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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 16, 2008 - 12:15pm PT
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I seldom read mountaineering books anymore, but this one was sent to me by a friend as well worth the effort. It sat around for a number of months until Karen --Supertoian waiting for her boo boo to heal--read it and recommended it further.
Some of you have probably already read it since it's been out for six years.
It's not your run of the mill climbing adventure book in the least; oh no, it's far beyond that and very well written and loaded with truths about expeditionary climbing you won't find in many books on the subject.
In brief, it's primarily the story of the 1976 Nanda Devi expedition and the life of Willi Unsoeld and much more.
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SteveW
Trad climber
State of confusion
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Apr 16, 2008 - 12:19pm PT
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Woody
I think if you read the book by John Roskelly about that
expedition (I think the book you refer to was written
by a non-climber), you might get a better idea about
the expedition. Roskelly's one of those super climbers that
led the trip with the late Willi Unsoeld & his daughter, and
he was very outspoken about it. It wasn't a pretty account,
but pretty straight shooting on his account of the expedition.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Apr 16, 2008 - 12:32pm PT
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I've read both of the books that SteveW discusses and they do provide very different visions of the same trip. The two accounts provide a lesson in the power of perspective. Unsoeld's life creates an interesting subject in the Roper book and the writing is a lot better...I did like them both, though.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2008 - 02:50pm PT
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Steve,
Karen and I will be reading Roskelly's book. However, I believe Roper made a good effort at being objective in trying to tell the story.
Having been on a few expeditions myself, the social/psychological dynamics within the group painted an accurate picture of situations--nowhere near as severe--I've experienced.
This would be a very good book for those getting ready for their first expeditionary trip.
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SteveW
Trad climber
State of confusion
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Apr 16, 2008 - 02:58pm PT
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Woody
Thanks--I read both books quite a long time ago, so my
memory of them isn't the greatest. . .that one ole brain
cell has been workin' way too hard of late.
Roskelly is certainly an opinionated guy, but I admire the hell
out of him--one heck of a climber. I don't remember that much
of the other book so it's hard to say much on it at this point.
Cheers!
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2008 - 04:02pm PT
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It comes down to this in Roper's book: Roskelly was very often obnoxious, a male chauvinist vis a vis female climbers, very opinionated, a verbal bully and in general a jerk. However, that said, he was right 90% of the time. The cavalier attitude toward hygiene manifested by the Unsoelds stunned me. Having lived in the region and seen what that "Hippy" attitude led to, I can't understand an experienced traveler and mountaineer like WU behaving like that. This is what makes the book excellent reading: it's truly difficult to fathom what the hell many of these people were thinking much of the time: so much was counter to common sense and past experience.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2008 - 07:03pm PT
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Would wittle wocker want unca woody to read from unca sade again?
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