Gary Hemming: The Beatnik of the Alps

by Mirella Tenderini, Susan Hodgkiss

This biography brings an understanding of one of America's mountaineers. One chapter is devoted to the rescue in 1966 of two Germans trapped high on the west face of the Petit Dru. The text builds into a psychological portrait of Hemming's complex and almost schizophrenic personality, and into the causes of his eventual suicide.

Genres: Mountaineering

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1997

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew of Gary Hemming from the 1966 Dru rescue, but knew little else until I read "Solo Faces" as part of a James Salter binge last summer. That novel appears to be a fictionalised account of Hemmings' life. I wanted to learn more about the real Hemming, hence this book. Unfortunately, real life does not live up to the novel.