Lost Mountains: Climbs in the Himalaya

Rating:
Summary: Lost Again?!
Review: I used to be a fan of this writer, until I realized that almost all of his climbing stories follow exactly the same theme: He climbs; he messes up; he relies on others to get him down; he then rags on the ones who saved him. I guess it was funny first time around, when he was rescued on Everest. After round three, having put so many of his recuers at needless risk and then being so ungracious towards them, I kind of thought he had lost his right to climb (not to mention his right to be rescued). Unfortunately, he drones on in this book, a kind of "worst of" compilation of his previous writings. Nothing new here, unfortunately. I'm waiting for the "Stephen Venables Grows Up" story. That said, there are still good, though negative lessons in this book, and given the short chapters, less chance for him to navle-gaze too much, which was a major weakness in his previous books.

Rating:
Summary: It's a long climb to the top
Review: The first half of this book was more interesting for me -- the expedition to Kishtware Shivling was self-contained and the author was able to convey more of a sense of place and spirit. The second half settles down to more of slow, plodding pace. There are no great revelations; it is almost as if the famed British 'reserve' seems to come into play. The writing itself doesn't have the same spirit or liveliness that other writers bring to the genre of mountaineering books; that is, less of the climbers' actual personalities are conveyed than in other books. Unlike some of the best books, there are few spots in this book where the tension and pressures of climbing become self-evident in the writing and the expressed drama between the climbers. That said, there were parts of the book that were very rewarding and enjoyable to read such as the elaborate details given on the hike into the mountains gave me a better perspective on the geography rather than just observation of details. In short, this not a bad book by any stretch of the definition -- it's just not a great one.

Rating:
Summary: Adventure on an Unclimbed Peak
Review: The first part of this book focuses on Venables' and Dick Renshaw's summit of Kishtwar-Shivling, a then unclimbed 6000 meter peak in the Himalaya. Venables is a capable author and conveys a sense of adventure that books of this type often lack. He understates the danger they faced on the mountain, particularly after their summit climb. The second half of the book deals with the Alpine Club's climbing in the Eastern Karakoram. Venables did make a mistake and he certainly expressed his sense of embarrassment at his blunder (I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it). Venables does not "rag on the ones who saved him." This book is a nice change of pace, as it focuses on basically unknown mountains.