A few years ago, I asked a question on this blog Where are the humorous mountaineering books? The overall push of the post is, although Humor in mountaineering literatureusually α-Mar species. This is in stark contrast to the general travel genre and other sports writing wall niches (such as cycling), where tenderness, self-deprecating humor abounds.
At the end of last year, I discovered one Hidden mountaineering literature gemstones Quite accidental: a series of whimsical short novels that I believe PG Wodehouse will laugh admirably.
The source is unexpected. Climbers play It is a famous collection of rock climbing papers Ken Wilsonprevious editor Mountain 1970s magazines, and founder of publishing company Baton Wicks.
Ken Wilson’s reputation as a fanatical promoter Elite ClimbingAnd fierce defenders Style and morality In the climb, it means I’ve never been attracted to his writing before. (I was also blocked from reading his most famous collection Hard stone and Classic Rockafter learning that they did not mention Jethro Tull.
So I started Climbers play Better curious than enthusiasm. This series is Classified into topicsincluding valuable topics such as style, morality, mountain rescue and education. I was not surprised to see that only 5 of the over 120 articles in the book were written or co-written by women, although this also reflects the Times (1978).
For about 300 pages, the series satisfies my expectations: stream of consciousness first-person narrative, academic essays about style and character, and a lot of dramatic humor. Now, please understand: if you are, I will not knock any of these things. I really like it. Just most Not my usual tea.
And then, suddenly, I’m Swinging from my sleepiness By a piece called Craj By GJF Dutton:
Just around the corner, the wheels fell off. Fortunately, this is a right corner and an outside wheel. I sat in front and saw it appear on the headlight beam, jumping happily with new freedom.
one Serious accidentsome harsh description. I’m very alert.
Fortunately, the car stopped and its crew was not injured. The work continues in the same way as the narrator and his two companions, a doctor and “apprentice”, continuing the adventure Overgrown crag. I had a few pages before I made sure the account was fictional. They partnered on Crag in the form of botanists from Tweed Jacket and Tartan Skirt, who are checking out the rare lichens of the cliffs. The doctor, who appeared to be the leader of the party, guided his climbing partner, and the vegetation safely persisted. lycopodium inundatuma club, not credible, but Cryptogramma crispa It’s a good hand.
later Climbers playin the relevant part Mountain rescueand there is another story about climbers who involve the same three. This, title A good clean breakit is a bit of a mess, and it cannot be mistakenly considered as a fact to explain it. The comic trio moves from the climb to a nearby ledge to rescue an increasing number of climbers, only to find him not at all difficult: he plays the role of “study and casualties” in a mountain rescue exercise. Unfortunately, the climber who was supposed to rescue him was hanging upside down on the rope above him and needed to rescue himself.
This is mine introduce A story about “The Doctor and His Friends in the Highland Mountains”. I met them again in the next book I read.
Subtitles “Looking at the British Mountaineering Literature” tell you everything you need to know A writer Graham Wilson. It contains a chapter on humor, which is dedicated to 5 pages GJF Dutton’s Doctor Story. These stories were originally featured in various versions of Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) magazine, and later a title Ridiculous mountains.
Graham Wilson described the story in this way:
The three companions set out to design their own, and only achieved the results through various unexpected deviations.
This describes almost any trip to the hills. The difference is Unexpected deviation (This is a ridiculous part of the story, not the mountains themselves). Another difference is The role of three companions: Doctor (“the people representing all old schools”), apprentices (“all are laymen and state-of-the-art equipment”) and narrator (‘they sway between the two in an attempt to gain a position of morality, emotion, and especially physical safety”).
The story sounds like My tea. I went to Amazon and abebooks right away and found myself a one Ridiculous mountains.
GJF Dutton is a Biochemical He worked at the University of Dundee and at his amateur. In addition to writing two collections of comic novels, he also wrote more serious general interests books about gardening.
Ridiculous mountains It’s a book in a book Rum graffiti riseinvolving only events Surreal slightly worse. It has similar quirky characters described by serious narrators, who watch the events unveil in a helpless atmosphere.
this doctorseemingly bigger than the other two, and certainly more secular, is clearly the leader of the group and the driver of the incident, although the narrator does not seem to admit him in this way. He has a good connection and always blames on the situation they end up falling into. And, it is also someone who gets them out of their troubles with his self-confidence and unorthodox wit in any company.
this apprentice It is to represent his diameter opposite: a passionate and principled youth who is indeed supposed to climb with people of his age and ability, but somehow ends up accounting for one third of the trio. He is the three best climbers, usually the subject of romantic interests.
this Narrator Probably a more intentional vanilla character, allowing him to use Deadpan Humor to describe a series of ridiculous events. Obviously, he is more naturally inclined to apprentices but is not able to provide teamwork, and they both need to prevail.
Many other characters will have multiple appearances. My favorites are Geordie and Wull, a pair Bubble peak bagbe cautious and accustomed to it in its way:
Wall was particularly cautious. Just in case, he carried all two. Maps, compass, a pair of gloves, boots, braces, primates, and even spare backpacks – packed inside another, somewhat illogical.
Geordie and Wall convinced our three protagonists to accompany them with two rocky tops, thinking they would be hard to climb on their own. At the top, they met a pair Randy Red Bucks Who chases them to the peak and never lets them fall again.
These 20 stories are set in Scotland, mainly about climbing and hillsides, but also cover surprising outdoor activities and themes. one, flyreminds people of a scene that is too familiar to a group of persecuted people Highland midges. exist Finish the topthe doctor convinced his two companions to take the flag to the mountain on the top of a mountain. The plan is for the three of them to climb to a separate mountain top and wave the flag so the doctor can Triangulation peak And calculate which one is the highest. The narrator and the apprentice arrived effortlessly, but as they waited for the doctor to arrive at him, clouds swept through. In the fog that had been waiting for two hours, this would allow them to observe, the narrator realizes that he forgot which path he went.
Other topics include shooting, caves and sailing. Perhaps the most memorable story is about Aid climb,,,,, Paint itGraham Wilson also described it A writer. This is the perfect antidote for all kinds of articles Climbers play About style and morality. Apprentices against artificial climbing aids were disturbed when the doctor appeared on a route by Ben Nevis constipate With chalk bag, tied to belt. The unfortunate doctor escapes a tricky part constipate Swing through the pendulum, but then found myself crossing a more difficult route laxative. His only way to exit was to climb up the key: a plate without fixation was wet with high rainfall. Undisturbed, he reached into his chalk bag and patted the rocks with the contents. He was like a spider in the key little by little.
It turns out that there is no artificial in that chalk bag. The day before, the doctor went to the beach to harvest Plusha creature that can cling to rock like a Scots.
Ridiculous mountains Not always like Rum graffiti risebut it’s full of clever plot twists and turns that will smile on your face every turn on the page. Unlike the obviously ridiculous rum doodle, the scene described Ridiculous mountains Included only Truth and Familiarity That makes you think, maybe it will happen…I totally recommend it to people who like funny things.
I can Found this book earlier Am I following it all the time? I’ll go back and read my blog post Where are the humorous mountaineering books? While writing about this. Finally, I ask you, my readers, to recommend other humorous mountaineering books you encounter. Yes in the comments Ian Barton:
You can try reading GJF (aka Geoff Dutton’s) books. If you have Ken Wilson’s “Climber Playing Games,” there are a few articles out there.
He even provided Link to ridiculous mountains on Amazon. Sorry, Ian. I should Listen to you more.
