ISBN: 9781301522637
Goodreads | Buy this book | Praise from readers
See all books in the Footsteps on the Mountain Travel Diaries series
About this book
The Victorian mountaineer Edward Whymper is best-known for making the very first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Less well known is that in 1879 he set sail across the Atlantic bound for the high Andes of Ecuador, where he made first ascents of many of the country’s highest mountains, most of which are volcanoes far higher than anything he climbed in Europe.
He was a hard man to impress. He described the peaks he climbed as hilly rather than mountainous, citing the fact that it’s possible to get a donkey up one or two of them as evidence of their inferiority over the mountains of the Alps.
But this didn’t bother me. I describe myself as more of a hill walker than a climber. Whether heaving myself up with an ice axe or straddling a donkey, to me the views are just as good, and I resolved to follow in Whymper’s footsteps and climb some of the same mountains.
Buy this book
Praise from readers
“It’s a good diary of hiker. I read it before hiking in Ecuador and I wasn’t disappointed.”
“I’d recommend Mark Horrell’s books for anyone planning a mountaineering expedition who wants to get a sense of what it’s really like – especially the rhythm of travel … very evocative of the experience.”
“I enjoyed this book a lot. I have been to Ecuador twice to climb volcanoes and this book does a great job of describing how enjoyable these trips can be, given the accessibility of the mountains, the quaint haciendas you can stay in, the excellent food, friendly local guides, etc.”
“A really great read. This book gives a very nice factual account of what it is like for a foreign climber to climb in Ecuador … If you or anyone you know is going to Ecuador this book is a real must-read.”
“I quite liked this … I do enjoy reading his books as I like his style.”
“Good read about Ecuador and her volcanoes … Mark makes a diary interesting!”
“Highly entertaining, informative, and fun to read. He seems to have a good group of friends wherever he goes and to make the most out of every trip … I love being able to tag along, even though it’s at a distance.”
