As an expert mountaineer (armchair), I always appreciate it when the mountains are brought to a nearby museum and café. In this case, Preston Park Museum is playing host to ‘Savage Arena’ a small but moving exhibition celebrating the legacy of Joe Tasker – mountaineer, writer, pioneer.

Joe was born and brought up in Teesside, catching the climbing bug with early experiences at Ushaw College. Mountain literature also played an important role in inspiring the young Joe – ‘The Climb up to Hell’ by Jack Olsen, ‘The White Spider’ by Heinrich Harrer are some of the examples he cites.

After successfully completing first ascents on some of the world’s highest mountains – Kangchenjunga, Changabang, Kongur – he disappeared on the North-East Ridge of Everest on 17 May 1982 with his cherished climbing partner, Peter Boardman.

‘In some ways, going to the mountains is incomprehensible to many people and inexplicable by those who go. The reasons are difficult to unearth and only with those who are similarly drawn is there no need to try and explain.‘ Joe Tasker

The exhibition rightly celebrates the brilliance of the mountaineer, but also, beautifully, weaves into its narrative the wider human element of the man – his family, his home, and most movingly, the tributes of both mother and father to their lost son and his desire to climb above the clouds.

I wonder how I would react if my precious daughter told me she was going to the mountains. On the one hand, I would be overjoyed she was choosing an adventurous life pursuing her goals and dreams but… I would be terrified and a screaming wreck inside. In all ventures, it’s rarely then just the protagonist who goes on a journey but also the many mums, dads and the ones who love at home.

In researching this blog post, almost as an answer to the question above, I came across ‘Fragile Edge’ by Maria Coffey, the girlfriend of Joe Tasker, who writes about the grief following the disappearance of Joe.

So, adding to the book pile by the bed are ‘Savage Arena’ and ”Everest, The Cruel Way’ by Joe Tasker. ‘The Shining Mountain’ and ‘Sacred Summits’ by Peter Boardman. These four books are lauded by the climbing community as some of the most moving texts describing the job, pain and sacrifice of high-altitude writing. And while I’m itching to get started on the adventure, I think I’ll start with  ‘Fragile Edge’ by Maria Coffey to explore the lesser seen side of adventure – the ones who are left behind.

I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Savage Arena exhibition at Preston Park Museum & Grounds, Yarm Road, Stockon on Tees, TS18 3RH.

It’s on from 27 March 2018 to 24 June 2018 – 10am to 4pm. Free entry with museum admission. £2.50, Child/Concession £1.50, Family Ticket (2A + 4C) £5 (once you have paid you can enjoy unlimited visits for a year).

Visiting with the toddlers – ‘OK, reading exhibition boards and toddlers don’t really mix. But, if you can go with a friend or partner, the Museum has a fab playground, amazing outdoor street to explore and huge walled garden so you can take turns to explore the exhibition. However, if you’re on your own – you could take books, toys or colouring books, snacks – the exhibition is in one room divided into two sections, so little one can sit in the middle with their bits and bobs safely in sight in the larger section. My little one enjoyed watching the short home videos on the display and colouring in some sheets (kindly provided in the next room by the Museum). I didn’t really have time to read the folder of media cuttings but managed to get round all the main displays before a boredom meltdown and an incident involving lift doors and jamming (due to pressing the button too many times…sorry curator!)’