Subjects

Aimed at those that are in close contact with natural environments, this book, now in its fourth edition and now fully in colour, examines various orienteering techniques, from classic techniques to the use of GPS, to geographical surveys for producing maps of small and large areas.

One section is also devoted to orienteering as a professional sport, a discipline which requires reaching a series of checkpoints in the shortest possible time, with the support of paper and a compass. A useful final section is devoted to mountain meteorology.

Many exercises are included in every chapter, together with their solutions. Attached to the book are two topographic maps of the Istituto Geografico Militare (Military Geographical Institute) on which exercises can be performed, a folder with a goniometer, a coordinatometer and various scale rulers. Software is also available online with specific interactive animations which explain the various techniques and tactics and the use of instruments, with the support of valid spreadsheets to solve without effort even the most complex topographic problems.

This is possibly the most intense period in recent American history, told through an incredible, little-known and riveting adventure.

After John Kennedy’s assassination, his brother Bob, a senator, struggled to carry out his vision. When Canada named an unexplored peak in the Yukon after the late president, Bob – who was eager to commemorate his brother – agreed to take part in the first ascent. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t a keen mountaineer.

His guide was Jim Whittaker, a mountain guide and national hero for being the first American to climb Mount Everest. A friendship was born between the two men, who were very distant and yet very close; a friendship that transcended the ice of Mount Kennedy as well as the Colorado rapids and animated the memorable 1968 campaign, when Bob ran for president. While Bob learned to appreciate the ideals of the mountain, Whittaker learned the ideals of politics. With his tragic end, Bob bequeathed to his friend the dream of a newer world, which Jim would strive to remain faithful to in his new challenges.

The awaited book of Marco Confortola has been published on the eve of the Kanchenjunga climbing: a fascinating text that will involve the reader so much he’ll think to be on top of the world with the author.
Carlos Soria Fontan, Spanish climber, has written the preface.