Structured Chaos

Structured Chaos PDF

Author: Victor Saunders

Publisher: Vertebrate Publishing

Published: 2021-03-04

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1912560682

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'Mountains have given structure to my adult life. I suppose they have also given me purpose, though I still can't guess what that purpose might be. And although I have glimpsed the view from the mountaintop and I still have some memory of what direction life is meant to be going in, I usually lose sight of the wood for the trees. In other words, I, like most of us, have lived a life of structured chaos.' Structured Chaos is Victor Saunders' follow-up to Elusive Summits (winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize in 1990), No Place to Fall and Himalaya: The Tribulations of Vic & Mick. He reflects on his early childhood in Malaya and his first experiences of climbing as a student, and describes his progression from scaling canal-side walls in Camden to expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram. Following climbs on K2 and Nanga Parbat, he leaves his career as an architect and moves to Chamonix to become a mountain guide. He later makes the first ascent of Chamshen in the Saser Kangri massif, and reunites with old friend Mick Fowler to climb the north face of Sersank. This is not just a tale of mountaineering triumphs, but also an account of rescues, tragedies and failures. Telling his story with humour and warmth, Saunders spans the decades from youthful awkwardness to concerns about age-related forgetfulness, ranging from 'Where did I put my keys?' to 'Is this the right mountain?' Structured Chaos is a testament to the value of friendship and the things that really matter in life: being in the right place at the right time with the right people, and making the most of the view.

Mountain of the Dead

Mountain of the Dead PDF

Author: Keith McCloskey

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2013-07-01

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0752494074

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In January 1959, ten experienced young skiers set out for Mount Otorten in the far north of Russia. While one of the skiers fell ill and returned., the remaining nine lost their way and ended up on another mountain slope known as Kholat Syakhl (or ‘Mountain of the Dead’).On the night of 1 February 1959 something or someone caused the skiers to flee their tent in such terror that they used knives to slash their way out. Search parties were sent out and their bodies were found, some with massive internal injuries but with no external marks on them. The autopsy stated the violent injuries were caused by ‘an unknown compelling force’. The area was sealed off for years by the authorities and the full events of that night remained unexplained.Using original research carried out in Russia and photographs from the skier's cameras, Keith McCloskey attempts to explain what happened to the nine young people who lost their lives in the mysterious ‘Dyatlov Pass Incident’.

Silence on the Mountain

Silence on the Mountain PDF

Author: Daniel Wilkinson

Publisher: Duke University Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9780822333685

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Written by a young human rights worker, "Silence on the Mountain" is a virtuoso work of reporting and a masterfully plotted narrative tracing the history of Guatemala's 36-year internal war, a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people.

Touching the Void

Touching the Void PDF

Author: Joe Simpson

Publisher: Direct Authors

Published: 2012-12-12

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 0957519303

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The 25th Anniversary ebook, now with more than 50 images. 'Touching the Void' is the tale of two mountaineer’s harrowing ordeal in the Peruvian Andes. In the summer of 1985, two young, headstrong mountaineers set off to conquer an unclimbed route. They had triumphantly reached the summit, when a horrific accident mid-descent forced one friend to leave another for dead. Ambition, morality, fear and camaraderie are explored in this electronic edition of the mountaineering classic, with never before seen colour photographs taken during the trip itself.

GAZING INTO OUR CRYSTAL BALL

GAZING INTO OUR CRYSTAL BALL PDF

Author: W.R. Sharp

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2024-04-30

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 1663262217

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Our philosophies and perils of wisdom related to our lifetime highlights will be shared with the reader in the pages ahead. I, S.L. Sharp, will adorn the chapters with poetry and song lyrics to enhance our philosophies in our book entitled GAZING INTO OUR CRYSTAL BALL. W.R. Sharp, through his written essays, stories and philosophies, will try to give you a glimpse of his many travels, highlights of his science career and stories of his moments with his loved ones which will provide our readers insight into his in-depth knowledge. And hopefully, the stories and expressions of feelings through the reading of my poetry and lyrics, will bring happiness and awareness of beauty to our readership. As my co-author, my brother, W.R. Sharp, wrote in one of his essays, "Welcome to the Eighty-Teens". He too was welcomed to this age by cataracts and dental complications. However, he felt that these golden years should be celebrated as we gaze into our own crystal ball of life. He thinks life is a journey, and it is always spinning as if encapsuled in a fortune-telling crystal ball. It encounters multiple experiences, opportunities, transitions, challenges and obstacles as we march through time toward our afterlife. Nevertheless, life can be quite fulfilling and coming of age is a continuous process facing all of us who live a long life. In this ball, the most important transformations involve coming of age in its earlier stages in one's education, career pathway, partnerships, parenting or mentoring skills of others, post careers, retirement and facing our afterlife. The latter changeover is especially challenging for those without partners and children unless in the crystal ball of life they prospered from self-love and independence. Fortunately, the existence of public and private retirement facilities will accommodate some of these retirees. The two of us have always imagined the existence of an afterlife metaverse as we march forward in our lives. Optimistically, we both hope to be able to learn lessons in the spinning ball from our present lives and accomplishments and in our next life, accomplish all of our unaccomplished earthly goals. Maybe if you, the reader, gaze closer at your own life's crystal ball, you will see that your life turns out the way it was meant to be whether it is happy or sad. Who knows! The magic of it all is that you were able to live on this earth for just a blink of an eye no matter what your real life's experiences were on this life-altering planet. And on the day when you finally transition into the mysterious afterlife, a new window of opportunities will unfold for you to explore that will be overwhelming to you. At that time, you will have the freedom to embrace new possibilities for yourself that were not accessible to you during your existence on this Earth.

Beyond the Mountain

Beyond the Mountain PDF

Author: Steve House

Publisher: Patagonia

Published: 2013-10-06

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1938340051

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What does it take to be one of the world's best high-altitude mountain climbers? A lot of fundraising; traveling in some of the world's most dangerous countries; enduring cold bivouacs, searing lungs, and a cloudy mind when you can least afford one. It means learning the hard lessons the mountains teach. Steve House built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram and the Himalaya that have expanded possibilities of style, speed, and difficulty. In 2005 Steve and alpinist Vince Anderson pioneered a direct new route on the Rupal Face of 26,600-foot Nanga Parbat, which had never before been climbed in alpine style. It was the third ascent of the face and the achievement earned Steveand 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 destined to be a mountain classic. And it

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far PDF

Author: Mary Ellen Bramwell

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Published: 2021-10-21

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1684338050

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Twelve years after the untimely death of her husband, Brea and her thirteen-year-old son, Noah, are hitting a rough patch. Noah is keeping secrets just like his dad did. Paul may have died a hero, but did he leave another legacy behind? When Brea discovers a series of instructions left behind by their kindly neighbor, it could be the opening to bring them together again. But will Noah's obsession with a mysterious old newspaper clipping about the Hero of Viborgne derail those efforts? Following instructions leads them on a trip to Europe to track down ancestors and search for answers in Viborgne. Once there, Brea and Noah are forced to confront the past to deal with the present as they grapple with what it really means to be a hero.