To Everest Via Antarctica: Climbing Solo on the Highest Peak on Each of the World's Seven Continents

Rating:
Summary: ...outstanding mountaineering book that...
Review: Adventurer's tale takes us to peaks To Everest via Antarctica, by Robert M Anderson Reviewed by the Northern Advocate 27 March 1996 In September 1991, Robert Anderson set out to accomplish a world first - solo ascents of each of the world's seven summits, the tallest peak on each of the world's seven continents. This book is the story of that quest. Anderson has an enviable and formidable reputation as a climber. As a youngster he started his career in Colorado and then spread his activities to the European and New Zealand Alps and to the Himalayas. Regrettably, it was necessary to include Mt Kosciusko as the Australian summit because it is the highest peak on that continent - at 2230 metres in altitude, the lowest mountain in the world. That aberration was climbed in appalling weather of ice that nearly defeated his attempt, but when the weather lifted, he made it. As he comments: "To be beaten by Everest is one thing, but to be beaten by Koscuisco is another." For the record, he knocked off Kosciusko in one hour and 23 minutes. Not bad at all for an Everest soloist. His other peaks were Mt Aconcagua (6969 metres) in South America; Mt Kilimanjaro (5894 metres) in Africa; Mt McKinley (6193 metres) in North America; Mt Elbrus (5633 metres) in Europe; Mt Vinson (5140 metres) in Antarctica, and Mt Everest (8048 metres). But the book is much, much more than bare accounts of ascent. It is a travelogue, a modern Peaks and Passes combined, as it were, with the late Frank Smythe's classics of the Himalayas and Tilman's unsurpassed accounts of his journeys. In short, this is an outstanding mountaineering book that compares with the classics of the genre. It can be referred to time and time again with pleasure. If you like the high hills, this book is a "must". The photos are few but good and the cover photo is superb. Reviewed by Ivo Davey

Rating:
Summary: ...outstanding mountaineering book that...
Review: Adventurer's tale takes us to peaks To Everest via Antarctica, by Robert M AndersonReviewed by the Northern Advocate 27 March 1996In September 1991, Robert Anderson set out to accomplish a world first - solo ascents of each of the world's seven summits, the tallest peak on each of the world's seven continents.This book is the story of that quest. Anderson has an enviable and formidable reputation as a climber.As a youngster he started his career in Colorado and then spread his activities to the European and New Zealand Alps and to the Himalayas.Regrettably, it was necessary to include Mt Kosciusko as the Australian summit because it is the highest peak on that continent - at 2230 metres in altitude, the lowest mountain in the world.That aberration was climbed in appalling weather of ice that nearly defeated his attempt, but when the weather lifted, he made it. As he comments: "To be beaten by Everest is one thing, but to be beaten by Koscuisco is another."For the record, he knocked off Kosciusko in one hour and 23 minutes. Not bad at all for an Everest soloist.His other peaks were Mt Aconcagua (6969 metres) in South America; Mt Kilimanjaro (5894 metres) in Africa; Mt McKinley (6193 metres) in North America; Mt Elbrus (5633 metres) in Europe; Mt Vinson (5140 metres) in Antarctica, and Mt Everest (8048 metres).But the book is much, much more than bare accounts of ascent.It is a travelogue, a modern Peaks and Passes combined, as it were, with the late Frank Smythe's classics of the Himalayas and Tilman's unsurpassed accounts of his journeys.In short, this is an outstanding mountaineering book that compares with the classics of the genre.It can be referred to time and time again with pleasure.If you like the high hills, this book is a "must".The photos are few but good and the cover photo is superb. Reviewed by Ivo Davey

Rating:
Summary: One of the most enjoyable books I read...
Review: Peak of a climber's career 7 Summits Solo, (Summit, USA) by Robert Mads Anderson To Everest via Antarctica, Robert Mads Anderson Reviewed by Neil Nelson, The Evening Standard, Wellington, New Zealand Saturday, February 24, 1996 Having spent the past 20 years scaling some of the world's most difficult peaks, American-born Aucklander Robert Anderson set himself a new challenge: to climb the highest peak on each of the world's seven continents. As an added challenge, he elected to climb them solo. Ultimately, he failed in his bid, with Everest getting the better of him on two separate occasions. But failure to stand on the top of the world's highest peak doesn't diminish Anderson's achievement or the highly readable accounts he has written of his adventures. As the price tags would suggest, the two books which have resulted from his seven summits project are totally different. 7 Summits Solo is a large-format, lavishly produced, 160-page volume which includes dozens of superb colour photographs taken by Joe Blackburn during the expedition (Note, nearly all photos in the book are Anderson's). Anderson's account of the expedition is essentially a précis of the story he tells in To Everest via Antarctica. The 220 page Penguin book (Stackpole Books, USA) contains just a handful of photographs, but includes a far more detailed account of Anderson's adventures. During the past decade or so, I've read numerous accounts of climbing expeditions: this one rates as one of the best. Unlike some mountaineers, who feel compelled to describe in minute detail everything they did during the expedition, Anderson concentrates more on the adventures he had actually getting to the mountain. He admits it is more of a travel book than a book about climbing and that he wrote it for a broader market. Some chapters have little to do with climbing at all. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Anderson's descriptions of his travels in Russia, late in 1992, after conquering Mt Elbrus, Europe's highest peak. With Elbrus out of the way, and three weeks left on his Russian visa, Anderson decided the opportunity to see some of Russia was too good an opportunity to miss. With the Russia of old rapidly being split into a series of new countries, and new border crossings appearing at random, it was decided a large bus would be the easiest way of moving around. One was soon found and with several companions Anderson set off for a fascinating tour of parts of Russia which had seldom seen Western tourists. The tales he relates of his journey make for absorbing and humorous reading. With a degree in writing and a career spent mainly in the advertising industry - the business he set up in New Zealand and subsequently sold helped fund his seven summits project - Anderson wastes few words. He has an economical, easy-to-read style and knows how to tell a good story. While the price of 7 Summits Solo means it's unlikely to appear on best-seller lists, To Everest via Antarctica deserves to be. One of the most enjoyable books I read in 1995, I look forward to reading of Anderson's further adventures.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most enjoyable books I read...
Review: Peak of a climber's career 7 Summits Solo, (Summit, USA) by Robert Mads AndersonTo Everest via Antarctica, Robert Mads AndersonReviewed by Neil Nelson, The Evening Standard, Wellington, New ZealandSaturday, February 24, 1996Having spent the past 20 years scaling some of the world's most difficult peaks, American-born Aucklander Robert Anderson set himself a new challenge: to climb the highest peak on each of the world's seven continents. As an added challenge, he elected to climb them solo.Ultimately, he failed in his bid, with Everest getting the better of him on two separate occasions. But failure to stand on the top of the world's highest peak doesn't diminish Anderson's achievement or the highly readable accounts he has written of his adventures.As the price tags would suggest, the two books which have resulted from his seven summits project are totally different. 7 Summits Solo is a large-format, lavishly produced, 160-page volume which includes dozens of superb colour photographs taken by Joe Blackburn during the expedition (Note, nearly all photos in the book are Anderson's).Anderson's account of the expedition is essentially a précis of the story he tells in To Everest via Antarctica. The 220 page Penguin book (Stackpole Books, USA) contains just a handful of photographs, but includes a far more detailed account of Anderson's adventures.During the past decade or so, I've read numerous accounts of climbing expeditions: this one rates as one of the best.Unlike some mountaineers, who feel compelled to describe in minute detail everything they did during the expedition, Anderson concentrates more on the adventures he had actually getting to the mountain.He admits it is more of a travel book than a book about climbing and that he wrote it for a broader market.Some chapters have little to do with climbing at all. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Anderson's descriptions of his travels in Russia, late in 1992, after conquering Mt Elbrus, Europe's highest peak. With Elbrus out of the way, and three weeks left on his Russian visa, Anderson decided the opportunity to see some of Russia was too good an opportunity to miss. With the Russia of old rapidly being split into a series of new countries, and new border crossings appearing at random, it was decided a large bus would be the easiest way of moving around. One was soon found and with several companions Anderson set off for a fascinating tour of parts of Russia which had seldom seen Western tourists. The tales he relates of his journey make for absorbing and humorous reading. With a degree in writing and a career spent mainly in the advertising industry - the business he set up in New Zealand and subsequently sold helped fund his seven summits project - Anderson wastes few words. He has an economical, easy-to-read style and knows how to tell a good story.While the price of 7 Summits Solo means it's unlikely to appear on best-seller lists, To Everest via Antarctica deserves to be. One of the most enjoyable books I read in 1995, I look forward to reading of Anderson's further adventures.