Seven Climbs – Finding the finest climb on each continent

Which are the world’s greatest climbs? Veteran mountaineer Charles Sherwood is
on a mission, not in search of the traditional ’seven summits› but to seek out
the most enjoyable climbs on each continent, and in the company of many of the
climbing world’s best known characters, including Andy Kirkpatrick, Mark
Seaton and Stephen Venables. But to what criteria do you measure the best
climbs? Rather than the determining factor being height alone, Charles
considers the challenge and the variety of the climb and its beauty and
heritage. Taking him to the Alps, the Himalaya, the Andes, Kenya, New Zealand
and South Georgia, even the most casual reader will note that the author’s
quest ‹is little more than a delightful ruse for having a very good time›.

‹Even the most casual reader among you will by now have worked out that the
whole thing is little more than a delightful ruse for having a very good
time.› Experienced climber Charles Sherwood is on a quest to find the best
climb on each continent. He eschews the traditional Seven Summits, where
height alone is the determining factor, and instead considers mountaineering
challenge, natural beauty and historical context, aiming to capture the
diverse character of each continent and the sheer variety of climbing in all
its forms.

The author’s ambitious odyssey takes him to the Alps, the Himalaya, Yosemite,
the Andes, Kenya, New Zealand and South Georgia. His goal is neither to seek
glory nor to complete a box-ticking exercise, but simply to enjoy himself in
the company of his fellow climbers, including Mark Seaton, Andy Kirkpatrick
and Stephen Venables, and to appreciate the splendour of his surroundings. On
classic routes like the North Face of the Eiger and the Nose on El Capitan, it
is hard not to be swept away by Sherwood’s unfaltering enthusiasm.

Also featuring fascinating historical detail about each route, Seven Climbs is
a compelling account of Sherwood’s efforts to answer a much-debated question:
which are the world’s greatest climbs?

No of Pages: 192
Page Size: 156 x 234 mm
Binding: Paperback (flapped)
Illustrations: 2 x 16pp colour plates