Rock climbing now claims almost 5 million enthusiasts, supports two major magazines, and is even found--simulated--in health clubs and fitness centers across America. John Long, who wrote the premise of the hit movie Cliffhanger, tells the breathtaking story of this immensely popular daredevil sport.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Rock climber and writer Long's account of rock climbing in California during the 1970s is slow going at first, with excess professional jargon (though a glossary does help) and mystical pronouncements ("There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, just the electric now"). But Long proves to be an expert guide once he launches into a memoir of his teenage days as a "Stonemaster" in suburban Los Angeles. Taking readers from the training grounds of Joshua Tree National Monument to the sheer walls of Yosemite, he evokes a fascinating subculture of eccentrics as obsessed with the climb as he. As he reinhabits those memories, Long creates scenes of gruelling physical exertion (he wrote the premise for the Stallone film Cliffhanger ) and begins to earn his mythic language ("Sometimes I'd filch a couple of my dad's cigars to stoke and enjoy, hanging in my butt bag, the whole world spread out below me. We were seventeen. We would never die.") Long perhaps tries to do too much, mixing dollops of history, geography, technical information and cultural overview. But he shines as a flat-out storyteller, especially in his tales of Camp 4 in Yosemite, unofficial headquarters for "rock jocks and wall rats" from around the world. He writes with affection and insight about how climbing changes people: "Their youth lay behind them like snakes' skins, and their faces had set overnight."
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Vicarious Read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs: Rock Climbing on the Edge of Reality (Paperback)
This book had just enough technical information mixed in with stories and philosophy to make it a great read. I am not a rock climber but I am always interested in the extreme lives of others for they give up so much to get so much. The counter culture John Long describes is hilarious without being condescending like you might find in say snowboarding. They seemed to have welcomed anyone willing to try. For the price of a movie, this is a better buy.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ole Rocker John,
By sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs: Rock Climbing on the Edge of Reality (Paperback)
can't imagine a better evening than being in an appropriately rowdy spot listening to John Long tell tall stories, improbable stories, and hilarious off-the-wall stories about the great days at Camp 4 in Yosemite. He has a knack of not taking himself seriously, but shining through is his tremendous joy in living to the hilt and exuberant satisfaction of being among the best at what he does."What he does" is extreme rock climbing, and these essays peppered with dollops of very good advice tell what it was like in the glory days of the `70s on the big walls. A large part of John's enjoyment was his fellow fanatics, the beauty of the surroundings and, most of all, the burning desire to achieve the status of the coolest guy on the wall. He starts with his childhood rambles (he had to be a prototype hyperactive child) and some sort of record, never once refers to a deprived misunderstood childhood. He freely admits most of his parents' gray hairs are attributable to him. He and his friends did not know the meaning of "impossible." They decide to learn the techniques of climbing (but nothing of equipment. "Equipment!" Who can afford equipment? and the next year they will somehow get to Mt. Everest and give it a go. This delightful read is just as likely to be of interest to the general reader as the incipient or experienced rock climber. If the author could bottle and sell his self-confidence and joie de vivre, he would make millions. Spend an afternoon with John Long. You won't regret it.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best One Out There,
By
This review is from: Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs: Rock Climbing on the Edge of Reality (Paperback)
Occasionally sentimental, even purple in its prose, this is still a must-read. Primarily an account of the author's experiences climbing in Yosemite in the 70's and 80's, it's one of the only books I know of that covers this period.Useful little sidebars give practical climbing information,and many of the stories are just plain fall-out-of-your-Portaledge funny.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
