Stories Off the Wall [Paperback]

John Roskelley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

Candid, acerbic autobiography of world-famous climber John Roskelley.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

He has lost toes to frostbite, suffered pulmonary edema, survived avalanches and icy bivouacs. Roskelley, one of America's premier mountaineers, recounts his experiences on the high peaks and his transition from teenage exploits to middle-age prudence. He offers stirring tales of adventure: a dramatic rescue on Denali (Mt. McKinley), an impulse climb on the North Face of the Eiger, tackling a frozen waterfall in Canada's Banff National park. Roskelley claims three 8000-meter peaks; he was the first American to reach the summit of 27,000-foot Mahalu in Nepal. He attended the ill-fated 1974 International Climbers Camp in the Russian Pamirs, an expedition beset by an earthquake and avalanches, during which one of his companions and nine women climbers died. To select a climbing partner, Roskelley uses the "shoelace test"--if the person's shoelaces don't stay tied, he won't tie onto a rope with him or her. His adventures provide peak reading.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089886609X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898866094
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,364,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book that tells it like it is., February 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Stories Off the Wall (Hardcover)

Bottom line is that this is a book that is written like it is. Life of a climber means broken relationships, hard times, and amazing acomplishments. This book is down to earth and is a good read from start to finish. Probably the best book he has written

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best, June 19, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stories Off the Wall (Paperback)

John Roskelley is arguably the greatest American mountaineer of his generation. His credentials are awesome, and he is alive to tell the tale. He is a rarity: a great climber who can also write. Usually the two do not go together; the only other exception I can think of is Austrian great Kurt Diemburger.

Mr. Roskelley's snapshot-style autobiography is a delight. Beginning in his 16th year as a wild child with incredible energy and no focus, he discovered, with the help of his father, the Spokane Mountaineers Club. He never looked back. They treated him as an "adult," which was of vital importance to him, and after his first trek up Mt. Rainier, he knew he had a "forever longing to be above those clouds."

He found himself an unlikely partner who was as preppie, straight arrow as John was wild and rebellious, but they made a perfect team. Both were impatient to a fault, resolute and absolutely fearless as you can only be when you are that young. They rock-climbed at Yosemite, climbed icefalls in Idaho and attacked Dengali (otherwise known as Mt. McKinley) in Alaska.

At an age when most climbers are totally unrecognized, he was invited on a climb up Dhaulgiri, a 26,800 ft. monster in Nepal, Himalaya. He wasn't quite sure what it was; he just knew he wanted to go. The team's successful ascent was only the third that had ever been made.

Mr. Roskelley brings a lot of practicality, bluntness and a touch of the poet when he recounts his adventures and the friends he has made along the way. I am sure he can be a difficult friend. He never minces words and has an appalling way of "laying it on the line" letting tender sensibilities fly where they may. His tenacity in achieving his goals is sometimes like being confronted with a charging Mack truck. He has a reputation of being the worst of the macho, MCP (male chauvinist pig) in a group that is famous for these traits. I don't think this is an entirely a fair evaluation. He doesn't like anything to interfere with the dedication and concentration it takes to successfully climb a difficult peak. Romances and groupies are prime distractions. He has no patience or tolerance for either. Yet he displays in his fine writing a romantic, lyrical side that would probably amaze his good buds on the mountain.

I recommend this book highly to anyone from the armchair adventurer to the skilled climber to someone who just wants a highly entertaining read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading for Mountain Climbers, March 18, 2002

By 

R. Spell "raspell" (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stories Off the Wall (Paperback)

Having enjoyed reading Nanda Devi, I bought this book as I liked Roskelly's writing style and subjects. In this book, Roskelly writes short stories from throughout his climbing career and provides a good framework of how he became a climber and how he stayed alive. Probably the most interesting theme through this book was the value he placed on having good climbing partners and how close he was to the partners. That's interesting because it was very clear from reading Nanda Devi that he was very opinionated and compromise is not his specialty. Not only does he stow high praise on these climbing partners, but there is also a story of a renowned hunter who befriends Roskelly and eventually struggles with cancer. This was a particularly heartwarming story of a great individual and his unique ability to hunt.

But the stories that will leave you wanting more involve high-altitude climbing where death is close at hand. One particular story has Roskelly awakening in the middle of the night realizing he is suffering from pulmonary edema and will die if he doesn't drop altitude.

This book provides great mountaineering stories as well as insight into the life of John Roskelly, the renowned climber. I highly recommend this book for anyone with interest in mountain climbing.