80
1
240 * 320
01/06/2012
17+
The early glory days of Alpine mountaineering, as told by the author of Tour des Géants.Since ancient times, humans have dreamed of scaling high mountains – a challenge flung in the face of nature’s vast indifference, completely in vain, and yet somehow magnificent in the attempt. Of course, there is something about mountains that seems to ennoble our attempts to climb ever higher. Sometimes, though, they refuse to be conquered by human vanity – and sometimes they inflict suffering and pain. The Alps, naturally, have been one such regular scene for human assaults on the peaks! Indeed, during the 1880s, these attempts became a regular competition, symbolized by the peaks of Chamonix and Mont Blanc.Taking inspiration from the writings of Albert Frederick Mummery (1855-1895), Nicolas Debon brings great enthusiasm and energy to his tale of these amazing exploits, both futile and beautiful! He gives us a thoroughly-documented and profoundly humane story of the era, after the same fashion as his Tour des Géants, which showed us the world of cyclists of the early 20th century. Both solemn and delightful, this work – which is first and foremost a work of fiction – is also a sublime homage to the power the mountain.
