I'm about half way through this book now and I'm loving it - it's a gripping read, a real page-turner, and the most interesting and enjoyable climbing book I've read in years. I just need to find more time to finish it quickly!
It's far from a standard expedition book, and far from a dry or self-indulgent autobiography. I hardly climb, I don't winter climb and I certainly don't aid-climb, but none of that matters - I reckon you don't need to know anything about any of that stuff for this book to be well worth reading.
We're going to a talk by him this week and I'm sure he'll be as entertaining as ever
It's a bit to late now as there is only a couple of dates left, but if you get a chance to catch his When Hell Freezes Over show it is superb.
Easily as funny as any comedian I have seen - he gives a warts an all insite to his roots and expedition life. From taking a dump in a snow hole to advice on crevasse's crossings (don't act a **** like Bear Grylls, just walk round the bloody things! Followed by hillarious Bear G impression).
The whole thing is backed up by some amazing slides and video footage by him and Ian Parnell, with some touching moments of the low times.
I saw him a couple of weeks ago at Buxton - the show this time was about him and Karen Darke, a climber left wheelchair-bound after a fall, performing various exploits like skiing across Greenland,climbing the old Man of Hoy, and culminating in an ascent of El Cap! Irreverent, very non-PC at times, and very, very entertaining as ever
