Inner Ranges: An Anthology of Mountain Thoughts and Mountain People

by Geoff Powter, Chris Bonington (Foreword)

Inner Ranges brings together an enlightening and entertaining selection of mountain writing by one of Canada’s most respected adventure journalists and thinkers. This collection of original and previously published pieces includes provocative editorial and opinion work about the state of adventure, personal tales from a life of exploration and risk-taking, some touches of humour, and award-winning profiles of some of Canada’s mountaineering greats. Stories include conversations with and profiles of alpine personalities such as Barry Blanchard, Sonnie Trotter, Lena Rowat, Raphael Slawinski, David Jones and many more. Bringing these essays together for the first time has given Geoff the unique opportunity to reflect back on the stories behind the stories, the consequences of their publication, and the sometimes complex processes of writing about adventure and adventurous lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Travel, Canada, Outdoors

360 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2018

Reviews

[Patricia Veinott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid book overall, but like any collection of essays it has it's ups and downs. The first few pieces are the weakest, they get a lot better so I'm glad I persevered. Powter is at his best profiling others, these were the most engaging and interesting and avoided some of the philosophizing in the earlier essays that fell flat (presumably from earlier in his writing career). It's rare to find someone who is a skilled alpinist and can write, so outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy this. He brings a lot if insight and a healthy dose of opinion, which I liked.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading mountaineering articles can be a frustrating experience. In this case the author's articles are compiled into one anthology and it is not a good read.

The lack of context and structural consistency is the problem here. A good author when writing about other people will want you to "understand" them. What is their childhood background? what are the motivations? What do they physically look like etc.

The author simply finds it is enough to associate with fellow climbers and describe some of their accomplishments and then oddly what award his article might have won.

He's no John Krakauer that's for sure.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I want to adventure forever

[Conor McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive tour of the people, passion, costs, and paradoxes of climbing and alpinism. While I may be biased as I have a deep personal connection with Canmore and many of the peaks featured, I do believe that this is one of the great works of mountain literature, and elevates Canadian mountaineering culture to a deserved distinction.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a while to complete. I cut it up (travesty) and duct taped it into five chapter sections to carry with me as light-weight reading on various backpack trips this summer.
This worked out well as a trading companion. There was good variety in the mountain people and climbing adventures. And unlike a novel, where I would tend to forget where I was between trips, it was easy to read at intervals.
I rate the individual stories as 3 to a solid 5 stars, thus averaging out at 4.
My favourite entries were from chapter 5 on mountain people. I loved the story about the unstoppable Lena Rowat. A close second was the life of Brian Keating.
If anyone would like a cut-up book, I can send it to you.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories told in Geoff Powter's crafted style are a testament to the author's wonderful mixture of humour, drama, and inner thoughts. Climbers certainly have a way of looking at the world that brings fresh insights and inspiration. A beautifully written collection with varied tales delivering stories that will excite, move and delight all mountain loving readers from active climbers to those who prefer the safety of their armchairs.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start but a rich reward from a respected Canadian mountaineer. Took a hot second for this one to connect with me but, once it did, I found it full of exciting and gripping adventures. His attempt at fiction, or whatever the hell that was, was a weak link and a few too many Krakauer references (I'm not necessarilya Krakauer loyalist but he did occupythis section of my brain first). But his stories of and on the mountains are true treasures.

[John Zada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly-written and thoughtful pastiche of articles about mountains, alpine culture, and climbers. Exceptional stories and characters. Powter is Canada's Krakauer without the sensationalism. He is also, frankly, a better writer.

[Nick Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful account of the peaks and valleys, people and places, journeys within and out there that make living in the mountains so rich and so worthwhile.

[Alida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered "Inner Ranges" via the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival and this anthology is an honest, yet joy-filled collection of mountain/climbing/adventure writing from one of the best writers in the field, giving insight into the magic and euphoria of mountain life (and what a life of loving the mountains can entail) (Climbing = Happiness); the danger, risk, and wildness, and loss, of mountain adventure (Climbing = Fear + Tragedy + Loss), and the continual tension between the two.

"Mountains have always been the sharpest mirrors for me: they've simplified, purified, and clarified my life, and have reliably shown me the better sides of myself, but there is also, of course, a more complex other side of the mountain equation. On that darker half, the calculation is far more bitter but is just as true."