The explorers chronicled in this collection push the limits—of endurance, weather, altitude, or personal achievement. Some make history, such as the first American climber to ascend Kilimanjaro in 1932; others, such as the leader of an 1896 team attempting a first ascent of Canada's Mount Lefroy, never return. Each essay has been chosen from the archives of America's oldest mountaineering and conservation journal, Appalachia, to guide you forward from the age of first ascents until the present day. Freak accidents, legendary perseverance, and singularly colorful personalities as well as climbing luminaries such as Bradford Washburn, Elizabeth Knowlton, and Fritz Wiessner all figure into this fascinating, illustrated collection.Published by the Appalachian Mountain Club since 1876, Appalachia has delivered inspired writing on mountain exploration, ecology, and conservation, along with international mountaineering news, analysis of northeastern mountaineering accidents, and much more. Now back in print, these twenty-five essays offer no less inspiration and power than when they first appeared.