Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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Pioneer Climber, 27 Sep 2007
I have hiked and climbed a lot in Ecuador so for me reading this book was of infinite interest. In fact I have managed to get about a fair bit of the world and I have often wondered how this incredibly well travelled victorian pioneer alpinist managed to do the same nearly a hundred and fifty years ago. This book explains it.....
The book gives a preface into the fascinating life of Edward Whymper and gives a brief synopsis of his alpine career to date, including his famed and tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn. This book primarily deals with Whymper's visit to Ecuador in 1879. It gives a great insight into what Ecuador was like at the time and especially how one travelled about within this lovely country. I liked the descriptions of the historic centro in Quito very much as it really is a most beautiful place (Unesco World Heritage Site). Of course the book covers in the main the many climbs that Whymper undertook such as on Cayambe, Cotopaxi, The Illinizas, Corazon, Antisana, Sincholagua and many more. Many of these were first ascents and of particular note was the first ascent of Chimbarazo, thought at the time to be one of the highest mountains of the world. The narrative of the groups climbing style, equipment, food and mode of travel is fascinating and makes interesting reading.
Until this book I did not realise that Whymper was also a keen scientist and this trip to Ecuador had as much...if not more...of an emphasis on scientific research as it did on climbing and both went hand in hand. Apart from the natural specimens obtained, the scientific data gathered from his mountain trips by way of chronometer and other recordings was immense and some of the earliest hyparbaric work was done and recorded by Whymper in Ecuador on this trip. The science of the expedition is well covered and gave me as much interest as did the climbing narratives.
Overall this is a climbing and scientific history book compiled by another of the great victoriann pioneers. These pioneers did an awful lot to shape our world but Whymper...well, he did just climbed most of it! A real interesting historic read.
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