A classic of mountaineering literature, Heinrich Harrer tells the story of the harrowing first ascent of the Eiger's North Wall, one of the most legendary and terrifying climbs in recorded history.
Heinrich Harrer was a member of the four-man party that scaled the previously untouchable North Face of the Eiger in 1938. In The White Spider, Harrer tells the story of this harrowing first ascent, a gripping first-hand account of daring and resilience in the high Swiss Alps. Moving from his own amazing experiences to the numerous later attempts to replicate his team's achievements (some tragic failures, others spectacular successes), Harrer writes as well as he climbs, drawing the reader into a beguiling story of courage, strength and a confidence always on the edge of hubris. A new introduction by Joe Simpson, author of the acclaimed mountaineering epic Touching the Void, reminds us of the enduring relevance of this absolute classic.
A few photos.
By Heinrich Harrer.
Card cover, 20cm x 13cm, 315 pages + 20 extra pages of biographical detail.
First published 1958. This edition 2005.
ISBN: 978-0-00-719784-2.