The Shining Mountain by Peter Boardman
In 1978 two English climbers, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, ascended the west wall of Changabang, a mountain in the Everest Range which is not as tall as Mt Everest (of course!) but is characterised by sheer granite faces, especially to the west. The fact that a party of two climbers was to attempt this, among the most difficult of climbs, was remarkable and seen by some at the time as foolhardy. The two men did not find it easy but triumphed after a number of setbacks, the recounting of which was, for me, a gripping read. I am not a rock-climber but found the descriptions, from the men’s training in the local meatworks freezer to the designing of hammocks which could be slept in whilst suspended from an almost vertical face by a single 8mm cord, quite fascinating.
Mr Wemyss
