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:
- First Frost by Liz DeJesus
- The Oatmeal Stories by Robert R. Stevens
- Legend by David Gemmell
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
- Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte
- Marked by Elisabeth Naughton
- All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
- Anomaly by K.C. King
- The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
- Marked by Sarah Fine
- A Stitch in Time by Amanda James
- First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
- Magic Mirror by Michaela Thompson
Florida transplant
Georgia Lee Maxwell doesn't take to Paris at first, despite the fact
that she's at least leaving a no-good man and a hated job as a society
editor. Now she's a Paris correspondent, thank you very much—a dream
come true for any journalist.
