In Psychovertical, Andy Kirkpatrick narrates his ascent from a tough upbringing on a council estate in Hull to executing a 12‑day solo climb of the Reticent Wall on El Capitan the hardest big‑wall climb ever soloed by a Brit. Through gripping storytelling, dark humour, and visceral honesty, he reveals how dyslexia, low self‑confidence, and personal adversity led him to seek control atop sheer granite faces. Winner of the prestigious Boardman‑Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature (2008), the book weaves together extreme endurance, psychological depth, and unfiltered mountaineering drama. Page length: 288 pages (paperback edition) Publisher: Mountaineers Books (US edition); Cornerstone / Arrow imprint for UK paperback Publication date: August 27, 2012 (US edition); May 7, 2009 for UK paperback reprint of the original 2008 hardcover edition If you enjoyed this book, check out Cold Wars by Andy Kirkpatrick.
