Brotherhood of the Rope
by Duncan Souchon 19 May 2010, 23:14
The name of Charles Houston will forever be remembered in mountaineering circles with the valiant pioneering attempts on K2, the world’s second highest mountain and for many, the most savage and dangerous.
Indeed, it was Houston and his team who termed the phrase ‘K2: the Savage Mountain’ after their second attempt in 1953; bestowing their expedition book with this intimidating title.
But who was this man Houston, who also came to term the phrase ‘Brotherhood of the Rope’, now an international phrase in mountaineering circles that represents so much of what mountaineers strive for, even they don’t always live up to it.
In her biography published by ‘The Mountaineers Books ‘in 2007 when Charlie was in his nineties, Bernadette McDonald digs deep into the history of one of the most principled and value driven mountain climbers of the 20th century.
But it isn’t all bells and whistles, as McDonald attempts to show a multi-faceted picture of Houston’s life, his successes and his failures not only in the mountains, but in his personal and professional lives.
Challenged at many stages in his life with bouts of depression, his challenges to socialize and be accepted by his peers outside of the hills remained constant skeletons until his last years, and are documented with compassion and honesty.
This recipe makes for a fascinating and heartwarming read that will no doubt leave you (as it did me) both inspired and challenged.
Less known than his mountain exploits, Charlie’s passion for medicine, specifically his work on high altitude medicine, adds a twist to the story of a determined, driven and caring man. His contribution to the understanding of the effects of altitude on the human body are unrivaled, a task he dedicated the majority of his professional career to, particularly in his later years after he decided to stop climbing mountains in 1954.
Despite his groundbreaking work in the laboratory, Houston’s relationships with the mountains and the lifelong relationships he formed high on the slopes, will most likely be remembered as his greatest achievements.
His commitment to climbing in small teams without oxygen, and with a focus on safety and care are legendary amongst the world climbing community. Brotherhood of the Rope captures these attributes well, and attempts to put the pieces together around why Houston held such strong and admirable qualities.
It is a wonderful read, even if at times McDonald seems a little taken by her subject. I personally feel she could have asked some of the harder questions, particularly around why Houston chose to stop climbing after the Italians climbed K2 in 1954.
Brotherhood of the Rope is available through ‘The Mountaineers Books’, a US based publishing house dedicated to all matters of mountaineering, and comes with a DVD of Houston’s 1938 and 1953 expeditions to K2.
Painted image of K2, featured on the cover of Brotherhood of the Rope by Houston’s climbing partner Dee Molenaar.