Charles R. “Butch” Farabee

Big Walls, Swift Waters takes you on search and rescue missions in one of the most beautiful places on earth, with some of the most dedicated SAR members.

Farabee does an excellent job combining real-life stories and interesting facts, weaving in as much information on Yosemite Search and Rescue as possible. At times, the book looks almost like an excellently written and organized textbook, however instead of boring, like many textbooks are, this one is beyond exciting – at least if you have the slightest interest in search and rescue or if you’ve ever wondered how an injured hiker gets off the top of Nevada Falls.

I personally keep coming back to the book to read certain passages over and over again. Big Walls, Swift Waters basically reads itself and I’ve gotten much more from it than I thought I was going to when I picked it up in a store in Yosemite. It’s basically the coffee-table book for every search-and-rescue/outdoor enthusiast!