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Mick Ryan
Trad climber
The Peaks
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 4, 2014 - 02:11am PT
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I thought some on here would appreciate notification of this...new book by John Porter
**ONE DAY AS A TIGER
Alex MacIntyre and the birth of light and fast alpinism**
‘The wall was the ambition, the style became the obsession.’
In the autumn of 1982, a single stone fell from high on the south face of Annapurna and struck Alex MacIntyre on the head, killing him instantly and robbing the climbing world of one of its greatest talents.
 See more at:
http://v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/biographies/one-day-as-a-tiger.html
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Mick,
Thanks for posting this. John is a good friend of mine, and I'll be getting a copy. I hung out with John and Alex BITD, when they were students in Leeds.
I'm sure the book is a great read.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Thanks Mick, really appreciate this.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Nov 18, 2014 - 11:12am PT
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John Porter just informed me that his book won the Grand Prize at the Banff Film Festival. One person wrote the publisher:
" Just wanted to tell you that in my collection of over 500 mountaineering books I have never read a better book. (and I’ve read them all!) No wonder it won a prize. After reading only a couple of chapters I wanted to write to you, but I’ve now finished it. John Porter has a unique talent. Thank you."
I am so happy for John.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 18, 2014 - 11:23am PT
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I know he was a good climber but.....i 1976 he came up to me at a party (i was on a ss tour of Britain about the FA of Torre Egger) and rudely proclaimed...." Torre Egger, i don't rste it, too small," at which point i told him to button up his lip because he was small too, relative to me.
He later came back ranting about racisim in America after participating in a discussion about
"Paki Bashing," a then popular leisure time activity in Britain.
Perhaps he was "in his cups" as the British like to say.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Nov 18, 2014 - 12:55pm PT
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Jim,
Perhaps, as you suggest, Porter might have been drunk. He might of been just kidding you, as I've never seen him rude to others. On the contrary, John is always quite diplomatic.
Rock season is over here, unless your into pain and suffering. The wind chill
effect here is in full force at the moment.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 18, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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Steve....I was referring to Alex MacIntyre, not Porter.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Nov 18, 2014 - 05:51pm PT
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Jim,
Thanks for clearing that up. I can certainly see Alex acting like that; especially after a few drinks.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Nov 18, 2014 - 07:09pm PT
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I can't wait to read this marvelous book!! Great title too. And glad that the McIntyre/Porter confusion has been cleared up so quickly.
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Castiella
Trad climber
Donostia, spain
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Nov 19, 2014 - 11:38am PT
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One of the better mountain books i have ever read. Not only a biography of alex mc intyre, but also pieces of john porter's soul. And a awesome story about alpine style climbing in the 70,s and the 80,s.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Nov 19, 2014 - 12:22pm PT
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Congratulations, John Porter!
Met Porter at Banff a few year snack. A super cool guy who seemed to care deeply and understand a lot about climbing and climbers and the legacies they leave.
Never met Alex. His writing from the late 1970s (many essays in Mountain and maybe Crags, too) were invariably highlights of whatever magazine they were in. Classic self-deprecating, hilarious stories that artfully belied the nature of the hard exploits that were being narrated.
Or so they seemed at the time; I was young, naive, impressionable beginner climber.
He made it sound like anyone, with little effort, could hop over to the Alps and put up new routes on the biggest, steepest North Faces or wherever. No need for big parties, team leaders, dozens of Sherpas, all the paraphernalia and baggage of the big expeditions; instead, go light, fast, cheap. Very cheap....lol.
I wonder how the same articles would read now, 30-plus years later? Are any of them posted here, by Steve Grossman or anyone else?
Of course, Alex died young, as did what seemed like an entire generation of young British alpinists. They had developed great technical skills, often beyond other European climbers. But that was not enough, I guess, if you want to keep returning year after year. I'm guessing Porter has tried to step back and use Alex as way to examine this bigger story of what went right and what went wrong. I'll look out for this book, should be a good read.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Nov 23, 2014 - 01:10pm PT
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Here is another photo of that era when a bunch of UK climbers; including John Porter, Al Rouse, Tut Braithwaite, and many others were hanging out in Chamonix--around 1975.
I'm the cheerful guy in the middle, having just got down from the Walker Spur, surviving a violent storm. I was the only climber who wasn't hit by lightning.
In Porter's book, John describes the 1st solo ascent of Zero Gulley, and Point 5 gulley on Ben Nevis, by an American-Roger Martin, ( in photo), soon followed weeks later by Alex MacIntyre, just a few months prior to this photo.
That same year, 1975, Tut Braithwaite would be a key figure in the British route, on the Southwest Face of Everest.
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John Porter
Trad climber
Marblehead, Mass
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Nov 24, 2014 - 01:20pm PT
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Hi Jim - firstly, a belated apology from Alex. He could be a total pain. After pints, he had no idea what he was saying. He had one of those genes that means you cannot hold your booze.
And Steve - great photo from Snell's. The girl is next to Rog is Jan Brownsort, one of the Leeds team. She lives in Cham now. This photo is taken (I thin) the same year as the 2nd ascent of Bonatti Zapelli by the Burgess twins, Tut and Alex. JB raced to catch them and soloed a new new route by mistakes. The links are in the book.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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I just finished reading John's book.
I have only read perhaps 10-15 books on climbing lore, but John Porter has certainly hit the ball out of the park, with his first work, " One Day as a Tiger". It is outstanding!
I am sure avid readers of this venue will be eagerly awaiting future works by John Porter.
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Dec 11, 2014 - 08:48am PT
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Just finished reading this wonderful book. If you were reading Mountain magazine in the 70's and 80's you'll really like this book. As much as it is about Alex what impressed me most was the way John explored the differences of attitude, gear and style of that time compared to today. It drove home to me how much I miss all the unknowns that we dealt with before the internet age. All the mystery of the mountains the routes and even the travel to get there. Read this book.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 11, 2014 - 09:11am PT
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John, thanks for clearing that up about Alex...some people can't handle their booze. I look forward to reading your book.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Dec 11, 2014 - 12:22pm PT
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Hey Norm,
Glad you liked the book. I met you a few years ago below MidSummer Dome, near Ambush Peak in the Winds, at my "favorite" campsite. Nice to see you here.
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Wee Jock
climber
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Mar 30, 2015 - 12:35am PT
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Don't have access to climbing books these days so I haven't read John's book but if he wrote that American Roger Martin did first solo ascents of .5 and 0 gullies on the ben in 1975 he (or his editor) should have checked his facts ... Big Iain Nicholson soloed 0 and .5 gullies in total time of 1hr and 45 mins (excluding the descent in between) in 1973 or 1974. Dirty Alex developed the idea of lightweight expeditions while climbing with myself and Kingy (Terry King) in 1975 ... Alex (with nearly empty sack as WE were carrying ALL the gear on the approach to the Linceul) was laughing at us stumbling through the crusty snow while he walked "like a fairy" on top of the crust - ref: Kingy's article on the N Face of the Charmoz and the Shroud in Mountain Mag ~ 1976. John was never nasty but Alex got a tad self important when drinking so the Torre Egger comment likely came from him, not John!
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steve shea
climber
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Mar 30, 2015 - 07:29am PT
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Gordon how are you? I found the Bridalveil photos. let me know if interested.
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AlliC
climber
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In Porter's book, John describes the 1st solo ascent of Zero Gulley, and Point 5 gulley on Ben Nevis, by an American-Roger Martin, ( in photo), soon followed weeks later by Alex MacIntyre, just a few months prior to this photo.
So this was before "Big" Iain Nicholson's solos in the winter of 1973?
Or were you referring to the "first American solo".
Iain soloed both routes in a morning and was back in Ft. William in time for lunch time opening at the pub! Considering that both routes were such serious climbs back then and the long hike in and out his feat was pretty impressive.
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