"With heart-pounding descriptions of avalanches and treacherous ascents, Barry Blanchard chronicles his transformation from a poor Native American/white kid from the wrong side of the tracks to one of the most respected alpinists in the world. At thirteen, he learned to rappel when he joined the 1292 Lord Strathcone's Horse Army Cadets. Soon kicked out for insubordination, he was already hooked on climbing and saw alpinism as a way to make his single mother proud and end his family's cycle of poverty. He describes early ...
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"With heart-pounding descriptions of avalanches and treacherous ascents, Barry Blanchard chronicles his transformation from a poor Native American/white kid from the wrong side of the tracks to one of the most respected alpinists in the world. At thirteen, he learned to rappel when he joined the 1292 Lord Strathcone's Horse Army Cadets. Soon kicked out for insubordination, he was already hooked on climbing and saw alpinism as a way to make his single mother proud and end his family's cycle of poverty. He describes early climbs attempted with nothing to guide him but written trail descriptions and the cajones of youth. He slowly acquires the skills, equipment and partners necessary to tackle more and more difficult climbs, farther and farther afield: throughout the Canadian Rockies, into Alaska and the French Alps and on to Everest, Peru, and the challenging mountains in Pakistan. From each he learns lessons that only nature and extreme endeavor can teach. This is the story of the culture of climbing in the days of punk rock, spurred on by the rhythm of adrenaline and the arrogance of youth. It is also a portrait of the power of the mountains to lift us- physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually- and the depths of relationships built on total trust in the person at the other end of the rope."--Jacket flap.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Very Good dust jacket. 1938340310. Hardcover with dustjacket, first printing as stated on copyright page, "Blanchard writes as the young alpinist climbed: passionately, full of heart, These stories are raw and superbly entertaining, " illustrated throughout with color and black and white photos, book is in excellent condition, no remarkable flaws, jacket has a couple of short edge-tears and a bit of edge-rubbing, the jacket is clean and presentable, the original price is present and a professional (removable) mylar cover is included; 440 pages.
