The Mountain of My Fear and Deborah

Two Mountaineering Classics

By: David Roberts, Jon Krakauer - foreword

Narrated by: David de Vries

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

The publication of The Mountain of My Fear in 1968 and Deborah in 1970 changed the face of the mountaineering narrative. Now these two classic expedition narratives by acclaimed writer David Roberts are together again in one volume for a new generation of readers.

Deborah is the story of Roberts's 1964 expedition with fellow Harvard Mountaineering Club member Don Jensen to the eastern side of Mount Deborah in Alaska. Their two-man attempt on the then-unclimbed ridge was a rash and heroic effort. The story tells not only what happened on the mountain, but what happened in the stark isolation to the climbers and their friendship, as each became totally dependent on the other for survival.

In The Mountain of My Fear Roberts and Jensen come together again only a year after the Deborah climb. In this account, they and two other Harvard students attempt an ascent of Mount Huntington, for the first time via its treacherous west face. The summit had been reached only the year before, via one of its less dangerous ridges. The story is one of a magnificent achievement. But it is also the story of how a perfect adventure can turn into tragedy in a single instant.

Mountaineers, lovers of adventure literature, David Roberts fans, and non-climbers who simply enjoy a good story will value this pairing, by a great climber and a great writer, of two dramatic and enlightening works.

©2012 David Roberts. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

amazing as always

excellently written and read. both gentleman always deliver

David will be missed but climbers especially will connect with his timeless thoughts and feelings we all experience in the mountains. God rest his mighty soul.

An honest look into why people climb mountains

An excellent book that articulates the many complex feelings and emotions that go along with climbing. I would highly recommend the book. My only gripe is getting through the occasional pretentious ramblings which are to be expected from a mountaineer of the time period.

Takes me back...

I’m 67 now and long ago decided the dangers of mountaineering needed to take a back seat to the responsibilities of marriage and family. Still, the vivid account of a dangerous, life-changing adventure, such as the one Roberts has recounted here, can bring alive emotions and circumstances encountered in similar circumstances. I share his philosophical examination of our actions and foibles as mountaineers and have also had many of the thoughts he describes having while on his climbs.

If someone is interested in the “whys” of people ascending high, remote, other-worldly peaks and mountain ranges, few have written more concisely and coherently about those endeavors than this.

awesome

2 books.. one story. the meld together into 1 narrative.
good. shocking end.
good read

Loved it

I love David Roberts' writing and these two books were powerful. I highly recommend reading them, if you love the mountaineering genre. He really describes time and place beautifully, and you feel as though you are taking every step with him. For me, an armchair mountaineer, I will listen to this again and again.

Excellent!

I love mountaineering and alpine climbing history. This was well written and well read. It also had more personal relevance than I expected as I listened to it after an expedition with many parallels to those in Deborah.

Interesting Climbing books

Dave says in the preface that he was told to take the emotion out in his second book which was the one about Deborah. I liked the emotion; it made the climbers more human. Both books were great, but the emotion in the Mountain of Fear added a dimension missing in most climbing books which contributed and added depth.

Great reads!

As Jon Krakauer commented, David Roberts’ writing capability is extraordinary within the mountaineering genre. I found I was with him during both of these expeditions, feeling what he was feeling and seeing what he was seeing. I am so glad I listen to both of these stories. Now I want to read “Moment of Doubt.”

A farce

An ass basically murdered his superior friend through arrogance, ignorance of nature that he hates, and a failure who tried to capitalize from HIS so called tragedy. Yes I climb, but don't endanger others, don't write books about it. I don't want to or HAVE to as this fool had to rationalize HIS stupidity to anyone who listen. His rage aimed at anyone and the earth is the only clear thing. Never took any blame. He OF COURSE was blameless. A pseudonym.

Short and sweet

Good stuff but doesn't hold up as one of the best mountain climbing books, I don't think. Too much focused on the author's difficulties governing his own irascibility. Roberts got better as he focused outward. In Search of the Old Ones might be his best.