Versante Sud La Via Per La Montagna climbing novel

Versante Sud La Via Per La Montagna climbing novel:

The Journey of a Climber Between Life and Death

“The only thing I wanted to do was sleep. However, I was certain that if I let go, that would be the last time.”

In 1998, Paul Pritchard was climbing a pinnacle-shaped sea stack in Tasmania called the Totem Pole when a dislodged rock struck him directly on the head. During the long wait for rescue, between life and death, Pritchard managed to persevere with the promise that, given the chance, he would “at least try to live.” Left hemiplegic as a result of the incident, Pritchard has spent the last two decades trying to live by facing seemingly impossible adventures after an injury of that magnitude and delving into the recesses of a mind nearly clouded by his passion for climbing.

Unsatisfied with merely surviving, Pritchard finds ways to return to his old life, cycling across Tibet, expanding his mind with grueling meditation courses, revisiting the past, and understanding his attraction to risk. Lastly, he returns to climb the Totem Pole, the place where his life had nearly come to an end.

“The Way to the Mountain” is an unparalleled adventure book, the exploration of a healing brain, a journey into philosophy and psychology, a test of will, and a triumph of hope.

Paul Pritchard is an award-winning author and one of the most visionary and accomplished climbers in the United Kingdom. Originally from Lancashire, he began climbing as a teenager and went on to repeat some of the country’s most difficult routes before moving to North Wales, where he played a key role in developing climbing in the slate quarries of Dinorwig and on the imposing cliffs of Gogarth in Anglesey. This period was followed by a transition to mountaineering, with significant climbs worldwide, including the east face of the Central Tower of Paine in Patagonia and the first ascent of the west face of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island. In 1998, his life changed dramatically when he was struck by a rock falling on his head while climbing the Totem Pole, a sea stack off the coast of Tasmania. He was left with hemiplegia, paralysis along the right side of his body, and also lost the ability to speak for many months. After the accident, Paul continued to lead a life of challenges, facing caving, recumbent tricycle racing, sea kayaking, rafting, climbing Kilimanjaro, and, in 2009, returning to rock climbing as a lead climber. He is an international speaker advocating for disability and is a diversity and inclusion trainer actively volunteering for The Human Library, which challenges the harmful effects of stereotypes and prejudices. He is the author of three books, “Deep Play,” “The Totem Pole,” and “The Longest Climb,” and has won the prestigious Boardman Tasker Prize twice: in 1997 with “Deep Play” and in 1999 with “The Totem Pole.” In that same year, the latter book also won the Grand Prize at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. Paul lives in Hobart, Tasmania.