The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna—The World’s Deadliest Peak

Viesturs (No Shortcuts to the Top), with an assist from writer Roberts, conveys the almost manic dedication and preparation of the accomplished mountaineers mastering such dangerous peaks as the perilous Annapurna. Quoting from Soviet climber Anatoli Boukreev, Viesturs, America’s most skilled high-altitude mountaineer, lays out the problems of humans scaling unforgiving terrain in the bitter cold without a margin for error: “High-altitude mountaineering is the most dangerous kind of sport; it has the highest rate of fatal consequence.” He knew the world’s killer peak, Annapurna, could be bested, for the French climber Maurice Herzog did it in 1950. Learning techniques from veteran achievers, he still failed twice to successfully plant a flag on the crest of the mountain, but he managed a triumphant climb of it in 2005. This is a detailed, nicely told account of a man’s endurance and perseverance in achieving a singular goal. (Oct.)