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What if we told you that you could experience the thrills of climbing rock walls while sitting comfortably in your armchair at home? You might think it’s impossible, but the best climbing books available can do just that. Whether you are yourself an avid climber or you simply feel inspired by the beauty and majesty of the mountains, some books can transport you so you almost feel you’re there yourself.
Outdoor activities don’t just require specific and high-quality gear, but a strong and determined mindset. By reading the best rock climbing books you can lay your hands on, you can acquire precious tips about how to handle yourself on the rock, but better still, you can get a unique look into the mind of elite athletes, those that push the boundaries of human possibility. Continue reading to find out the best top-rated climbing books on the market today.
OUR TOP PICK
“Alone On The Wall”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- Gives you insight into the mind of a master
- Very useful climbing tips
Authors: Alex Honnold and David Roberts
Length: 256 pages, 7h 13min audiobook
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle
EDITORS CHOICE
“The Rock Warrior’s Way:”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- A unique guide to self-improvement and focus
- Provides strong motivation
Author: Arno Ilgner
Length: 176 pages
Available formats: Paperback and Kindle
BEST VALUE
“The Push”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- An inspiring tale of overcoming obstacles
- A first-hand account of a record-breaker
Author: Tommy Caldwell
Length: 352 pages
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle
“The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- Delivers compelling history of El Capitan ascents
- Useful for self-motivation
Author: Mark Synnott
Length: 416 pages, 13 hours audiobook
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle
“The Rock Climber’s Training Manual”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- Useful and easy to use tips for improving your climbing
- Step-by-step, detailed action plans
Author: Michael L. Anderson Ph.D., Mark L. Anderson
Length: 308
Available formats: Paperback
“Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills” 2nd edition
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- Complete guide to rock climbing for beginners and pros
- The second edition is expanded and enriched
Author: Topher Donahue and Craig Luebben
Length: 320 pages
Available formats: Paperback and Kindle
“Learning to Fly: A Memoir of Hanging On and Letting Go”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- An inspiring tale of letting go and getting in touch with yourself
- Complemented by beautiful photographs
Author: Steph Davis
Length: 320 pages
Available formats: Hardcover, paperback, and Kindle
“Rock Climbing Technique: The Practical Guide to Movement Mastery”
- What Makes This Climbing Book Stand Out
- Over 35 exercises to get you ready for the walls
- Complemented by online videos
Author: John Kettle
Length: 140 pages
Available formats: Paperback and Kindle
How To Choose A Climbing Book – Buying Guide
Intended Use
Climbing books mainly fall into two general categories. The first one comprises technical manuals and climbing training books, which provide numerous strategies and tips to improve your skills. While they cannot replace being outside or in the gym climbing, these books can give you useful information about what you can improve in your climbing and how you can do it even by yourself, and some of the best climbers of recent years have poured their knowledge into them.
The second category tells personal stories, recounting stunning feats of athleticism and endurance. These books can be enjoyed by climbers and non-climbers alike, since if well written, they deliver intense experiences and take you along for incredible adventures. If you climb, then you will feel on your skin what it means to be there with the characters in the books, and draw plenty of inspiration both from technical details as well as human stories of perseverance, determination, and hard work.
Genre
The immediate connection with the real world that is shared by all the books we have presented puts them firmly in the non-fiction category. Inside this listing, however, you can find books that stretch from biographies to technical manuals and exercises, providing you with a wealth of choice revolving around your favorite subject. From adventure to self-improvement, passing through psychology, history, and step-by-step descriptions of technical skills, climbing books can form a category of their own in which you can immerse yourself and find anything your heart might desire.
Areas of Coverage
For those picking up a climbing guide, the books will focus mostly on exercises to improve your technique and skill and indications on dieting regimes or mental exercises to work on your focus and determination. If well used, these books can help you significantly move forward towards conquering new and bigger goals, taking your climbing to the next level.
Books that focus on single climbers, on the other hand, either describe their lives or take you through some incredible feat they have accomplished. These books are entertaining adventures, and serve both as riveting tales as well as a source of inspiration for climbers everywhere, pushing them to compete with their idols and reach new heights.
FAQs
Q: Why Should I Read Climbing Books?
Depending on the book you choose, climbing books will either deliver a wealth of tips and tricks on how to improve your physical and mental health, so you can be stronger and more focused when you attempt a challenging climb, or simply provide you with compelling and motivating stories about some of the world's most exceptional climbers.
Q: How Can Climbing Books Improve My Climbing Experience?
By reading climbing books, your experience can be improved by gaining new knowledge about the sport but also, and perhaps more importantly, by delving into the thought processes of the best of the best, understanding that they are also human and face the same challenges and doubts that all of us do, drawing inspiration and motivation by their successes.
Related Review: Hiking Books
Globo Surf Overview
The best climbing books provide entertainment, information, and inspiration and can open new horizons that you never thought of reaching. In our climbing book reviews, we have presented you with all the different options available on the market. From detailed, technical guides to emotional, compelling biographies, climbing books are perfectly poised to be either your best companion on a new adventure or simply a nice read while lying on the beach and dreaming about your next destination.
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