OK I can't remeber the name.. something like "Into The Unknown: The remarkable life of Han Kraus.

This is more of an early impressions than a review. I picked it up at R&S Saturday. So far it has kicked my other reads to the curb and is very interesting. It's got lots of climbing, but there is also a Ton on the mans life and work - Both his work and his climbing were visionary.

So far a great and hard to put down read. recommended

ed

Agreed. I finished my copy and it held my attention throughout.

Follow-up review:

OK just finished it last night.

Fantastic and thoroughly engaging read. It's so apparent from the book what propelled Hans to such a long life - passion. Passion for climbing, medicine, mostly -- helping others.

I guess Hans never put up anything beyond a 5.7 at the Gunks, and there have been and were far more technically proficient climbers. But this guy simply TOWERS.

What a great treat it will be to re-visit some of his routes and climb them again OR for the first time, after having read this book.

That's another thing - the Author, She really makes this work come across as a labor of love. Her treatment of the man and the subject matter is so professional yet heart felt that the book feel intimate.

Great man, great subject matter, great author, great book. Worth every penny and minute spent with it.

ed

I'm still reading it, and am enjoying the book thoroughly. I just got through a part where it tells about his FA on Bitchy Virgin and it just made my day. "Why?" you might ask. Well, I'll tell you! I recently climbed the route, seconded P1 and led P2. I'm a new leader, and it was the most intense of my climbing experiences to date. So cool that I wrote a little essay about it afterward.....

So, here is a little exerp from my essay(opening paragraph, actually):

By the third move on the climb’s first pitch, I had an inkling of why her first ascentionist might have named her “Bitchy Virgin.” For a 5.5, the holds were no gimme and I could practically hear the rock resisting peevishly.... “No. I won’t be an easy conquest. You make the effort. Think the foothold would be better if it were just a little closer? Tough! Work for it if it’s so important to you. I don’t feel like giving it to ya….!”

...and, here is a quote from the book:

"Kraus also continued to push himself on the rock. His route, Bitchy Virgin, received the first "R" rating in the Shawangunks for danger....... Kraus explained his inspiration for the route's name: " 'Virgin,' because it had never been climbed before." He shrugged, as he continued, " ' Bitchy,' because she wouldn't let me in."

Check your local listings folks, the author appears to be doing a slideshow/ book tour. She'll be at Neptune Mountaineering on December 1st. I'll be there for sure and I hope to bring my ex-pat Gunks friends with me...

Carissa (cfa), tell Lin, would ya?

The Gunks Climbers' Coalition is pleased to present:

Into the Unknown: A Hans Kraus slideshow by acclaimed Kraus biographer, Susan EB Schwartz.

Saturday May 13, 8pm.
Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, Rt. 44/55 Gardiner, NY.
Admission $7. Proceeds to benefit the Mohonk Preserve's Rescue Fund.

Preceded by an open GCC meeting at 7pm. All GCC members and climbers interested in providing input on current issues are encouraged to attend.

For more info, see event announcement on the GCC website.

And if you're a Gunks Masshole, you'll be interested to know that the show will be in the Boston Patagonia shop this Thursday (6/15) at 7.

GO

She's giving another slide show in Manhattan, Thursday the 17th.

------------------------------------------------
HANS KRAUS BOOK SLIDESHOW AND SIGNING
By author Susan EB Schwartz

THURSDAY 5/17 7-8pm
At the JCC, Amsterdam Ave/76th Street, Manhattan (Charge is $15, but if you mention you’re a climber, charge is $12)

More info is on my website http://www.susanebschwartz.com, along with lots of historical Gunks climbing photos of Hans and Fritz in the photo gallery section.

Here's the link that works, without the extraneous ','
http://www.susanebschwartz.com/