Highest and Hardest: A Mountain Climber's Lifetime Odyssey to the Top of the World - Hardcover

by Chris Kopczynski (Author)

At age 16 Chris Kopczynski carved the words "Everest/Eiger" into the handle of his ice axe, marking his goal to climb the two mountains known as the "highest and the hardest." He accomplished that goal by the age of 33, becoming the ninth American to summit Everest and the first American to summit both the North Face of the Eiger and Mt. Everest. With the climbing addiction in his blood, he set new goals and became the twelfth in the world to climb the highest peaks on seven continents.

Back Jacket

At the age of 16, Chris Kopczynski carved into his ice axe handle: Everest/Eiger, setting his pathway to climb the mountains known as the highest and the hardest. He accomplished his goal at the age of 33, becoming the ninth American to summit Everest, and the first American to summit both the North Face of the Eiger and Mt. Everest. With the climbing addiction in his blood, he set new goals and became the twelfth person in the world to climb the highest peaks on seven continents. Highest and Hardest relies heavily on Chris' copious diaries and world-class photography. A Mountain Climber's Lifetime Odyssey to the Top of the World is a long prose-poem of perseverance and survival, an odyssey for the armchair adventurer chronicling what it takes to achieve your dreams, and stand on the summit of some of this planet's greatest peaks.

Author Biography

Chris Kopczynski has climbed with John Roskelley for over 55 years. From their early days bouldering around Spokane, tackling the vertical and technical big walls of the Pacific Northwest to more challenging peaks around the world, they grew to become all-around mountaineers. Roskelley calls Chris the most underrated American mountaineer. With the publication of Chris's life story, the climbing world can recognize and applaud the accomplishments of this premier world climber.