The Ledge

The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier is a mountaineering memoir by climbing expert Jim Davidson. First published in 2011, the book describes what happened when two best friends fall into a dark, icy chasm on Mount Rainier. The book received various award nominations, and it won the 2012 National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Literature. An experienced climber, Davidson has been leading mountain expeditions for over 30 years. He speaks across the world about his experiences, and what it takes to succeed as a mountaineer. In 2017, he summited Mount Everest.

In The Ledge, Davidson describes what happened to him on June 21, 1992. The theme is all about perseverance and finding our courage when everything seems hopeless. On June 21, Davidson and his best friend, Mike Price, summited Mount Rainier. They took the Liberty Ridge Route, which is reserved for experienced climbers. Both Davidson and Mike know what they’re doing, and the Liberty Ridge Route shouldn’t cause them any problems.

Their ascent goes well at first. Everything changes when they reach the Emmons Glacier. Here, Davidson stumbles onto a hidden snow bridge. It gives way under his weight and he falls into a cavern. There’s nothing but ice and snow around him, and there’s no way out. Mike falls into the cavern, too, because they’re attached to the same rope.



Davidson’s priority is Mike’s safety. Mike fell hard and he didn’t get back up. When Davidson checks on him, he realizes that Mike is dead. Guilt consumes Davidson because, if he hadn’t fell through the snow bridge, Mike would still be alive. He blames himself because he wasn’t quick enough to cut the rope and save Mike.

Davidson can’t grieve long. If he doesn’t escape soon, he’ll die in the cavern. He must devise a safe and effective strategy to pull himself up the overhanging ice walls. He doesn’t have any confidence because Mike was the more experienced climber. He taught Davidson everything he knows, and without Mike, he feels lost.

Throughout the narrative, Davidson shares his memories of Mike. He talks about how free-spirited Mike was, and how no one loved climbing more than him. Mike was older than Davidson, and Davidson always felt safe with him. Now, stuck beside Mike’s dead body, Davidson feels like it’s only a matter of time before he dies, too. He’s struck by the reality that no one knows where he is, and there’s no chance of anyone finding him before he dies. There’s a good chance that no one will find the bodies, either.



Davidson reflects on his childhood and his past. Davidson had a great relationship with his father, Joe. Joe always taught Davidson to chase his dreams and believe in his own abilities. In the cavern, Davidson must reconnect with his father’s lessons and find his courage. Davidson admits that this is easier said than done.

Joe saves Davidson in more ways than one. By teaching Davidson how to scale electrical towers, bridges, and skyscrapers, and paint multi-storey homes, he taught Davidson how to handle heights and the dangers that accompany high climbs. Unlike most people, Davidson isn’t afraid of heights, and so all he must focus on is figuring out the best wall to ascend.

Davidson figures out that he must self-belay to escape the cavern. This is a very technical climb usually performed by two people, and he can only attempt a solo ascent because of his experience. First, Davidson must rig ropes to an anchor using an ice axe. He then tests the anchor to ensure it can support his weight. If he messes up or gets this “pitch” system wrong, he will damage his equipment and die down there.



Davidson knows that the small ice ledge he landed on can’t hold his weight for much longer. He must balance getting off the ledge against safely ascending the wall. There’s a chance that, if the ledge breaks, he’ll end up wedged between two narrower walls below, and there won’t be any way out. This is known as getting “corked,” and it’s one of Davidson’s greatest fears.

The technical climbing descriptions in The Ledge are dense and non-climbers may struggle to follow them, but Davidson tries to simplify the descriptions where possible. Essentially, he completes the ascent in small, carefully calculated steps using six ice screws and rope. He pulls these screws from the ice wall and uses them for gripping onto as he ascends. No matter how badly he wants to reach the top, he must pause and reassess after every move upwards. If he digs the screws into unstable ice, they won’t support his weight and he’ll fall backwards.

Once Davidson emerges, he reflects on how lucky he is to be alive. One less screw, and he couldn’t have ascended. The Ledge doesn’t emerge until years later, because Davidson couldn’t talk about his ascent for a long time. He still misses Mike, and he wishes that Mike cut the rope and let him go.