Scrambles Amongst the Alps In the Years 1860-1869.
The beginning of the modern mountaineering canon, according to many. This is a 2002 reprint, part of the National Geographic Adventure Classics series.
This book describes young Englishman Edward Whymper's climbing on the Continent at a time when modern alpinism was only barely beginning to take shape. A remarkably productive decade for young Whymper, this time period was, for him, defined by the race for the Matterhorn: Whymper attempted to climb the peak seven times. After finally making the first ascent, four members of Whymper's climbing team died on the descent, when a weak rope snapped.
Paperback, 414 pages. This reprint is based on Whymper's 1900 fifth edition, although it does not include the appendices, and the fold-out maps have been consolidated and shrunk. A modern introduction offers some historical perspective on the importance of the work.
