The Mountaineering Council of Scotland

Issue 17 April 2003

BOOK REVIEWS   The Fall by Simon Mawer Published by Little, Brown, 2003. Hardback. 442 pages. ISBN 0-316-72524-2 buy a copy This book is first and foremost a novel, and at times a torrid one at that. The climbing is incidental, and is depicted on only 45 pages at most; and it is well padded-out with pretty predictable dialogue. The lengthiest bit of climbing action covers an attempt on the Eiger Nordwand - but there are several more graphic, entertaining and technically interesting accounts than this in the mountaineering literature. There are no illustrations at all - no maps, photos, route topos etc. It has to be said that overall this is an interesting yarn, the settings oscillating between wartime Britain, the hippy sixties and the present day. The action centres around the dynamics of the relationships between the main characters, covering every conceivable type of sexual encounter from paedophilia and free love to adultery. There's even a harrowing wartime back-street abortion. The chapters set in the 1940s are probably the most readable. The book could possibly be a useful inclusion to bury in your car on a trip to the Alps or Scandinavia to keep in reserve for a bit of light escapism if you become tent bound in a lengthy spell of foul weather. Beryl Leatherland.   The Essential Hillwalker's Guide by Kevin Walker and Peter Steele Published by Constable, 2002. Paperback.488 pages. ISBN 1-84119-489-1. buy a copy It took me a while to get started on this book - the amount of text and sheer weight of it for carrying around. Once I started reading the book was very informative, covering all aspects of hill walking from before the planning stage to evacuation of victims. I learnt quite a few pointers e.g. the specific dangers of thunderstorms, lightning and water that I'd vaguely been aware of before. The section on medical emergencies takes up approx one third of the book and is graphic enough to put a person off ever going near a hillside or outside their front door! The author suggests this is 'a must-have in your rucksack' book. I can think of many things I would rather carry. After finishing the book, I attempted to locate items using the contents/ index system and failed several times - not good if you were relying on it 'in the field'. This is a book I would put on my bookshelf for reference purposes -when time was not an issue (and time being an issue is frequently used in the medical section!). One thing that did irritate me - the author quotes maps and grid references but uses Abergavenny and Brecon Beacons - not maps, I believe, many Scots people would have handy! Pet Thomas   Our Magnificent Wilderness By Claes Grundsten & Peter Hanneberg Published by Duncan Baird Publishers, 2002, London. 225pages. ISBN 1-903296-77-3. buy a copy 40 of the greatest Natural World Heritage Sites. The subtitle of this magnificent book explains what the authors have tried to capture across six continents. UNESCO has designated a total of 721 Heritage sites of which 167 are designated for natural heritage values. Some of the sites, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Galapagos are well known. Others such as the Donana in Spain or Aldabra or Vallee de Mai in the Seychelles will be less familiar. The stunning photographs of mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, fauna, flowers, and yes people, are accompanied by thoughtful essays describing the individual sites and the issues affecting them. The list of sites identifies that we have three in the British Isles, St Kilda, The Giant's Causeway and Dorset and East Devon Coast. Is that really the best we can do? Never mind. Let's build another Dome, or better still, invade a Third World country! John F Donohoe   The Book of the Bivvy By Ronald Turnbull A Cicerone Guide: Cicerone Press, Cumbria, England.137 pages. ISBN 1-85284-342-X, buy a copy I have never understood the point of bivvying by choice. I mean for Scots living in Scotland there is a dizzying variety of ways to be miserable, few of which are more abject than lying in a poly bag on a dank bog throughout a dreich night. When I bivvy it is because something has gone terribly wrong and it is always someone else's fault. There are lots of good reasons to read this wee book. The activity might appeal and you want to follow up suggested outings; you might want to upgrade your gear in case you are caught out; you might want to find out the ways you can make it more comfortable-gey few, in truth; or you might want to ask the question Ronnie was asked in Ruigh-aiteachain “but what happens if it rains?” The answer is in Chapter 5. My recommendation is that you store up the abstruse and arcane bits about Diogenes the Cynic's bivvying techniques and declaim them in the pub when your round is coming up. That should thin the crowd nicely. John F Donohoe   The Corbetts & other Scottish Hills 2nd Edition 2002 By Rob Milne & Hamish Brown. Published by the SMC. 280 pages. 233 colour photos. 220 maps. ISBN 0-907521-71-1. buy a copy Finished the Munros and starting the Corbetts? Then this is the book for you. Corbetts are Scottish hills between 2500 ft and 3000 ft. For the 'non-bagging' mountaineer many Corbetts are peaks of note, the bulk of Foinaven comes to mind. Others are situated in parts of Scotland that have no Munros, for example the Ardgour hills can be superb. Thus all can find this book useful. For those unfamiliar with the previous edition, the scope and purpose of the book is to provide a “practical guide describing natural day expeditions” for each Corbett “starting and finishing at convenient points on public roads”. The book fulfills its aim. For each Corbett, or a group of Corbetts, there is a small map showing the starting point and suggested routes to the summit. The text provides useful advice on parking, avoiding private property, crags and potential river crossing difficulties. This new edition follows the same overall layout as its sister volume The Munros (SMC) 3nd edition 1999. Each chapter, covering a section of Scotland, has a clear introductory map showing the Munros, Corbetts and 'other hills' in that area. This has the advantage of allowing readers to plan expeditions of their own. The small individual maps have improved contrast. Many photographs have been updated and the quality of others enhanced. The total number of Corbetts is 219 as opposed to the 221 of the previous edition. Since 1997 Gairbeinn is higher than Corrieyairack and Beinn Talaidh is 761 m, so demoted. Updated heights of the Corbetts are given. With the new list, the Corbetts could have been numbered according to height. Is Beinn Dearg in Torridon 'C1' at 1 foot higher than Foinhaven? Mary Webster Back to Newsletter index

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