FEEDING THE RAT: Profile of a Climber

According to Mo Anthoine, who has climbed mountains all over the globe, the famed Mallory only confused the issue by answering the perennial question Why? with Because it is there. What really drives climbers to relish the exhausting, uncomfortable, often dangerous challenge posed by an uphill trek is what Anthoine calls feeding the rat--need to get out, to flush out the system, to court discomfort, and to prevail.

Outside the world of mountaineering, few recognize the name of Mo Anthoine, who climbs purely for pleasure, not to set records. Poet and critic Alvarez ( Offshore: A North Sea Journey ) has had the good fortune to climb with Anthoine; here, he offers an affectionate portrait of his unique friend. "Feeding the rat" is Anthoine's term for the challenge of a difficult climb, and he has "fed the rat" in the Alps, the Himalayas, the Karakorum, in Alaska, the Andes and New Zealand. His expertise on rock faces led to a career as cameraman for the BBC and movies. With another climber he designed the Joe Brown helmet that has become standard wear for mountaineers, and he also manufactures waterproof clothing for outdoor activities; but he still finds time to climb. Alvarez recounts spectacular adventures on the high peaks; he describes two of his own climbs with Anthoine, one of them including out-of-practice elders scaling the Old Man of Hoy in the Orkney Islands. This is a charming memoir, splendid for sedentary adventurers. Photos not seen by PW.
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