Yankee Rock & Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States

Guy, age 67 climbed his favorite mountain ridge near his home in Vermont,one last time. A forthcoming collection of their writings,some of which supplement this book, will be published soon.

"Yankee Rock & Ice" is the best climbing history I have ever read for any region or era. The authors went to great lengths to get the history from primary sources. Straight from the horse's mouth as it were. They talked to dozens of old-time climbers to record their memories before they pasted-on. Sadly, many have, but their reminiscences are recorded here. This is a history in the true sense of the word. Many climbing histories give simple narratives of when, by whom, and how climbs were done. "Camp 4" by Steve Roper and "Defying Gravity" by Gary Arce are two that come to mind. The authors of "Yankee Rock & Ice" don't simply give a account of when classic climbs were done, they also scrutinize the history according to the times. They examine the past by the current customs, techniques and technology available. But, this isn't a stuffy history text you read in school, the stories are lively and extremely funny. I was laughing as loud as when I read John Long's stuff.