Thin White Line

by Andy Cave

In 1997, Andy Cave returned from the Himalayas, having climbed the stupendous north face of Changabang but losing his friend and climbing partner in the process. Traumatized by the savage ordeal, he must examine his relationship with the mountains that have defined his life so far. Will he have the courage to undertake such a challenge again? Does he want to? Thin White Line charts his struggle towards finding an answer. It is as much a journey into the mind of an extreme mountaineer as it is into the wild landscapes through which he travels.In a nail biting narrative set in Patagonia, Norway and Alaska, Cave tackles the severest challenges modern Alpinism can pose. Juxtaposed with the stark beauty of the environment are the colourful characters populating his stories, from the adventurers around him, past and present, to the pioneer aviators who get him and his kind to those impossibly remote places. He vividly recreates the joy and despair of climbing, building the book to a desperate finale that lays bare the fragility of our carefully constructed convictions.

Genres: Climbing, Mountaineering, Nonfiction, Travel

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2008

Reviews

[Elaine and Tess the Springer. I won’t be on GR for a bit. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read based on mountain climbing. It actually reads like a thriller it is such a scary read. I loved it.

[Paul Markham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Interesting throughout. As a one time climber, I can relate to the climbing but the difficulty and commitment is something els

[Steve Chilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and highly readable book which follows on from 'Learning to Breathe'. It tells the story of the author after the events described in the earlier volume, when he is unsure of his continued motivation to climb. While the central theme of many mountaineering books is loss - often of close friends - here the focus is on recovery. Less structured than first book, it is still very thought provoking.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I read this so long ago that I don't remember anything about it. I can't even find the notes that I wrote about it as I was reading through it. The fact that I marked it as three stars means I thought it was a decent read. If I find my notes, I'll update the review.

[Martinxo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of a climber recovering his nerve after loosing a friend on a Himalayan climb.