The Corridor wins Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2025
- Thursday 27th November 2025
The Boardman Tasker, Shortlisted Authors event at this year’s Kendal Mountain Festival on November 21st was once again a great success with a sell-out audience.
The shortlisted books this year were:
The Corridor by Iain Peters: In his memoir, Iain Peters recounts his life as a climber and teacher, revealing how his passion for wild places and adventure served as a means of survival and a form of recovery from childhood sexual abuse. He candidly explores the long-term impact of this trauma on his psyche and relationships, finding strength in the mountains in the emotional journey of healing. The book is a powerful story of hope, resilience, and the creation of a life fulfilled despite an early, horrific trauma.
Moving the Needle by Dave MacLeod is a memoir focussed on the author’s journey from an average climber to an elite, world- renowned athlete. MacLeod tells his story of using trainable skills and behavioural traits to achieve his goals that can be replicated. Simple really, anyone can do it!
Breathe - Life Lessons from the Edge of the World by Mollie Hughes: An inspiring account by Mollie Hughes of exploring some of the Earth's wildest environments. She shares her view on how self-belief and lessons learnt from epic challenges enabled her to become the youngest woman to climb Everest from the south and north sides. Then, aged 29, she describes her battle through freezing storm-force winds to achieve the distinction of being the youngest woman to ski solo to the South Pole.
The Beast in The Clouds – The Rosevelt Brothers Deadly Quest toFind The Mythical Giant Panda by Nathalia Holt: In 1928 Theodore and Kermit Roosevelt, the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, embark on a dangerous expedition to the Chinese Himalayas. Their objective is to find and capture a live specimen of the giant panda, a creature so rare it was believed to be mythical. The book details their harrowing journey, filled with hardships as they chase their dream to introduce the panda to the western world.
The Search – The Life of a Mountain Rescue Search Dog Team by Paul Besley: Paul Besley’s life journey was transformed following a mountain rescue team saving his life from a serious hillwalking accident. Inspired by his rescue he joined a mountain rescue team and trains his Border Collie puppy, Scout, to become a search dog. The book details rigorous training and rescue missions, while exploring Besley’s personal struggles and how his bond with Scout helps him confront his past and find purpose.
There Will Be Headwinds – Kayaking the Northwest Passage by Mark Agnew: Mark Agnew recounts his journey as part of the first team to kayak the Northwest Passage. The book is an account of the physical hardships and mental health struggles he faced after previous expedition failures. I t is a story about teamwork, perseverance, personal growth in an epic adventure.
Tobin, The Stonemasters, And Me 1970 – 1980 by Rick Accomazzo: The book chronicles the life of the author’s friend and climbing partner, Tobin Sorenson, a member of the legendary 1970s climbing collective known as the Stonemasters. The book details their adventures and the evolution of modern climbing through the lens of Sorenson’s exceptional talent, which some considered the best in the world. It is a powerful tribute to Sorenson, who died tragically at a young age and a vivid portrait of a golden era of climbing.
This year’s judges were Rehan Siddiqui (Chair), Nandini Purandare and Brian Hall.
The judges were unanimous in their choice of the winning book for 2025: The Corridor by Iain Peters
To quote Rehan, Chair of Judges: “Our final choice is not a conventionally good-looking book. It feels self-published. At first sight, without much thought to design. But the cover photo shows a corridor of darkness leading to the light, the relevance of which only comes clear after reading the book. The writing of this book was an immensely brave undertaking.”
For further details and photos, reflections on the event, please visit: www.boardmantasker.com
The 2026 Boardman Tasker competition opens on January 1st 2026.