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"An exceptional book." - BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE 2009 "Beyond the Mountain takes the road less travelled. House takes the same approach he advocates for in alpinism - that of innovation, boldness, honesty and simplicity and uses it to produce a story of lasting depth." - BANFF MOUNTAIN BOOK FESTIVAL 2009 "The rare climbing book that I felt compelled to read cover to cover in just a few sittings." - DOUGALD MACDONALD, UKCLIMBING.COM"
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Reinhold Messner calls Steve House the best high-altitude climber in the world today, an honour he declines. 'Being called the 'best", says Steve, 'makes me very uncomfortable. My intention is to be as good as I can be. Mountaineering is too complex to be squeezed into a competition. It is simply not something that lends itself to comparison. Climbing is about process, not achievement. The moment your mind wanders away from the task of the climbing-at-hand will be the moment you fail'. "Beyond the Mountain" is the award-winning title from Steve House - arguably the world's leading high-altitude climber. Winner of the prestigious Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature in 2009, "Beyond the Mountain" is now available in the UK and Ireland thanks to Vertebrate Publishing. Steve House built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram and the Himalaya that have expanded the possibilities of style, speed and difficulty. In 2005, Steve and alpinist Vince Anderson pioneered a direct new route on the Rupal Face of 26,660-foot Nanga Parbat, which had never before been climbed in alpine style. It was the third ascent of the face and the achievement earned Steve and Vince the first Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) awarded to North Americans. Steve is an accomplished and spellbinding storyteller in the tradition of Maurice Herzog and Lionel Terray. "Beyond the Mountain" is a gripping read - already a mountain classic. It addresses many issues common to non-climbing life - mentorship, trust, failure, success, goal setting, heroes, partnership - as well as the mountaineer's heightened experience of risk and the deaths of friends. "Beyond the Mountain" is a window into the process of a man working to be the best he can be through an endeavour very few can begin to imagine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Steve House lets nothing get in the way of his mountaineering, and he deserves his position as one of the foremost extreme alpinists in the world. Readers of `Beyond The Mountain' will be awestruck by his commentaries on daring and difficult exploits with routes up demanding mountains in various parts of the globe. Steve House recalls his amazing adventures and achievements in fearsome and formidable detail and there is no doubting his total commitment and eminent capabilities. As a writer his narrative is episodic and he deliberately introduces sudden time-shifts like recounting the descent before the ascent as on Nanga Parbat. Occasionally his stories appear inadequate as with information withheld after a crevasse incident above Chamonix. These aspects may be awkward for some readers though generally Steve House writes bluntly in a business like manner. He clearly has strong feelings and without complete answers he hints at the motivation that has driven him to the apex of the extreme alpinist game, giving explanations on relationships and trust with partners as well as insights to solo epics. Throughout his climbing career he has striven to be the best mountaineer he can be, and when confessing to inadequacies he does not downplay his courage and he does not belittle his accomplishments. Always Steve House's accounts are pragmatic, but in `telling it as it is' his narrative seems stark and somewhat lacking in humour, and to me this suggests a degree of arrogance. He professes to dislike a title bestowed on him as `The great white hope' but perhaps signs of self-glorification and false modesty may be detected. There are contradictions to Steve House's character shown by his criticism of the award of the `Piolet d'Or' for a Russian expedition style ascent of Jannu, yet the next year he accepts the award - albeit for a minimalist alpine style ascent of Nanga Parbat. Other possible flaws peep through such as the superiority expressed over another climber on Cho Oyu or condescending exchanges with skiers after North Twin. However there may be discrepancies between noble intent and what is actually written - and what is written makes an excellent mountaineering book. And what do I know? `Beyond The Mountain' is already widely appreciated, having won the 2009 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Beyond the Mountain is the type of read that will appeal to the broadest possible spectrum from seasoned mountaineers familiar with the metalic clank of gear and a knot of deep-stomach adrenalin, to would-be climbers happy to take their risks vicariously. Steve House's writing style is much like his approach to mountaineering - lean, lightweight and very effective. Indeed, the book is a distillation of mountaineering itself: a bitter-sweet mixture of tales of reaching extreme goals and the harsh (and often very personal) price to be paid for doing so. His account of finally summiting Nanga Parbat will raise a lump in even the driest of throats. The author has been accused of arrogance and hypocracy but anyone who is prepared to admit very publicly to making such high altitude bungles as losing a boot or a head torch when it really does matter is, I think, perfectly well aware of their infallability; such moments make the author seem less of a mountaineering machine and more of bloke who is not immune to occasionally screwing up. Leap-frogging forward and back in time can make following events a little tricky at times but also gives the text more complexity and depth. Awesome photos (in the proper sense of the word) complete what will surely become one of a generation's classic mountaineeering volumes.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I must start by saying that I really wanted to dislike this book.
Before reading this I thought that he was without doubt one of, if not the best Alpinist of our generation, but that he had some outspoken views that made him seem aloof and elitist. A trait that I struggle to come to terms with.
However I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes he does have firm views on styles of assents and the aesthetics involved in climbs but these come from his love and respect for the mountains.
The book opens up a whole new side to Steve that me, the reader, never knew existed, self doubt, confidence in his own ability, trouble devoting himself to marriage/relationships, sadness at lost partners and friends and a humility that can sometimes get lost in translation on this side of the pond.
The descriptions of the climbs are written in a way that made me feel as though I was there with him. Suffering the cold, discomfort and even the adrenaline rush of nailing a difficult pitch. The writing even has you hooked after the summit has been achieved or the wall scaled you remain hooked, feeling the tension on the descents, only being able to relax after he is down.
That said the book is not written purely for Alpinists as the jargon is kept pretty much to a minimum and could easily be read by somebody who likes autobiographies or adventure books.
Steve lays himself bare in this book, and for that he should be commended, he talks about his inability to commit to both marriage and climbing. His search for the one true partner to climb with, and his soul searching following the loss of friends. He talks about his own failings as a climber and throughout the book you feel Steve grow into the role of the Great White Hope (as he was labelled).
The only downside to this book for me (and it's not a criticism) is that the book lacked any sense of humour. By that I mean in an Andy Kirkpatrick kind of way. This may just be a British / American thing, and perhaps an unfair one as Andy Kirkpatrick is a naturally gifted mirth merchant as well as a brilliant climber.
Overall Steve House - Beyond the Mountain is a gripping book, a must have for any anyone interested in climbing and in what makes the Elite tick.
Before reading this I thought that he was without doubt one of, if not the best Alpinist of our generation, but that he had some outspoken views that made him seem aloof and elitist. A trait that I struggle to come to terms with.
However I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes he does have firm views on styles of assents and the aesthetics involved in climbs but these come from his love and respect for the mountains.
The book opens up a whole new side to Steve that me, the reader, never knew existed, self doubt, confidence in his own ability, trouble devoting himself to marriage/relationships, sadness at lost partners and friends and a humility that can sometimes get lost in translation on this side of the pond.
The descriptions of the climbs are written in a way that made me feel as though I was there with him. Suffering the cold, discomfort and even the adrenaline rush of nailing a difficult pitch. The writing even has you hooked after the summit has been achieved or the wall scaled you remain hooked, feeling the tension on the descents, only being able to relax after he is down.
That said the book is not written purely for Alpinists as the jargon is kept pretty much to a minimum and could easily be read by somebody who likes autobiographies or adventure books.
Steve lays himself bare in this book, and for that he should be commended, he talks about his inability to commit to both marriage and climbing. His search for the one true partner to climb with, and his soul searching following the loss of friends. He talks about his own failings as a climber and throughout the book you feel Steve grow into the role of the Great White Hope (as he was labelled).
The only downside to this book for me (and it's not a criticism) is that the book lacked any sense of humour. By that I mean in an Andy Kirkpatrick kind of way. This may just be a British / American thing, and perhaps an unfair one as Andy Kirkpatrick is a naturally gifted mirth merchant as well as a brilliant climber.
Overall Steve House - Beyond the Mountain is a gripping book, a must have for any anyone interested in climbing and in what makes the Elite tick.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Enjoyable for this genre
While this book does have quite a steady start, it picks up and becomes an enjoyable account of Steve House's experience. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Fisher
Vince and I
'Vince and I' I noticed on some captions should be 'Me and Vince' in at least one place. It puts me right off when this is incorrect. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Steven R. House
Fascinating & Inspirational
Steve House's autobiography gives a fascinating and lucid insight into what has driven him to some very dizzying and scary heights, and some very dark lows. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. N. D. Shephard
Excellent
One of the best climbing books I have ever read. Its up there with the excellent stuff than Andrew Greig has written and the better Joe Simpson books (like "This Game of Ghosts"),... Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Alec Thomson
Beyond the Mountain
An excellent read giving a detailed insight into the man, Steve House and exactly what drives him to climb mountains.
Published 18 months ago by John Smith
Intelligent, honest, interesting climbing career culminating with...
Winner of the 2009 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. Nanga Parbat book ends Steve House's climbing career with his early attempt on Nanga Parbat in 1990, and his... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2010 by Jerome Ryan
How review 5 star book
How does one review a five star book? If boiled down to its essencse it would be a citation from Lionel Terray's Conquistadors of the useless: Mountaineering is not always thought... Read more
Published on 27 Dec 2009 by Harri Sporrevik
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