Grasping for Heaven: Interviews with North American Mountaineers

Operating in some of the most challenging and dangerous conditions on earth, mountain climbers are uniquely driven men and women. In these interviews, 15 well-known climbers and three leading historians of the sport, all native to or living in North America, recount experiences shared by only a tiny portion of humanity. They discuss all aspects of international climbing, including physical conditioning, high-summit ascension, the ethics and environmental concerns of the sport, the risks and rewards of mountaineering, and a number of their famed expeditions and first ascents.