High Infatuation: A Climber's Guide to Love and Gravity (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I STARTED CLIMBING ON GROUNDHOG DAY 1991, at a tiny little cliff near the Potomac River in Maryland..." (more)
Key Phrases: long ledge, headwall pitches, final crux, Free Rider, Steph Davis, Huber Pitch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Davis uses a conversational voice with just enough climbing lingo to tie together a lifetime of lessons.." -- Mountain Gazette

"Davis's clean, fresh prose and honest and open examination of herself make High Infatuation an enjoyable, quick read.." -- Rock and Ice Magazine

"The ultimate focus of the book is not climbing but the conflict Davis feels.." -- San Luis Obispo, CA Tribune

"[Davis's] writings reveal a woman given to impulses, seeking outlandish challenges and daring to be different." -- Klamath Falls Herald&News

Product Description

More than just an adventure, this is the story of a woman's soul.

Steph Davis takes risks, trusts her impulses, makes decisions based on what feels right and never looks back. Soon after she was introduced to rock climbing, she abandoned the respectability of university life and a potential career as a concert pianist to become a "dirtbag climber," living out of her grandmother's hand-me-down Oldsmobile sedan with Fletcher, her loyal Blue heeler mix. Today, Davis is one of the most accomplished female climbers in the world, having made first ascents in Pakistan, Patagonia, Baffin Island, and Kyrgyzstan. She was also the first woman to free climb the huge Salathe wall on El Capitan in Yosemite and the first woman to summit Torre Egger in Patagonia.

In High Infatuation, Davis writes on universal themes of life, love, friendship, and personal empowerment, as expressed through a career in climbing. We wait tensely with her through weeks of rain, wind, snow, and sleet, hoping for the weather to improve in the mountains of Patagonia, then feel her heartache as her relationship with the man she will marry is tested by her need for movement and challenge. Davis draws us into her struggles with safety, independence, ambition, and compassion. And by following this young woman's journey, we learn what it means to live a truly adventurous life

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Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; illustrated edition edition (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594850658
• ISBN-13: 978-1594850653
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,658 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Look into the Climbing Mind, July 2, 2007

By	Kathryn C. Stevens (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As climber Steph Davis recounts her many adventures, travels, routes, and hang-ups, High Infatuation becomes a sort of journal, a stockpile of experience and reflection. When I began reading the book, I expected a standard narrative, a chronological movement through her climbing life. What I found instead was, as I mentioned, much more like a conversation with an energetic friend- one who tells a story as it comes to mind rather than as it happened.

Depending on the sort of reader you are, this might be appealing or disappointing, but I imagine that, if you are a climbing enthusiast, you will enjoy it nonetheless. Davis does succeed at recounting her climbs with detail and drama. She introduces an emotional element into the sport that you just can't get from most climbing books. And she includes dozens of photos from her travels that add even more depth and realism to her stories.

On the whole, Davis never lets the reader forget her humanness. She gives an honest account of her life as a climber and, perhaps more importantly, as a female climber. She is vulnerable, at times eloquent, at times not, full of questions, and persistent- in both her climbing life and her thinking life.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High Infatuation, June 5, 2007

By	K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A climbing memoir, less self-obsessed and more literate than most, often humorous, sometimes philosophical. Contains chapters on various expeditions and adventures. I got tired of Davis' complaints about Yosemite rangers but otherwise would definitely recommend this to readers interested in the topic.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful inspiration for climbers, July 31, 2008

By	Rebecca Adler "Bex" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read High Infatuation as a way to gain some inspiration to keep me rock climbing and also to get some insight into the sport. Steph Davis is one of the top female climbers in the world and has accomplished several firsts for women in the sport so I was excited to get her book and read about her experiences. When I bought the book I had expected it to be more of a memoir, but I have to say I was really pleased with the essay format.

High Infatuation is a collection of journal entries, photos and published articles by Davis as she finished difficult climbs through the years. While I probably would have preferred the essays to be in chronological order, or at least given more background so we understood where she was at the time and where she was coming from, I don't think it was necessary. Once I got to the end of the book I could see why she ordered it the way she did. If I had to read six essays about Patagonia in a row, I may have ended up getting bored with the book. Each of her quests was amazing to read about, with the last one (the Salathe wall in Yosemite) being my favorite. Her attempt of the Salathe in Yosemite was a difficult climb for her and it made me realize that even the pros still have challenges when it comes to climbing (that's why they're still climbing, right?).

The photos in the book really helped me to understand better what she was talking about. They also made me want to get out and climb right away. Unfortunately my climbing partner has a bruised rib so we haven't been out in a few weeks, but hopefully we'll get out there before the weather gets too much warmer (it was 103 here yesterday!). This book definitely inspired me as much as I hoped it would ... but it also made me realize how much I still have to learn about rock climbing. There are about ten techniques I have written down that I have to go look up now and beg someone to teach me about. But then I just have to remind myself that Steph Davis has been climbing for more than 15 years and I feel a little better about my novice climbing skills.

In the book I also loved the short clips she included. There was one about running that was only about two paragraphs long, but it was a beautiful image of running and why it feels so great. If you're a climber and want some inspiration (and tons of words you may not have heard before), then I'd recommend checking out this book.