Alpine Rising - Signed Edition

A long overdue accounting of the extraordinary contributions and leadership of Sherpa, Balti, and other local climbers in the Himalayas and Karakorams. 

The name of Maurice Herzog, the first man to reach the summit of Annapurna, is widely recognized, but how many know Ang Tharkay, the Sherpa who carried the seriously frostbitten Herzog on his back for miles? Although rarely mentioned in published accounts of early expeditions, local climbers have long been significant members of first ascents on the world’s tallest and most challenging peaks. In Alpine Rising, award-winning writer Bernadette McDonald sets the record straight by shining a light on these too often forgotten heroes.
 
Now, in the 21st century, it is often local climbers who are setting records. A Nepali team was the first to climb K2 in winter; they reached the summit while singing their national anthem. Pakistani climbers like Little Kim and Ali Sadpara devoted their lives to helping others survive and succeed on and off the mountains and their stories deserve to be more widely known. Not only a timely reminder of the need to recognize the contributions of local climbers and the importance of correcting the historical record, Alpine Rising is a celebration of a region’s local heroes.
 
Sales benefit the Khumbu Climbing Center (Nepal) and the ASCEND climbing program for girls (Pakistan)

"Alpine Rising is a fascinating history of the crucial and frequently tragic role of local Nepalis, Tibetans, and Pakistanis on mountaineering expeditions to the world's highest peaks. Bernadette McDonald sheds new light on the Himalayan and Karakoram villagers exploited for decades by Western climbers, who often seemed to regard them as little more than expendable servants and laborers. This important, engaging book explains how men and women from these underappreciated communities have recently won worldwide respect and admiration as cutting-edge alpinists, heroic climbing guides, successful entrepreneurs, and masters of their own destinies." Jon Krakauer

"Alpine Rising is a wonderfully written account of the truly unsung heroes of Himalayan climbing. The Indigenous Sherpa, Balti, and others of the region have for many years shouldered the brunt of burden and broken trail, often with little recognition, which led to the success of Western-based expeditions. Their tenacity and drive have allowed them to finally step out from the shadows, take the lead, and come to the forefront of alpine ascents and guiding across the globe. I'm honored to have worked with some of these climbers as teammates." Ed Viesturs, author of No Shortcuts to the Top

"It's taken far too long, but at last the local guides and porters who have contributed so much to Himalayan climbing for more than a century are having their achievements acknowledged more fully, along with the terrible human cost they suffered along the way. Bernadette McDonald tells this extraordinary story with great energy and understanding, making space not just for the famous Sherpas but other ethnic groups who are also overlooked." Ed Douglas, author of Himalaya: A Human History

"Giving voice to local climbers from Tibet, Pakistan, Nepal, and India who have long enabled Westerners to tackle the world's highest peaks, Bernadette McDonald shares their histories, perspectives, and present-day realities-including the high rate of attrition and the suffering of those left behind. Gripping, thought-provoking, and often shocking, Alpine Rising is an important addition to the canon of mountain literature." Maria Coffey, author of Where the Mountain Casts its Shadow

"Timely and important, Alpine Rising is an authoritative and nuanced addition to mountaineering history. It evokes precious personal memories of time spent in the hills with Pertemba, Ang Phu, Little Karim, and so many others whose contributions are finally being fully acknowledged and celebrated." Sir Chris Bonington, author and mountaineer

Bernadette McDonald was the founding vice president of mountain culture at The Banff Centre and director of the Banff Mountain Festivals for 20 years. The author of more than a dozen books about mountaineering and mountain culture, she regularly lectures on a variety of topics for universities, festivals, and alpine clubs. McDonald lives in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Visit her at bernadettemcdonald.ca.