Space Below My Feet - Gwen Moffat

Gwen Moffat was the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide in the UK and is one of the greatest female climbers the country has ever produced. She is also a prolific writer and novelist, with more than 30 books to her name. 

This memoir is not only a classic of mountaineering literature, but incredibly well written and supremely enjoyable to read - a rare breed, just like Gwen herself. She'll have you chuckling, rolling your eyes, and picking your jaw up off the floor with her tales of misadventure. At times, we could all do with being a little more Gwen.

From the back cover:

In 1945, when Gwen Moffat was in her twenties, she deserted from her post as a driver and dispatch rider in the Army and went to live rough in Wales and Cornwall, climbing and living on practically nothing. She hitch-hiked her way around, travelling from Skye to Chamonix and many places in between, with all her possessions on her back, although these amounted to little more than a rope and a sleeping bag.

When the money ran out, she worked as a forester, went winkle-picking on the Isle of Skye, acted as the helmsman of a schooner and did a stint as an artist's model. And always there were the mountains, drawing her away from a 'proper' job.

Throughout this unique story, there are acutely observed accounts of mountaineering exploits as Moffat tackles the toughest climbs and goes on to become Britain's leading female climber - and the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide.