Review of "The Shining Mountain"

 It isn't often that I will read or listen to a book from the 1970's.  But as I was searching for a mountain climbing book on a peak I had not heard of before, I saw this one in the Audible library.  I decided to pick it up and I am glad I did.  This is my review of Peter Boardman's account of a two-man expedition on Changabang in 1976.

Title/Author:

“The Shining Mountain” by Peter Boardman, narrated by Stuart Crank

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very Good)

Review: 

In 1976, two climbers from England, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, set out to achieve a first in mountaineering history.  They set out to be the first climbers to summit Changabang’s West Wall.  They would not be the first to reach the summit of this mountain in the Indian Himalayas but they would be first to do so on this more treacherous path. This book is Boardman’s account of that expedition, published in 1978. 

The audio version is narrated well by Stuart Crank.  His voice inflections allow the listener to easily distinguish between Boardman and Tasker, something that would not be easy to do if one has not met the men.  The writing is good as well.  Boardman does come off at times as bit of an elitist with his less-than-flattering remarks about people such as porters, but when it comes to his description of the climb, it feels like a gripping novel of survival.  This is especially true as the two of them reach the summit.

Some of the other features I did like was there wasn’t a long, drawn out description of the history of the mountain like some other books on mountaineering have.  There is some that will help the reader who is not familiar with the mountain have a little background, but it’s not a major part of the book.  I also felt that the description of the actual climb, the conversations between the two men and their feelings both during and after were excellent.  Especially that latter part.  While yes, Boardman may have made the remarks mentioned above, those are at least honest.  Keeping in mind when this took place and when the book was written, it was not uncommon for those types of thoughts to be prevalent at the time. 

I live my vicarious mountain climbing life through these types of books and this one gave me another mountain for which I have enjoyed hearing about a summit reach.  I am also glad I chose the audio version for this as an excellent narrator can enhance a story like this and Crank does so marvelously.

Link:  Amazon.com: The Shining Mountain (Audible Audio Edition): Peter Boardman, Stewart Crank, Vertebrate Publishing: Books

 

Review of "Hidden Mountains"

As one who likes to live vicariously through books on mountain climbing, the title of this one caught my eye and I am glad that I picked it up.  It tells quite the story of a climb by four climbers in Alaska and one daring rescue.  Here is my review of "Hidden Mountains"

 

Title/Author:

“Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong” by Michael Wejchert

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: In 2018, two couples with many years of climbing experience between the four of them, set out to the Hidden Mountains range in Alaska to reach the summit of an area none of them had explored in the past.  While the terrain was not considered difficult for their level of expertise, one of the climbers did suffer severe injuries from a rock fall.  The story of their expedition and the subsequent rescue is the subject of this excellent book by Micheal Wejchert, himself a climber as well as an author.

Readers who have an interest in climbing, whether they are climbers themselves or just enjoy reading about mountaineering, like I do, will be captivated by not only the stories of the four climbers but also of the pararescuers, the mountains themselves and even a little bit about the author.  On this last part, he didn’t insert himself into the story but instead explained how his past experiences gave him the knowledge to write about a certain situation or condition.

Not only is the story of the climb, accident, and rescue gripping, but a reader will also feel a range of emotions while the injured climber is recovering from his injuries and his long road to recovery.  It includes a breakup with his climbing and relationship partner which makes reading about it emotional as well.  This portion of the book was just as good for me as the actual climb.  It should also be noted that Wejchert does a great balance of writing for novices and experts in climbing.  There are explanations of some terms and actions that is helpful for those readers not familiar with the sport, but yet is not so simple as to bore a climbing expert – there are plenty of sections for them as well.  It comes highly recommended for anyone interested in any aspect of climbing.

I wish to thank Ecco Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Link: Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong: Michael Wejchert: 9798212202107: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Third Pole"

 When I want to escape "real life" through a book, one about scaling one of Earth's 8,000 meter mountains does the trick and this one is no exception.  I loved this book on a different type of expedition to climb Mount Everest.  Here is my review of "The Third Pole."

Title/Author: “The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession and Death on Everest” by Mark Synnott

Rating:  4 ½  of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Even with today’s guided climbs of Mount Everest which result in even novice climbers reaching the summit of the world’s tallest mountain, the peak still inspires wonder and even a mystery. It was a mystery that was nearly 100 years old that inspired the author of this book, Mark Synnott, to undertake an expedition on Everest and his account of this made for a great engrossing book. Add in stories of other climbers and the reason why he wanted to solve this mystery makes it a gripping read as well.

The mystery is a question of who were truly the first climbers to reach Everest’s peak.  History shows that it was Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, but nearly thirty years earlier, two British explorers, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, attempted the feat.  They were last seen 800 feet short of the summit and Irvine allegedly had a Kodak camera that would have shown if they had reached the top and taken photos. That had never been proven one way or another, not even when Mallory’s body was found in 1999.  Since Irvine’s body and the camera had never been found, Synnott became part of a 2019 expedition that want to answer the question.  This expedition would not only be human but also use drones for recording and filming any evidence of Mallory and Irvine reaching the summit.

What evolves is not only what Synnott and the other team members endure on the mountain and at ground level (bureaucratic red tape by the Chinese government) but also an excellent critique of other aspects of scaling Everest.  One of the best sections on topics not related to Synnott’s expedition is his description of the exploitation of the work done by sherpas. He tells of their dangerous work and the inadequate recognition and respect given to them.  However, many people will risk their lives and their relationships for this occupation as the payout will often make a sherpa financially set for the rest of their life.  He also includes a nice explanation of the general use of the word “sherpa” against the culture of the Sherpas in Nepal.

A reader who is not familiar with the climb by Mallory and Irvine will learn about it and the two climbers with enough information to understand why Synnott wanted to make this trek.  This isn’t everything known about them, however, and there are other books on them if the reader wants to know their complete story.  These bits about them are woven into the book at different times and it will require careful reading to keep their stories apart from those of the other climbers, but it is worth the time to do so.

Adventures and results of other climbers are also interspersed in the book, both for those who reached the summit and survived and for those who perished.  The stories are personal, engrossing and will evoke many emotions for readers.  One in particular that covers the gamut of these emotions is the climb by a British woman named Kamaljeet Kaur, who went by the name “Kam.”  After a brutal gang attack and subsequent depression, Kam used climbing as her therapy and it led her to Everest, where she eventually reached the top but nearly died in the process.  The writing of her story is not only hard to put down, but hard to read at times.  However, it is one that illustrates what makes this book so good for any reader who likes adventure or mountaineering books. And the result of Synnott’s expedition?  No spoilers here – pick up the book to find that out and be prepared to be drawn into the wonder of Mount Everest.

I wish to thank Dutton Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link:  The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest: Synnott, Mark: 9781524745578: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat"

The first thought I had when seeing this title is that the author had to be crazy to try to row across the ocean in a rowboat.  After reading this, I can't say I completely erased that thought, but I came away with a lot of respect for this man.  Here is my review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat."

Title/Author:

“Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat” by Mick Dawson

Tags:

Rowing, adventure, memoir

Publish date:

August 22, 2017

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Seeing this title may make the reader wonder how in the world can any person row across the entire ocean in a rowboat. This book by former Royal Marine Mick Dawson explains just how – and he has done it more than once.  It should be noted that early in the book, Dawson explains that this is a specially designed rowboat – it is not the type that one typically sees on a lake or pond.

Encountering practically every type of peril that one can encounter in the open sea, Dawson writes about his adventures in a specially designed rowboat with equal parts humor and melancholy.  It is especially poignant when he writes about family, especially when his father passed away. 

However, that is not the main emotion will take away from the book as Dawson’s courage and endurance in his expeditions.  The first attempt that Dawson attempted at rowing across the Pacific Ocean in 2004 is described in the beginning of the book and the reader will instantly be sucked into the adventure.  Then future attempts, until he is finally successful in this quest, are covered in as exquisite detail as the first.  There are some slow sections of the book when Dawson writes about things such as the repairs made to the boat before a race from San Juan or about his time in the Royal Marines, but they don’t detract from the adventure the reader will take along with Dawson.

This book is a decent read and recommended for readers who like to read about adventure in the high seas. I wish to thank Center Street for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Battling-Oceans-Rowboat-Crossing-Atlantic-ebook/dp/B01LZP26IS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battling-the-oceans-in-a-rowboat-mick-dawson/1126840693?ean=9781478947516#/