Extreme Eiger

Description

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2015, 1st Edition, D/w, Fine.   The North Face of the Eiger was long renowned as the most dangerous climb in the Swiss Alps, one that had cost the lives of numerous mountaineers. In February 1966, two teams – one German, the other British/American – aimed to climb it in a straight line from bottom to top.  John Harlin led the four-man British/American team and intended to make a swift dash for the summit.  The Germans, with an eight-man team and a mass of equipment, planned a slow, relentless ascent.  Each was unaware of the other until they arrived at the face – the race was on.  Watching on was a young journalist reporting on the climb for the Daily Telegraph, Peter Gillman.  Almost 50 years on, Gillman recalls the dramatic events on the North Face of the Eiger, and assesses their effect on those who took part.  One man died and others were permanently injured through frostbite.  It was an epic ascent with profound consequences, redolent of a golden age of adventure and mountaineering exploration.  Experienced journalist and mountaineering writer Peter Gillman, along with the late Dougal Haston, also authored the first book about the climb, Eiger Direct, published in 1966.