17 cimas. Viaje a la cumbre más alta de cada comunidad (17 Peaks: A Trip to the Highest Summit in Each Autonomous Community) is not just a book about climbing; it is also about impressions and feelings. It's a book to be savoured", said journalist and writer Héctor Oliva. In other words, it is a book that lets readers contemplate, breathe, stretch or lie down and look at the stars. The result of seventeen climbs, the book began two years ago, when he talked to his wife about the project. “At least she didn't say no", Oliva said in the presentation. "She ended up doing seven of the climbs with me".
"I'm more of a traveller than a climber", explained Oliva and, for that reason, it was not always easy to reach the peaks. “So if I can do it, many more people can do it too", he said.
Meteorologist Dani Ramírez, weatherman, climber and, like professor Oliva, also from Terrassa, emphasized the desire of the book to bring the mountains closer to people while warning of their risks. “Today, certain sports become trendy", he explained, "which makes a lot of people think they can climb mountains. But they aren't always careful. And we're seeing a lot of what we call the Kilian Jornet effect, given the popularity and success of this athlete, in which people are getting themselves into extreme situations in the mountains”.
During the event, Pepa Igartua, the Secretary of the Management Board of the CEC, made special mention of another meteorologist from Televisió de Catalunya, Toni Nadal, who died while mountain climbing.
The book was published by Librooks and the foreword was written by Edurne Pasaban, the first woman to climb the fourteen peaks in the world over 8000 metres high. Héctor Oliva is also the author of Pasajes en América and Veinte historias de la Barcelona americana y una pregunta descarada. He closed the event by expressing his belief in the sanctity of the mountains. "They are solid, immobile, quiet and deliberate, far from our usual habitat characterized by its frenetic pace, cold relationships and excessive individualism", he said.
