Not Without Peril

Among the most beautiful and deadly mountains in the world, Mount Washington has challenged adventurers for centuries with its severe weather. From the days when gentlefolk ascended the heights in hoop skirts and wool suits to today’s high-tech assaults on wintry summits, this book offers extensive and intimate profiles of people who found trouble on New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, from the nineteenth century through the present day.

         Recognized by the Boston Globe as one of the 100 Essential New England Books, the first edition of Not Without Peril garnered acclaim from the Banff Mountain Book Festival for its gripping tales of exploration and tragedy. This tenth anniversary edition includes a new afterword from author Nicholas Howe, who offers a personal account of an evening spent at the Mount Washington Observatory while 160-mile-per-hour winds raged outside.


Praise for the First Edition of Not Without Peril


“Nick Howe has combined extensive research with his rich personal knowledge to weave an articulate tale of adventure, challenge, and tragedy. Today’s mountain travelers can ignore these historic lessons only at their own peril.”

—Dr. Peter Crane, Director of Programs, Mount Washington Observatory


“A masterfully written book chronicling 150 years of disaster and near-disaster in these rugged mountains, it serves as a warning to all overzealous newcomers to the range.”

—Lloyd Feriss, Portland Press Herald


“Howe’s well-written, diligently researched chronicle not only recounts the sad ends of the victims—it is cautionary to note that more have died in the three seasons other than winter—but is chock-full of mountain lore and history.”

—Michael O’Connor, Boston Herald


“A well-crafted collection of stories, exciting yet sobering, and hard to put down. As a hiker and rescuer living in the shadow of Mount Washington, I have gained an even greater respect for the mountains. Never again will I look at them in the same light after having read Not Without Peril.”

—Frank Hubbell, D.O., medical director of Mountain Rescue Service, founder and co-director of SOLO


About the Author

Nicholas Howe has been a journalist since 1977. His widely-published work focuses on outdoor recreation and history. He lives in Jackson, New Hampshire, and is an avid hiker of the White Mountains.