The hard years - Joe Brown

This is the story of Joe Brown’s climbing life, from the time of his early scrambles in disused mine-shafts, to his more famous exploits on Kanchenjunga and the Mustagh Tower.

Joe Brown took his ‘bandy legs, teeth like tombstones, and hands like bunches of bananas’ up some of the most severe climbs in the world. His determination and indifference to appalling conditions earned him the respect of men like Don Whillans and Ian McNaught Davis, whose climbing companions he became, and a reputation which spread far beyond the confines of the climbing fraternity.

The Hard Years is an unpretentious and engaging account of the ups and downs of Joe’s life, and at the same time is an excellent introduction to the world of mountaineering.