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In High Places
In his own words Dougal Haston covers the years from his childhood in Scotland, where his love of climbing was first sparked, through to his development into perhaps the most formidable climber of his generation; his reputation was forged by his successful ascents of familiar peaks by unfamiliar routes (of which the most famous was the Eiger Direct).
Infused throughout with his passion for climbing and his great determination to succeed, In High Places is a compelling and eye-opening portrait of the climber as a young man and a must read for all those with an interest in mountaineering.
Infused throughout with his passion for climbing and his great determination to succeed, In High Places is a compelling and eye-opening portrait of the climber as a young man and a must read for all those with an interest in mountaineering.
- GenresMountaineeringClimbing
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1972
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About the author
Dougal Haston
9 books1 followerDougal Haston was a Scottish mountaineer famed for his exploits in the British Isles, Alps, and Himalayas. Later focusing on guiding and instruction, he became director of the International School of Mountaineering at Leysin, Switzerland, in 1967, a role which he held until his death in an avalanche while skiing above Leysin ten years later.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 24, 2020
Mr. Haston’s book, in my opinion, will not join the canon of climbing literature, but is a worthy read nonetheless.
The Scottish climber’s adventures, from humble beginnings to the Alps, and then all the way to the Himalayas, presents a classic career progression for the notable climbers of his generation.
The story is ably told with a touch of humor. An overall decent but forgettable read from a climber whose career was anything but.
The Scottish climber’s adventures, from humble beginnings to the Alps, and then all the way to the Himalayas, presents a classic career progression for the notable climbers of his generation.
The story is ably told with a touch of humor. An overall decent but forgettable read from a climber whose career was anything but.
February 2, 2018
Epic tale of a life lived on the edge and on high...
July 26, 2012
Dougal Haston may be an extraordinary climber, but he is a middling writer. So, I found "In High Places" rather disappointing as far as climbing memoirs go.
In this book, Haston sums up his climbing career -- starting with climbing the rocks beneath railroad bridges in his native Scotland to expeditions to Annapurna and Mt. Everest. He has achieved some amazing climbs in the mountaineering world and this book documents several of them. However, Haston himself seems to be a rather unlikeable character -- believing his way is the right way and he often appears (while claiming he doesn't) to be looking down on others.
Overall, I found the book to be uninspiring and more like a trip report that would be enjoyed only by the people who know him or know others on the expeditions he describes. There are a ton of incredibly interesting mountaineering narratives out there... unfortunately, this isn't one of them.
In this book, Haston sums up his climbing career -- starting with climbing the rocks beneath railroad bridges in his native Scotland to expeditions to Annapurna and Mt. Everest. He has achieved some amazing climbs in the mountaineering world and this book documents several of them. However, Haston himself seems to be a rather unlikeable character -- believing his way is the right way and he often appears (while claiming he doesn't) to be looking down on others.
Overall, I found the book to be uninspiring and more like a trip report that would be enjoyed only by the people who know him or know others on the expeditions he describes. There are a ton of incredibly interesting mountaineering narratives out there... unfortunately, this isn't one of them.
November 11, 2014
There is a certain mystique, a strange mental power in people who can set aside danger and go where no one has gone before. Imagine being a thousand feet up on an icy vertical cliff on Ben Nevis in winter. Now imagine being a young kid in tennis shoes and thin shabby clothing setting a route the experts couldn't complete. Quite something else. Dougal tells his story well and with humility and humor when it is appropriate. It was the perfect book to read in my warm bed before I went to sleep and dreamed of being in high places.
March 31, 2013
A good read for climbers.
March 22, 2017
For only the most interested in climbing literature. There is no overall theme that ties the book together or even a feeling of finality when you reach the end, but moreso a collection of early climbs and a climbing journal by a talented sportsman before an untimely death (from skiing, not climbing).
The best single passage from the book is as follows:
"Sometimes one finds it difficult to retain a sense of perspective about the ultimate objective. There are days when it seems climbing has never existed and will never exist again. One also finds difficulty in imagining the world outside—hence, the world is a few square yards. There are no chains, but one seldom goes far from the camp. Perhaps a brief look at the sky to confirm that it is really bad, and a return to the present norm. It could be called infinite boredom. It is, in a sense that one is being forced into a state that one would not normally choose to exist in. But achievement of the end to which this period is a means will make an eventual return to the outside world more enjoyable."
The best single passage from the book is as follows:
"Sometimes one finds it difficult to retain a sense of perspective about the ultimate objective. There are days when it seems climbing has never existed and will never exist again. One also finds difficulty in imagining the world outside—hence, the world is a few square yards. There are no chains, but one seldom goes far from the camp. Perhaps a brief look at the sky to confirm that it is really bad, and a return to the present norm. It could be called infinite boredom. It is, in a sense that one is being forced into a state that one would not normally choose to exist in. But achievement of the end to which this period is a means will make an eventual return to the outside world more enjoyable."
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews