Soul of the Heights: 50 Years Going to the Mountains

Fascinated by the challenge of the heights, Ed Cooper became the first climbing bum in the Pacific Northwest, where he rapidly acquired a reputation as one of the most important all-around climbers of his generation. Through his personal experiences, keen observations and dramatic photos, he provides rare insight into the world of mountaineering and rock climbing during the 1950s and early 1960s. His evolving quest to photograph the essence of the mountains he held in such awe resulted in a series of spectacular portraits of many of the best-known peaks of North America.