Royal Geographic Society Mountaineers : Great Tales of Bravery and Conquest

This is an epic guide to the most intrepid mountaineers in history. Written in association with the Royal Geographical Society and The Alpine Club, Mountaineers tells the story of the pioneers who first conquered the giddy heights of our planet. Full of epic tales of endurance and perseverance, more than 100 of the top mountaineers are profiled, from Hannibal to Hillary. You can share in their triumphs and tragedies from the comfort of your living room as journal extracts and never-before-seen photographs and maps from the unpublished archives of the RGS and The Alpine Club help recreate history's greatest ascents. Mountaineers introduces you to a host of intriguing characters, from the Brits who insisted on hauling cases of vintage champagne up to Everest base camp in 1924, to the Italian Duke of the Abruzzi who took 10 iron bedsteads up Alaska's Malaspina glacier. Along the way you'll also find out about the important scientific discoveries that have shaped the course of human history and enjoy accounts of great bravery, fellowship and good humour in the face of adversity, all making Mountaineers a fascinating read for anyone with a spirit of adventure. Contents 6......Page 8 INTRODUCTION 8......Page 10 THE EARLY MOUNTAINEERS 10......Page 13 INTRODUCTION 12......Page 14 CLIMBING FOR SURVIVAL 14......Page 16 ötzi the iceman 16......Page 19 hannibal 20......Page 22 WHAT MOUNTAINS MEAN 22......Page 24 fa xian the monk 24......Page 26 mountain portrait: kilimanjaro 26......Page 28 kukai 28......Page 30 mountain lives: pueblo people 32......Page 34 MOUNTAINS AND CHRISTIANITY 34......Page 36 petrarch 36......Page 38 antoine de ville 38......Page 40 josias simmler 40......Page 42 mountaineering innovations: rope 42......Page 44 conrad gesner 44......Page 46 john evelyn 46......Page 48 INTRODUCTION 50......Page 52 A NEW FRONTIER 52......Page 54 johann jakob scheuchzer 54......Page 56 james hutton 56......Page 58 mountaineering innovations: ice axe 58......Page 60 horace-bénédict de saussure 60......Page 62 franz josef hugi 64......Page 66 james david forbes 66......Page 68 mountain portrait: mont blanc 68......Page 70 alexander von humboldt 70......Page 72 louis agassiz 72......Page 74 mountain lives: ice mummies 74......Page 76 THE CULTURAL HEIGHTS 76......Page 78 caspar wolf 78......Page 80 gabriel and mathias lory 80......Page 82 j m w turner 82......Page 84 experiencing the mountains: poetry 84......Page 86 john ruskin 86......Page 89 THE FIRST SUMMITEERS 90......Page 92 william windham 92......Page 94 paccard and balmat 94......Page 97 mountaineering innovations: crampons 98......Page 100 paradis and d'angeville 100......Page 102 the meyer family 102......Page 104 gottlieb studer 104......Page 106 placidus à spescha 106......Page 108 peter carl thurwieser 108......Page 110 albert smith 110......Page 112 INTRODUCTION 114......Page 116 A FASHION FOR CLIMBING 116......Page 118 alfred wills 118......Page 120 john ball 120......Page 122 christian almer 122......Page 124 mountain lives: alpine guides 124......Page 126 melchior anderegg 126......Page 128 john tyndall 128......Page 130 leslie stephen 134......Page 136 THE PRICE OF ADVENTURE 136......Page 138 charles hudson 138......Page 140 mountain portrait: matterhorn 140......Page 142 edward whymper 142......Page 144 jean-antoine carrel 146......Page 148 experiencing the mountains: spreading the word 148......Page 150 “AN EASY DAY FOR A LADY” 150......Page 152 walker and brevoort 152......Page 154 elizabeth le blond 156......Page 158 freda du faur 158......Page 160 BIRTH OF MODERN ALPINISM 160......Page 162 adolphus moore 162......Page 164 clinton dent 164......Page 166 alexander burgener 166......Page 168 albert frederick mummery 168......Page 170 zsigmondy brothers 172......Page 174 eugen guido lammer 174......Page 176 paul preuss 176......Page 178 BEYOND THE ALPS 178......Page 181 INTRODUCTION 180......Page 182 THE GREATER RANGES 182......Page 184 martin conway 184......Page 186 douglas freshfield 186......Page 189 mountain lives: pundits 190......Page 192 fanny bullock workman 192......Page 194 alexander kellas 194......Page 196 oscar eckenstein 196......Page 198 the duke of the abruzzi 198......Page 200 experiencing the mountains: photography 200......Page 202 CLIMBING IN THE NEW WORLD 202......Page 204 conrad kain 204......Page 206 mountain portrait: denali 206......Page 208 matthias zurbriggen 208......Page 210 ALPINISM IN JAPAN 210......Page 212 aritsune “yuko” maki 212......Page 214 mountaineering innovations: mapping 214......Page 216 SLAYING THE GIANTS 216......Page 219 INTRODUCTION 218......Page 220 THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 220......Page 222 francis younghusband 222......Page 224 somervell and norton 224......Page 226 mountain portrait: everest 226......Page 229 george mallory 228......Page 230 mountaineering innovations: oxygen gear 232......Page 234 paul bauer 234......Page 236 willo welzenbach 236......Page 239 willy merkl 238......Page 240 abalakov brothers 240......Page 242 BACK OF AN ENVELOPE 242......Page 244 tilman and shipton 244......Page 246 charles houston 248......Page 250 fritz wiessner 250......Page 252 experiencing the mountains: film-making 252......Page 254 THE HIMALAYAN GOLDEN AGE 254......Page 256 herzog and lachenal 256......Page 258 hermann buhl 258......Page 260 kurt diemberger 260......Page 262 mountain lives: sherpas 262......Page 264 edmund hillary 264......Page 266 tenzing norgay 266......Page 268 compagnoni and lacedelli 270......Page 272 band and brown 272......Page 274 couzy and terray 276......Page 278 hornbein and unsoeld 278......Page 280 INTRODUCTION 284......Page 286 THE NORTH FACES 286......Page 288 emilio comici 288......Page 290 anderl heckmair 290......Page 292 riccardo cassin 292......Page 294 THE UNWRITTEN RULES 294......Page 296 walter bonatti 296......Page 299 don whillans 298......Page 300 chris bonington 300......Page 302 yvon chouinard 302......Page 304 doug scott 304......Page 306 mountain portrait: cerro torre 306......Page 309 reinhold messner 308......Page 310 jerzy kukuczka 312......Page 314 WOMEN MOUNTAINEERS 314......Page 316 wanda rutkiewicz 316......Page 318 catherine destivelle 318......Page 321 kitty calhoun 322......Page 324 mountaineering innovations: protection 324......Page 326 FAST AND LIGHT 326......Page 328 wojciech kurtyka 328......Page 330 alex macintyre 330......Page 332 andrej stremfelj 332......Page 334 erhard loretan 334......Page 336 experiencing the mountains: climbing bestsellers 336......Page 338 mick fowler 338......Page 340 thomas and alex huber 340......Page 343 rolando garibotti 342......Page 344 steve house 344......Page 346 the giri-giri boys 346......Page 348 mountain lives: professional climbers 348......Page 350 MOUNTAIN DIRECTORY 350......Page 352 INDEX 352......Page 354 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 358......Page 360 Contents 6 8 INTRODUCTION 8 10 THE EARLY MOUNTAINEERS 10 13 INTRODUCTION 12 14 CLIMBING FOR SURVIVAL 14 16 ötzi the iceman 16 19 hannibal 20 22 WHAT MOUNTAINS MEAN 22 24 fa xian the monk 24 26 mountain portrait: kilimanjaro 26 28 kukai 28 30 mountain lives: pueblo people 32 34 MOUNTAINS AND CHRISTIANITY 34 36 petrarch 36 38 antoine de ville 38 40 josias simmler 40 42 mountaineering innovations: rope 42 44 conrad gesner 44 46 john evelyn 46 48 CLIMBING FOR SCIENCE AND ART 48 52 INTRODUCTION 50 52 A NEW FRONTIER 52 54 johann jakob scheuchzer 54 56 james hutton 56 58 mountaineering innovations: ice axe 58 60 horace-bénédict de saussure 60 62 franz josef hugi 64 66 james david forbes 66 68 mountain portrait: mont blanc 68 70 alexander von humboldt 70 72 louis agassiz 72 74 mountain lives: ice mummies 74 76 THE CULTURAL HEIGHTS 76 78 caspar wolf 78 80 gabriel and mathias lory 80 82 j m w turner 82 84 experiencing the mountains: poetry 84 86 john ruskin 86 89 THE FIRST SUMMITEERS 90 92 william windham 92 94 paccard and balmat 94 97 mountaineering innovations: crampons 98 100 paradis and d'angeville 100 102 the meyer family 102 104 gottlieb studer 104 106 placidus à spescha 106 108 peter carl thurwieser 108 110 albert smith 110 112 THE GOLDEN AGE OF ALPINISM 112 116 INTRODUCTION 114 116 A FASHION FOR CLIMBING 116 118 alfred wills 118 120 john ball 120 122 christian almer 122 124 mountain lives: alpine guides 124 126 melchior anderegg 126 128 john tyndall 128 130 leslie stephen 134 136 THE PRICE OF ADVENTURE 136 138 charles hudson 138 140 mountain portrait: matterhorn 140 142 edward whymper 142 144 jean-antoine carrel 146 148 experiencing the mountains: spreading the word 148 150 “AN EASY DAY FOR A LADY” 150 152 walker and brevoort 152 154 elizabeth le blond 156 158 freda du faur 158 160 BIRTH OF MODERN ALPINISM 160 162 adolphus moore 162 164 clinton dent 164 166 alexander burgener 166 168 albert frederick mummery 168 170 zsigmondy brothers 172 174 eugen guido lammer 174 176 paul preuss 176 178 BEYOND THE ALPS 178 181 INTRODUCTION 180 182 THE GREATER RANGES 182 184 martin conway 184 186 douglas freshfield 186 189 mountain lives: pundits 190 192 fanny bullock workman 192 194 alexander kellas 194 196 oscar eckenstein 196 198 the duke of the abruzzi 198 200 experiencing the mountains: photography 200 202 CLIMBING IN THE NEW WORLD 202 204 conrad kain 204 206 mountain portrait: denali 206 208 matthias zurbriggen 208 210 ALPINISM IN JAPAN 210 212 aritsune “yuko” maki 212 214 mountaineering innovations: mapping 214 216 SLAYING THE GIANTS 216 219 INTRODUCTION 218 220 THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH 220 222 francis younghusband 222 224 somervell and norton 224 226 mountain portrait: everest 226 229 george mallory 228 230 mountaineering innovations: oxygen gear 232 234 paul bauer 234 236 willo welzenbach 236 239 willy merkl 238 240 abalakov brothers 240 242 BACK OF AN ENVELOPE 242 244 tilman and shipton 244 246 charles houston 248 250 fritz wiessner 250 252 experiencing the mountains: film-making 252 254 THE HIMALAYAN GOLDEN AGE 254 256 herzog and lachenal 256 258 hermann buhl 258 260 kurt diemberger 260 262 mountain lives: sherpas 262 264 edmund hillary 264 266 tenzing norgay 266 268 compagnoni and lacedelli 270 272 band and brown 272 274 couzy and terray 276 278 hornbein and unsoeld 278 280 THE AGE OF EXTREMES 282 286 INTRODUCTION 284 286 THE NORTH FACES 286 288 emilio comici 288 290 anderl heckmair 290 292 riccardo cassin 292 294 THE UNWRITTEN RULES 294 296 walter bonatti 296 299 don whillans 298 300 chris bonington 300 302 yvon chouinard 302 304 doug scott 304 306 mountain portrait: cerro torre 306 309 reinhold messner 308 310 jerzy kukuczka 312 314 WOMEN MOUNTAINEERS 314 316 wanda rutkiewicz 316 318 catherine destivelle 318 321 kitty calhoun 322 324 mountaineering innovations: protection 324 326 FAST AND LIGHT 326 328 wojciech kurtyka 328 330 alex macintyre 330 332 andrej stremfelj 332 334 erhard loretan 334 336 experiencing the mountains: climbing bestsellers 336 338 mick fowler 338 340 thomas and alex huber 340 343 rolando garibotti 342 344 steve house 344 346 the giri-giri boys 346 348 mountain lives: professional climbers 348 350 MOUNTAIN DIRECTORY 350 352 INDEX 352 354 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 358 360 Profiles more than 100 of the top mountaineers, from Hannibal to Hillary. This book introduces you to a host of intriguing characters, from the Brits who insisted on hauling cases of vintage champagne up to Everest base camp in 1924, to the Italian Duke of the Abruzzi who took 10 iron bedsteads up Alaska's Malaspina glacier.