No Mere Pastime

In No Mere Pastime: A Life in High Places, Ken Stanton's ambition to climb the big walls of Yosemite and follow in the footsteps of heroes like Royal Robbins and Yvon Chouinard lead him to discover his most substantial strengths by confronting his deepest fears. With a keen eye for the beauty of the natural world, Stanton leads readers from the mountains of California, to the snows of the Canadian Rockies, to the overhanging limestone walls of Italy's Dolomites, to the monarchs of the alpine world, the Himalaya. Whether it's a quirky, airy and clearly illegal climb on the under span of a spectacular arch bridge, or pondering the sentience of a hitchhiking butterfly while paddling whitewater on the Trinity River, making a one day descent of Tenaya Canyon (the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite) or taking a fifty foot swing on the final, massive overhangs of El Capitan, you will find in these personal accounts someone who, like yourself, is full of contradictory fears, desires and aspirations. Discover the inspiration to confront life's challenges and find that spark to set yourself free on your own path of adventure. No Mere Pastime will reveal the evolution of a person and his passion, find humor in unlikely places, and throw a light on those moments of transcendence that illuminate why we keep returning to high and wild places in the face of great risk.