The Calling cover art

The Calling

A Life Rocked by Mountains

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Calling

By: Barry Blanchard
Narrated by: Barry Blanchard
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 With heart-pounding descriptions of avalanches and treacherous ascents, Barry Blanchard chronicles his transformation from a poor Native American/white kid from the wrong side of the tracks to one of the most respected alpinists in the world. At thirteen, he learned to rappel when he joined the 1292 Lord Strathcone’s Horse Army Cadets. Soon kicked out for insubordination, he was already hooked on climbing and saw alpinism as a way to make his single mother proud and end his family’s cycle of poverty. He describes early climbs attempted with nothing to guide him but written trail descriptions and the cajones of youth. He slowly acquires the skills, equipment and partners necessary to tackle more and more difficult climbs, farther and farther afield: throughout the Canadian Rockies, into Alaska and the French Alps and on to Everest, Peru, and the challenging mountains in Pakistan. From each he learns lessons that only nature and extreme endeavor can teach. This is the story of the culture of climbing in the days of punk rock, spurred on by the rhythm of adrenaline and the arrogance of youth. It is also a portrait of the power of the mountains to lift us – physically, emotionally, intellectually, Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Climbing & Mountaineering Outdoors & Nature Sports Alps Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Beyond the Mountain cover art
High Risk cover art
Crazy for the Storm cover art
Savage Arena cover art
The Shining Mountain cover art
First into Action cover art
Jerry Moffatt - Revelations cover art
Ghosts of K2 cover art
Ron Fawcett - Rock Athlete: The Story of a Climbing Legend cover art
Cairngorm John cover art
Home Is Forward cover art
The Climb cover art
No Shortcuts to the Top cover art
The Bond: Two Epic Climbs in Alaska and a Lifetime's Connection Between Climbers cover art
Tides cover art
The Ascent cover art
All stars
Most relevant
I am sad that I have finished this audiobook! One of the only books I think I have preferred listening to, rather than reading first hand.

Barry Blanchard tells his story so well. Full of gripping tales that are so vividly described, you could be there on the wall with Barry and his pals.

The book is also powerful and moving in the way it describes the lifelong friendships and bonds built with his fellow climbers.

10/10, could not recommend this book enough.

Enthralling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.