London/Seattle, Baton Wicks/Mountaineers, 1997, 1st edition. 192 pp, color photos. Hardcover with dust jacket. Fine.
Noted for his extreme route on the Central Tower of Paine, Pritchard was one of a new generation of top British climbers, setting new standards wherever he went. Includes several Patagonia expeditions. Winner of the 1997 Boardman-Tasker Prize. Forward by John Middendorf.
This is a collection of essays that appeared first in climbing journals published in England. The essays are written in a variety of styles, from straight narrative to a kind of stream of consciousness. One style written as if the writer is dictating his thoughts while climbing is used several times. Pritchard's essays are relatively short and cover a wide variety of subjects, from specific climbs, whole expeditions to people.
Most of his stories about people were written after their death in one climbing accident or another. One essay about a climber with a career ending injury and how he deals with it is prophetic considering Pritchard's recent possible career ending climbing accident. Overall, it is easy to see why this book won the Boardman-Tasker award for climbing literature. The variety of the subjects and writing styles makes this a very good anthology of climbing essays that every climber should have in their library.
