One day mountaineer Joe Simpson was with a friend about to start a climb in South America and his mate said " No,forget it, I just retired". This friend then gave up climbing on the spot only to be killed a short time later paragliding!!!!!
After this happened Simpson started to believe in his own mortality and so with another friend started a list of climbs to complete and then when these were signed off the crampons were to be hung up.
So,in this volume we have a ice climb in the States (The Bridle Veil Falls at Tellirude )followed by an attempt at the north face of the Eiger.
Its a very exciting read, he builds the suspense that nicely that I have been put off driving past the Eiger let alone attempting a climb.
Included in his adventure is a lot of really interesting history concerning the climbs and the climbers,especially the 'iron men , wooden ship,' mountaineers of the 1930's.
Simpson is a professional adventurer with an obvious book contract to fulfill but it makes a difference that he can write.
I have read a previous title of his This Games of Ghosts and as I was then I still am - I would not get on the same train as Simpson simply because bad stuff will happen with him in the vicinity.
A good adventure yarn.
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