Characters:
The story revolves almost entirely around Mori with almost all other characters presenting themselves as challenges that he must struggle with and over come. Though Mori does meet some good people throughout his life with some genuinely touching scenes that really express how strong and weak Mori is.

Art:
The art in this series is quite simply, astonishingly good. The way the author draws everything from Mori’s exhausted and frostbitten face to the beautiful sight of the K2 mountain the art would only be comparable to series such as Berserk and Vagabond. The art also works very effectively with the symbolism in the series, quite effectively distinguishing reality from symbolic scenes or gestures in most cases.

Conclusion:
Kokou no Hito (The Climber) is by no means an easy read but it is an important one. The art is stunning and the story is gripping and although not flawless I would highly recommend this series.

Unfortunately the series is not currently available in physical format in english but there are several sources to read online.

Rating: 9/10