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      • Biography & True Stories

        Kilimanjaro and Beyond

        A Life-Changing Journey

        by Barry Finlay. Chris Finlay

        BARRY FINLAY and his son CHRIS sit propped against a rock, struggling to draw a breath on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. Their destination is tantalizingly close but what happens next will be determined by their health and the weather. In their hands is a Canadian flag bearing the names of over 200 people who contributed to helping a desperate community in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro and Beyond is an award winner that is inspirational, thought provoking and entertaining. Follow along on the journey and realize that nothing is more satisfying than reaching a goal and giving others the opportunity to achieve theirs.  Kilimanjaro and Beyond is a very personal account of the author's journey from a sedentary lifestyle to the peak of a mountain at age 60 with his son. It is a descriptive story of his upbringing on the prairies and how it gave him the dedication and perseverance to change his lifestyle sufficiently to be able to reach the summit. Not only is it inspirational, but it provides the reader with an insight into the preparation required and takes them step by step up and down the mountain and to a school to meet some amazing children.   The book describes how the events that occurred in Africa were life-changing in two ways. The first was reaching the summit and the realization that almost anything can be accomplished if you want it badly enough. The second was meeting some children who simply make do with what they have and how that can be applied to any situation.     In short, Kilimanjaro and Beyond demonstrates the satisfaction that can be achieved by reaching a previously unthinkable goal and helping others to acheive theirs.

      • Climbing & mountaineering

        Imperial Ascent

        Masculinity, Mountaineering, and Empire

        by Peter L Bayers

        The thrills and chills of mountaineering literature have long attracted a devoted audience of serious climbers, adventure-seekers, and armchair enthusiasts. In recent decades, scholars have come to view these tales of prowess and fortitude as texts laden with ideological meaning. In this book, a comparative study of seven such twentieth-century mountaineering narratives, Peter L Bayers articulates the multiple and varied ways mountaineering and its literature have played in the formation and maintenance of national identity. By examining such works as Belmore Browne's The Conquest of Mount McKinley and Sir John Hunt's The Ascent of Everest, Bayers contends that for American and British climbers, mountaineering is tied to imperial ideology and dominant notions of masculinity. At the same time, he demonstrates how Tiger of the Snows, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's account of climbing Mount Everest, undermines Western conceptions of mountaineering and imperialism. Throughout this theoretically informed critique, Bayers manages to retain the sense of awe and adventure inherent in the original works, making Imperial Ascent a highly engaging read.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

        THE LESSONS MOUNTAINS CAN TEACH US

        ALL THE SECRETS TO ALWAYS REACH THE TOP

        by Marco Confortola

        Clarity, resilience, cooperation – the same skills that can save us in extreme circumstances can inspire us in our everyday life.From a great Italian mountaineer a practical and effective guide to be at our very best in any situation. When climbing the mind is always focused, endlessly calculating options and consequences, and the heart remains silent to make way for accurate and objective assessments – for even the smallest error can put your life and the life of others at risk. When survival is a matter of will, the mind becomes sharper and knows best. Marco Confortola, the «8.000 meter peaks hunter», knows this all too well. After surviving adramatic accident in 2008 he took up climbing again and is now an expert in Alpine rescues in extreme conditions. His unique analysis and reaction skills have also proven invaluable in many everyday settings, whether personal or professional. In this book he shares his experience and the lessons climbing has taught him. How do you keep yourself cool at times of tension? How do you assess priorities? How do youmanage a team?Because the «lessons the mountains teach us» are universal guidelines that can change the life of each and every one of us.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

        LYING ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD

        MY STORY, FROM THE TOP OF THE NANGA PARBAT TO THE HELL OF G7

        by Cala Cimenti

        Cala Cimenti had dreamt all his life of conquering the Nanga Parbat – the ninth highest peak in the world – and the unclimbed G7.A mountaineer and skier, he intended to climb both peaks and then make the full descent on his skis. The ascension of the Nanga Parbat went just as planned, but the second expedition turned into a nightmare. For a mountaineer, climbing the Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest peak in the world, is one of the highest possible achievements. For a skier, skiing back down is the most extreme adventure of all. For Cala Cimenti, a mountaineer  and skier, the Nanga Parbat was all this and much, much more. The killer mountain, as it was called because of the number of daredevils who had died in trying to conquer it, had become his forbidden dream.Along with the Gasherbrum VII. Conquering the still unclimbed mountain known as G7 would not only offer him the chance for a unique record, but also an immaculate skiing slope. So Cala decided to set off on this double undertaking along with a friend, Francesco Cassardo.Little did he know the trials the ruthless mountain would put him through, or the hell waiting for him at the top. Due to a ruinous fall Francesco will risk a slow, painful death. While rescue teams struggle to arrive, it will be up to Cala’s sangefroid and to the help of his wife from Italy to save the life of his friend.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

        THE PINK MOUNTAINS.

        A journey to the discovery of Dolomites

        by Massimiliano Ossini

        The mountain as a personal experience, conveyed to our most sensitive core - the realm of emotion, imagination, dreams. A pathway to the mountains seen as an environment where the slowness of our pace allows us to truly discover both ourselves and our surroundings, to connect with nature and traditions. In this sumptuously illustrated book, the author guides us to the discovery of the Dolomite mountains, leading us through valleys and to the most beautiful peaks of all of Italy. A vertical journey to the summits and a horizontal ramble through the glens to lend a voice to the Dolomites and their stories.Our mountaineering guide describes landscapes and encounters, people and places, and reveals the ancient tales linked to local traditions and legends, from the trenches of the Great War to the Wood of Violins to mountain fairytales.Each leg of the journey provides three hiking itineraries, each with a different difficulty level - from family walks to trekking paths to more challenging climbs, all detailed by the author’s personal notes and tips. In selecting the itineraries suggested the author has focused on the most breathtaking landscapes, and those that better allow visitors to appreciate the silence and quiet of the mountains and their profound beauty.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

        THE “SPIDERS” OF LECCO

        An illustrated history

        by Serafino Ripamonti

        The story of the mountaineering association Ragni di Lecco (the “spiders” of Lecco) from the Forties to our present day, with documents and eyewitness accounts on their accomplishments all around the world, from America to Patagonia. “Ragni di Lecco” is the oldest and most prestigious rock-climbing group in Italy. Its famed red jersey with its badge featuring a six-legged spider is linked to the most challenging ascents in the world – from Alpine peaks to the wuthering heights of Patagonia to the mindboggling altitudes of the Himalaya. Its famed bearers include Riccardo Cassin, Carlo Mauri, Casimiro Ferrari, along with many others who have left an indelible mark on the history of mountain climbing and daring deeds. This illustrated volume recounts the intertwined stories of brotherhood, love for the mountains and historical exploits, beginning with the first generation of “spiders”, who in 1946 sought to take back the youth they had been denied by the horrors of the World War, and following their footsteps from the local peaks of Grigna to the historical ascent of the Western face of Cerro Torre in 1974. And the tale continues today, with the adventures of a new generation of top climbers, like Matteo Della Bordella, adding their own chapters to the history of the association and keeping alive a love of adventure with a dash of romanticism.

      • Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

        THE IMPOSSIBLE IS A LITTLE FURTHER UP

        by Jacopo Larcher

        “I was travelling all the time but saw nothing. Just gyms.While outside a whole world was just waiting to be discovered.”JACOPO LARCHER At 30, the climber Jacopo Larcher has come a long way, with accomplishments including championships in competition climbing. But the one constant in his life, as he explains in his book, is evolution and change, both as an athlete and as an individual. And never mind keeping to his comfort zone.So, in yet another, radical evolution, he became a mountaineer and explorer, following in the footsteps of great masters of the past, from Bonatti to Messner. His focus shifted to the many aspects of mountaineering, from traditional climbing to long routes, from ice climbing to expeditions, including some memorable challenges at La Reunion, in Siberia and the States (El Capitan, California).The story of an athlete meant not just for mountain buffs but for all readers, not least young adults, who will identify with Jacopo’s fears and enthusiasms, his shyness and determination, his courage in starting over again when he realized that rock gyms were not enough anymore, and stepped outside to explore the world.

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