Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber

I was embarrassed to realize that I had not reviewed and recommended this book before, for it is probably the most distinguished account of a genuine Golden Age which I have ever read.It is statistically intriguing how many of that crowd seemed to have a native, unschooled gift for writing well. I recommend reading a collection of articles from "Ascent" entitled "Ordeal by Piton", edited by Roper. I think you will be impressed by the caliber of the essays.Many of the reviewers have picked up on the feeling that climbing attracts a certain type. The author of "Chomolungma Sings the Blues" encountered a psychoanalyst who was making a study of the climbing fraternity and I suspect there is a body of literature on this fascinating subject.Many reviewers have mentioned the intense nostalgia this book evoked. I was often in Yosemite in the late sixties, not climbing but on the trail with a Kelty on my back. To be reminded of California days when I could be alone, say, in a walk-in campground---on Pt. Reyes---on a weekend---fills me with anguish. A vanished era.

If your a climber and spent any time in Yosemite climbing, always Camp 4 your crash pan, this book needs to be added to your library. This book filled with first accent info,lots of photos by Denny, Frost and Roper, to name a few. This is a history book.

Wow! Steve did an excellent job of portraying the 'climbing scene,' as well as accurately describing the many colorful characters of the era.I spent some time in Camp 4 during the summer of 1965 and met many of these wonderful characters. But...as an earlier reviewer pointed out, this was an extremely closed society, and non-California climbers were treated with disdain. Younger "wannabees" were pretty well ostracized, and women? Well, women climbers really didn't know how to climb! Living on next to no money, sleeping under a rock, hiding from the rangers, confronting bears, scarfing food in the cafeteria and coffee shop, stealing tips from the restaurant tables were all "normal" for many of these gifted lunatics. Many of them were my friends, and a good number of them haven't survived to present day and I miss them. Pratt, Fredericks, Sacherer, Roper, and numerous others; they were certainly unique individuals.This was a heart rending book for me--reminding me of days gone by and the experiences I had in Yosemite.

I was a Yosemite climber in the 1970's and met a number of the major characters (Frost, Chouinard, Robbins, Harding). Steve Roper has done an incredible job of capturing the ephemeral facts and essential spirit of the climbers and times. He is frank about their weaknesses: "We were thoughtless and immature"(pg 154) and "...we were puerile youths. We had been taught the correct values at home, yet we rebelled against everything," (pg 155-6), referring to the troubles they caused in the Vally. He is honest about his own failures, both in his own character and on climbs he could not do. He is enthusiastic about the successes of the pioneers and freely gives credit to those who deserve it. Steve not only gives you facts, he gives you feelings and insights. You can't get better history than this.The only criticism I have is that the book ends. I could have kept reading for many more days. If you want to FEEL what it was like, buy this book. I will bet you can't read it only once.

This must be the go to book on the history and legacy of Yosemite climbing. The stories are told in such an honest way that you feel like you're there yourself. If you love rock climbing or at all interested in a unique piece of American History, please read this book

A great read about a special time in history.

Roper's "Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber" is a great read for anyone interested in the history of rockclimbing in the valley. As I went through the book I was thinking back to the days I invaded Yosemite's walls and staying in Camp 4 in the late 80's. I actually pulled out my old guide book and looked at the beta on some of the historic climbs that I never did climb. Roper's book started to make me think about taking a trip back to the valley to ascend some of those routes.

Really enjoyed this book on the history of big rock climbing in Yosemite. It's an older book so only covers up until mid 1970s but is very good.

I read this before I went out to Yosemite to climb The Nose on El Capitan. It didn't make me a better climber, but it did bring the whole history of the Valley to life. I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you're a climber or just going to gaze in awe at the scenery and the little dots that really are us - the climbers adrift on a vertical sea of granite.

Absoluter Klassiker. Sollte jeder der sich für Klettern, Natur und kalifornische Kultur interessiert, gelesen (oder besser studiert ) haben. Sauber recherchiert und viele Photos aus der Zeit des "Golden Age of Yosemite Rock Climbing" von u.a. Robbins, Harding, Chouniard und Pratt. Schwerpunkt sind die 60er Jahre in denen sich Roper selbst "hauptberuflich" im Valley aufhielt. Als bildliche Ergänzung sei noch Glenn Denny's Photoband "Yosemite in the Sixities" zu empfehlen.

One of the best Yosemite Valley books ever written.Everything you need to know about the birth of climbing in the valley

Livre neuf en parfait état comme attendu. J'ai pour l'instant lu une dizaine de pages et je suis déjà transporté... je crois que ce livre est à la hauteur de sa réputation, et même plus (pour paraphraser une citation dudit livre).