Continuing inspiration

The Eiger: The Fatal Attraction which was on BBC 4 'If Everest is the ultimate mountain, the North Face of the Eiger is the Alpine climber's ultimate challenge. More than 60 climbers have perished attempting to scale what amounts to a vertical mile of stone and ice haunted by howling winds and falling rocks. If the weather is clear, it's all on view to spectators on the terraces of Grindelwald. But there's an awful aura of defeat and death that surrounds the face. Here's a straightforward history (first shown two years ago) of the repeated attempts to scale the murderous face. It unfolds in parallel with the story of an attempt by two British mountain guides, Kenton Cool and Neil Brodie. As with all mountain tales, it's utterly gripping (Geoff Ellis) I see programmes like this and it brings back the buzz I felt when climbing and also the knowledge that once you lose your nerve, it is difficult to get it back. Not impossible, but not easy.