We were on our way to the wedding of a mutual close friend, held at a castle on the way back to Wales. I had just about recovered my self-esteem following my toxic hangover and responded, 'Ha, I'll climb that.

Leo's name is synonymous with adventure climbing; he has consistently pushed at the limits of this game and in the process has carved out a media profile which has seen him appear on Top Gear and be pitched as one of. Join Leo at the Royal Geographical Society, for the launch of his new book, as well as discussion about this and other exciting projects. Biography: Leo Houlding is a world-class mountaineer, adventurer, television presenter and popular public speaker.Highly recommended read to all adventure lovers, world explorers, thrill seekers as well as young parents on how to take kids out for adventures. The car swerved onto the exit ramp, drifting tyres screeched around the roundabout and we slammed to halt in the lay-by beneath the Angel. He has since gone on to not only summit the world's toughest peaks, but to cross continents to explore the most extreme places our planet has to offer. Amazing story of adventure, but which also inspires to find one's own adventure, whatever that may be (climbing or otherwise).

It was Ivar Erik Tollefsen's coffee-table photobook of the first climbing expedition, one he had led to the astounding other-worldly peaks of Queen Maud Land in the Norwegian sector of Antarctica where he and Caspersen had made the first ascent of the mighty Ulvetanna ('the wolf's fang').It was to Norway with a strong team that included renowned alpinist Andy Cave and the sport climber Neil Gresham, who had recently turned to trad, making the third ascent of Johnny's famous route Indian Face. Excuse me, sir, I believe that was you up there and I am arresting you for a breach of the peace,' he said in his Mackem – not to be confused with Geordie – accent in the politest fashion the predicament could allow. Just decades ago women were unable to compete in traditional mountain races, yet today we see female runners winning ultra distance events outright. This is a very personal, from the heart, memoir of a premier big wall rock climber and members of his expedition team. But without knowledge of the pioneers, how can women achieve the same sense of belonging in the mountains as.

The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. Closer to the Edge is the story of a remarkable climber and free spirit who has been at the top of his game for over thirty years, with still more mountains to explore. As well as climbing many routes in my trainers, I did some of their hardest bolted routes using trad gear in my climbing shoes, just to prove a point.Honest, raw and exhilarating, Closer to the Edge will be a 'warts-and-all' insight into the extreme life of one of Britain's best mountaineer adventurers.