Troll Wall: The Untold Story of the British First Ascent of Europe's Tallest Rock Face

by Tony Howard, Doug K. Scott (Foreword)

Norway, 1965. A team of young climbers from the north of England camp at the bottom of the tallest vertical rock face in Europe - the Troll Wall. No one has dared attempt this gigantic challenge before. Some say it will never be climbed. This will be the adventure of a lifetime. Rain and snow soak them as they climb. Avalanches and loose rock threaten their lives. A Norwegian team arrives to compete for the glory as the world's media look on. Pushed to the limits of exhaustion, the team spends days on the wall, refusing to given in, even when failure seems certain. "Troll Wall" tells the gripping story of one of the most dramatic first ascents in British climbing history. Written days after their success, almost half a century ago, and newly rediscovered, Tony Howard's account is a fascinating insight into the challenges of climbing a big mountain wall.

Genres: Climbing, Mountaineering, Biography

186 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Founder and ex-Director of Troll, one of the world's leading brands of climbing equipment from 1965 to 1995 when the company was successfully sold. During this period was the designer at Troll, largely responsible for the world's first sewn slings and harnesses for climbers. Tony was also an Ex-Outward Bound, National Mountain centre and Mountaineering Association Instructor and British Mountaineering Council Guide. Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Outdoor Writers' Guild member. Participant in the 1998 British Government DTI Tourism Trade Mission to Oman and Yemen. Invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace in 2012 "for those involved in Exploration and Adventure".

Over 60 years experience of rock climbing, mountaineering, caving, river, sea, jungle and desert travel. First ascents in the UK, Norway, Greenland, Canada, the Middle East and N. Africa, including the Troll Wall, Europe's biggest rock face (see publications). Opened a new trail through remote mountain villages in Nagaland on the India-Burma border with Di Taylor, and helped with trail development in Manas National Park in Bodoland, also in N E India.

Photos and articles published in UK and International press and specialist magazines. TV coverage in Jordan, Norway and the U.K. Radio coverage in the UK, Jordan and Oman. Wrote the Intro to the 2003 Edition of the classic W C Slingsby's guide to Norway, The Northern Playground. Received Geographical Award (1999) from Royal Geographical Society, on behalf of Troll Climbing Equipment, for design and supply of expedition equipment. Featured with Di Taylor in BBC series 'The Face' about the discovery and development of Wadi Rum.

Author of various climbing guide books to England and Norway and four guides to trekking, climbing, canyoning and caving in Jordan. Contributed to 'Rock Climbing in Oman' by Alec MacDonald and to the Egypt, Jordan and India Rough Guides. Joint author with Di Taylor of 'Walks in Palestine with The Nativity Trail'. Author of three books, the award winning 'Troll Wall' also 'Adventures in the Northlands' and Tony's autobiography, 'Quest into the Unknown'.

In the late 1990s, Tony and Di had the original idea for what became in 2016 the 650km Jordan Trail. From 2000, they worked with Mark Khano of Experience Jordan for a number of years until the Jordan Trail Association was formed to further develop and promote it.

2018 Climber ran a full page story on Tony as one of their Living Legends series.

Reviews

[Jillian Amatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dad was part of this team! Cool to read!

[Andrew Terrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to get my hands on a copy of 'Troll Wall' for Christmas. I love owning such books! And I truly love-love-LOVE reading and being transported by them. Well, goodness was I transported by Troll Wall! I began it on Christmas Day, finished it on December 27th… which made it a Christmas VERY well spent. The book tells the “untold true story of the first British Ascent of Europe's tallest rock face” - the imposing Troll Wall in Norway. I've seen this wall for myself (from below) and mentioned this extraordinary climb up it in a book I wrote about Norway. But now that I’ve read the full account in Troll Wall I feel deeply ashamed at how little due I gave it. Clearly, it deserved more than one brief throw-away sentence!

Troll Wall is a riveting read about an unimaginable climb. The pioneering nature of the climb, the ridiculously harsh conditions faced during it – talk about grim! - the belief needed to keep on heading upwards, and the immense joy to be climbing (which underpins it all), are deeply-deeply inspiring. Tony Howard describes it all so well, and this is especially amazing given that Tony was in his early twenties when he wrote the original manuscript shortly after the climb had taken place (in 1965). I’m so glad Vertebrate Publishing chose to publish this decades later. It’s a privilege to read.

I could write a long review – but I’d never be able to do this book justice. A brief snippet from the book’s foreword, written by legendary British mountaineer Doug Scott, does a great job already: “This is a good honest account, without exaggeration or too much understatement. Once again, I found his account compulsive reading, a real page-turner, not just for those interested in big-wall climbing, but also for anyone who enjoys reading of epic journeys into the unknown.”

I agree with every word of that. Outdoor adventure books don’t come any better. Strongly, strongly recommended.

[Jon Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Howard wrote this book immediately after his groundbreaking ascent of Europe’s steepest and biggest rock face. It was finally published a generation later and now rests amongst other great mountaineering classics.

[Julie Fielding]

It’s hard to believe that the manuscript for this book sat on a shelf for over 45 years before it came to be published. It is a gripping true story of the first ascent of Europe’s tallest rock face, done at a time when the climbing equipment we take for granted today was decades away from being developed. It is therefore not only a tale of human endurance battling the odds (and the Trolls) but also one of courage and the belief in the ability of a team of young lads, from the North of England, to conquer the last great north face problem. It is now 55 years since the events in this book took place and as such “Troll Wall” richly deserves its place at the table of great climbing history books.

[Chris Cullinane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting and worthwhile if not slightly underwhelming

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant display of what is possible in this world.

[David Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of 1st ascent. Read in 1 day while ill and off work.