On the Nose: A Lifelong Obsession with Yosemite's Most Iconic Climb

American rock climber Florine has ascended Yosemite's towering sheer rock wall El Capitan more than 100 times. In this memoir of his lifelong obsession, Florine details his competitive career in speed climbing events such as the X Games and his pursuit of speed records for completing the Nose route on El Capitan. While Florine's prowess is rightfully recognized in the climbing world, this bland and somewhat superficial narrative unfortunately provides little insight into his deeper motivations and quickly becomes as repetitive as his ascents. The reasons behind Florine's particular interest in speed climbing remain strangely opaque, and he neglects to explain to nonclimber readers why such importance is placed on speed records. The author also keeps readers at arm's length with only limited discussion of his emotions or personal life. Florine tends toward one-dimensional step-by-step accounts of his activities, so this work mostly lacks the thoughtful reflection or perceptive self-revelation that characterizes better climbing memoirs.