Obsessed With The Eiger

Outside Online has published an excellent article entitled Rising Son by John Harlin III, the son of the famous climber John Harlin II who established a number of tough, challenging routes in the Alps during the 1960's, but ultimately died as part of the first team to climb The Eiger Direct route. The team of four had legendary climbers Harlin, Dougal Haston, and Chris Bonnington along to take pictures.

Now, John Harlin III is walking in his father's footsteps, rock climing in the Alps, and especially on the Eiger. He talks about living in the very large shadow of his father, and how it has effected his climbing and his desire to make his own mark. It's a well written piece that reminds you of why Outside can, at times, still be one of the best adventure magazines. The article itself is actually an excerpt from Harlin's new book The Eiger Obsession

I first read about the assault on the Eiger Direct route in Clint Willis' The Boys of Everest and enjoyed reading it again from a different perspective. It's a very compelling read.