Beyond the Mountain
Climbing, risk and the pursuit of excellence
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vertebrate Publishing Ltd
Published:15th Feb '10
Currently unavailable, currently targeted to be due back around 14th November 2026, but could change
WINNER: Boardman Tasker Prize
WINNER: Mountain Literature Award, Banff Mountain Book Festival
‘An exceptional book.’ – Boardman Tasker Prize
Steve House has built a reputation as one of the most accomplished alpinists of his generation, pushing the possibilities of style, speed and difficulty on major climbs across the Alps, Alaska, Canada, the Karakoram and the Himalaya.
In 2005, House and Vince Anderson made the first alpine-style ascent of the immense Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, pioneering a direct new route on one of the highest and most formidable mountain faces in the world. Their ascent earned them the Piolet d’Or and secured House’s place among the leading mountaineers of his era.
But Beyond the Mountain is much more than a record of extraordinary climbs. House writes with rare honesty about ambition and obsession, mentorship and partnership, success and failure, and the consequences of pursuing a life in which mistakes can be fatal. He reflects on the friends and climbing partners he has lost, the choices that shaped him, and the relentless drive to discover what he is capable of.
Gripping, thoughtful and deeply personal, Beyond the Mountain is both a modern mountaineering classic and a compelling exploration of risk, commitment and the search for excellence – on the mountain and beyond it.
'An exceptional book.' – Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.
'House takes the same approach he advocates for in alpinism — that of innovation, boldness, honesty and simplicity and uses it to produce a story of lasting depth.'
Award Jury, Banff Mountain Book Festival
'One of the best works in mountain literature to come along for a while ... a thoughtful book of remarkable insight.'
Jon Popowich, The Alpine Journal
'Beyond the Mountain is a significant book. Its frequently gripping eloquence elevates it above mere journal of record territory. It is likely to become an automatic classic of alpine literature worthy of rubbing shoulders with Rebuffat, Desmaison, Buhl, Tasker and Boardman.'
Colin Wells, Climb Magazine
'Beyond the Mountain as a summary confirms Steve House as an extraordinary visionary.'
Rock & Ice Magazine
'This is not only a brilliant book, it is an important one, and deserves to be widely read.'
Adam Long, UKclimbing.com
'The rare climbing book that I felt compelled to read cover to cover in just a few sittings.'
Dougald MacDonald, UKclimbing.com
'Steve House writes a gripping tale in the great alpine tradition. The only limits he honors – they’re all the right ones – he places on himself. And what he’s learned in the high mountains, and coming home from them, is hard won and worth our while. A new alpine classic.'
Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia
'As a window on what's required to break barriers in the world of modern alpinism, this book is as good as any I've read. It's full of action, full of crisp, often harsh sentiments. The narrative is often as jagged as the peaks he climbs, a series of interlinked snapshots rather a predictable arc. People die, relationships fail, but the restless hunt goes on. It's not comforting, and it's not romantic, and the laughs are rare. This is a serious game played by a brotherhood that takes itself very seriously. Not since Joe Tasker's Savage Arena have I read a book by someone so uncompromising in his commitment.'
Ed Douglas, Calmandfearless.com
- Winner of Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2009 (UK)
- Winner of Mountain Literature Prize, Banff Mountain Book Festival 2009 (Canada)
ISBN: 9781906148201
Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 16mm
Weight: 450g
252 pages