A Dictionary of Mountaineering

Publication Year: 1958.

A Dictionary of Mountaineering, by R. G. Collomb. Glasgow and London: Blackie & Son Ltd., 1957. 175 pages; 52 sketches. Price 12s 6d.

This is an interesting attempt at a dictionary of mountaineering terms. It is, however, by no means complete or authoritative. French and German terms are given, but not exhaustively, yet Italian, Spanish, and other languages are largely ignored. It is written from the standpoint of the English reader of current English climbing literature, with considerable attention to foreign importations such as “abseil,” which no American or English writer of the older school would be guilty of using, except perhaps in extremis as a synonym. There appears to be a marked partiality towards words of foreign origins, most of which would rarely, if ever, be found in English literature.

There is no attempt at giving pronunciation; a lack very apparent in words of Gaelic or Cymric origin. There are various errors, principally omissions of certain meanings of words or alternate usages, but the insertion of C.A.C. as the initials of the Alpine Club of Canada will immediately strike any American or Canadian reader. There is a tendency to define climbing terms by examples taken from British rock climbs of the places where such technique is customarily used. This practice appears to this reviewer as completely defeating the object of the book, for anyone unfamiliar with the term would hardly be expected to be familiar with the climb used as an example. In fact it would seem that there is too much of an attempt to include a climbing manual in the definition of terms, although the author specifically disclaims such an objective.

The author is unfamiliar with American usage, but his definitions of British usage, particularly that of the younger rock climber, will be helpful to the American reader. The book cannot be compared to Underhill’s or Schmidkunz’ work, but is an interesting addition.

K. A. Henderson .