The two great American kiss-and-tell K2 mountaineering books

March 25, 2026 Reviews and tributes 8000m peaks, first ascents, galen rowell, history of mountaineering, jim whittaker, jim wickwire, john roskelley, k2, karakoram, lou reichardt, lou whittaker, mountain literature, rick ridgeway 0 Comment

In the early 1970s, the slopes of K2 were still relatively untouched. Although Italians had first set foot on the summit, American climbers considered it to be their mountain. Two expeditions in 1975 and 1978 produced a pair of expedition books that were oozing with drama and intrigue.

An ascent of Aran Fawddwy, the highest point in Merionethshire

March 11, 2026 Trip reports aran benllyn, aran fawddwy, aran hills, britain, county tops, hill walking, peak bagging, snowdonia, wales 0 Comment

The Aran Hills form a north-south ridge extending 14km from the shores of Bala Lake to the sleepy village of Dinas Mawddwy, nestling between hills at a confluence of the River Dovey in southern Snowdonia. The central part of the ridge remains above 800m for more than 2km and reaches up to 905m on Aran Fawddwy, one of the more interesting County Tops.