Moments of Doubt

by David Roberts, Royal Robbins (Designed by)

* David Roberts is one of the leading outdoor adventure writers of our time

* Includes stories of climbing personalities like Reinhold Messner, John Roskelley, Don Sheldon



This collection of 20 essays and articles on mountaineering and adventure by David Roberts, selected from the published works of two decades, showcases one of the most highly regarded writers in the field. The articles are composed of three Adventures (Roberts' own climbs and outings), Profiles (other adventurers), and Reflections (meditative essays about the meaning of the whole business). Roberts ranges the globe (Africa, Alaska, New Guinea) and introduces unique personalities (Reinhold Messner, John Roskelly, Don Sheldon). He also recounts how his own love of writing and the useless pastime of climbing combined to produce the bread and butter of his career today.



Popular with audiences far beyond active mountaineers, Roberts sets himself this "For me, the abiding puzzle of adventure writing lies in keeping, on the one hand, a sense of proportion about the absurdity of most of our antics in the outdoors, while staying alert, on the other, to the majesty of spirit which at their best those antics demonstrate."

Genres: Nonfiction, Mountaineering, Adventure, Travel, Outdoors, Biography, Climbing

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1986

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
See this thread for more information.

David Roberts is the award-winning author of twenty-nine books about mountaineering, exploration, and anthropology. His most recent publication, Alone on the Wall, was written with world-class rock climber Alex Honnold, whose historic feats were featured in the film Free Solo.

Reviews

[Mystery Theater · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give it five stars for the quality of the writing and the breadth of viewpoints... From near worship of climbers to deep cynicism and even disgust. In the end, what emerges is a picture of climbers as arrogant, ego-centric, anti-social thrill seekers. People who must genuinely risk their lives to avoid boredom. For real climbers, I would guess that this work is something they can love or loathe in turn.

(It was cool that he called out Alex Honnold as someone to watch, long before the world heard of Free Solo. Roberts knew.)

[Clara Mazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono approdata a questa gran bella raccolta di articoli (ahilasso! Non è un libro..) perché qualcuno deve averlo citato e credo che questo qualcuno sia stato il bravissimo Nick Bullock nel suo “Tides. A Climber’s Voyage” che mi era piaciuto moltissimo. Così come di Bullock avevo apprezzato enormemente la sua voglia di andare a scavare soprattutto nelle persone (fondamentalmente però in sé stesso) e nel corso della loro vita, per cercare di dare un senso alla prima metà del percorso compiuto, un senso che andasse oltre alle imprese alpinistiche ma che le avesse sfruttate per compiere (anche inconsciamente) un percorso interiore, anche Roberts non è da meno. Per il tipo di riflessione che fa, l’articolo è indubbiamente la forma espressiva migliore anche se in più punti ho rimpianto il libro, che grazie alla sua lunghezza (mi) permette di perdercisi dentro, di compiere davvero insieme a chi scrive, un bel percorso. Questo però è l’unico difetto (e del tutto a titolo personale) che posso trovare agli scritti di Roberts, un alpinista americano di un certo calibro, che dopo aver studiato a Harvard, interrompe la sua carriera di insegnante presso un liceo del Massachusetts per dedicarsi al giornalismo alpinistico per riviste specializzate. Con la maturità acquisita sia per bagaglio personale di esperienze che per vita vissuta, Roberts si sofferma (anche lui) sugli aspetti dell’Uomo e dell’alpinismo piuttosto che sulle sole imprese. E compie riflessioni profonde (alle volte anche molto ironiche, divertenti - in cui mi sono molto ritrovata – anche se purtroppo fugaci vista la brevità degli articoli.

[Gary Fujihara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories have been previously published, so you may be disappointed if you've read David's other books. I wasn't. This is a good anthology of short stories about a variety of topics including witnessing death and other less harsh realities of life in the mountains.

[Ahsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great compilation of articles that Roberts has done for outdoor magazines over the years. Roberts' writing is thoughtful and, at times, enthralling, as all climbing accidents are. This book seems to me to be in the vein of Jon Krakauer, who happens to be a friend of Roberts'. The author discusses motivations, accidents, and relationships. I found the section on Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler, as it attempts to describe the strained relationship between this once closely-bonded, ultra climbing team. I also found Roberts' accounts of the three deaths that he personally witnessed on expeditions to be particularly salient.

Though not as polished as Krakauer's popularized writings, Roberts' will not disappoint those seeking to better understand the thin line that climbers straddle.

[Eugene Miya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Roberts is the premiere editor for American mountaineering. He's also a Harvard Mountaineering Club (HMC) member called arrogant commonly on Amazon. Best known for his Alaskan climbs of Mts. Huntington and Dickey as well as Brooks Range trips, attempt on Mt Deborah, his student writers include Jon Krakauer. He wrote for Men's Magazine and Outside, and Reviews in Ascent (the short lived annual Sierra Club climbing journal no ads)). Starting life as mathematician, his father was a founder of NCAR, the Mesa bears his father's name.

The title of this collection was from Robert's first experience with climbing death when his climbing partner died. He's got a number of other good stories, I think my joke favorite is "Rafting with the BBC" and that was cause to try to find the documentary on descending wild rivers.

I read it some time, I think, in the 1980s when it came out.

[Wesley Blixt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Roberts is a wizard. I know of no one else, including Krakauer, who can handle a mountain narrative, or any wilderness account, with such grace, complexity, clarity and honesty. A wonderful mountaineer and a wonderful writer. I have learned so much about wilderness ethics from him - not because he teaches, but because he tells such a great story. Having lost friends, I found this one paticularly meaningful.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still enmeshed in reading first-person accounts of rock-climbing and mountaineering. A fan of hiking and bouldering, I read these stories like other people read thrillers. Guess that has to do with a mild fear of heights and a love of tales of courage that entail facing death head-on. David Roberts is an excellent writer and brings his tales alive on the page

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite section was "Two:Profiles," where Roberts expounded on the stories of some of the mountaineering giants, such as John Roskelley. He told the story of one amazing Alaskan bush pilot. It was good to get further insight into Messner and his fabled climb across the top of Nanga Parbat. Overall, and interesting read.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're going to read only one David Roberts book, it should be "On the Ridge Between Life and Death" which covers much of this book in greater detail and insight. Nonetheless, Moments of Doubt was an entertaining read and included some essays that weren't really addressed in "Ridge."

[Richard Kravitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book of essays. The one about Ed Bernd is heart-wrenching. The best of mountaineering literature, right here!!