WINNER – BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE 2009

All Reviews [view single]

“This is not only a brilliant book, it is an important one, and deserves to be widely read.”

Adam Long, UKClimbing.com

“Beyond the Mountain as a summary confirms Steve House as an extraordinary visionary.”

Rock & Ice Magazine

“Steve House writes a gripping tale in the great alpine tradition. The only limits he honors – they’re all the right ones – he places on himself. And what he’s learned in the high mountains, and coming home from them, is hard won and worth our while. A new alpine classic.”

Yvon Chouinard, founder – Patagonia

“Beyond the Mountain takes the road less travelled. House takes the same approach he advocates for in alpinism — that of innovation, boldness, honesty and simplicity and uses it to produce a story of lasting depth.”

Banff Mountain Book Festival 2009

“Steve House is a once-in-a-generation visionary who has changed the way we think about alpine climbing on the world’s most challenging peaks. House digs well below the surface and lays bare not only his highest aspirations but also his darkest days, the setbacks and uncertainties that plague even the best of climbers. In Beyond the Mountain he gives us a rare and profoundly personal glimpse of the drive, dedication and focus behind today’s light-and-fast ascents.”

Michael Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief, Alpinist Magazine

“The rare climbing book that I felt compelled to read cover to cover in just a few sittings.”

Dougald MacDonald, UKClimbing.com

“An exceptional book.”

Boardman Tasker Prize 2009

“As a window on what's required to break barriers in the world of modern alpinism, this book is as good as any I've read. It's full of action, full of crisp, often harsh sentiments. The narrative is often as jagged as the peaks he climbs, a series of interlinked snapshots rather a predictable arc. People die, relationships fail, but the restless hunt goes on. It's not comforting, and it's not romantic, and the laughs are rare. This is a serious game played by a brotherhood that takes itself very seriously. Not since Joe Tasker's Savage Arena have I read a book by someone so uncompromising in his commitment.”

Ed Douglas, Calm & Fearless

“I admire Steve House for his approach to the mountains. Step by step he has become the best alpinist he can become. In my view he is at the top of mountaineering. He climbs the right routes on the right mountains in a time when everyone is climbing Everest. He is also a great storyteller: he tells about doing, not about morals or lessons. Steve says, ‘My most rewarding days were days when I cut away everything.’ And with these few words he holds the same line as Mummery, Bonatti, and Robbins. It’s the style that makes the difference.”

From the Foreword by Reinhold Messner