Traumberge der Welt

Publication Year: 1974.

Traumberge der Welt, by Dölf Reist. Frauenfeld, Switzerland, Verlag Huber, 1973. Size 9¾" x 11½", 90 pages of text with 139 full-page or double-page photographs in black and white or in color. Text in German, hardbound in linen. Price Swiss Francs 75 (about $23.)

After a foreword by Tenzing Norgay, the author, or rather photographer, is introduced by Herbert Maeder as an outstanding mountaineer and photographer, who has stood on the highest point of five continents.

Dölf Reist lets his photographs speak for his “Dream Mountains of the World.” The pictures are of exceptional quality, have beautiful composition and capture uniquely different light effects and moods of the Alps, Kilimanjaro and Kenya, Mount Everest, Mount McKinley and the Andes.

The text is divided into five chapters, written by experts, describing the particular region, including sections on topography, weather and historical background. Emil Egli is the author of the chapter on the Alps, Mario Fantin on Kilimanjaro, Kenya, etc., American Alpine Club members Bradford Washburn and Adams Carter describe McKinley and the Andes respectively. The Mount Everest chapter was written by G.O. Dyhrenfurth. An index of the pictures follows, giving detailed information on the scenery, and a paragraph on the photographic data concludes the book.

This is a beautiful book, full of valuable information and inspiring pictures for the climber. It also provides gorgeous photographs and fascinating reading for those who would like to dream about mountains not within their reach. As the reviewer in Alpinismus summed it up: “Dream Mountains, Dream Pictures, Dream Book!”

Horst von Hennig