DEATH OF A BOYHOOD INSPIRATION

[TC]

Just read that Heinrich Harrer died on Saturday, aged 93.
I guess most of you will not have heard of him, but for me he was one of my boyhood inspirations and the person who got me interested in climbing after finding a book of his, \"The White Spider\" in a junk shop.
In 1938, in one of the greatest mountaineering feats of the time, he was in the first party successfully to climb the notorious North Face of the Eiger, in the Swiss Alps.
If you get the chance, have a read of his book \"The White Spider\" - gripping stuff.




[Edited on 9/1/2006 by TC]

[RobAdair]

The film \"Seven years in Tibet\" was about him and he was played by Brad Pitt. He and a fellow POW escaped from a British camp in India and crossed 65 mountain passes and the Tibetan plateau, in the dead of Winter, on foot. It took them 2 years to reach Lhasa, Tibet, where they stayed as guests of the Dalai Lama until the Chinese invaded in 1951. Great film.

I remember the papers having a go at him when the film was released (1997) as he was allegedly a member of the Nazi Party when he was younger.

A truly great man in my eyes for his physical and mental toughness, I only wish that my childhood heroes had been as inspirational, most of them died choking on there own vomit after drink and drug excesses

[TC]

Yes Rob.....canny film (if a little untrue in places). Get hold of the book \"Seven Years In Tibet\".......for a full account.
He was a member of the SS for a short period - in the role of ski instructor.

[mark]

little known fact, but he was also a pal of Aleister Crowley - drug fuelled maniac and all round sexual nutcase! Crowley actually made one of the first attempts on everest in the early 20\'s, and nailed most of the alpine peaks in his time, before he decided to shave his head and nail his testicles to a piece of wood that is.

they were both members of the Society des Alpinistes as well, big mountains, hob nailed boots, tweed trousers and a bit of hemp rope tied around your waist!

I guess you had to be slightly mad to try it

[sless]

malcolm slesser has wrote a few books on climbing
have you read any of them tc

[TC]

Do you mean the author, writer and mountain explorer (mostly in Scotland, Greenland, Brazil and Peru).

One-time professor of energy studies at Strathclyde University and head of systems analysis at Euratom (1976-8).

Presently consultant in the field of natural capital accounting and energy systems analysis.

Author of over 100 published technical papers and of ten books covering energy systems, environment, exploration, sustainable development and guide book to the Isle of Skye and ski-mountaineering in Scotland..

Founder member of the International Network of Resource Information Centers (INRIC/Balaton Group) and of the Resource Use Institute. Member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and past president. Lives in Edinburgh, Scotland..............??

If so......Nah, I\'ve never heard of him..........lol

[sless]

he is me dad and i take after him
hahaha

[TC]

Yep.....the family resemblence is plain to see, m8

[ollie]

lol

[fishfinder]

pmsl

[willywetegg]

Hahahahaha, nice one.

Jim.

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Couldn\'t see it at first but if you squint a bit ...yep it\'s the nose isn\'t it TC.

[Lowrider]

Landlord of my local is in to all that,just come back from a holiday climbing some bit of rock.
Can\'t see the point myself,want to get to the top,jump in a chopper.

[sless]

nice one tc
its not realy me dad
im only funning

that bloke is smiling

[peter.m]

Sless do you wear those lovely red shirts for fishing as well?











that might be what\'s scaring the whiting away from the Cleadon results for you.