Product Description

At the age of sixteen, Andy Cave followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and became a miner - one of the last recruits into a dying world. Every day he would descend 3,000 feet into Grimethorpe pit. But at weekends Andy escaped from the pithead to a very different world - testing his nerve on the cliffs and mountains around Britain, and forging endearing friendships with his new companions. Enduring the 1984-85 miners' strike - the guilt, the broken friendships, the poverty - Andy continued to indulge his passion. In 1986, after much soul searching, he quit his job as a miner in order to devote himself to mountaineering. At the same time he decided to educate himself, acquiring almost from a standing start academic qualifications including a PhD in socio-linguistics. This extraordinary twin odyssey is graphically recalled in this remarkable book. In the Himalaya in 1997, Andy achieved a courageous first ascent on one of the steepest and most difficult summits in the world - the north face of Changabang. Seventeen days later, he and only two of his team-mates crawled into base camp, frostbitten, emaciated and traumatised. His account of this terrifying experience provides a dramatic climax to this compelling story. "Learning to Breathe" is, first and foremost, a lively and humorous memoir, written with energy and insight, about two very different groups of people, each navigating equally inhospitable worlds. Finally on a larger scale, it is an examination of our ability to draw on inner reserves and the strength of others.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4533 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"* 'A tale of split lives fused into one extraordinary story of adventure, laughter, tears and joy' - Joe Simpson * 'A brilliant book, well written, gripping, honest and very moving' - Chris Bonington * 'Andy Cave's compelling autobiography is, like Joe Simpson's Touching the Void, a gripping book on mountaineering that will appeal even to those who didn't know they were interested in climbing.... Cave is a talented writer who brings the emotional and physical aspects of mining and climbing to life in an understated but lyrical tone... Fascinating.' - Observer * 'The story of Andy Cave's transition from Yorkshire coal miner into one of Britain's best climbers echoes the heroic tones of Don Whillans or Joe Brown... Thoughtful and often gripping... Cave explains what it actually feels like to climb the kind of exceptionally dangerous routes that the rest of us, climbers or not, find unimaginable. There are few other climbers with the writing skills to be able to pull this off. There are fewer still who have led such an interesting and varied life as Cave.' - Scotland on Sunday"

From the Publisher
Joint Winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize 2005 and Winner of the Adventure Travel Award - Banff Festival 2005
The extraordinary autobiography of a brilliant young climber who began life as one of the last generation of British miners.

From the Back Cover
A brilliant book, well-written, gripping, honest and very moving' Chris Bonington

‘This passion of mine had started long ago when, as an inquisitive child, I scrambled up the local pit muckstack. Later, as a teenage coalminer disillusioned with the world of dirt and darkness, I had fallen in love with real mountain climbing. That night, approaching the tent on the knife-edge ridge of a Himalayan peak, little did I know that this love affair was about to end. The following four days would be the most harrowing of my life.’

‘The story of Andy Cave’s transition from Yorkshire coal miner into one of Britain’s best climbers echoes the heroic tones of Don Whillans or Joe Brown… Thoughtful and often gripping… Cave explains what it actually feels like to climb the kind of exceptionally dangerous routes that the rest of us, climbers or not, find unimaginable. There are few other climbers with the writing skills to be able to pull this off. There are fewer still who have led such an interesting and varied life as Cave.’ Scotland on Sunday

'Andy Cave's compelling autobiography is, like Joe Simpson's Touching the Void, a gripping book on mountaineering that will appeal even to those who didn't know they were interested in climbing.... Cave is a talented writer who brings the emotional and physical aspects of mining and climbing to life in an understated but lyrical tone... Fascinating.' Observer

Customer Reviews

breathtaking stuff
Andy Cave has a good story to tell and he tells it really well. In a straightforward style, he doesn't mess with the essence of this gripping account of how he came up for air from the gritty life of a Yorkshire miner in the Thatcher era and found his purpose in rock climbing and later extreme alpinism at the top end of the sport. I couldn't imagine taking this book on a Himalayan expedition though - you'd want to finish it too quickly! The pictures he paints of how focussed, how skilled and how lucky you have to be to tackle climbs on Gasherbrum IV and Changabang and come back again make for a great read. Besides the climbing, his self effacing writing and his generosity towards the people who appear in his life, make this, for me at least, one of the best climbing autobiographies published in recent years.

An Honest Account
Most of us will never venture into the high mountains nor into the pits. This beautifully written book gives a clear and honest picture of life in the collieries in the 1980s and Andy Cave's escape from it via climbing to the roof of the world. I found the description of his family sensitive and moving and I found myself revisiting my own memories of the coalstrike. I have to admit it made me feel uncomfortable but it helped me to understand things more clearly too.What I also liked very much about this book was Andy's honesty about his fears in the mountains as well as his passion for them. It rang familiar bells and made it much easier to feel with him the pain and anguish he must have felt at the death of Brendan Murphy.This is an important book and a great contribution to mountaineering literature. Andy's style is easy to read, often witty and always engaging. His descriptions of the mountains are often elegiac and I loved that.Read this book and listen to the message.

Outstanding
Having tried to read several mountaineering books, by experienced mountaineers, I have realised that there understanding of what makes a good read, is not the same as their undoubted mountaineering talent, there are sometimes, too many references which detract from the story.
Having read, and enjoyed all of Joe Simpsons excellent books, I spotted Andy Caves book. I was as much drawn to his background, as I live only 15 miles from where he was raised, as I was by his exploits. Andys writing talent is superb. I was unable to put the book down, and look forward in hope to reading more of his work, either fiction or non-fiction. Well recommended even if you have no interest in mountaineering or climbing.