Compass Points

By Frank L. Henninger

Compass Points: Finding a Mid-life Bearing on Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier is considered by many to be the longest endurance climb in the lower 48 states. This book is both a spiritual odyssey and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599263017
• ISBN13: 9781599263014
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Xlibris
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

We all have our mountains to climb.

I really felt like I was part of the team climbing Mount Rainer (minus the pain, risk, cost, etc). The chapters are short and very easy to understand. The book is more than just about climbing a mountain it is about the person your become along the way. What Frank learned about himself can help us all climb our own mountains.

Time well spent!

A very enjoyable, sincere and warm read. Henninger takes you from the challenge of first deciding to climb Mount Rainier to the training, and then up the mountain itself. You experience the process as though you were there; the weather, the illumination of self awareness, the fatigue, triumphs and reflections. It's a fine read and had me anxiously turning the pages with no small amount of anticipatory excitement. And it's fun. Henninger is a human being; not a professional guide, not a Sherpa, but someone you can like and certainly admire for both his efforts and the accounting of the time he had on Mt Ranier. Read it. You'll like it.

Time well spent!

A very enjoyable and easy read. Henninger takes you from the exhilaration of first deciding to climb Mount Rainier to the training, and then up the mountain itself. You experience the process as though you were there; the biting cold, the ceaseless wind, the few moments of rest-- the disappointments and the triumphs. You'll find yourself continuously turning pages as you accompany the author on his quest of personal discovery and physical challenge.

An inspiring read

In Compass Points, Mr. Henninger takes us along on his quest to climb Mt. Rainier and understand the deeper spiritual power that the mountain holds for him. In telling his story, he invites each of us to locate our own polestar and to summon the courage to live a fully engaged life. Compass Points lifted my spirits and reminded me why I seek wild places.

A Good Read For Everyone

First of all, I'm not a mountain climber, nor do I want to be. I want to state this up front lest anyone think that I gave this book my review based upon a love of mountain climbing. While the author does recount his two attempts at summitting Mt. Ranier, he goes beyond the technical aspects of mountaineering and offers much, much more. The book is more an introspective look at why a middle-aged regular guy would even attempt such a feat. He chronicles his lifelong fascination with mountains that ultimately brings him face to face with the reality of looking at planet Earth from above the clouds. I read the book in "real time", by that I mean I read up to the end of his first day, put the book down and picked it up the next day when he was also beginning his next day on the mountain. This added to my enjoyment as I felt I was sharing the author's experience as it unfolded. Truthfully,the book can easily be read in one or two readings. The best part of this book is the spirituality the author gets in touch with in his time on the mountain. It really comes across in his reflective final chapter where he ponders what made him begin his trek and where does he go from here. I gave the book to my wife to read and she is enjoying it also. As I stated in the title of my review it's "A Good Read For Everyone".