Opinel First on the Rope (Premier de Cordée) by Roger Frison-Roche – English Translation Book

I've wanted to read Premier de Cordée for years and this translation does it justice. The tension of the high alpine passages is genuinely gripping, and the portrait of Chamonix between the wars feels authentic. I finished it in three sittings.

Classic alpine fiction with real stakes and atmosphere. Some of the dialogue is a bit dated but the climbing scenes hold up. Worth the ten dollars.

Bought two copies, one for me and one for my son who guides in the Alps. He devoured it over a weekend and called me raving about the storm sequence. Great pairing with Opinel's heritage too.

The mountain descriptions are wonderful and you can smell the cold air. However, the middle section drags with the romantic subplot, and the prose occasionally feels stiff, likely from translation. Still glad I read it for the historical value.

My grandfather read this in French as a young soldier and always talked about it. Reading the English version felt like connecting with him again. The drama on the rope, the ethics of who leads — it all rings true even eighty years later.

Written in the 1940s but the fear and exhilaration of a first ascent come through vividly. A few period attitudes made me wince, but the storytelling carries it. The ending surprised me.

Maybe something is lost between French and English here. I struggled to care about the characters and the pacing tested my patience. The avalanche chapter was excellent, but there weren't enough moments like it for me.

Took this on a hut trip and read it by headlamp. Couldn't ask for a better companion. Ten out of ten.