Customer Reviews

Zen in the Art of Climbing Mountains

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Shulman's book is all together not very good. He relates a story on climbing Mont Blanc with an obviously 'vacation type' climbing group. A vacation package much like one would book to vacation in the Bahamas. He tries to make it seem like it was such a harrowing experience and although it was probably exhilarating to him, most mountaineers would consider it a 'yak' trip. The climbing inaccuracies were astounding. He describes abseiling (rappelling) as the most difficult of tasks where to any climber, it's simply a mode of transportation. Then to find out from the description, he was probably lowered down or rappelled with a top-rope belay. Give me a break! Although Shulman says that Buddhism and Zen mediation helped him with the 'ordeal,' I hardly consider almost getting lost trying to find the tram a situation where one has to dig deep to find the strength to go on. I've had more nerve-racking experiences getting lost in the inner city. He also relates nothing about his teammates, they don't even rate names. It was like he was traveling alone with ghosts in the background. Having what his teammates thought and did would have improved the story. A totally uninteresting book for climber/mountaineers and not much to offer on the philosophy of Buddhism. The only reason I give it a two is because it has two of my most favorite subjects, climbing and Buddhism. If you really want to know what it takes to climb a mountain, read "Beyond Risk : Conversations With Climbers" by Nicholas O'Connell. There are climbers in there that relate Buddhism to climbing such as Reinhold Messner.

Neville Shulman is one of the last of the great British adventurers. He has tackled Kilamanjoro, the Borneo jungle and the south pole -- often going it alone in extremely adverse circumstances to raise money for worthy British charities. His Zen practice keeps him in good stead under often grueling and unexpected circumctances and when he -finally- returns to the comforts of home he manages to capture the excitement, adventure, beauty, and above all the sense of personal challenge -- one man against the elements - that has almost disappeared from out post-modern consciousness. His books are admirable reminders of what the human heart, mind and soul are capable of.

Again, like many climbing books, this one depends on your view and experience with climbing. It's not a book for non-climbers (I feel) but is a gem for climbers.

There are some interesting (B & W) images to support the story and the read is not too difficult albeit a bit slow, but about the slow slog and psychology during a Mountain ascent, descent, and post climb reflections.

Hard to rate: for general public a 3, for someone with zero interest in climbing a 1, for a climber 4-5.

In many ways `Zen in the Art of Climbing Mountains' is a short primer on the subject of Zen wrapped within the story of an ascent of Mont Blanc. In mountaineering terms such a climb is fairly mundane and for most mountaineers the difficulties faced are likely to be routine. Perhaps unwittingly author Neville Shulman overstates each element of his expedition and then describes how it is reliance on Zen that allows him to overcome physical problems and reach the summit. Along with details of his own feelings, related to Zen, he provides information, defines terms and presents explanations. Shulman claims enlightenment, and though mountaineers acknowledge a mental component, or even a spiritual influence to their sport, they would view the ascent of Mont Blanc as unremarkable.

Neville Shulman's background is in arts and drama, but he has become an almost professional explorer and has travelled extensively throughout the world, and he regularly takes part in events to raise money for various charities. As an author he has written many books - on North and South Poles, Himalayas, Asia, Central and South America and Africa, and he seems to always seek famous names to provide Forewords - Ralph Fiennes, Ray Mears, David Hempleman-Adams, and John Blashford-Snell. For `Zen in the Art of Climbing Mountains' it is Chris Bonington who dispenses a short philosophical introduction. Judging from the range of expeditions covered by later books it is clear Shulman must have learnt much since Mont Blanc. This was his first mountain as a complete novice at age 50 years, and he admits to lack of skill and fitness but insists it is Zen as an inner enabling spirit that sees him through.

There is no statement on organisation of Shulman's party and no introduction to guides, instructors or group members, and readers may ponder on appropriateness and competence as the author is left free to choose his own gear and to proceed without a helmet, and he is allowed to descend on his own - and gets lost. Indeed there are many questionable self-inflicted occurrences - hurt back by incorrectly lifting his rucsac, loss of path to Glaciers des Bossons, fall in gully on practice outing, poor memory for rope knots, near suffocation in bivouac bag. Neville Shulman manages to interweave all this with aspects of Zen, and though mountaineers should recognise benefits of posture, breathing and concentration, there is little chance `Zen in the Art of Climbing Mountains' will show the way via metaphysical meditation. Even so there is no denying - everyone has personal mountains to climb.

What a superb brief description of an awful book. My 5 stars are for the "Gumby" review. I recognize the profile: melodramatist with regretably easy access to word processor gets scared in the woods. Oh, brother.