Inspiration - Climbing Literature

Words and photos have the ability to inspire our lives and our climbing. I tucked into my first mountaineering tome when I was just 7 years old. Intrigued by it photos of ice clad peaks and distant places I was sucked into Chirs Bonnigtons Everest Years. Now this is probably not a classic of the genre but it opened my eyes and imagination to high places and adventures. I think I read it twice that holiday - I decided that one day I would stand on the summit of the highest mountain in the world.

My ambition and focus in climbing has changed since then - switching more to big rock routes, with lots of technical climbing rather than high altitude snow plods - however I feel that I still gain inspiration from words.

There is a book that I received for my birthday last year and I read it cover to cover the next day and I have kept returning to it for inspiration and pysche. It will never be a literary classic - it is ghost written in a simple style - but this is part of its charm. Like Jerry Moffat the book doesn't mess around getting accross its stories and message. If you were ever in any doubt how much of legend The Moffat is then you need to get hold of Revelations published by Vertebrate Publishing. There are no stories of epic retreats from big peaks or cold unforced bivvies, just the story of how he became the best rock climber in the world! What really stands out is Jerry's drive, ambition and will to succed. Its very empowering and definately make you think what COULD I do if I REALLY tried!!!

"I had just done Genesis and Pyscho. I had flashed Supercrack and Equinox. These were some of America's hardest routes - the world's hardest routes. I had done them... Nothing could possibly make this any better, nothing. Cars, money, fame. None of that mattered... I was twenty years old, and here I was, arguably the best climber in the world."