An adventurous life story of a career as a mountaineer and guide to an accident that resulted in incomplete tetraplegia has won the Nankervis/Bamford NZ Mountain Book of the Year for 2023.

The book, ‘Not Set in Stone, was written by leading mountaineer David Vass who is credited with many first ascents and descents in New Zealand. 

"After many years in Wānaka I have just moved away, and this award makes a truly great farewell present,” David said.

“I've been much humbled and gratified by the feedback I've received so far, it seems to have moved people in a similar way to how I felt writing it.”

The competition is part of the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival and judges Marjorie Cook, Hazel Phillips and Allan Uren were impressed by the standard of entries.

“It was an absolute joy to read through the finalists and live vicariously inside the pages of these amazing books,” Hazel said. 

“Congratulations to all the finalists, and to our winners, who should be rightly proud of what they've created.”

David will be speaking at the NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival in Wānaka on Tuesday June 27 alongside Robbie Burton, whose book ‘Bushline, A Memoir’ was highly commended by the competition judges.

Submissions were invited for two categories: Mountain and Adventure Narrative and Mountain and Adventure Heritage.

The Heritage Award went to Wānaka mountain guide and adventure photographer Gavin Lang for ‘Seeking the Light’. Gavin climbed all 24 of New Zealand’s 3,000 metre peaks to photograph them and his book captures the tension and drama of mountaineering in Aotearoa, bringing it to life with stunning imagery.

‘High Risk: Climbing to Extinction’ by Brian Hall takes out the Narrative Award. Brian’s book speaks to an extraordinary era in the history of Himalayan mountaineering, from the mid 1970s to the 1980s, paying homage to the generation of climbers who pushed adventure to the edge.

The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wānaka from June 23-27, in Queenstown June 29-30, and online in New Zealand and Australia from June 23 to July 23. 

Festival passes are on sale now, general ticket sales and the full festival programme will be launched on May 23.

The 2023 finalists were:

Mountain & Adventure Narrative Award 

Paul Hersey - The Cold Inside 

Dave Vass - Not Set in Stone 

Brian Hall - High Risk: Climbing to Extinction

Mountain & Adventure Heritage Award 

Derek Morrison - Living the Dream 

David Towns - Ahuahu: A conservation journey in Aotearoa 

Gavin Lang - Seeking the Light

The following were Highly Commended by the judges: 

Beau Miles - The Backyard Adventurer 

Robbie Burton - Bushline 

Jeff Smoot - All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing 

Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor - A Diver's Guide to the World: Remarkable Dive Travel Destinations Above and Beneath the Surface 

PHOTOS: Supplied