FIRST ASCENT

The Messner/Lewis team ascends to dizzying, breathtaking heights of text and art.

Climbing rivals Royal Robbins (1935-2017) and Warren Harding (no relation to the president, 1924-2002) are wonderfully evoked characters. Quiet, buttoned-down, book-loving Royal serves as a foil for loud, partying, wild-haired Warren. But as youngsters, both struggle to find things they excel at—until they become mountain climbers. Especially intrigued by the peaks of Yosemite National Park, they team up and discover that, confronted with a real obstacle, neither of them can give up. But they’re pitted against each other in their efforts to reach “first ascent,” the first documented climb to the peak of a mountain. When Royal wins on Half Dome, Warren sets his sights on El Capitan, widely thought impregnable. After harrowing trials, he triumphs, but the competition only intensifies. Happily, age brings some revealing (and universal) wisdom. Lewis’ slightly simplified line and subtle color illustrations are vivid and precise, giving readers a strong sense of setting—and potentially vertigo. Rivaling any photo, these images convey nail-biting, awe-inspiring feats. Messner’s riveting prose deftly distinguishes her subjects, zeroing in on differences in personality and philosophy while also paying attention to the environmental ramifications of their choices (Royal believed climbers should leave behind few traces of their presence; Warren didn’t care). The pair’s struggles, disappointments, and successes make them complex heroes.

An edge-of-your-seat story of human dedication and daring, in dramatic circumstances.