Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite Climbing,New

Product Description2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition Climbing Literature Winner'Long overdue anthology highlights women in Yosemite climbing history.' Climbing Magazine Contributors include Lynn Hill, Steph Davis, Liz Robbins, Beth Rodden, Kate Rutherford, Katie Brown and more Introduction by Mari Gingery Author is deeply connected with the Valley community through her work with Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) Though long overlooked, women have always been at the center of Yosemiteclimbing, crafting equipment, and establishing new routes. In Valley of Giants, editor and climber Lauren DeLaunay Miller pulls together journal excerpts, original essays, interviews, archival materials, and memorable firsts that span the past century of climbing in the Valley.This firstever collection of both famed and untold stories from women at the heart of Yosemite climbing gathers almost 40 contributors, from Bea Vogel who forged her own pitons to Molly Higgins who participated in the ?rst allfemale ascent of the Nose on El Capitan to Liz Robbins who established routes in Yosemite Valley during the Golden Age. Astonishing Stonemasters like Lynn Hill, as well as many other notable climbers, including Steph Davis, Kate Rutherford, Beth Rodden, Chelsea Grif?e, Libby Sauter, and more share their recollections of the exhilaration they felt up on the wall and the determination it took to get there. As Mari Gingery, one of the first women to climb the Shield on El Cap, writes in the foreword, 'the stories feature a medley of intrepid female characters' who 'offer fresh perspectives.'Organized into ?ve distinct eras in Yosemite climbing history, this groundbreaking anthology captures a range of stories from heartbreaking losses to soaring joys, trip reports of signi?cant ascents to moments that convey the larger essence of the Valleyand what it means to call this iconic place 'home.'ReviewA muchneeded anthology, this book highlights the stories of women in Yosemite from 1930 to the present. The contributions come from a wide range of climbers, a worldrenowned soloist, a mother, a microbiologist, a daughter, a tribe member, a quiet expert and a firsttime climber. Some stories are already famous, others are previously untold, but all add a fresh perspective to the lore of the valley. The stories build on one another, each one lends depth and history to the next, and when combined, they show how voices are strongest when they join together. Claire Cameron Banff Mountain Book Competition JuryValley of Giants is an important thread in Yosemite climbing history. Each period is a patch and each climber is connected to one of these, forming a colourful quilt that will keep the hearts of all climbers warm as you stoke the fire of your next climbing adventure. Dave Barnes Common ClimberAn engaging read, and within the sport and the framing of climbing literature and histories, an important one. Camille E. Meder Women's Studies[Lauren DeLaunay Miller's] work will expand the horizons of even those who consider themselves wellversed in Yosemite climbing history.... More than just a litany of womens accomplishments, though, Valley of Giants expresses the wisdom its contributors achieved. Matt Johanson Sacramento BeeEditor Lauren DeLaunay Miller worked hard to earn the trust of legends, and the payoff is a delightful mix of anecdotes, introspection, and new context for past climbs.... Climbers will reap the most enjoyment from the book, but adventure is woven through every page. Adventure JournalMiller is an artful curator of Valleyfocused female climbing stories.... [This book is] a map of inspiration that refutes the notion that men are better suited to the vertical world of Yosemite. Nick Miley California ClimberThe book makes a strong case that women have played important roles in the history of Yosemite climbingeven if, as women in the book point out, they havent always gotten credit for