This is the true and heartfelt story told through the eyes of a little girl, who taught her friend to draw a perfectly balanced star, while also telling the story of an adventurous climber.

No rope and no partner means no safety net, and a fall means almost certain death. This gripping collection of 22 stories takes you from the frozen flanks of Mount Everest to the sheer rock walls of Yosemite with the men and women who risk it all on the most extreme climbs in the world--alone.

Since 1951, Bonington has amassed an impressive record of ascents from Chile to China, Alps to Himalayas and in his native Britain. He has described some of his climbs in The Everest Years , Kongur and other books. Here he recaps his adventures, augmenting the text with his spectacular photographs that provide a visual record of his major ascents. Bonington agonizes over the loss of companions on the high peaks: "Were we reckless or just unlucky?"...

From Newfoundland to Yosemite, Mexico to British Columbia, the favorite routes offers excellent climbing, stunning views, wild exposure, or spectacular summits. Each one includes a summary, description of the approach, the route itself, and the descent, along with first-ascent information, ratings, time required, recommended equipment, best season, special considerations, and references.

"How do we reconcile our love of outdoor adventure with the inevitability of loss in high-risk sports? Still in his thirties, Graham Zimmerman has made first ascents from Alaska to Pakistan, and in 2020 he received the Piolet d'Or for his climb on Pakistan's Link Sar with Steve Swenson. A sponsored athlete who is sought out as a climbing partner, Zimmerman knows that he must find a balance between his ambitions as an alpinist and his social responsibilities--as...

Five women, each with seemingly preternatural abilities to climb, have reached the summit of K2. While not the highest mountain in the world, it is considered the most deadly, hence its earning the name "Savage Mountain." One-tenth as many have climbed it as Everest, but with nearly three times as many deaths per summit. These five women--Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz, French climbers Lilane Barrard and Chantal Mauduit, and British climbers Julie...

For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing’s holy grail: to stand atop the world’s fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic...