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A lawyer in Washington state, Williams was an avid hiker and mountain climber. "He was a natural leader who knew the backcountry and the perils people would get into, and he knew how to survive them," said his son, Brian. He realized that self-reliant climbers would sometimes need help, so he organized the Seattle Mountain Rescue team. That was great for his home area, but he realized that other areas would have the same problem. "He recognized they needed a parent organization so there was some uniformity to rescues across the country," Brian said. So, in 1958, Williams used his legal knowledge to draft incorporation papers for what became the Mountain Rescue Association, which has grown to include affiliated mountain rescue teams not just in the United States, but in other countries as well. While he was active in mountain rescue, including stints as the head of Seattle Mountain Rescue and the national organization he created, "He'd answer any call, day or night," his son said. "He'd just about walk out of court to participate in a rescue." Williams retired from mountain climbing when he was 60, and died December 21 at his Washington home from congestive heart failure. He was 80. From This is True for 18 December 2005 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Donna Ball List Price: $6.99 Amazon Price: $6.99 Editorial Review: North Carolina native Raine Stockton, a dog trainer and the ex-wife of a deputy sheriff, knows the woods of Hanover County as well as anyone. She stopped volunteering for Search and Rescue work after a tragic loss, but now she reluctantly returns to active duty-along with a young and inexperienced Golden Retriever named Cisco-to help find a mother and six-year-old girl who have been kidnapped and taken deep into the wilderness. Suspecting there's more to the case than meets the eye, Raine must struggle to overcome her personal demons, turn her search in new directions-and learn to trust Cisco to lead the way.  By: Charles WalbridgeWayne A. Sundmacher List Price: $17.95 Amazon Price: $12.21 Editorial Review: Whitewater Rescue Manual is for all whitewater padlers, beginner to expert. This book presents the best techniques for self-rescue and rescue of companions on the river.  By: Anatoli BoukreevG. Weston DeWalt List Price: $15.95 Amazon Price: $10.85 Editorial Review: The Climb is Russian mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev's account of the harrowing May 1996 Mount Everest attempt, a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of eight people. The book is also Boukreev's rebuttal to accusations from fellow climber and author Jon Krakauer, who, in his bestselling memoir, Into Thin Air, suggests that Boukreev forfeited the safety of his clients to achieve his own climbing goals. Investigative writer and Climb coauthor G. Weston DeWalt uses taped statements from the surviving climbers and translated interviews from Boukreev to piece together the events and prove to the reader that Boukreev's role was heroic, not opportunistic. Boukreev refers to the actions of expedition leader Scott Fischer throughout the ascent, implying that factors other than the fierce snowstorm may have caused this disaster. This new account sparks debate among both mountaineers and those who have followed the story through the media and Krakauer's book. Readers can decide for themselves whether Boukreev presents a laudable defense or merely assuages his own bruised ego.In May 1996 three expeditions attempted to climb Mount Everest on the Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Crowded conditions slowed their progress. Late in the day twenty-three men and women-including expedition leaders Scott Fischer and Rob Hall-were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disoriented and out of oxygen, climbers struggled to find their way down the mountain as darkness approached. Alone and climbing blind, Anatoli Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death. This new edition includes a transcript of the Mountain Madness expedition debriefing recorded five days after the tragedy, as well as G. Weston DeWalt's response to Into Thin Air author Jon Krakauer.  By: Andrew SeltersAndy Selters List Price: $18.95 Amazon Price: $12.89 Editorial Review: Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue is a comprehensive course in understanding glaciers, crossing them, avoiding crevasses, and rescuing crevasse victims. Topics covered include: how glaciers form and how crevasses develop; basic principles of glacier travel; routefinding; knots and harnesses; holding a fall; rescue techniques, including self-belay and what a victim should do; and glacier skiing and sled hauling. New sidebars feature descriptions of accidents and near-accidents to emphasize the importance of the techniques presented. With b&w photos and illustrations.  By: Rick Lipke List Price: $15.95 Amazon Price: $15.95 Editorial Review: The new revised edition, Technical Rescue Riggers Guide by Rick Lipke, shows some of the most up to date techniques rope rescue available today. 126 pages, 296 clear illistrations and photos, from basic knots and anchors, to highlines, helo rescues, and much more! Completely cross referenced, with handy safety reminders throughout. Already on its third printing, this guide is rapidly becomming the defacto national standard for safe, intelligent rope rescue. A portion of the sale of this guide goes to support volunteer mountain rescue. |
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