MovieChat Forums > The Eiger Sanction (1975) Discussion > White Spider

White Spider

posted 18 years ago by stroppygob
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Any other "Eiger Sanction" fans love the ultimate book on the early attempts on the Eiger?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007197845/202-2770054-7736624?v=glance&n=266239

Synopsis
A classic of mountaineering literature, 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. Heinrich Herrer, author of Seven Years in Tibet, was a member of the four-man party that scaled the previously untouchable North Wall of the Eiger in 1938.

In The White Spider, Herrer 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), Herrer 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.

[–] w-runkle 18 years ago

Oh yeah! I've read The White Spider many times. I'll never climb The Nordwand, but it's fun to read and dream. I'll just have to content myself with the California Sierras. :-)

Another great book is My Life: Eiger North Face, Grandes Jorasses and Other Adventures by Anderl Heckmair. It was Heckmair who got Harrer, Vörg and Kasparek up the Eiger. But it was Harrer who got them down and Heckmair acknowledges that. He was totally exhausted at the top and Harrer was the only one of the four who knew the descent route. Truly a team effort.