Why a Booktrail?
Various times: Why are we so fascinated by mountains?
Various times: Why are we so fascinated by mountains?
Why do we have a fascination with mountains and why do we want to climb them, and the most dangerous ones at that?
“The way you read landscapes and interpret them is a function of what you carry into them with you, and of cultural tradition. I think that happens in every sphere of life. But I think in mountains that disjunction between the imagined and the real becomes very visible. People die because they mistake the imagined for the real”
This book tries to explain the power and allure of the mountain, and examine the fascination and relationship we have with them
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This is a book about mountains and our fascination with them rather than a series of stories about the art of mountaineering
Some of the adventures covered:
George Mallory and Irvine who got lost on Everest in 1924
Maurice Herzog’s account of the first ascent of any Himalayan mountain over 8000 meters (Annapurna in 1950s)
The book also looks at how many religions see mountains as sacred places – climbing mountains is a way of getting closer to the gods.
How some see the notion of standing atop a mountain a noble and admirable feat
The Growing trend in the 17th century for exploring remote regions and for growing the map of the world. There was a need to be first to discover and conquer a mountain.
How mountains appear in fiction and poetry – what they symbolize, how we think of them and their place in our world or should that be, our place in theirs.
Destination : China, Europe, Nepal Author/Guide: Robert Macfarlane Departure Time: Various
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