Hermann Buhl's momentous ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953 (after Annapurna and Everest, the third 8000m peak to be climbed) set an agenda for adventurous mountaineers that inspires to this day. Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, published after his historic first ascent, fired the imagination of a generation of climbers. The book's closing moments, the account of his prolonged summit climb, still thrills with its single-minded commitment and total loneliness. Since its first UK publication in 1956 this has been considered one of the ...
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Hermann Buhl's momentous ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953 (after Annapurna and Everest, the third 8000m peak to be climbed) set an agenda for adventurous mountaineers that inspires to this day. Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, published after his historic first ascent, fired the imagination of a generation of climbers. The book's closing moments, the account of his prolonged summit climb, still thrills with its single-minded commitment and total loneliness. Since its first UK publication in 1956 this has been considered one of the great inspirational classics - the book that galvanised generations of ambitious alpinists. Buhl's swashbuckling alpine career and his epic solo completion of the first ascent of Nanga Parbat are regarded as seminal events. His adventures on alpine and dolomite climbs were related with such passion and enthusiasm that it proved irresistibly inspiring. Latterly it is thought that Kurt Maix's editing (which Buhl might well have approved) contrived to adapt Buhl's original account into something far more heroic and erudite than would have been natural for a young climber. Sadly Buhl was unable to play a prolonged part in the saga he had instigated. After the Broad Peak climb, while decending from an attempt on Chogolisa, he died in a cornice accident. This book, and the vivid memory of his climbs, is a reminder of a climbing icon whose example resonates through the ages, inspiring climbers to this day.
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Hermann Buhl was one of the great mountain climbers of the 20th Century. In his autobiographical book he gives us a detailed account of his training, self discipline, and some of the most remarkable climbs in Europe. He saves his expedition to the Karakorum for the last chapter and before getting to it, your finger tips will be bleeding and your toes frost bitten; that's how explicit Buhl made his description of his climbs in the Austrian, Italian, french and Swiss Alps. He shares both his techniques and his emotional responses so the reader feels roped to Buhl and his partners.
There are some outstanding photographs of the Marmolot in the Dolomites, the North Face of the Eiger and the many gendarms and needles on Mount Blanch accompanying the text. Then too, there's Nanga Parbat.
Preparation for the expedition was enlightening; it was then a logistical nightmare as challenging as the climb itself. We lost sight of all that after the numerous climbs on Everest.
This English translation of Hermann Buhl's narrative is faithful to the original text.
Whether you are a climber or an armchair adventurer you will be more than satisfied with this book.
