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Peak Experiences: Danger, Death, and Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast
An anthology of adventure and life-threatening dangers atop the peaks of the Northeast
- GenresNonfiction
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2017
Just a bit too many stories but very enjoyable!
November 23, 2013
Peak Experience Edited By Carol Stone White
Why I read this book:
By now it should be no secret that I am a big fan of books about mountaineering and hiking, especially when it involves something going wrong. Instead of reading about some far off mountains that I might never seen much less step foot on, I picked up Peak Experience: Danger, Death, & Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast edited by Carol Stone White.
My one sentence summary:
Trouble happens when you hike unprepared (improper clothing, no headlamps), don't check the forecast, overestimate your abilities, underestimate the terrain and just because.
Kudos:
I really enjoyed reading about adventures on mountains that I have hiked or may hike in the future. The Whites and Katahdin are abundantly familiar to me, although reading about winter adventures and mishaps in these mountains gives me a whole new respect for them. I especially appreciated the different view points, sometimes on the same incident. The authors are experienced hikers who are able to analyze how they got into trouble and get themselves out of it. I also enjoyed reading about a mix of casual hikers to record setters to hard core mountaineers over the span of decades.
Quibbles:
Although the subtitle hints at death, most of the stories involve hypothermia and exhaustion. There may be some repetitiveness to the stories, but they serve to drive home the point about having the appropriate gear and knowing environment and your own limitations.
Final verdict:
High recommend to anyone who loves hiking in the northeast. This isn't an adrenaline junkies fix, but it is a real view about what can go wrong and how others have gotten out alive.
Why I read this book:
By now it should be no secret that I am a big fan of books about mountaineering and hiking, especially when it involves something going wrong. Instead of reading about some far off mountains that I might never seen much less step foot on, I picked up Peak Experience: Danger, Death, & Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast edited by Carol Stone White.
My one sentence summary:
Trouble happens when you hike unprepared (improper clothing, no headlamps), don't check the forecast, overestimate your abilities, underestimate the terrain and just because.
Kudos:
I really enjoyed reading about adventures on mountains that I have hiked or may hike in the future. The Whites and Katahdin are abundantly familiar to me, although reading about winter adventures and mishaps in these mountains gives me a whole new respect for them. I especially appreciated the different view points, sometimes on the same incident. The authors are experienced hikers who are able to analyze how they got into trouble and get themselves out of it. I also enjoyed reading about a mix of casual hikers to record setters to hard core mountaineers over the span of decades.
Quibbles:
Although the subtitle hints at death, most of the stories involve hypothermia and exhaustion. There may be some repetitiveness to the stories, but they serve to drive home the point about having the appropriate gear and knowing environment and your own limitations.
Final verdict:
High recommend to anyone who loves hiking in the northeast. This isn't an adrenaline junkies fix, but it is a real view about what can go wrong and how others have gotten out alive.
July 16, 2013
An interesting collection of true stories about mountaineers in the U.S. northeast having close scrapes with the elements.
See my review at http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie...
See my review at http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/revie...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews