna in 1950. while he begun his personal crusade to climb the world's 14 maximum peaks within the past due Nineteen Eighties, Viesturs seemed ahead with trepidation to project Annapurna himself. disasters to summit in 2000 and 2002 made Annapurna his nemesis. His profitable 2005 ascent used to be the effective capstone of his mountaineering quest. within the Will To Climb Viesturs brings the intense demanding situations of Annapurna to shiny existence via edge-of-your-seat debts of the best climbs within the mountain’s background, and of his personal failed makes an attempt and eventual luck. within the strategy he ponders what Annapurna finds approximately a few of our so much basic ethical and non secular questions--questions, he think, that we have to solution to steer our lives well.

"Of all fourteen of the world's optimum mountains, which I climbed among 1989 and 2005," writes Viesturs, "the person who got here the nearest to defeating my top efforts used to be Annapurna.” even though it used to be the 1st 8,000-meter height to be climbed, Annapurna isn't really to boot often called the world's optimum mountain, Everest, or moment optimum, K2. yet as Viesturs argues, Annapurna, whereas no longer technically the main tough of the 8,000ers, is the main daunting since it has no route--no ridge or face on any aspect of the mountain--that is comparatively freed from what climbers name "objective danger"—the possibility of avalanches, notably, but in addition of collapsing seracs (huge ice blocks), falling rocks, and crevasses. for the reason that its first ascent in 1950, Annapurna has been climbed through greater than one hundred thirty humans, yet fifty three have died making an attempt. This excessive fatality fee makes Annapurna the main harmful of the 8,000-meter peaks.

Viesturs and co-author David Roberts chronicle Ed's 3 makes an attempt to climb Annapurna, in addition to the makes an attempt of others, from the 2 French climbers who made the landmark first ascent of Annapurna on June three, 1950, in the course of the bold and tragic campaigns of such world-class mountaineers as Reinhold Messner and Anatoli Boukreev. Viesturs's money owed and analyses of those notable adventures function some degree of departure for his exploration of topics vividly illustrated through Annapurna expeditions, together with obsession and dedication, worry and success, failure and triumph--issues which were missed within the another way very wealthy literature of hiking, and which could tell the lives and activities of everyone.

Show description

Read Online or Download The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna--the World's Deadliest Peak PDF

Similar sports books

World Wrestling Insanity: The Decline and Fall of a Family Empire

In an the place not anything is genuine and nobody truly wins or loses, the chances for manipulation are unending. The nepotism, backward good judgment, and gear performs at the back of the realm Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) downfall are uncovered during this indictment of wrestling's first kinfolk. An research of the McMahons' poorly written scripts discloses how nepotism and conceit have taken over their creativity, whereas enter from many famous figures presents info at the complex and probably unending net of manipulation that has resulted in such questionable behaviors as locker-room hazing and sexual indiscretions.

Boxing: A Concise History of the Sweet Science

Activities enthusiasts have lengthy been fascinated by boxing and the brutal demonstration of actual and mental clash. bills of the game look way back to the 3rd millennium BC, and Greek and Roman sculptors depicted the athletic beliefs of the traditional period within the kind of boxers. right this moment, boxers comparable to Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Oscar De los angeles Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the World's Greatest Sport

Fear and Loathing in los angeles Liga is the definitive background of the best contention in global activity: FC Barcelona vs. genuine Madrid. It’s Messi vs. Ronaldo, Guardiola vs. Mourinho, the country opposed to the kingdom, freedom opponents vs. Franco’s fascists, plus majestic ambitions and captivating abilities. It’s the simplest groups on the earth going head-to-head. It’s greater than a online game. It’s a battle. It’s El Clásico.

Only, it’s no longer really that straightforward. Spanish football professional and historian Sid Lowe covers a hundred years of competition, athletic good looks, and excellence. worry and Loathing in l. a. Liga is a nuanced, revisionist, and brilliantly proficient historical past that is going past game. Lowe weaves jointly this tale of the contention with the heritage and tradition of Spain, emphasizing that it really is “never approximately simply the football. ” With unique stories and outstanding anecdotes, he's taking us within this epic conflict, together with the injuries left by means of the Civil struggle, Madrid’s golden age within the fifties after they gained 5 eu cups, Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona Dream workforce, the doomed Galáctico test, and Luís Figo’s “betrayal. ”

By exploring the heritage, politics, tradition, economics, and language—while by no means forgetting the drama at the field—Lowe demonstrates the connection among those football giants and divulges the genuine tale in the back of their explosive rivalry.

Liiterary Awards
William Hill activities publication of the yr Nominee (2013)

This Is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon

This can be Your mind on activities is the publication for activities enthusiasts trying to find a deeper figuring out of the video games they watch and the folks who play them.   activities Illustrated govt editor and bestselling writer L. Jon Wertheim groups up with Tufts psychologist Sam Sommers to take readers on a wild journey into the interior international of activities.

Additional resources for The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna--the World's Deadliest Peak

Example text

W hen the spring came tripping by from the south over the chaparral hills of Shasta, leaving flowers in every footprint as we passed, I set my face for Mount Shasta, the lightesthearted lad that ever mounted horse. A hard day's ride brought me to Portuguese Flat, the last new mining camp and the nearest town to my beloved Mount Shasta. Here I found my former partner in the Soda Springs property, Mountain Joe, and together we went up to Mount Shasta. The Indian chief, Blackbeard, gave me a beautiful little valley then known as Now-ow-wa, but now called by the euphonious name of Squaw Valley, and I built a cabin there.

His disease was consumption. I confidendy commend his experience to other skeletons. I superintended again, and as soon as we had eaten breakfast we got in the boat and skirted along the lake shore about three miles and disembarked. We liked the appearance of the place, and so we claimed some three hundred acres of it and stuck our "notices" on a tree. It was yellow-pine timberland-a dense forest of trees a hundred feet high and from one to five feet through at the butt. It was necessary to fence our property or we could not hold it.

I got Johnny to row-not because I mind exertion myself, but because it makes me sick to ride backward when I am at work. But I steered. A three-mile pull brought us to the camp just as the night fell, and we stepped ashore very tired and wolfishly hungry. In a "cache" among the rocks we found the provisions and the cooking utensils, and then, all fatigued as I was, I sat down on a boulder and superintended while Johnny gathered wood and cooked supper. Many a man who had gone through what I had would have wanted to rest.

Download PDF sample

Rated 4.11 of 5 – based on 32 votes