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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 24, 2014 - 10:18pm PT
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Can anybody scan and post the table of contents, from Barry Blanchard's new book "The Calling"
Thanks a lot, I would be most grateful.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 24, 2014 - 11:14pm PT
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TOC:
Recommended playlist:
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perswig
climber
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Oct 25, 2014 - 04:13am PT
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Ha, Ch.2 - Skinny Puppy and the DKs!
Quality, no doubt.
Thanks for this, Avery; didn't know he had a book out.
Dale
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 25, 2014 - 08:54am PT
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In an age when personal stories are related instantly via tweets and Facebook blurbs, someone taking the whole business seriously is a refreshing development. Can't wait to read Barry's book!
JL
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Oct 25, 2014 - 09:20am PT
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Just purchased it, looking forward to a great read!
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 25, 2014 - 01:27pm PT
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In an age when personal stories are related instantly via tweets and Facebook blurbs, someone taking the whole business seriously is a refreshing development.
Couldn't agree more, Largo.
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pc
climber
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Oct 25, 2014 - 03:30pm PT
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Can't wait to read it.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 25, 2014 - 05:20pm PT
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Barry is a climber's climber with a great sense of humor so this should be one fine book!
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Will_P
Trad climber
Melbourne, Victoria
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I was thrilled to hear this book had been released, and picked up a copy a couple of weeks ago. Good photos, good writing, but I'm really hoping it's 'part one of two'.
Not to give too much away, but it only ("only"!) covers up to 1986 (I think - the year he, Twight, Doyle & Robinson went up the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat). Only having been 8 years old then, and not getting into climbing until the mid-to-late 1990's, I had really been looking forward to hearing more about those parts of his climbing career that I had heard just bits of - the stuff that appeared in Climbing or Rock & Ice back then, or climbs mentioned by Twight or Steve House... I wanted that expanded on. But to be honest, a guy like this, with a career like this... I'll be happy with what I get - it's obviously what he wanted to tell.
My only complaint, and I acknowledge it is minor - grammatical errors. I don't blame the author, it's easy to do, but 'mon, Patagonia Books, how long does it take to have a fresh-eyed proof reader point out all the 'were / where' and 'to / too' instances? Send the next one to me prior to publication, I'll do it for free and have it back within a week.
And Blanchard, if you do read this, I really hope there is another one planned - I'll buy it.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Nov 24, 2014 - 06:23am PT
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A very good book, well written, humorous , thoughtful.
Reads well, thanks Barry!!!!
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 24, 2014 - 04:22pm PT
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Thanks Bruce, I'll go out on a limb and take that as a compliment.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Dec 26, 2014 - 02:49pm PT
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One of the finest climbing books Yet,
Very honest and reflective!
Bubba is the man!
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Jay Hack
Trad climber
Detroit, Michigan
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Dec 27, 2014 - 12:45pm PT
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Really enjoyed this book. Great stories, good introspective moments, and a tour de force of Canadian Mountaineering.
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Bushman
Social climber
The island of Tristan da Cunha
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Dec 27, 2014 - 01:18pm PT
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I received 'The Calling' as an early Christmas present from my daughter, and it was the most exciting read I have had for some time, all riveting! I've been working long hours but after work I couldn't put the book down until the wee hours of the morning when the eyes were failing me and didn't sleep more than 3-4 hours a night until I finished it. Climbing adventure at its best!
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The Call Of K2 Lou
Mountain climber
North Shore, BC
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Dec 27, 2014 - 01:47pm PT
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Got it for Christmas also, and while I'm currently reading another book, I couldn't resist poking through it. Loved the parts that I read and can't wait to read the whole thing.
I also received Steve House's Training for the New Alpinism. Wow! Serious motivation to be found from the pair of 'em!
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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bought this over christmas, and just finished it tonight.
while canadian mountaineering and alpinism have a written canon that consists, in part, of outstanding historical surveys [scott's pushing the limits, thorington's the glittering mountains of canada, etc.] and there are important autobiographies [kain's where the clouds go, munday's the unknown mountain, etc.], i haven't read any works of canadian mountaineering autobiography that i felt rose near or equal to the same literary level as the autobiographical canon of our european cousins [harrer, deimberger, messner, etc.]
at least i hadn't until today...
and so, for me at least, we now have a canadian autobiographical mountaineering canon of at least one book. [and fellow canucks if i'm missing something, i'm interested to find out what other canadian autobiographical works, you think, are deserving to be held in the rarified company of the above mentioned european counterparts...]
in case the hurtin' albertan ever checks back into this joint, sincere and deep thanks for taking the time to write a book deserving of your story. the introspection, self-awareness and honesty are [seemingly] unflinching and the expected tales of daring and risk are canadianesquely and soberingly matter of fact.
to make sure this doesn't come off as blowing smoke up someone's ass, [and also because this is the internet and this is what we do... haha] i will also mention the only significant quibble i have. the book isn't first and foremost about mountains. while the first part of the title, the calling is great, and the second part a life rocked by mountains, is effective and makes sense from a marketing perspective, i'm not convinced that the second part is artistically as compelling as it could have been.
this is because ultimately, imo, this book was about brotherhood... both on and off the rope. and so for me the title would have been more intrinsically consistent with the book itself, if it had reflected that.
finally, for climbers thinking, "ahh another mountaineering book filled with boring blow by blow tales about pointless death defying feats on big mountains that i don't care about": this is not that book.
if you are a climber that has experienced true brother and/or sisterhood of the rope this will be a book worth reading, regardless of whether you give two hoots about alpinism and/or high altitude mountaineering.
if you are a climber and more importantly if you are a human being: buy [or borrow] and read this book.
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Bad Climber
climber
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What nah000 said. This is a great book that should be read by everyone on this forum. These climbs--and Blanchard himself--are on the same level as anything in Euro history. This is an important book for our sport.
BAd
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Man, I would get it just for the chapter on Ward. I can't remember the climbs we did together specifically in the Valley in the late '70s. I just remember liking him very much. He had this certain jazzy sensibility about him, not unlike fellow Canadian Perry Beckham, now that I think of it.
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