Alaska Ascents

Follow along in the footsteps of renowned climbers Fred Beckey, Jim Bridwell, Riccardo Cassin, Art Davidson, Royal Robbins, David Roberts, Bradford Washburn, Jon Waterman, and others as they scale Alaska's great peaks in Alaska Ascents by Bill Sherwonit. This collection of seventeen riveting first-person accounts reveals the stories of mountains, among the most inaccessible and difficult to climb in all of North America, and the remarkable individuals who have climbed them. In their stories, we learn about people who are drawn to scale such alien peaks, and who experience triumph of the spirit and sometimes tragedy and loss. Editor Bill Sherwonit, who lives in Anchorage, is also the author of several books, including To the Top of Denali: Climbing Adventures on North America's Highest Peak, Alaska's Accessible Wilderness: A Traveler's Guide to Alaska's State Parks, and Denali: The Complete Guide. "A riveting anthology . . . Each piece effectively captures the intensity of the undertaking and the emotions and challenges relating to each climb . . . A fine compendium of mountain literature highlights." -Library Journal "A terrific read." -Small Press "Alaska Ascents is packed with tales of -148 degrees F temperatures, 150-mile-per-hour winds, and all those splendid privations associated with making first ascents in the Great Land." -ROCK & ICE "Captivating." -Climbing Magazine "Climbers, would-be climbers, and nonclimbers alike will find this book good reading." -Alaska magazine WINNER: Special Jury Mention, Banff Mountain Festival: "an important book . . . one that climbers around the world will want to own." Fred Beckey, Jim Bridwell, Riccardo Cassin, Art Davidson, Royal Robbins, David Roberts, Bradford Washburn, Jon Waterman, and more have made highly acclaimed ascents in Alaska and have written enthralling accounts of their adventures. This anthology of Alaska climbing stories gives voice to Alaska's great peaks and to the people who have climbed them. Alaska Ascents takes readers to all of Alaska's major mountain systems-the St. Elias, Wrangell, Coast, Chugach, Alaska, and Brooks Ranges-and to many of its grandest peaks-Denali, St. Elias, Fairweather, Foraker, Hunter, Moose's Tooth, Devil's Thumb, and the Kichatna Spires. The storytellers in this collection reveal the challenges of Alaska's mountains, among the most inaccessible and difficult to climb in all of North America. These mountaineers have pushed the limits of what's possible in the sport of climbing, surmounting long, dangerous approaches, incredible cold, severe subarctic snowstorms, huge ice fields, and heavily crevassed glaciers. In their stories, we learn about people who are drawn to scale such alien peaks, and who experience triumph of the spirit and sometimes tragedy and loss.