San Francisco, Sierra Club, 1979, 1st edition. 324 pp, many b/w photos. Large format paperback. Very Good condition. Some edge wear, its been read (but not abused.)
The book is really a list, description and guidebook of the author's picks of the fifty finest rock, ice and mountain climbs in the USA and Canada. This book has become an American classic, and influenced many a climber. Even though climbing standards have risen incredibly since 1979, and due to personal conditioning and experience there are more people climbing higher mountains than ever before (look at Mt Everest today), many of the climbs in this book are still a goal for thousands of rock climbers and mountaineers.
These are the routes in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America
Alaska and the Yukon
Mount Saint Elias Abruzzi Ridge
Mount Fairweather Carpe Ridge
Mount Hunter West Ridge
Mount McKinley Cassin Ridge
Moose's Tooth West Ridge
Mount Huntington West Face
Mount Logan Hummingbird Ridge
Middle Triple Peak East Buttress
Western Canada
Mount Sir Donald Northwest Arete
Bugaboo Spire East Ridge
South Howser Tower West Buttress
Mount Robson Wishbone Arete
Mount Edith Cavell North Face
Mount Alberta Japanese Route
Mount Temple East Ridge
Mount Waddington South Face
Devil's Thumb East Ridge
Lotus Flower Tower
The Pacific Northwest & Northern Rocky Mountains
Mount Rainier Liberty Ridge
Forbidden Peak West Ridge
Mount Shuksan Price Glacier
Slesse Mountain Northeast Buttress
Mount Stuart North Ridge
Liberty Bell Mountain Liberty Crack
Wyoming Devil's Tower Durrance Route
Grand Teton North Ridge
Grand Teton Direct Exum Ridge
Grand Teton North Face
Mount Moran Direct South Buttress
Pingora Northeast Face
Wolf's Head East Ridge
Colorado
Crestone Needle Ellingwood Ledges
Hallett Peak Northcutt-Carter Route
Petit Grepon South Face
Longs Peak The Diamond
The Southwest
Shiprock
Castleton Tower Kor-Ingalls Route
The Titan
California
The Royal Arches Lost Arrow Spire
Sentinel Rock Steck-Salathe Route
Middle Cathedral Rock East Buttress
Half Dome Northwest Face
El Capitan Nose Route
El Capitan Salathe Wall
Mount Whitney East Face
Fairview Dome North Face
Clyde Minaret Southeast Face
Charlotte Dome South Face
Lover's Leap Traveler Buttress
