The battle to climb this face has captivated the interest of climbers and nonclimbers alike since the time of the first note worthy attempt in 1934. The white spider dramatically recreates not only the harrowing, successful ascent made by harrer and his comrades in 1938, but also the previous, tragic attempts at a wall of rock that was recently enshrined in. The white spider takes the reader stepbystep through harrers historic first ascent. The white spider is a mountaineering classic when it deals with first successful attempt on the north wall of the eiger by a party which included the author. Pdf the white spider book by heinrich harrer free download. It is a truly great book and should be on every mountaineers bookcase. Harrer was a member of the first team to scale the face. Eiger north face 3970m heckmair route spider 3550m below the exit cracks, snow and firn slides are channeled through the firn field from above and below. The white spider the history of the eiger s north face abebooks. Eiger north face half dome climbing places to see mount everest spider the north face nature travel. Heinrich harrer chronicles heinrich harrers first attempt to climb the north face of the swiss eiger mountain in 1938. May 30, 2015 i was viewing a spot close to the white spider, a steep, narrow icefield, its legs radiating into the black rock around it, when a figure, dressed in red, entered the frame. Apr 23, 2015 eiger north face 3970m heckmair route spider 3550m below the exit cracks, snow and firn slides are channeled through the firn field from above and below.
Free download or read online the white spider pdf epub book. The white spider the history of the eiger s north face. Family owned and operated germanaustrian influenced ski chalet 100m. The north face is a sheer drop, treacherously icy and rocky, and constantly bombarded with avalanches.
Heinrich harrer during his climb up to eigers north face in. Obviously, i have no personal experience of the eiger north wall, while its history and the book is extremely familiar to all climbers. The story of the north face of the eiger by heinrich harrer. In winter, the snowhail sloughs off immediately and the upper part of the face does not get above freezing during the day.
Get ready for the slopes with spyder gloves from dicks sporting goods. The white spider is an outstanding book in the mountaineering genre. The infamous nordwand had, to that point, turned back all such attempts with an almost living ruthlessness. The white spider surely is the most complete work about the mountaineering history of the eigers north face. The main characters of this sports, mountaineering story are. Heinrich harrer, austrian explorer and writer born july 6, 1912, huttenberg, austriahungarydied jan.
Although the white spider is one of my favorite books on mountaineering, i have found it hard to get started on this subject. The most notable feature of the eiger is its 1,800meterhigh 5,900 ft. In the 1930s the eiger nordwand north wall was considered the last and greatest of alpine problems left in the world. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 364 pages and is available in paperback format. He was a member of the fourman climbing team that made the first ascent of the north face of the eiger in switzerland. Harrers bestsellers, the white spider and seven years in tibet, make no mention of these murky issues, save for a delphic denial that the eiger was climbed on the orders or even at the wish of. The white spider is a portion of the upper face where snowfilled cracks radiate from an icefield resembling the legs of a spider. It should also be compulsory reading for all aspiring alpinists. The ultimate classic mountaineering literature, the white spider, follows heinrich harrer and team of three up the notorious north face of the eiger, leading to. The 2007 docudrama film the beckoning silence featuring mountaineer joe simpson, recountingwith filmed reconstructionsthe illfated 1936 expedition up the north face of the eiger and how heinrich harrers book the white spider inspired him to take up climbing. The white spider in the swiss alps is so described because of a steep spidershaped ice field high on the mountain that must be navigated to reach the summit.
The white spider is, quite rightly, another peak mountaineering top read. The first edition of the novel was published in 1959, and was written by heinrich harrer. The white spider is an obvious concave weakness in the wall spotted from the valley floor which was more blackandblue this time of year than white. Toni kurz was born on january 19 in berchtesgaden, bavaria, germany, where he was raised. Ski in ski out chalet with the best on snow apres ski vibe and the white spider restaurtant. His account of the battle towards the summit which takes up the first half s gripping and engrossing. Climb the eiger alpine ascents international eiger. One of the classic mountaineering books, the white spider, was written by heinrich harrer, describing the deadly history and the first successful ascent of the eigers north face, also called the mordwand or death wall.
The book contained a grotesquely distorted portrait of corti, ignoring his climbing resume, and describing longhi as little more than a climbing beginner who had no place on the eiger. Together with his childhood friend andreas hinterstoisser, he made numerous first ascents of peaks in the berchtesgaden alps, including. Heinrich harrer recounts the most important attempts, and all successful climbs on the face since the late 19th century until 1963 when the last revision of the book was published. The history of the eiger s north face by heinrich harrer and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dec 29, 2012 the white spider 1959 with chapters added in 1964. I was viewing a spot close to the white spider, a steep, narrow icefield, its legs radiating into the black rock around it, when a figure, dressed in. The north face is a sheer drop, treacherously icy and rocky, and constantly bombarded. The white spider book by heinrich harrer thriftbooks. Learn more about this and other book recommendations here at a5 travel books. In winter, the snowhail sloughs off immediately and the upper part of the face does not.
The white spider surely is the most complete work about the mountaineering history of the eiger s north face. The story of the north face of the eiger by heinrich harrer and kurt maix 1976, book, illustrated at the best online prices at ebay. Eiger chalet perisher on snow accommodation restaurant. It is so called as the snow filled cracks radiating from this icefield resemble the sinuous legs of a spider. The white spider tells the story of the harrowing first ascent of the eigers north wall, one of the most legendary and terrifying climbs in recorded history link to the white spider on facebook tweet about the white spider. The classic account of the ascent of the eiger by heinrich harrer 1998, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. For a generation of american climbers, the white spider has been a formative book. When white spider was released, corti became a pariah. Climb the eiger alpine ascents international eiger guides. He completed a brief apprenticeship as a pipefitter before joining the german wehrmacht in 1934 as a professional soldier. Boutique on snow accommodation perisher valley, snowy mountains. The name of this web site is derived from a spider shaped icefield high on the north face of the eiger, a mountain that towers above the town of grindelwald, switzerland. Naming of the white spider the site name and logo design are a reference to the famous hanging icefield on the classic route of the north wall of the eiger.
The white spider 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 link to the white spider on facebook tweet about the white spider. He is best known for being on the fourman climbing team that made the first ascent of the north face of the eiger, switzerland. The book begins by describing the early attempts to climb the nordwand, including the harrowing stories of max sedlmayer and karl mehringer who froze to death in 1935, and toni kurz, andreas hinterstoisser, edi. The white spider is a mountaineering book by heinrich harrer describing the history of the eiger, including the first successful ascent. I have admired heinrich harrer ever since i came across his book seven years in tibet m. The white spider dramatically recreates not only the harrowing, successful ascent made by harrer and his comrades in 1938, but also the previous, tragic attempts at a wall of rock that was recently enshrined in mountaineer jon krakauers first work, eiger dreams. The history of the eigers north face by heinrich harrer and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. He wrote the books seven years in tibet 1952 and the white spider 1959. The eiger is a striking peak from all sides and a worthy climb by any of its many routes, none of which are particularly easy. The white spider is not a name for the face, merely an icefield of the face that lies near the top of the route and is reached via the traverse of the gods.
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