One of the grandest and steepest precipices in the Alps is the Brenva face on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, and to this face, which had hot until then been attempted, Dr. Graham Brown devoted many climbing seasons between the wars. His reward was to discover three magnificent new routes, two of them with Mr. F. S. Smythe as his companion on the rope, the third with the guide Alexander Graven.
His book describes the inception and progress of this remarkable achievement, and the establishment of three courses which may well prove to be among the most famous in the Alps. The climbs are all of great technical difficulty, and Graham Brown's detailed accounts, supported by a series of photographs taken during the climbs, will enable climbers and others to assess them accurately, and perhaps to follow them one day when the mountains are in bounds again.
The author is well known among climbers for his many first ascents, pre-eminent even in an era of face-climbing, including, in addition to those described in this book, Piz Bernina by the West face, Mont Brouillard by the East face, Les Courtes directly from the Talefre Glacier, the Nordend of Monte Rosa by the Weisstor face, Mont Blanc do Courmoyeur by a direct route up the Innominata face, Les Bans in Dauphine by the North face, Mont Mallet directly by the North-west ridge, Mont Blanc by the Chamonix face direct from the Grand Plateau, the Wellenkuppe by the North face.
