The Shining Mountain, Peter Boardman (3.5)
A riveting story of two hikers in the 70’s who hiked the west wall of Changabang, a treacherous Himalayan mountain. It’s not a long book, but a very detailed account of the mechanics used to climb such a mountain. This was before the Everest glamping (i.e. Sherpa’s doing all the forward ropes and carrying the food and equipment). Except for having porters help to and from the Base Camp, the two climbers did it all themselves. I was shocked how much time it took to do the forward prep – two steps forward then literally one to two back. They did this late in the season (September) and the weather was difficult. I would give it a higher rating, but the writing was average, and the mechanics will be too much for many readers. I had a little flash-back to slipping on the ice patch in the Dolomites, but otherwise was astounded by this account of their journey.
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