Climbing on the Bookshelf

Fifty Classic climbs of North America (winner of the 1995 AAC literary award) a.k.a. "The Book" is one of the most influential guide books of its time and even still used today!

This interview with the authors Steve Roper (Camp 4 & Ascent) and Alan Steck (A Mountaineers life & Ascent) is hosted by Jim McCarthy (known for his influence with ice climbing and Proboscis back in '63) is courtesy of the AAC library. Thank you.

I hope you all enjoy this trip down the memory lane of climbing literature. If you're lucky you can still find a copy of the book and maybe you could make a start into your own climbing of Fifty Classic Climbs.

Don't forget to get in touch with your own stories about how you're getting on. Watch out for that Hummingbird one!!

IG - climbbookshelf

David Smart is known for his historical climbing biographies and in depth research on his subjects. Paul Preuss, Emilio Comici and now Royal Robbins gets the Smart treatment, all being pioneers of their age and paving the way for future generations of climbers by pushing the limits of what is possible.

We talk about his past work and his love of climbing and climbing writing and his new book on Royal Robbins "The American Climber". Also if you pay attention you get a sneak peak of what he is working on next!

You can buy the book from wherever you normally get your books from! Or here :

Royal Robbins: The American Climber — Books (mountaineers.org)

Royal Robbins: The American Climber: Amazon.co.uk: Smart, David: 9781680516586: Books

Enjoy!

Mimi Zieman has treated frozen limbs on the highest mountain, delivered triplets near the deepest ocean trench, tap danced through Broadway studios, and has been a suburban mom of three – all experiences that have prepared her for new challenges. Her latest challenge, writing Tap Dancing on Everest, about the risks we take to become our truest selves.

A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face (Kangshung Face) of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain and only successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first larger team, Mimi Zieman's team would climb without using supplemental oxygen, porter support, or chance for rescue. She would accompany the climbers as the doctor and only woman, although she was still in her third year of medical school. Full of self-doubt, Zieman grappled with whether to go but couldn't resist the call of the mountains. When three climbers disappeared during their summit attempt, she reached the knife edge of her limits and dug deeply to fight for the climbers' lives and to find her voice.

Tap Dancing on Everest is a coming-of-age story about the risks we take to become our truest selves. Zieman weaves her childhood as the daughter of immigrants raised in 1970's New York with capturing the curiosity and awe of a young woman as she faces down messages to stay small and safe and ventures into the unknown.

Find out more about Mimi here :

https://www.mimiziemanmd.com

IG @mimiziemanmd

You can buy the book from all good bookshops.

Steve Roper lived in Yosemite Valley for nearly 10 years, this is his story from the inside of that era. In 1967 he co founded the Sierra Club magazine "Ascent" with Allen Steck, he was the author of and "Fifty classic climbs" which is still used today and not forgetting "Camp 4 - Recollections of a Yosemite climber" which was such a significant book that it was used against the Park Rangers in a legal battle against them closing Camp 4! . In this candid and raw interview he talks about his early years climbing and his writings of the books mentioned above.

Many, many thanks to the AAC Library archive with their invaluable help for the access to the interviews (shout out to Shane Johnson, Pete Takeda and Katie Sauter). Without their dedication to their work this episode would not have been possible. THANK YOU.

IG - @Americanalpine & @Alpinelibrary

We go again with Deucey to chat about his research for his two volumes of work "Mechanical Advantage, Tools for the wild vertical". Kindly and readily available to download as a PDF or to order and own an actual copy of the volumes (for those of you that prefer actual things!). Then eventually moving onto another use for his Portaledge design, Rain forest activism.💪 AWESOME!!

Volume 1 : https://www.blurb.com/b/11609796-mechanical-advantage-tools-for-the-wild-vertical

Volume 2 : https://www.blurb.com/b/11609835-mechanical-advantage-tools-for-the-wild-vertical

Google search for:

"Blurb John Middendorf" or

"Blurb Mechanical Advantage"

Check out his research on : https://www.bigwallgear.com/

OR have a look at : https://www.bigwalls.net/ Also check out his YouTube channel which has the latest talk from Flagstaff https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYF4fSNfZ0

Check him out on IG @johnmiddendorf4

John "Deucey" Middendorf is one of the 80's & 90's big wall pioneers and has climbed all over the world from Baffin Island to El Cap to Pakistan. His Portaledge design revolutionised big wall climbing and has had many iterations and what he is perhaps best know for, although he has made many other types of gear. In Two parts (just like his new research volumes) we delve a little into his past, portaledges and his beautifully researched volumes (In 2 editions) "Mechanical Advantage, Tools for the wild vertical" on equipment design which you can find and buy from......

Volume 1 : https://www.blurb.com/b/11609796-mechanical-advantage-tools-for-the-wild-vertical

Volume 2 : https://www.blurb.com/b/11609835-mechanical-advantage-tools-for-the-wild-vertical

OR

Google search for:

"Blurb John Middendorf" or

"Blurb Mechanical Advantage"

Check out his research at https://www.bigwalls.net/ OR https://bigwallgear.com

Also check out his YouTube channel which has the latest talk from when he went to Flagstaff https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYF4fSNfZ0

Check him out on IG @johnmiddendorf4

Katie Quinn AKA The Sports Librarian reviews and recommends sports literature online. Her real passion is the outdoors and mountaineering literature where I chatted to her about this, and other stuff too! Listen out for some really great recommendations of mountaineering books, films and podcasts. Her favourite book is the episodes picture. You can catch up with Katie on most socials @thesportslibrarian OR katiequinn88.com OR even check out her site on https://bookshop.org/shop/thesportslibrarian for detailed recommends. I had a great time chatting, nice one Katie! thank you ❤️

MERCH - https://ab9542.myshopify.com/

Katie Ives is a renowned writer in the international climbing community, her first book is Imaginary Peaks the Riesenstien Hoax and other climbing dreams where she details the mystery of the Hoax within the larger view of climbing history and the seemingly endless search for newly discovered peaks and claims of first ascents. Beautifully researched, the book also covers the wider field throughout the world of exploration and discovery. We chat about her time at Alpinist as Editor-in-Chief and she has an insight into the future of mountaineering literature.

You can buy her book from the publisher ( Mountaineers Books ) in the USA here - https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/imaginary-peaks-the-riesenstein-hoax-and-other-mountain-dreams

OR

If you are in the UK then from ( Little Peak Press ) - https://www.littlepeak.co.uk/catalogue/imaginary-peaks-the-riesenstein-hoax-and-other-mountain-dreams_66/

OR

You could also support your local bookshop by actually walking into an actual store and buy or order it from there! You know about collecting things if you're a climber!! You can also check out current and past editions of Alpinist magazine on their website here - http://www.alpinist.com/

You can check out what Katie is up to on her social media channels by visiting IG @katie_r_ives

MERCH HERE - https://linktr.ee/climbbookshelf

IG @climbbookshelf or via email [email protected]

"The World beneath their feet" is Scott Ellsworth's fourth book shifting his usual focus of lecturing at University of Michigan on Afroamerican and African studies, to the Himalayas, where a great summit race during the inter war years of the 1930's and 40's insued, leading up to the conquest of Everest in 1953 for the British expedition 1 day before Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England. You can buy his books at all good bookshops. If you want to learn more about any of the subjects talked about then please get in touch with Scott [email protected]  

OR  @scotteauthor 

@Climbbookshelf