Stephen Venables: A Slender Thread

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$27.95

Comfortably ensconced in your armchair, you will be transported to the deathly heights of the Himalayas where, heart in mouth, you will tackle perilous precipices, climb for 30 hours along tortuous rockfaces, and come near death from hunger, exhaustion and cold, pushing yourself to the limit while relying on the bravery and cooperation of your companions.

Venables, one of the most famous British mountaineers, nearly met his end during a descent of Panch Chuli V in the Himalayas when an abseiling peg failed and he plummeted with furious violence 80m down a cliff.

You may question (as Venables does) the morality of those who put their lives in danger and then expect to be rescued, but such adventures make thrilling stories, especially when told with Venables' wit, reflection and sheer verbal ability.

This, the story of his accident and near-miraculous rescue, is utterly spellbinding.