Voices From the Summit
The World's Greatest Mountaineers on the Future of Climbing

Format	Book	Category	Non-Fiction
Title	Voices From the Summit	Pages
Author		RRP
Publisher		Reviews	1
Edition		Ave Rating	(5.00 of 5)

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wallwombat 9/8/2007

This book, which was produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, is the best collection of essays on climbing that I have ever read. Big statement, I know, but the 32 essays written here, by some of the world''s most influential climbers, are exceptional and each one could easily fuel it''s own review. The overriding theme of the collection is the future of climbing , as a whole and in all of it''s individual aspects; rock climbing, ice climbing, Himalayan climbing, European climbing, exploration, ethics, limits, etc, etc. Each essay is to be savored, read and reread. This book is definitely a keeper. The list of contributers is like a who''s who of the climbing world; Edmund Hillary, Walter Bonatti, Greg Child, Doug Scott, Lynn Hill, Catherine Desterville, Todd Skinner, Chris Bonington, Peter Croft, Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Rheinhold Messner and Jeff Lowe , just to name a few. Stand out essays for me were ''The Minumum Option'' by Mick Fowler, ''The Climber''s Bill of Rights'' by Yvon Chouinard, ''Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: A Tribute to My Heroes'' by Royal Robbins, ''A Passion for Limits'' by Rhienhold Messner and ''Jesus Christs That Glow in the Dark'' by Ed Douglas, an essay that I''m not too sure, exactly, what is about but is very beautiful and thought provoking all the same. Each essay is accompanied by brilliant black and white portraits of the authors by Craig Richards in which each writer has been asked to bring with them an item associated with climbing that is dear to their heart - Chouinard is pictured with his black smith tools, Anderl Heckmair with the beanie he wore on the first ascent of the north face of the Eiger and Guy Lacelle with his dog and his ice axe. The portraits are fantastic. This is a great collection of climbing writing. Buy it if you can. Steal it if you can''t. It''s gold.