Two of the best mountaineering books ever written were designed to be read side by side, but I wonder if anyone has. I set myself the challenge of reading alternate chapters of The Ascent of Nanda Devi by H.W. Tilman and The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.
Read moreMountain Literature
How starting a blog turned me into a mountaineering writer
I became an indie author almost by accident. I uploaded some of my travel diaries to Amazon, and much to my surprise, people bought them. I’m much more professional now. I’ve been blogging for five years, and this has enabled me to find my voice and improve as a writer.
Read moreShipton’s mountain travel classics now available as sensibly priced ebooks
Shipton was a legendary mountain explorer who travelled through the Himalayas and Karakoram at a time when many peaks and valleys remained unmapped. His books were evocative and humorous, and provide a window into another world.
Read moreThe Chomolungma Diaries now available as a paperback
For those of you who still prefer the waft of ink on the page, and have steered clear of reading any of my travel diaries because they’re only available in digital format, you no longer have an excuse for not reading them.
Read moreBook review: Summit 8000 by Andrew Lock
Andrew Lock was the first Australian to climb all fourteen 8000m peaks. I agree with Sir Chris Bonington: his book is honest, gritty and riveting. It’s also refreshing and humorous in places, and well worth a read if you can get your hands on a copy.
Read moreFeeling at home in the Apennines
Any search for books about the Apennines which aren’t travel guides, leads inexorably to one book: Eric Newby’s ‘Love and War in the Apennines’. It’s a book I can relate to in two very important respects.
Read moreAn early history of the 8000m peaks: the first ascent of Annapurna
In 1950 a French team led by Maurice Herzog made the first ever ascent of an 8000m peak when they climbed 8091m Annapurna, during one of the first mountaineering expeditions to Nepal. It’s possible to view their ascent in one of two ways.
Read more5 reasons to buy the paperback of Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest
The story of my ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber is out now in paperback. But why should you give a toss? Here are five reasons to buy the paperback.
Read moreSeven Steps from Snowdon to Everest out on Monday!
A quick note to let you know that those of you who pre-ordered my book from Amazon should receive it on your Kindle on Monday (9th). If you’ve bought it on Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or Smashwords, then you should receive it the following Monday, 16th.
Read moreSeven Steps from Snowdon to Everest: read the complete prologue
I’m on track to publish my book ahead of schedule. If you pre-ordered it then it should appear on your e-reader early in November. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, here’s the complete prologue to whet your appetite and tempt you to buy the whole thing.
Read more