Il grande libro della montagna (The great book of the mountains)

Going to the mountains. Yes, but how? How do you choose your gear? How do you plan a walk? How do you tie knots? How do you climb? How do you behave in an emergency?

The answers to these and hundreds of other questions are in this volume. It is a true bible for all lovers of high altitudes, a work that contains everything you need to know to tackle the mountains safely, and therefore while having fun. Recommended by the greatest climbers in the world, constantly updated by a team of experts on new frontiers and technological developments, a genuine classic of its kind, a complete manual, enriched by a glossary and hundreds of very clear illustrations, which covers every aspect of the wonderful world of mountaineering.

“Il grande libro della montagna”

By its size and its title this book presents itself as a tool, just like the ice axe and the boots, needed by anyone who wants to enjoy the mountains in a more aware and all-round way. Certainly you cannot call the narrative style distinctive, since it is not in the storytelling that its strength lies, the thing that lets you climb its many pages. It lies in its being clear and descriptive, useful and up to date, wide-ranging in its approaches to alpine style and mountain techniques, but above all in its passion for the mountains and in its interest in growing consciously in a world made of peaks, crags, trees, snow and travelling companions. I feel bound to refer to the preface of this small monument to the mountains, where it describes the unusual way this work was born and developed. The contribution of numerous authors and the revision by many others make it a collective, modern work, with a fluency of language that makes it accessible even to keen beginners, but not only to them. Given how complete it is, it can certainly be described as a manual to own not only for learning but also for teaching.
An instructor might find in it a running order of topics so as not to forget important steps, or a way to find the simplest, most direct words to say, perhaps during a training session in the field. Its American nature, however, does not spare it a small European criticism: in fact, although the translation is perfect from every point of view, you may be a little disappointed by some tables, such as the one on the difference between magnetic north and true north ...

... calculated exclusively for American territory. So you are left a little disappointed when, compass in hand, you find yourself thinking... and when will I ever be going to Colorado or Minnesota? Then, at every step of the book, there are hints on behaviour and on the proper use of the mountains. These constant reminders may even seem repetitive and stale to those sitting in an armchair, but they mark precisely the difference between those who live the mountains, even challenging a summit, and those who just watch them. The new problems of overcrowding and pollution in mountain areas have in fact led to the need to devise a mountain ethic which, while for some it comes naturally, for others certainly has to be communicated and taught. It takes very little to pollute a stream, and you can do it even without meaning to. Eliminating this “without meaning to” ( which stems above all from ignorance) becomes everyone's job. Less clear is the position on the mountain policies adopted by some mountain communities regarding the exploitation of the Alps for tourism. The chapter remains obscure and meaningless even for the reader. One strong criticism of mine remains the gap between the values dealt with at length, “safety , behaviour , respect, personal growth, group growth”, and those avoided, “general mountain policy”, which I think we need to take back for ourselves and not delegate to sedentary party men.

From a technical point of view I am certainly not the best person to offer a critique, but I was certainly fascinated, and convinced of the usefulness of the very clear and detailed descriptions, of the accounts of the pros and cons of many techniques. You are also a little amazed at how precisely easy techniques are discussed alongside extreme ones, leaving the reader with a bit of an urge to train. Perhaps the section on nutrition, a subject on which every Italian is a theoretical expert, falls a little short on calories, fibre, fats and so on, but certainly, for the fitness and energy the mountains demand, it is more than enough. Climb after climb, chapter after chapter, the book flows very quickly, even for the reader who thought the summit at the end was a long way off. My overall verdict is definitely excellent. It should certainly be considered more than a simple manual, and the benefits of its usefulness will show from your very first outings, indeed from the very choice of clothing, competent and useful at last, and no longer drop-dead gorgeous.

Author: The Mountaineers