David Smart
Powter's account of an extraordinary person's extraordinary climbing life is vivid and acute. More moving still is his morally complex exposé of how the intoxication and solace offered by climbing can change the course not just of a single person's life, but the lives of all of the people around them. This book is a great, totally unique achievement.
Bernadette McDonald
Writing a biography of a living climber is fraught with peril. Both Geoff Powter and Jim Donini deserve medals for their bravery in tackling the most difficult and important aspects of a life so complex and remarkable. Most impressive is their delicate dance in pursuit of trust and truth. Powter uses all of his skills as a writer, a climber and a psychologist to produce this muscular, yet sensitive volume, his best yet.
Kelly Cordes
A deeply human portrait of an alpine climbing legend that extends well beyond Jim Donini’s visionary ascents and ventures into more complex terrain: the layers of beauty, tragedy, and purpose in a remarkable life.
Barry Blanchard
This is a beautifully written book that pulls at the heart and lifts up the spirit. Like all great books, I finished reading and wanted more.
Yvon Chouinard
A bold and full account of a remarkable climbing life, exceptionally well told…
Maria Coffey
Portraying such a complex and iconic personality as Jim Donini is a daunting task, but Geoff Powter pulls it off with grace, powerfully combining his skills as a writer, climber, and clinical psychologist. He takes us along on a wild journey, both physical and emotional, to understand his subject. Reading this book feels like listening to intimate conversations as Powter encourages his interviewees to dig deep, revealing the many facets of Donini’s character and the triumphs and tragedies of his life.
Thomas Huber
Jim Donini is a wild mountain lover and a legitimate legend for all he has achieved, and his remarkable story is written right into his skin. In its deep folds, you can read all the great peaks and the deep valleys he has had to cross. He has never taken the easy way: when he sets off from base camp, he always leaves with the heaviest backpack and looks for the most challenging route, and he always has the biggest smile on his face. Many climbers his age retire from the game and settle for telling stories of things they once did, but this is never Jim: He is still out there, exploring and dreaming, often showing the way to partners half his age. Spend just a little while with Jim and you can see why he connects so well with the new generations of climbers: because under that wise old skin, there is still a wild boy who imagines towering walls, long, cold leads, and big storms, and still knows what those mountain moments bring. For anyone who wants to understand what it takes, and what it can cost, to have the fullest mountain life, this book is a wonderfully compelling, insightful and honest guide.
Sharon Roberts
This is one of the best reads of climbing and exploration literature, and of the complex psychology that drives adventure. Powter has accomplished the remarkable feat of compassionately revealing an exemplary and charismatic mountain life that is also filled with terrible tragedies and very human complexities. Powter’s skill, and willingness, to explore both sides of the story is a humane victory for both the writer and his subject.
Library Journal
★ 04/12/2024
Experienced climber and adventurer Powter's (Inner Ranges: An Anthology of Mountain Thoughts and Mountain People) biography of one of the biggest American icons in rock and mountain climbing, Jim Donini, captures his remarkable life and accomplishments. Donini, now 81 years old, began climbing in the 1970s. His stellar climbing accomplishments place him among the best athletes of any sport and he established many original climbing routes around the world. Powter's book describes how Donini dedicated his life to climbing, and devoted considerable energy to mentoring other ambitious climbers. All of this required efforts to balance the fine edge between his passion and the demands of his personal life, and his elite sport meant often leaving his family and friends behind. VERDICT This presentation of the climbing world's intricacies makes the particulars of the sport comprehensible to a general audience. Donini's story is told with literary verve and vivid sensory details. A must for sports collections.—Dorian Gossy
