Space Below my Feet

A classic mountaineering memoir by one of the UK’s foremost female climbers.

In 1945, when Gwen Moffat was in her twenties, she deserted from her post as a
driver and dispatch rider in the Army and went to live rough in Wales and
Cornwall, climbing and living on practically nothing. She hitch-hiked her way
around, travelling from Skye to Chamonix and many places in between, with all
her possessions on her back, although these amounted to little more than a
rope and a sleeping bag.

When the money ran out, she worked as a forester, went winkle-picking on the
Isle of Skye, acted as the helmsman of a schooner and did a stint as an
artist’s model. And always there were the mountains, drawing her away from a
‹proper› job.

Throughout this unique story, there are acutely observed accounts of
mountaineering exploits as Moffat tackles the toughest climbs and goes on to
become Britain’s leading female climber – and the first woman to qualify as a
mountain guide.

Gwen Moffat was the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide in the UK and
is one of the greatest female climbers this country has ever produced. She is
also a prolific writer and novelist, with more than 30 books to her name.