Book excerpt: People travel from all over the world to stand on the summit of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Miles of rugged granitic terrain, blue-green lakes, snowfields and impressive knife-edge ridges are just some of the awesome vistas awaiting those who make it to the top. Author Peter Croft (The Good, The Great and The Awesome), winner of the American Alpine Club?s Underhill Award is considered one of the best alpine climbers in the world today. The Eastern Sierra resident has done numerous first free ascents and created the mountaineering sport of "traverses and link-ups" where in one day he?ll ascend and traverse several summits. Croft's climbing resume includes:First free ascent of University Wall V 5.12, Squamish (1982); First free solo of the Rostrum V 5.11, Yosemite (1985); First traverse of the Waddington range (1985); First one-day link-up of the Nose of El Capitan and Half Dome, Yosemite (1986); First free solo of Astroman V 5.11 (1987); First free solo link-up of Astroman and the Rostrum (1987); First free ascent of the Shadow V 5.13, onsight of crux pitch (1988); First free ascent of Moonlight Buttress V 5.12d/13a (1991); First one-day link-up of the Nose and Salathe routes on El Capitan, Yosemite (1992); First solo and one-day Minaret Traverse, the Sierras (1992); First ascent of Sponsar Brakk via 8,000-ft. rock route VI 5.11, Pakistan (1998); First ascent of the Evolution Traverse, the Sierras (2000); First ascent of Airstream, High Sierra