UKC

Troll Wall by Tony Howard Now Available

© Tony Howard/Vertebrate Publishing 2011

From the award-winning publisher of Jerry Moffatt's Revelations, and Ron Fawcett Rock Athlete comes Tony Howard's gripping account of his team's ascent of the Troll Wall in 1965.

Norway, 1965. A team of young climbers from the north of England camp at the bottom of the tallest vertical rock face in Europe – the Troll Wall. No one has dared attempt this gigantic challenge before. Some say it will never be climbed. This will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Rain and snow soak them as they climb. Avalanches and loose rock threaten their lives. A Norwegian team arrives to compete for the glory as the world's media look on. Pushed to the limits of exhaustion, the team spends days on the wall, refusing to give in, even when failure seems certain.

Troll Wall tells the gripping story of one of the most dramatic first ascents in British climbing history. Written days after their success, almost half a century ago, and newly rediscovered, Tony Howard's account is a fascinating insight into the challenges of climbing a big mountain wall.

'One of the greatest ever achievements by British rock climbers.'
Joe Brown

'Compulsive reading, a real page-turner, not just for those interested in big-wall climbing, but also anyone who enjoys reading of epic journeys into the unknown.'
– From the Foreword by Doug Scott


Left to right: The Three Pillars of Breitind, Semletind and Trollryggen with the Troll Wall in shadow below the latter, and the  © Tony Howard/Vertebrate Publishing 2011
Left to right: The Three Pillars of Breitind, Semletind and Trollryggen with the Troll Wall in shadow below the latter, and the
© Tony Howard/Vertebrate Publishing 2011
Tony Howard, Bill Tweedale, John Amatt and Tony 'Nick' Nicholls at the first bivouac on the first attempt.   © Tony Howard/Vertebrate Publishing 2011
Tony Howard, Bill Tweedale, John Amatt and Tony 'Nick' Nicholls at the first bivouac on the first attempt.
© Tony Howard/Vertebrate Publishing 2011

For more information Vertebrate Publishing



7 Mar, 2011
One of the best climbing books I've read for years. Gripping and authentic, written with a refreshing clarity and honesty. Congratulations to Tony Howard for finding his account on the shelf and being persuaded to publish it! I remember the press coverage at the time, and although I'd only just started climbing then, the media distortion, inaccuracies and sensationalism were so obvious, and was a forerunner of the continuing style of reporting that we see today. That is, a style that gets most climbers' backs up.
7 Mar, 2011
Agreed - a tremendous read, and what was the team's average age? 21, maybe. They deserve medals for vision, ambition, drive and initiative - not to mention guts and cojones. Inspirational. (Even more so if I was 30 year younger!)

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