Continental Divide: A History of American Mountaineering

Continental Divide: A History of American Mountaineering by Maurice Isserman is the history of mankind trying to conquer nature. From a man in the first colonies on North America through the present, this history tells of the reasons, the technical advances and the exploration of the higher altitudes.

When a man in the Massachusetts Bay colony wanted to walk up a mountain, the native guides he hired would not join him in the land they believed belonged to the evil spirits. His fellow colonists thought him very odd. He was the first man to climb up Mt Washington, then called Agiocochook.

Filled with familiar names in history, Isserman has written a wonderful book of exploration, covering walking, hiking and climbing. If you are a hiker, this is your favorite book! If not, you will want to ge out in nature when you are done reading. Look for names like John Muir, Annie Peck, John C Fremont, Yvon Chouinard and more.

Isserman, Maurice. (2016). Continental Divide: A History of American Mountaineering. New York: W W Norton & Co.

The Edge (Peak #2)

The Edge by Roland Smith is the sequel to his book Peak - about a kid who climbed Everest in an attempt to become the youngest person to summit.

Peak Marcello still loves to climb mountains and rocks, but is happy escorting his younger twin sisters around New York City for the summer.

When the film crew who documented his climb of Everest show up, Peak is read to say no to what ever they are asking. And a climb sponsored by the billionaire Sebastian Plank, were 200 under 18 year-olds climb on the same day for peace sounds terrible. Peak prefers to climb alone. But his friends will not get the job filming if he does not agree to climb.

So it is decided that he and his mother, a world class climber in her own right, will join the team. At the last minute they learn their destination - the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan. And when they arrive, the camp does not look big enough for 200 climbers.

Teams of five young climbers will be climbing mountains all over the world - all caught on film to make a documentary about peace that will air on television. Peaks team includes a climber from Japan, Ukraine, Australia and France. The two he notices are from Australia - because the guy is obviously more talk that skill - and France - because she is really cute and a great climber.

But before the day of the big climb, Peak awakes from a nap after a long afternoon of filming to find everyone missing. Two guards who were their to protect them are dead and the only other climber still in camp looks like he fell to his near-death from the wall. Peak's mother and the other climbers and crew have been kidnapped.Peak will do whatever it takes to follow their trail and find his mother and friends.

Smith has written a great sequel that could be read on its own. This is a great adventure book with enough technical detail to make the story come alive but not enough to overwhelm readers who do not climb. If you like adventure, suspense, mystery, or survival books - this is for you.

Smith, Roland. (2015). The Edge. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Peak: A Novel

Peak by Roland Smith is an adventure novel in the extreme.

When Peak Marcello is arrested for climbing the Woolworth building in NYC, he is given the choice of juvenile detention until he turns 18 (just over three years) or leaving New York. He chooses to leave. The judge releases Peak to his father, Josh Wood, a famous mountain climber.

When they leave New York, Peak thinks they are on their way to Chaing Mai, Thailand. But Josh has other ideas. He sets everything up before he tells Peak that they are one their way to Mount Everest - the highest mountain on the planet.

If Peak makes it to the top of Everest, he will be the youngest person ever to summit.

Smith is a great YA storyteller. His books are exciting, fast reads that will appeal to many readers.

Smith, Roland. (2007). Peak. New York: Harcourt, Inc.

Jump

Jump by Elisa Carbone is an adventure story with a kick and a message.

P.K. is about to be sent to boarding school. She is not a bad kid, but she gets bad grades. She would much rather focus on rock climbing than learning to take standardized tests.

Before she can be sent to the new school, she decides to run away and climb. Her friends won't go with her but a new guy at the gym volunteers.

Critter would love to go on a climbing adventure. He has been climbing for years and has nowhere else to be. He just escaped from a psych ward.

Together they will travel across the US toward some of the best climbing rock. Along the way, Critter will teach P.K. to live in the moment.

This book rocks! It is a well-written, action-filled look at rock climbing but also points out that it is okay to take risks - fear is in the future which does not yet exist. It packs a punch like Speak or Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson but doesn't leave readers in tears.

Carbone, Elise. (2010). Jump. New York: Viking.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Aron Ralston's Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a true account of his time trapped in Blue John Canyon. The book is filled with great climbing and hiking stories.

In April of 2002 Ralston, an experienced climber, skier and all-other-outdoor adventurer, became trapped in Utah's Canyon Lands. On a Saturday at 2:45, a boulder shifted as he climbed over it, falling and trapping his right hand against the side of the slot canyon. He spent the next five days trapped - trying to free himself as he ran out of food and water. It is a harrowing tale that once again proves that you should never give up.

The book eases the tension of the situation by flashing back to his previous hiking and climbing experiences. Some of the time I was not sure if the previous experiences were to show how much he had learned along the way - as it to emphasize that anyone can have a freak accident and become trapped. Or if they were to show what crazy risks he has already taken and somehow lived through!

Overall, this is a great read that inspires the reader to spend more time outdoors (once s/he has left a detailed note of when and where).

Ralston, Aron. (2004). Between a rock and a hard place. New York: Atria Books.