On the inside sleeve of this book, it states that it is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Scottish mountaineering and mountain rescue.
I don’t fall into that category but I still found it really riveting, thrilling and at points, completely inspiring.
In the Shadows of Ben Nevis allows us to get to know Ian Sykes – a man who along with many others is responsible for thousands of people being alive today.
The book follows his life from a young boy at boarding school and his first foray into mountain climbing to his time with RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team where he dealt with some of the most legendary call-outs in Scottish mountain rescue history.
One particular incident that is vividly re-constructed is the 1963 New Year tragedy on Skye where three men lost their lives. Everything is brilliantly described from the scenery to the drama and he doesn’t shy away from the grimness either.
He also doesn’t paint the rescuers as heroes – this is their job and it is this portrayal of a mountain rescuer that makes the book so interesting and a great read.
In later years he was a member of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and spent two years on Antarctica with the British Antarctica Survey. And as if that wasn’t interesting enough, he then went on to open the first Nevis Sport Shop – one of a small number of shops to revolutionise outdoor retail in the UK – and later was a key player in the development in the Nevis Range ski area, which over many years and against all odds, became a great success.
Sykes has had a fascinating life and he re-tells it all with a great writing style, humour, modesty and passion.
Published by Bâton Wicks
