Thursday, May 7, 2015

A Million More Pages - Hogwarts: Summertime Mountaineering

Summertime Mountaineering hosted by A Million More Pages on Goodreads.

I have chosen to do Mount Everest, Nepal (Asia) ~ 30 Book TBR for 30 points over the 3 summer months. I will work on my list the rest of May. The hard part of this challenge is to chose the 30 books I want to read as I am not usually very organised and chose books as I go. In order to get maximum points for this challenge I have to chose 30 books in advance and then read them, no way of changing my mind after June 1st..

SUMMERTIME MOUNTAINEERING
Starts June 1 - Books may not be started before this date!

Mountaineering, or the sport of climbing mountains, is simply one of the finest outdoor opportunities available to the lover of high places. Mountain climbing is all about challenge and perseverance, about putting hands and feet onto rocks and ice and snow and finally reaching a summit.

Fitness for mountaineering requires a high overall level of physical conditioning. Both cardiovascular and motor fitness are needed to climb at varying levels of intensity and to navigate challenging terrain, often while carrying a loaded pack and at high altitudes. The greater your level of fitness, the more efficiently you can acclimate to altitude. The higher and more challenging the mountain, the more physically fit you need to be.

Mountain climbing is a risky activity and not to be taken lightly not matter how easy or benign your chosen peak might seem. Remember: Looks can be deceiving. The mountains are filled with danger and drama.

It is not always easy to reach the summit of a mountain peak, but it always seems worth the effort to stand atop a mighty peak and look across the world with the eyes of a soaring eagle. It’s at those precious mountain moments that you will remember Helen Keller’s admonition: “A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.”

THE CHALLENGE

JUNE 1 - AUGUST 31
Standard MMP Book Requirements

It's not uncommon to hear players here at MMP refer to their to-read shelve as Mount TBR. Some of us have truly created a mountainous stack of planned readings, more than it's humanly possible to accomplish, but we continue to make heroic efforts in the attempt.

This is a TBR shelf challenge, but because it's a challenge, of course there will be a challenging twist to it. Here's how it will work.

#1. SELECT YOUR MOUNTAIN. How fit are you for a three month hike up your TBR? The mountain you select will be the number of books you will read from your TBR shelf for this three-month challenge.

#2. PACK YOUR BACKPACK. Create a Mountaineering Shelf in your bookshelf area. Move the books you plan to read for your 3-month hike onto this shelf.

Here's the challenge part of this challenge: These books, once selected are considered packed and cannot be switched once you start the challenge. In the real world, there's no Wal-Mart halfway up Kilimanjaro where you can get an extra pair of dry socks. You have to take them with you. So put on the shelf only those books you know you need, want, and will be willing to carry along.

Plan carefully. Assess your reading fitness level, your real life commitments, the challenges you've already enrolled in, and the books that you really want to get off your TBR mountain.

#3. POST YOUR PLAN. Once you're sure you have your mountaineering list like you want it, create a post listing the books you plan to read for your hiking experience. I'll be making a copy of your post and putting it on a separate In Your Backpacks thread. Because of the no-editing portion of the challenge, this challenge will require verification so once you're finished, PM me to check it and verify your points.

☆ ☆ Your packing list must be posted before you begin reading any of your packed books. No packing as you go! Pack and post, then read! ☆ ☆

#4. GO MOUNTAINEERING. You're packed and ready to go, so have a great mountaineering experience! Starting on June 1 (and not before), get those books off your Mount TBR and into your read pile. You may read your selected books in any order that works best for you! Enjoy the journey - these are books you selected because you wanted to read them, and the journey itself is the destination. Absorb and enjoy it!

#5. DON'T GET STUCK ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN! This is the second challenge portion of this challenge. You have selected a mountain and selected books for this mountain. You must complete your journey to get the credit and bragging rights. So don't overface yourself. Be realistic about what you can accomplish.
~ IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR POSTED MOUNTAINEERING EXPERIENCE, YOU WILL RECEIVE HALF CREDIT FOR THE BOOKS YOU READ. THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE OF THIS CHALLENGE! DON'T OVEREXTEND YOURSELF!

Summary : Pick your mountain. Set your books (no shuffling, changing, rearranging once you've picked them). You must complete your hike to claim full points, so don't over extend your reach!

POINTS
1 point per book if you complete your hike as posted
.5 points per book if you fail to complete your hike as posted

THE MOUNTAINS!

1. Mount Baker, Washington (North America) ~ 5 Book TBR for 5 points

Mount Baker is a spectacular volcano in the North Cascades that offers excellent mountaineering to beginners and experts, alike. Baker tantalizes the residents of Seattle on clear days and stuns ferry passengers in the San Juan Islands. Located only 55 km inland from sea level at Bellingham the volcano has dramatic relief. Its 10,781-foot volcanic summit is encased by 12 glaciers that cover a larger surface area with more ice than on any other glaciated peak in the Cascades besides Rainier. Crevasses are a major danger, dictating that all parties be proficient at glacier travel and rescue. Avalanche danger is commonly high because the notoriously variable weather can create unstable snow, even on moderate slopes. Despite these risks, Mount Baker is an excellent first volcano for those learning to climb on snow and ice.

2. Mount Cook, New Zealand (Oceania) ~ 10 Book TBR for 10 points

Mount Cook Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. In 2014, measurements of its height were revised, and it is now listed at 12,218 feet (3,724 metres). Mount Cook lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favorite challenge for mountain climbers. The original name of the mountain, Aoraki or "Cloud Piercer," was given by the Maori, and the summits of the mountains are considered sacred by these indigenous people. Climbing Mount Cook is a serious undertaking. Do not underestimate the difficulty because of the relatively low summit elevation, and do not attempt this climb without very good skills in glacier travel, crevasse rescue, protective systems, steep snow climbing, and ice climbing.

3. Matterhorn Peak, Switzerland (Europe) ~ 15 Book TBR for 15 points

The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a huge and almost perfect pyramidal peak in the Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 14,692 feet (4,478 meters) high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points. The Matterhorn was one of the last of the main Alpine mountains to be ascended, not because of its technical difficulty, but because of the fear it inspired in early mountaineers. Today, all ridges and faces of the Matterhorn have been ascended in all seasons, and mountain guides take a large number of people up the northeast Hörnli route each summer. By modern standards, the climb is fairly difficult, but not hard for skilled mountaineers according to French climbing grades.

4. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (Africa) ~ 20 Book TBR for 20 points

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, the fourth-highest of the Seven Summits, at 19,336 feet. Your climb takes you through six ecological zones—from grasslands and then rainforest all the way to alpine desert and the arctic-like summit. People who wish to trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro are advised to undertake appropriate research and ensure that they are both properly equipped and physically capable. Though the climb is technically not as challenging as when climbing the high peaks of the Himalayas or Andes, the high elevation, low temperature, and occasional high winds make this a difficult and dangerous trek. The air at the top contains half as much oxygen as it does at sea level. All trekkers will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia, and headaches.

5. Aconcagua, Argentina (South America) ~ 25 Book TBR for 25 points

Aconcagua's pointed snowcone peers over the rest of the Andes at 22,840 feet, making it the world's tallest mountain outside the Himalaya. It's also the granddaddy of beginning mountaineering climbs. In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain, arguably the highest non-technical mountain in the world, since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, and pins. Although the effects of altitude are severe (atmospheric pressure is 40% of sea-level at the summit), the use of supplemental oxygen is not required. Even if the normal climb is technically easy, multiple casualties occur every year on this mountain. This is due to the large numbers of climbers who make the attempt and because many climbers underestimate the objective risks of the elevation and of cold weather, which is the real challenge on this mountain.

6. Mount Everest, Nepal (Asia) ~ 30 Book TBR for 30 points

Mount Everest, also known in Nepal as Sagarmāthā and in Tibet as Chomolungma, is Earth's highest mountain. Its peak is 29,029 feet (8,848 metros) above sea level and the international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. Because Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, it has attracted considerable attention and climbing attempts. A set of climbing routes has been established over several decades of climbing expeditions to the mountain. Everest has been climbed over 5,000 times with 223 deaths. Although shorter mountains can be longer or steeper climbs, Everest is so high the jet stream can hit it, and climbers can be faced with winds beyond 200 mph when the weather shifts. Other dangers include blizzards and avalanches. Everest can be climbed without supplementary oxygen, but only by the most accomplished mountaineers and at increased risk, so most expeditions use oxygen masks and tanks. Humans do not think clearly with low oxygen, and the combination of extreme weather, low temperatures, and steep slopes often require quick, accurate decisions.

List of books chosen:
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
3. Anomaly by K.C. King
4. Marked Elisabeth Naughton
5. A Stitch in Time by Amanda James
6. The Return of Gabe McLeod by Joanne Hill
7. Magic Mirror by Michaela Thompson
8. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
9. Marked by Sarah Fine
10. Jerry of the Islands by Jack London
11. Origins by Mark Henrikson
12. Origins by Sean Hayden
13. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
14. First Frost by Liz DeJesus
15. Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte
16. Legend by David Gemmell
17. The Oatmeal Stories by Robert R. Stevens
18. Half Way Home by Hugh Howey
19. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
20. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
21. The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy
22. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
23. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
24. The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
25. Dragon Harper by Anne and Todd McCaffrey
26. St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
27. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
28. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
29. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
30. Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher

Books read:
  1. First Frost by Liz DeJesus 
  2. The Oatmeal Stories by Robert R. Stevens 
  3. Legend by David Gemmell 
  4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
  5. Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte
  6. Marked by Elisabeth Naughton  
  7. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot 
  8. Anomaly by K.C. King
  9. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
  10. Marked by Sarah Fine
  11. A Stitch in Time by Amanda James
  12. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
  13. Magic Mirror by Michaela Thompson

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