Seven Summits - Softcover

Bass, Dick; Wells, Frank; Ridgeway, Rick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0446385166 ISBN 13: 9780446385169

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 1988

Synopsis

Frank Wells and Dick Bass had a dream. It was as straightforward as it was difficult: climb the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents. From Aconcagua in South America to Mount Everest in Asia, from Kilimanjaro in Africa to Vinson Massif in Antarctica, from Mount McKinley in North America to Elbrus in Europe and Mount Kosciusko in Australia: no one had ever scaled all seven summits -- it would be a first, a feat that had eluded the world's best mountaineers.

What made it all the more extraordinary was that Frank and Dick were businessmen, not mountaineers. Both had had so little climbing experience that they could hardly be ranked as amateurs, let alone world-class climbers. If that weren't enough, Frank was fifty-one and Dick was already fifty-three.

What made them think they could do it? Why should two successful, middle-aged businessmen risk their lives on some of the world's most remote and treacherous slopes?

Now, with veteran climber and writer Rick Ridgeway, Frank Wells and Dick Bass tell their story. It's all here: the frustrations and triumphs, the setbacks and the amazing successes. With a breathtaking determination and a love of adventure as large as Everest itself, they take you from the weeks of preparation to the anguish of their first ascents, from grueling days when it seemed easier to quit to the thrilling moments when a summit had been conquered.

This riveting saga brings you into the heart of courage and ambition, into an indomitable will to succeed that led two men from their comfortable lives at home in America to the harsh but beckoning wilds of Seven Summits.

About this title

Review

Dick Bass was a successful entrepreneur. Frank Wells was a Hollywood studio president. Together they set out to accomplish what no one else ever had: climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. The fact that both men had so little climbing experience turned out to be their greatest strength: since they had no idea what they were in for, they never considered their task out of reach.

Rick Ridgeway, an accomplished climber in his own right, chronicles their journey, allowing readers to decide if these adventures are the result of midlife crisis or simply about men pursuing a dream with unshakeable resolve. Whatever the case, Ridgeway's fast-paced adventure provides gripping descriptions of the world's tallest peaks. We see the logistical nightmares of Antarctica's Mt. Vinson, the unpredictable weather of McKinley, and the extreme altitude of Everest's 8,848 meters. Ridgeway continues up Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, and Kosciusko with lively accounts that capture the day-to-day operations of expedition life, and more intriguingly, the growing bond between two driven men. --Ben Tiffany

About the Author

Bass was the first person to complete the Seven Summits in 1985, and (for a time) was the oldest person to summit Everest.

Rick Ridgeway is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, author, photographer, and environmentalist based in Ojai, California. He was included in National Geographic Adventure's Hall of Fame in 2008-2009. His writings and photographs have appeared in many publications.
Rick Ridgeway is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, author, photographer, and environmentalist based in Ojai, California. He was included in National Geographic Adventure's Hall of Fame in 2008-2009. His writings and photographs have appeared in many publications.

Edition details

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0446385166
• ISBN 13: 9780446385169
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384