Best climbing books
The best climbing books They are a source of inspiration for the fans of the sport. In addition to their use as manuals for the practice of the sport, they serve as tools for learning how to face the challenges encountered throughout life.
Get to know the best books on climbing
Below, you will be able to find out about the best books ever written with climbing as the main element:
Alone on the wall, by Alex Honnold
In this book, Alex Honnold recounts seven of his most impressive climbs. The story is mixed with thought-provoking passages that give insight into the inner workings of his mind. Throughout the book Only on the wall, you will be able to feel their fears and learn their secrets to manage them.
In parallel, expert climber and award-winning author David Roberts takes the reader into the present and past of the sport to put Honnold's achievements into perspective. This is a work that should be in any series of the best mountain and climbing books.
Put a star down, by Miriam García Pascual
In the book Bring me down a star compiles some of the writings that form part of Miriam García Pascual's diary on her travels in America. You can find stories of her climbs on mountains such as El Capitan, Alpamayo, Mount Fitz Roy or Huascarán.
The reader will have access to a series of events in which the climber narrates her adventures. This has meant that after many years this work continues to be a favourite with young climbers. It is undoubtedly one of the top rated climbing books in the community.
Camp 4. Memories of a Yosemite Climber, by Steve Roper
During the 1960s, California's Yosemite Valley became the most popular centre of the rock climbing universe. Many young nonconformists took refuge there, climbing the high walls and crevasses of the Valley. The climber and writer Steve Roper spent almost ten years living in Yosemite Valley with these characters.
Field 4 is the author's view of this era of climbing and the influences behind its achievements. The book reflects the novel material advances of those years, the most important climbs and the most controversial controversies, all set against the backdrop of climbing in Yosemite.
Wolfgang Güllich: A Life on the Vertical, by Tilman Hepp
Wolfgang Güllich was instrumental in the sport of climbing. He left marks of his genius on every continent and brought the concept of free climbing to the walls of Karakorum and Patagonia. He opened hundreds of routes all over the world, including the legendary Kanal im Rucken, Punks in the Gym, Wall Street, Action Direkte, Eternal Flame and Riders on the Storm.
He is recognised as one of the greatest climbers of all time, as he combined his qualities as an athlete with great strength of character and richness of spirit. Wolfgang Güllich, a life in the vertical, presents a broader view of the biography of this great German climber, as told by his climbing companions and closest friends.
Rock warriors by Arno Ilgner
The book Rock warriors, is more oriented towards mental training, which is a determining factor in the field of climbing. Arno Ilgner takes some fundamental ideas from the ancient oriental tradition, as well as an approach to modern sport psychology.
Combining these aspects with his particular experience as a climber, he generates a complete programme with which you can learn to focus your mental capacity during a difficult climb. Likewise, you will know the impact the mind can have on your performance in the mountains.
Mountains of a Life, by Walter Bonnati.
In this autobiography, Walter Bonatti tells of his life as a climber, combining the great ascents with some dramatic human experiences. In the book the reader will learn about the golden age of classic mountaineering in the 1950s and 1960s, while learning in detail about the author's most important exploits.
When he reached the pinnacle of glory, Bonatti decided to give up mountaineering to focus on exploration and adventure in the most inhospitable regions of the world, as a journalist for the weekly Epoca. Mountains of a life will also reveal the reason for this unexpected decision. It can be seen as a testament to how mountains can be a school of honesty, strength and sensitivity.
The mountain is my kingdom, by Gaston Rebuffat.
Gaston Rébuffat is also a great storyteller, is one of mountaineering's most prestigious legends. In his career, he has climbed the north faces of the Eiger and the Walker Spur and has opened new routes on the Aiguille du Midi and other areas of Mont-Blanc.
Through his simple and sincere prose he conveys the essence of mountaineering, seeing it not just as a sport, but as a way of life between heaven and earth. By giving the story of The mountain is my kingdom a deep feeling for the mountain.
My Vertical World, by Jerzy Kukuczka
Jerzy Kukuczka, the famous Polish climber known as Jurek, conquered all fourteen eight-thousanders in eight years, completing his project a few months after Reinhold Messner. But Kukuczka's merit lies in the manner in which he achieved these ascents, as well as the complications he had to overcome in order to complete his expeditions.
My vertical world is the story of a simple man whose dream is the lofty peaks of the Himalayas. Without being a mountaineering chronicle, it is a work that narrates his adventure in the form of memories, sometimes personal and intimate. Kukuczka conveys with sincerity what he felt in the most difficult moments of his career.
The Fourteen of Iñaki, by Jorge Nagore
Iñaki's fourteen, refers both to the number of eight-thousand-metre climbs achieved by the Himalayan Iñaki Ochoa de Olza and the number of world-renowned mountaineers who spared no effort to rescue him after he suffered a stroke on the East Ridge of Annapurna at 7,400 metres above sea level.
They all fought against the clock to try to get Iñaki down from a very tough altitude, in one of the most beautiful and wildest mountains on the planet. Iñaki's fourteen, written by the journalist Jorge Nagore, a friend of the Spanish climber and member of the group that coordinated the rescue operation from Pamplona, tells the story of those five days in May when they had to face destiny and against all logic.
Climbing: initiation, pleasure and progression, by Arnau Petit
Arnau Petit, introduces the reader to a climbing training manual. Through it, you can access a variety of useful tools and knowledge to develop both physical and technical skills in this sport.
The book Climbing: initiation, enjoyment and progression presents you with the knowledge that allows you to plan your training in the early stages. This book also gives you recommendations for strengthening the mind, as the most important element in climbing.
The conquerors of the useless, by Lionel Terray
The conquerors of the useless is an essential book for those who, as well as climbing mountains, like to dream about them. Lionel Terray (1921-1965) is recognised as one of the most outstanding figures in the history of world mountaineering.
His whole life was about learning and effort at the highest level, which he also shared with other companions and climbing friends such as Gaston Rébuffat, Louis Lachenal and Maurice Herzog.
Under the skies of Asia, by Iñaki Ochoa de Olza
Under the skies of Asia is a mountaineering book written by Iñaki, who became a member of the exclusive group of the world's Himalayan elite. This lucid account describes his perception of the mountain and life. It is a work that cannot be missing in a list of the best climbing books.
As long as there is light, by Eduard Sallent
As long as there is light is a beautiful and passionate story of classic mountaineering among friends. A story that will take the reader from joy to sadness. A work that with simplicity and naturalness manages to connect with the reader from the beginning. It is an adventure to the limit, where survival will depend only on true friendship, which is the main protagonist.
Annapurna first eight-thousander, by Maurice Herzog
Annapurna first eight-thousander, a novel by Maurice Herzog, is a classic about the ascent of the first eight-thousander. It tells one of the most powerful accounts ever written by a French expedition in 1950. It is logistically incredible and of incalculable proportions, involving hundreds of people, including expedition members, sherpas and porters.
Mallory's Life and Passions, by Peter and Leni Gillman
At Mallory's life and passions, Peter and Leni Gillman delve into the biography of George Mallory, especially his motivations and aspirations. His life was dominated by two great passions: his love for his wife and children, and his obsession with Everest. This book was recognised in 2000 with the prestigious Boardman-Tasker Mountain Award.
Conclusion
Here you can find a list of the best climbing books that are available. Due to the variety of titles available, it is possible that some may have been left out, however, with these works you will be able to learn in greater detail about the world of this fascinating sport.
