Eiger Direct: The Epic Battle on the North Face - Paperback

by Peter Gillman (Author), Dougal Haston (Author), Chris Bonington (Photographer)

The North Face of the Eiger was long notorious as the most dangerous climb in the Swiss Alps, one that had claimed the lives of numerous mountaineers. In February 1966, two teams - one German, the other British-American - aimed to climb it by a new direct route. Astonishingly, the two teams knew almost nothing about each other's attempt until both arrived at the foot of the face. The race was on.

John Harlin led the four-man British-American team and intended to make an Alpine-style dash for the summit as soon as weather conditions allowed. The Germans, with an eight-man team, planned a relentless Himalayan-style ascent, whatever the weather.

The authors were key participants as the dramatic events unfolded. Award-winning writer Peter Gillman, then twenty-three, was reporting for the Telegraph, talking to the climbers by radio and watching their monumental struggles from telescopes at the Kleine Scheidegg hotel. Renowned Scottish climber Dougal Haston was a member of Harlin's team, forging the way up crucial pitches on the storm-battered mountain. Chris Bonington began as official photographer but then played a vital role in the ascent.

Eiger Direct, first published in 1966, is a story of risk and resilience as the climbers face storms, frostbite and tragedy in their quest to reach the summit.

This edition features a new introduction by Peter Gillman.

Author Biography

Chris Bonington - mountaineer, writer, photographer and lecturer - was born in London in 1934. He first climbed in Snowdonia at the age of sixteen and has since become one of the pre-eminent figures in British mountaineering. He made the first British ascent of the North Face of the Eiger by the original route in 1962, and led the expeditions that made the first ascents of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970 and the South-West Face of Everest in 1975. He reached the summit of Everest himself with a Norwegian expedition in 1985. He has written numerous books, fronted television programmes, and lectured to the public and corporate audiences all over the world. He was awarded a knighthood in 1996 for services to mountaineering.