Tom Richardson is a mountaineer, long established member of the Alpine Club, Leader for KE Adventure and the Gear Editor for Climb magazine. This book, Judgement Days, is his story of climbing in the Himalaya and Karakoram over more than thirty years. His aim in writing it is to reflect on decisions and judgements he has made in the mountains and to try to draw some conclusions about them and their sometimes life and death outcomes. Good outcomes can be achieved despite bad decisions and sometimes vice versa. He attempts to explore where the narrow line between adventure and misadventure lies and what place luck has in events.
Clearly the ability to make correct judgements is not simply the result of cumulative experience; otherwise it might follow that the most experienced mountaineers would not die in the mountains. In reality judgement is impacted by many things including personality, other people, perceived expectations and the value put on the hoped-for outcomes.
Outdoor Photographer Don Gladstone described it as being "As much about the decisions and choices we make in life's journey as the wonder and majesty of the Greater Ranges. A thoroughly brilliant read".
In the foreword written by mountaineer and award winning writer Andy Cave he says of Judgement Days that "This wonderful memoir, packed with wry observation, sharp wit and in a self-deprecating manner leaves the reader feeling how did one man do so much in just one lifetime?".
Mainly black and white photos with line diagrams plus a few pages of colour photos.
By Tom Richardson.
Card cover, 21cm x 15cm, 233 pages.
Published 2012.
ISBN: 978-0-9532342-1-9.