The Tower

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Patagonia s Cerro Torre, considered by many the most beautiful peak in the world, draws the finest and most devoted technical alpinists to its climbing challenges But controversy has swirled around this ice capped peak since Cesare Maestri claimed first ascent in 1959 Since then a debate has raged, with world class climbers attempting to retrace his route but finding only contradictions This chronicle of hubris, heroism, controversies and epic journeys offers a glimpse into the human condition, and why some pursue extreme endeavors that at face value have no worth. New Download [ The Tower ] Author [ Kelly Cordes ] For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr From the moment I looked at the cover of this book I was captivated There are few peaks as charismatic and beautiful as Cerro Torre, and yet it is often overlooked in alpine story telling in favor of bigger peaks ortraditional peaks, but that does not mean Cerro Torre does not have a history and story as fraught with bravery, controversy, and drama as the best ...I was sucked in from the first page Of all the very many climbing books I ve read this one ranks among the very best The writing is crisp, clear and at times humorous Kelly does not shy from the incredible controversy of the early ascents of Cerro Torre, and he presents the facts as he sees them I enjoyed that he started off the book with the traditional accounts of the first ascent of the peak, then slowly peels away the layers of fiction from the truth The book brings us up to the latest I was sucked in f...A history of climbing on Cerro Torre in Patagonia A spire in the Fitzroy group with vertical walls, it was beyond current mountaineering techniques through the mid twentieth century In 1959 Cesare Maestri claimed that he and Toni Egger had successfully climbed the north face of the peak from the Col of Conquest However, Egger had fallen and died on the descent While it was usual at the time to take climbers at their word, doubts arose that as to whether they had actually been successful Sub A history of climbing on Cerro Torre in Patagonia A spire in the Fitzroy group with vertical walls, it was beyond current mountaineering techniques through the mid twentieth century In 1959 Cesare Maestri claimed that he and Toni Egger had successfully climbed the north face of the peak from the Col of Conquest However, Egger had fallen and died on the descent While it was usual at the time to take climbers at their word, doubts arose that as to whether they had actually been successful Subsequent climbs from the Col of Conquest revealed no evidence of earlier climbs, lending no support to the Maestri claim of a 1959 ascent An increasing number of leading climbers questioned Maestri s claim to have made the peak.In reaction to the doubts, in 1970 Maestri went to the extreme of using a compressor to install bolts using a 300 pound air compressor directly up the southeast ridge The route ignored all natural features and therefore was at odds with the idea of climbing...An engaging and mindful read which covers alpine ethics, the history of mountaineering, and the accessibility of the mountains in all their complexity The author tells a fantastic story, and he has a lot of historical material and access to people who were there in the early days of Cerro Torre to work with I appreciate his commitment to truth, and uns...The Tower is a superb history of climbing on Cerro Torre, and the controversy that surrounds it The book is well researched and equally well written, and I was strongly reminded of Jon Krakauer s writing However, the book is not a strictly journalistic account, as Cordes is not shy about injecting his own experiences and opinion into the story, but I found this to be a boon and not a detriment It includes awe inspiring photos of the mountain, and helpful maps, timelines, and appendices Anybo The Tower is a superb history of climbing on Cerro Torre, and the controversy that surrounds it The book is well researched and equally well written, and I was strongly reminded of Jon Krakauer s writing However, the book is not a strictly journalistic account, as Cordes is not shy about injecting his own experiences and opinion into the story, but I found this to be a boon and not a detriment It includes awe inspiring photos of the mountain, and helpful maps, timelines, an...I came to this book from an NPR interview of the author and the nagging knowledge that having lived for years in Argentina I ve never heard about Cerro Torre Its neighbor the Fitz Roy has beenfamous and well photographed, but on reading the tale of the Tower one can only wonder why Torre has been less popular.The story of the quest to climb this mountain, which is a thing better belonging to a SF movie set in a distant planet, involves dangerous climbs in awful weather, vertical walls a I came to this book from an NPR interview of the author and the nagging knowledge that having lived for years in Argentina I ve never heard about Cerro Torre Its neighbor the ...Kelly Cordes writes a good summary of the controversy surrounding the history of Cerro Torre It s nicely written and the chapters are nicely divided, jumping back and forth with the different protagonists of the story.The hardcover is a bit strange though, the layout suggests that it maybe wanted to be a coffee table book I actually bought it under the impression that it was, it felt like that...This is a great read I m not a climber and have no desire to hang off mile high cliffs, but I love mountain adventure books and this is a stand out I finished it the day after I got it from the library.The fascinating part of the story is the controversy surrounding Cerro Torre s early ascents Cordes examines the history in a rational, analytic way, and h...I bought this book on a whim fromand I quite enjoyed it Centered on the he said she said of Cerro Torre, one of the hardest climbs in the world and most controversial you ll find out why , The Tower is written from a climber s perspective and delves into the world of mountaineering, specifically traditions behind mountaineering It s an interesting study of trust, passion, and human motivation A novice climber myself, I found the premise of the novel intriguing and the included stor I bought this book o...I wouldn t recommend this book to a non climber, as it s honestly a purist alpine windbag arguing over climbing semantics For climbers, though, it s a really solid polemic on why fair means ascents matter and why historical truth is important, examined through the lens of Cinco Torre, with a special focus on Cesare Maestri s highly controversial ascent and subsequent bolting of the Compressor route The narrative could be tighter with better transitions between timelines, and in particular he d I wouldn t recommend this book to a non climber, as it s honestly a purist alpine windbag arguing over climbing semantics For climbers, though, it s a really solid polemic on why fair means ascents matter and why historical truth is important, examined through the lens of Cinco Torre, with a special focus on Cesare Maestri s highly controversial ascent and subsequent bolting of the Compressor route The narrative could be tighter with better transitions between ti...

The Tower
  • 16 July 2018
  • Hardcover
  • 400 pages
  • 1938340337
  • Kelly Cordes
  • The Tower