"Into Thin Air" hooked me on reading about big mountain climbs, and "Highest and Hardest" did not disappoint. Starting with the author's childhood, readers see how Kopczynski first explored risk, adventure, and friendship. As Kopczynski begins to climb mountain after mountain, I cheered him on through the heavy storms, bivouacs, and relentless decisions. I gasped during his climb of the Eiger North Face and held my breath during some of his nail-biting moments on Everest. But I equally enjoyed reading about his climbs in Canada, Denali, etc. that taught him the mountaineering skills he would later use on other climbs.

Told in a straightforward manner with some technical detail, I appreciated that Kopczynski did not add unnecessary fluff to such grave stories. The "lessons learned" at the end of each chapter drove home his points in a succinct way. The pictures from various climbs interspersed with the stories brought the story to life.

I'll definitely be purchasing a copy for a friend with Everest ambitions. This book is for anyone with even a mild interest in mountaineering or outdoor feats, but it would also be enjoyable for readers who don't venture into risky mountain climbs.

Thank you to Netgalley and Falcon Press Publishing for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5

I have always loved the mountains. I've lived right along the Wasatch Mountain Range for almost my whole life, and enjoy spending a lot of time in them - hiking, camping, fishing. Even though I have enjoyed being in the mountains, I've never had the bug to do big climbs. I sure love reading about them though. It started with "Into Thin Air", and after that I was hooked.

This book was a pretty quick read for me. I devoured it over the course of a few days. I loved reading all the descriptions of the climbs, and trying to imagine what it was like actually being up there. Chris Kopczynski is not a climber I had heard of before, but he accomplished an impressive list of feats. While I enjoyed reading about his different climbs, I also enjoyed when he asked himself what he was doing. He had a family and a job, but all he could think about was the next climb. It made me think about what drives some people to do the things they do, especially when it seems as if that drive to do one amazing thing is ruining another.

There were parts that seemed a little repetitive - he stated after almost every climb he wrote about that the climb after the summit is the most dangerous - some of the conversations seemed a little oddly written, and anyone who doesn't have a basic understanding of climbing and the terms used may be confused as to what's going on, but overall it was a fascinating book and a definite recommend for anyone who climbs or is interested in the subject.