The Ogre mixes heavy Himalayan history with a technical retelling of the 1977 climb. The descent chapter is terrific, but the rest didn’t hit as hard as other mountaineering books I’ve enjoyed. Still a worthwhile 3‑star listen.
Title/Author:
“The Ogre: Biography of a Mountain and the Dramatic Story of
the First Ascent” by Doug Scott, narrated by Saethon Williams
Rating:
3 of 5 stars (okay)
Review:
Doug Scott’s The Ogre is a two‑part portrait of one
of the Karakoram’s most notorious peaks, and my experience with the audiobook
landed squarely in the middle. The first half offers a wide‑ranging history of
Himalayan exploration—thorough, well‑researched, and clearly important to
Scott. At times, though, that depth made me wonder when we would finally reach
the climb that gives the book its name. It’s valuable context, but it does
stretch the narrative before the expedition itself arrives.
The second half finally turns to the 1977 ascent of Baintha
Brakk, where Scott and Chris Bonington became the first climbers to reach the
summit. Scott leans heavily into the technical aspects of the climb—routes,
conditions, gear, and decision‑making—sometimes at the expense of the
personalities on the rope. He does introduce each member of the team in a
dedicated chapter, but I found myself wishing those personal threads carried
more fully into the story of the climb. Mountaineering narratives often shine
brightest when the human dynamics are as vivid as the terrain, and that’s where
this one felt a bit thin.
That said, chapter 14—detailing the team’s perilous descent
after Scott broke both legs and Bonington cracked ribs—is gripping. It’s the
section where the book’s strengths come together: the danger, the endurance,
the teamwork, and the sheer will required to survive a weeklong retreat off one
of the world’s hardest mountains. The roles played by Clive Rowland and Mo
Anthoine are especially compelling, and the stakes feel immediate in a way the
earlier chapters don’t always achieve.
Overall, The Ogre is worth the time to listen to or
read. It’s a solid account of a legendary climb, and Saethon Williams’s
narration carries the material with clarity. But for me, other mountaineering
books—those that blend technical detail with richer storytelling—have been more
satisfying.
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