These reflections on mountaineering are in part a description of the author's times in the mountains together with his reflections on the nature of mountaineering, its culture and trends. The work is illustrated with photographs and some of the author's poems, many of which have been previously published. Chapter titles include include, among others, No Turning Back, Characters and Heroes, Breaking Out, As Good as it Gets, Where Speech is Difficult, Fear and Huts and Havens.