Troll Wall

Norway, 1965. A team of young climbers from the north of England camp at the bottom of the tallest vertical rock face in Europe – the Troll Wall. No one has dared attempt this gigantic challenge before. Some say it will never be climbed. This will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Rain and snow soak them as they climb. Avalanches and loose rock threaten their lives. A Norwegian team arrives to compete for the glory as the world's media look on. Pushed to the limits of exhaustion, the team spends days on the wall, refusing to given in, even when failure seems certain.

Troll Wall tells the gripping story of one of the most dramatic first ascents in British climbing history. Written days after their success, almost half a century ago, and newly rediscovered, Tony Howard's account is a fascinating insight into the challenges of climbing a big mountain wall.

Tony Howard grew up in the Chew Valley, at the northern tip of the Peak District. He started climbing in 1953 and became well known in climbing circles for his new routes and contributions to local guidebooks. He worked as an instructor in the early 1960s and qualified as a BMC guide in 1965, the year he and his friends famously made the first British ascent of Norway’s 1,000-metre-tall Troll Wall. Tony was a founding partner of Troll Climbing Equipment, designing many innovative products such as the world’s first commercial range of nuts, the first climbing ‘sit’ harnesses and the first sewn slings. He has guided and climbed all over the world, discovering new areas and making many first ascents. Tony is a regular contributor to outdoor magazines, and has authored several books, including Troll Wall, the untold story of the British first ascent of Europe’s tallest rock face. He has also written or contributed to guidebooks for the English Peak District, Norway, Oman, Morocco, Jordan and Palestine. He occasionally lives in the Chew Valley with his wife Di when they’re not off exploring yet another distant corner of the globe.

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