Product Description

In his own words Dougal Haston covers the years from his childhood in Scotland, where his love of climbing was first sparked, through to his development into perhaps the most formidable climber of his generation; his reputation forged by his successful ascents of familiar peaks by unfamiliar routes (of which the most famous was the Eiger Direct). Infused throughout with his passion for climbing and his great determination to succeed, In High Places is a compelling and eye-opening portrait of the climber as a young man and a must read for all those with an interest in mountaineering.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #394969 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
DOUGAL HASTON was born Duncan MacSporran Haston at Currie, Midlothian, Scotland in 1940. On January 17th 1977 he died in an avalanche while skiing above the Swiss village of Leysin.

Customer Reviews

Haston without explanation
Dougal Haston could write very well, but this very selective autobiography isn't up to the standard of his best or anything like it. It recounts his 'progress in mountaineering' from scaling the 'Railway Wa's' of Currie near Edinburgh to Everest, and insofar as Haston assembled a formidable list of fierce ascents, often pushed through against the odds in grim conditions, it is undoubtedly of historic record value. But it does nothing for mountain literature - partly because Haston seems never quite to have decided whether he was aiming at the general reader or a climbing audience - or to illuminate the man or his motivation. Even Haston's 'closest friends' seem to have found it near-impossible to penetrate his shell of dour introspection, and there's practically nothing in this book to help understand his almost maniacal drive and the more anti-social and alienating elements of his behaviour (only part of which is acknowledged in this account).

The suspicion, if anything heightened by more recent writing including Jefff Connor's biography, is that Haston never really knew what he was about himself: a disappointment to those who have set him up as a kind of enigmatic guru of modern climbing. But that elusiveness and the sheer dynamic force of the man will probably ensure that he will continue to be a charismatic figure nonetheless, and that young climbers will continue to find inspiration in the brash energy of this book.

Dougal the Great
OK, so this isn't the greatest mountaineering book ever, but it still deserves a read, simply by virtue of being written by Dougal Haston, probably the greatest British climber since the war. He doesn't give much away, and one is always wondering what other people thought of him, but the most important thing about him was that he was a magnificent climber, who will be remembered for three ground-breaking ascents (albeit during the large expedition era): the Eiger Direct in 1966 (when John Harlin died), Annapurna South Face in 1972 with Don Whillans, and Everest South-West Face in 1975 with Doug Scott. Apparently he wrote a novel - but I don't think I'll be going to look for it.