'The mountains are crystal under the blue sky, as we climb up our
untouched peak. This is why we climb.'
In this fast-paced, refreshingly honest account, Stephen Venables
invites you on an adventure like no other. Delving deeply into the
unknown, the unclimbed and the undiscovered, Painted Mountains
details the stories of two very different expeditions: the first ascent
of 6,000-metre Kishtwar-Shivling in the Indian Himalaya
alongside Dick Renshaw, before embarking on an Indo-British Expedition
led by Harish Kapadia to Rimo: the Painted Mountain.
'Most of us are content to settle for some sort of compromise between
the desire to survive and the desire to retain an element of
uncertainty.'
Venables - the first Briton to climb Everest without oxygen -
does not shy away from the obvious challenges that come hand-in-hand
with tackling expeditions such as these; this account details the highs
and the lows, the dropped equipment, the toll of extreme conditions
and the shining successes of reaching a summit - all while retaining a
sense of humour and an unwavering enthusiasm for the thrill of the
climb. Venables' get-up-and-go attitude makes this a delightful read; he
is never one to shy away from an opportunity, be it arisen from a
year-long dream or a spontaneous invite.
Painted Mountains is an invaluable education for anyone who is
interested in the greater mountain ranges explored in this book, as well
as an inspirational tale of the commitment to a dream, the birth of new
friendships and the innumerable rewards of time spent in the mountains.
