New Book

[JGowans]

Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow : The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure

 

New book from some chick that writes about the loved ones left behind when people die climbing. This one is called The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure. I wonder if there's a section on commuting to work?

[olyclimber]

Here is an excerpt:

 

"The mountaineering tribe is a comforting place for the partner of a climber. Its protective circle shuts out the questioning eyes of the outside world."

 

Basically, it is a cult. Time for some more koolaid.

[Dru]

You might want to read THIS REVIEW before you run out and pay cash for this book.

 

Some people have said how much they liked the book. I thought it was pretty shallow myself but I was predisposed to dislike Maria Coffey based on an experience I had meeting her at Banff.... so I was interested in what this grief counsellor had to say about Maria's take on death and climbing.

[Alpine_Tom]

Well, mountaineering is hot, so this is the time to cash in on it. I expect a book about grieving for lost snomobilers, or Alaska crab fishermen, wouldn't have been so likely to get a publisher.

[willstrickland]

I heard this lady interviewed on NPR a month or two ago. I believe there was a thread at that time. She seemed pretty out of touch, definitely didn't sound like a climber herself.

[Off_White]

Thanks for the review link Dru. I particularly liked the quoted line from the book: "The climbing tribe, according to Coffey, ‘deeply mourns its dead’." This of course is in contrast to everyone else on the planet?

[Peter_Puget]

I think the tribe if anything does not deeply mourn the dead

[catbirdseat]

Since it's Friday, I say let's lift a glass to our fallen brethren.

[AaronB]

Since it's Friday, I say let's lift a glass to $1 PBR's at "The Interlude".

[chirp]

'Climbers are very single-minded and unspeakably selfish'