The 2024 Banff Mountain Pageant wrapped up after every week of thrilling occasions, movies and conversations. One in every of our favorite elements of the occasion is studying concerning the climbing books that acquired reward from the judges within the e-book award program.
Listed below are the climbing-specific books that gained awards in 2024.
Mountain Literature (non-fiction) – The Jon Whyte Award: $3000 – Sponsored by The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Alpine Rising: Sherpas, Baltis, and the Triumph of Native Climbers within the Better Ranges by Bernadette McDonald, Mountaineers Books (USA, 2024). “We’re privileged as judges to honour not one however two books which assist rework our understanding of Himalayan mountaineering. Bernadette McDonald’s Alpine Rising, arguably crucial e-book in her lengthy and distinguished profession, tells the unsung, heroic and generally tragic story of the Sherpas, the Baltis and different Indigenous peoples with out whom no Himalayan peak may have been climbed. As truths emerge from the shadows of empire and so they take their rightful place in their very own world, she reveals the lives and humanity behind their dramatic tales, culminating within the all-Nepali first winter ascent of K2.” -Tony Whittome, 2024 Guide Competitors Jury.
Climbing Literature: $3000 – Sponsored by World Expeditions. Headstrap: Legends and Lore from the Climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling by Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar, Mountaineers Books (USA, 2024). “An outstanding feat of oral historical past that sheds mild on the traditionally neglected function of Darjeeling Sherpas in creating the mountain exploration and climbing tradition that has come to outline the Himalayan area. Recognizing their valour and energy of spirit, physique, and thoughts, Headstrap offers these awe-inspiring figures their due. Purandare and Balsavar have made a pivotal contribution to the realm of climbing literature with this painstakingly researched and passionately curated e-book. – Gloria Dickie, 2024 Guide Competitors Jury.
Mountain Picture: $3000 – Sponsored by Mountain Life. Monica Dalmasso: Sauvage! by Monica Dalmasso and Cédric Sapin-Defour, Glénat (France, 2023). “It’s fascinating to see how every particular person interprets artwork in a different way. Are we meant to absorb a e-book from cowl to cowl, or do particular person photos resonate extra when absorbed progressively over time? Is simplicity or complexity extra necessary? That’s the character of artwork—it will get us all speaking. Sauvage! was chosen as this yr’s Mountain Picture winner for its various portrayal of mountain life—showcasing the whole lot from the presence of humanity inside its landscapes to the absence of it, in addition to the macro particulars that outline these elevated terrains. Though the textual content was not meant to be weighed as closely because the imagery, I personally discovered the phrases in Sauvage! completely complemented the visuals in a method that enhanced and added depth to the imagery, making me frequently need to flip pages. Ultimately, all of us agreed: this e-book impressed us to need to exit, discover the world, and create a couple of photos of our personal. And if that’s not the aim of mountain imagery, then what’s?” – Irene Yee, 2024 Photograph Competitors Jury.
Mountain Picture: $3000 – Sponsored by Mountain Life. The Artwork of Climbing by Simon Carter, Thames and Hudson (USA, 2024). “The Artwork of Climbing, fairly merely, is a love letter to the game of technical mountain climbing. The 250+ web page e-book denotes the visible historical past of Simon Carter as he takes his images to daring frontiers and really awe-inspiring scenes. Whisked away to strains everywhere in the globe, The Artwork of Climbing serves each populations of climbers and non-climbers alike. No matter your affinity to the game, as you set down the e-book after every session, you’re feeling slightly lighter, slightly extra excited for new-to-you locations. As a reader, you’re left with the conclusion that this e-book does one process fairly nicely – it pushes you to get outdoors.” – Jojo Das, Jury Member.
