The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is an multi-day event that celebrates the “stories of remote journeys, ground-breaking expeditions, and cutting-edge adventures told through the eyes of adventurers, authors, photographers, and filmmakers from around the globe” (BanffCentre.ca).
Since 1994, this annual mountain festival has awarded one book its Grand Prize. This post shines the spotlight on the winners of the Banff Mountain Book Grand Prize.
A good book is timeless. The Banff Mountain Book Winners represent the greatest in mountain literature. If you’re looking for a good book to read, we highly recommend the books on this list of Banff Mountain Book Winners. But any book that is even in the running for the coveted grand prize is also worth reading. Hopefully you will add the award winning mountain literature in this post to your reading list. Enjoy!
Below are the Banff Mountain Book Winners of the Grand Prize from 1994 to present:
2018 – The Eight Mountains – Paolo Cognetti
2017 – The Climbers – Jim Herrington
2016 – Ice Diaries: An Antarctic Memoir – Jean McNeil
2015 – Medicine Walk – Richard Wagamese
2014 – One Day As A Tiger: Alex Macintyre And The Birth Of Light And Fast Alpinism – John Porter
2013 – On The Trail Of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through The Land Of The Nomads – Tim Cope
2012 – Fire Season: Field Notes From A Wilderness Lookout – Philip Connors
2011 – Freedom Climbers – Bernadette McDonald
2010 – The Stonemasters: California Rock Climbers In The Seventies – John Long
2009 – Jerry Moffatt: Revelations – Jerry Moffatt
2008 – The Black Grizzly Of Whiskey Creek – Sid Marty
2007 – Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering’s Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters – James M. Tabor
2006 – The Wall – Jeff Long
2005 – Being Caribou: Five Months on Foot with a Caribou Herd – Karsten Heuer
2004 – Southern Exposure: A Solo Sea Kayaking Journey Around New Zealand’s South Island – Chris Duff
2003 – Escape from Lucania: An Epic Story of Survival – David Roberts
2002 – The Evidence of Things Not Seen: A Mountaineer’s Tale – W.H. Murray
2001 – Hazard’s Way – Roger Hubank
2000 – Bradford Washburn: Mountain Photography – Bradford Washburn
1999 – The Totem Pole – Paul Pritchard
1998 – World Mountaineering: The World’s Great Mountains – Audrey Salkeld
1997 – Mont Blanc: Discovery and Conquest of the Giant of the Alps – Stefano Ardito
1996 – Himalaya Alpine-Style: The Most Challenging Routes on the Highest Peaks – Stephen Venables
1995 – Icefields – Thomas Wharton
1994 – Heroic Climbs – Chris Bonington & Audrey Saukeld
Which of these Banff Mountain Book Winners will you read first? Add them to your reading list and you’ll enjoy some of the world’s greatest mountain literature.
If you’re looking for more outstanding mountain literature, check out the winners of the Boardman Tasker Award.
FYI – If you use the links in this post and purchase through Amazon.com, you will help to support this site and we really appreciate it. Thanks!
