You might have seen part 1 of this article, where I wrote about some of my favourite books on adventurers
who chose to travel to faraway lands, not by car, motorcycle, boat or airplane
but on their own two legs. Exhibiting incredible courage, endurance and sheer
determination, they walked distances – and in some cases the kind of terrain –
that most would think twice about before setting off in motorised transport,
let alone walk. So, here are some more books that are in a similar vein. More
walking, more adventures, more tales of incredible resolve and courage.
A Walk in the Woods
by Bill Bryson
‘Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail (AT), which stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine, through some of the most arresting and celebrated landscapes in America. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes, and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘For a start there’s the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz’s overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America’s last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods has become a modern classic of travel literature,’ it adds.
For anyone who thinks this may have been just a walk in the park, consider what Bryson has to say about it: The woods were full of peril – rattlesnakes and water moccasins and nests of copperheads; bobcats, bears, coyotes, wolves and wild boar; rabies-crazed skunks, raccoons and squirrels; merciless fire ants and ravening blackfly; poison ivy, poison sumac, poison salamanders…’ I could go on but you get the idea. ‘When he gets through being scared, Bryson entertains you with the history of the trail, the hell of the early going when he and his partner were not yet conditioned, the quirky characters they met, the geology, biology, ecology of the terrain, and jokes. You turn the pages not knowing what’s around the next bend,’ says The New York Times. ‘Bryson is at his lyrical best, writing with such ease that often you don’t feel as though you’re reading at all. And over many hundreds of miles, he fills his time on the trail reflecting on America’s impact on the natural world, presenting a warts-and-all story of underfunding, ecological mismanagement and gross overdevelopment, sandwiched pleasantly between snatches of hilarity,’ adds The Times.
A Walk in the Woods is available on Amazon
by Bill Bryson
‘Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail (AT), which stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine, through some of the most arresting and celebrated landscapes in America. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes, and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘For a start there’s the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz’s overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America’s last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods has become a modern classic of travel literature,’ it adds.
For anyone who thinks this may have been just a walk in the park, consider what Bryson has to say about it: The woods were full of peril – rattlesnakes and water moccasins and nests of copperheads; bobcats, bears, coyotes, wolves and wild boar; rabies-crazed skunks, raccoons and squirrels; merciless fire ants and ravening blackfly; poison ivy, poison sumac, poison salamanders…’ I could go on but you get the idea. ‘When he gets through being scared, Bryson entertains you with the history of the trail, the hell of the early going when he and his partner were not yet conditioned, the quirky characters they met, the geology, biology, ecology of the terrain, and jokes. You turn the pages not knowing what’s around the next bend,’ says The New York Times. ‘Bryson is at his lyrical best, writing with such ease that often you don’t feel as though you’re reading at all. And over many hundreds of miles, he fills his time on the trail reflecting on America’s impact on the natural world, presenting a warts-and-all story of underfunding, ecological mismanagement and gross overdevelopment, sandwiched pleasantly between snatches of hilarity,’ adds The Times.
A Walk in the Woods is available on Amazon
Walking the Himalayas
by Levison Wood
‘Levison Wood’s most challenging expedition yet begins along the Silk Road route of Afghanistan and travels through five countries. Following in the footsteps of the great explorers, Levison walks the entire length of the Himalayas in an adventure of survival and endurance. A personal story of discovery, Levison forges strong bonds with local guides, porters, mountain men, soldiers, farmers, smugglers and shepherds. By travelling on foot, and following the same footpaths that locals use, he uncovers stories that might otherwise remain hidden. Along the way he also reveals the history of the Himalayas and two millennia of exploration, and examines a continent in crisis in the 21st century,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Packed with action and emotion, more than anything Walking the Himalayas is a story of personal adventure and striving beyond the limits of convention,’ it adds.
‘It was Kipling’s short stories that had first inspired my teenage fascination with Britain’s colonial past, especially her involvement in the Indian subcontinent and the high mountain passes that led to the interior of Asia,’ the author says, which partly explains why he chose to go for a stroll (!) in the Himalayas. ‘Walking the Himalayas is an engaging and ambitious book [and] Wood has an easy and engaging voice. The narrative races along, and especially fun are Wood’s encounters with the shamanism of the region, ranging from a village shaman in Pakistan, an Aghori sadhu in India and a Tibetan monk in Bhutan who literally rolls the dice to tell Wood’s fate,’ says Outlook Traveller. ‘Woods narrowly escapes an avalanche; later he breaks his arm going over a cliff in a cab; and then there’s the time he’s forced to navigate the minefields around the politically unstable Line of Control (LAC), which divides the Pakistani and Indian regions of Kashmir. Walking the Himalayas is every bit as outlandish as its predecessor, Walking the Nile’ says Men’s Journal.
Walking the Himalayas is available on Amazon
by Levison Wood
‘Levison Wood’s most challenging expedition yet begins along the Silk Road route of Afghanistan and travels through five countries. Following in the footsteps of the great explorers, Levison walks the entire length of the Himalayas in an adventure of survival and endurance. A personal story of discovery, Levison forges strong bonds with local guides, porters, mountain men, soldiers, farmers, smugglers and shepherds. By travelling on foot, and following the same footpaths that locals use, he uncovers stories that might otherwise remain hidden. Along the way he also reveals the history of the Himalayas and two millennia of exploration, and examines a continent in crisis in the 21st century,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Packed with action and emotion, more than anything Walking the Himalayas is a story of personal adventure and striving beyond the limits of convention,’ it adds.
‘It was Kipling’s short stories that had first inspired my teenage fascination with Britain’s colonial past, especially her involvement in the Indian subcontinent and the high mountain passes that led to the interior of Asia,’ the author says, which partly explains why he chose to go for a stroll (!) in the Himalayas. ‘Walking the Himalayas is an engaging and ambitious book [and] Wood has an easy and engaging voice. The narrative races along, and especially fun are Wood’s encounters with the shamanism of the region, ranging from a village shaman in Pakistan, an Aghori sadhu in India and a Tibetan monk in Bhutan who literally rolls the dice to tell Wood’s fate,’ says Outlook Traveller. ‘Woods narrowly escapes an avalanche; later he breaks his arm going over a cliff in a cab; and then there’s the time he’s forced to navigate the minefields around the politically unstable Line of Control (LAC), which divides the Pakistani and Indian regions of Kashmir. Walking the Himalayas is every bit as outlandish as its predecessor, Walking the Nile’ says Men’s Journal.
Walking the Himalayas is available on Amazon
The Gypsy in Me
by Ted Simon
‘The author details his 1,500-mile journey through Germany, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, offering a personal look at Eastern Europe in the throes of change, from the German homeland of his mother to the birthplace of his Romanian-Jewish father,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Covering much of the trip on foot, Simon gets an up close and personal entrée into the lives of those around him. In the former East Germany, he stays with a family longing for the lost security of Communism, in Russia he finds himself beset by entrepreneurs eager to do business American style. He befriends a Russian colonel and his family who are struggling to keep up propriety and comfort when the economy is so bad they have to grow their own food. In Ukraine, he is adopted by a rural family and welcomed with a heart-warming orthodox Church service. In Romania, he is intrigued by the gypsy culture and he miraculously locates a man who knew his grandfather and gives him clues to his family’s past,’ it adds.
‘In this affecting travel memoir, Simon pursues both a component of his own history and a vision of post-Soviet eastern Europe circa 1994. The book is lush with personality and anecdote on subjects ranging from the author’s shrewd reading of the nature of life behind the now vanished Iron Curtain to eastern European youth’s tangible sense of self-worth in the face of drastic economic decline and hardship. His story shines with an understated brilliance,’ says Kirkus. ‘Simon conveys the sense of dislocation felt by most of the Central Europeans he encountered who have lost whatever small security they enjoyed under Communism, who still must queue to buy food and rent out rooms in their cramped homes. This is a sombre book that makes the reader ponder, along with Simon, how much can be stripped from life before it becomes intolerable,’ adds Publishers Weekly.
Author Ted Simon is, incidentally, better known for his other books, Jupiter’s Travels and Dreaming of Jupiter, both of which are seminal works in the motorcycle adventure-travel genre.
The Gypsy in Me is available on Amazon
by Ted Simon
‘The author details his 1,500-mile journey through Germany, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, offering a personal look at Eastern Europe in the throes of change, from the German homeland of his mother to the birthplace of his Romanian-Jewish father,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘Covering much of the trip on foot, Simon gets an up close and personal entrée into the lives of those around him. In the former East Germany, he stays with a family longing for the lost security of Communism, in Russia he finds himself beset by entrepreneurs eager to do business American style. He befriends a Russian colonel and his family who are struggling to keep up propriety and comfort when the economy is so bad they have to grow their own food. In Ukraine, he is adopted by a rural family and welcomed with a heart-warming orthodox Church service. In Romania, he is intrigued by the gypsy culture and he miraculously locates a man who knew his grandfather and gives him clues to his family’s past,’ it adds.
‘In this affecting travel memoir, Simon pursues both a component of his own history and a vision of post-Soviet eastern Europe circa 1994. The book is lush with personality and anecdote on subjects ranging from the author’s shrewd reading of the nature of life behind the now vanished Iron Curtain to eastern European youth’s tangible sense of self-worth in the face of drastic economic decline and hardship. His story shines with an understated brilliance,’ says Kirkus. ‘Simon conveys the sense of dislocation felt by most of the Central Europeans he encountered who have lost whatever small security they enjoyed under Communism, who still must queue to buy food and rent out rooms in their cramped homes. This is a sombre book that makes the reader ponder, along with Simon, how much can be stripped from life before it becomes intolerable,’ adds Publishers Weekly.
Author Ted Simon is, incidentally, better known for his other books, Jupiter’s Travels and Dreaming of Jupiter, both of which are seminal works in the motorcycle adventure-travel genre.
The Gypsy in Me is available on Amazon
Call of the White
by Felicity Aston
‘Could you ski to the South Pole? That was the challenge that British Adventurer, Felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the South Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but ‘ordinary’ women who wanted inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives. She received more than 800 applications and embarked on a three-month journey around the world to interview candidates. ‘What is skiing?’ was the question that greeted her in Ghana,’ says the publisher’s note.
‘At the close of 2009, Felicity led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus – some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition – on a 900km skiing trek across the Antarctic, one of the toughest and most notoriously hazardous journeys on the planet. 80-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp; frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence; deadly crevasses emerged from the cracking ice beneath their feet. But they also shared beliefs, ideas, philosophies and laughter, made lasting memories and broke no less than six world records,’ it adds.
‘What difference can eight people skiing across an icy, uninhabited continent make to the world? I believe that the answer is: plenty. Only eight women from a Commonwealth of nations that represents more than two billion people will physically make the journey to the South Pole, but many thousands more will join the team in spirit, lending support, willing them forward and following their progress across Antarctica. If the people with whom we share our experiences are inspired to follow their dreams or make just one change for the better in their lives, the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition becomes much more than just an adventure; it becomes a force for change, and that is the exciting part,’ the author says in her introduction to the book.
Call of the White is available on Amazon
by Felicity Aston
‘Could you ski to the South Pole? That was the challenge that British Adventurer, Felicity Aston put to women from around the Commonwealth as she set out to create the most international all-female expedition ever to the South Pole. The team would not be experienced explorers but ‘ordinary’ women who wanted inspire others to follow their dreams or make a change for the better in their lives. She received more than 800 applications and embarked on a three-month journey around the world to interview candidates. ‘What is skiing?’ was the question that greeted her in Ghana,’ says the publisher’s note.
‘At the close of 2009, Felicity led a team from places as diverse as Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus – some of whom had never even seen snow or spent the night in a tent before joining the expedition – on a 900km skiing trek across the Antarctic, one of the toughest and most notoriously hazardous journeys on the planet. 80-mile-an-hour winds ripped through base camp; frostbite and injuries were an everyday occurrence; deadly crevasses emerged from the cracking ice beneath their feet. But they also shared beliefs, ideas, philosophies and laughter, made lasting memories and broke no less than six world records,’ it adds.
‘What difference can eight people skiing across an icy, uninhabited continent make to the world? I believe that the answer is: plenty. Only eight women from a Commonwealth of nations that represents more than two billion people will physically make the journey to the South Pole, but many thousands more will join the team in spirit, lending support, willing them forward and following their progress across Antarctica. If the people with whom we share our experiences are inspired to follow their dreams or make just one change for the better in their lives, the Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition becomes much more than just an adventure; it becomes a force for change, and that is the exciting part,’ the author says in her introduction to the book.
Call of the White is available on Amazon
The Pants of Perspective
by Anna McNuff
‘When I ran, I ran for pleasure. I didn’t run for times, to win, to impress: I ran for me. When I ran my bum cheeks rubbed together, so much so that if I was going on a long run I’d have to ‘lube up’. I maintained that I was not a ‘real’ runner – I just liked to run so that I could eat cake,’ says McNuff. ‘Anna was never anything like those ‘real’ runners on telly – all spindly limbs, tiny shorts and split times – but when she read about New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometre-long Te Araroa Trail, she began to wonder… perhaps being a ‘real’ runner was overrated. Maybe she could just run it anyway? Travelling alone through New Zealand’s backcountry for 148 days, she scrambled through forests, along ridge-lines, over mountain passes, along beaches and across swollen rivers. Running up to 52 kilometres in a day, she slept wild most nights, and was taken into the homes and hearts of the kiwi people in between,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘The Pants of Perspective is a witty, colourful and at times painfully raw account of a journey to the edge of what a woman believes herself to be capable of. It is a coming-of-age story which will lead you on a roller coaster ride through fear, vulnerability, courage and failure. For anyone who has ever dreamt of taking on a great challenge, but felt too afraid to begin – this story is for you,’ it adds.
‘Growing up in the McNuff household, life was never dull. I was raised in an environment where I was told I could be anything I wanted to be, if I just tried. Being the middle sibling between two brothers, I quickly learnt that in order to get along in life, I must simply do what the boys did. And I could do it better than them, faster than them, last longer than them, then that earned me something called respect. And I liked respect. I liked how it felt. So that’s just what I did. I did things as hard and fast and for as long as I could,’ says McNuff, which perhaps partly explains why she chose to run across New Zealand. ‘When I’m on an adventure, two things keep me going. One is that everything will feel different in a mile / an hour / a day. So long as I can see out the rough patch – I know I’ll find my mojo again. When I sprained my ankle in the middle of the NZ bush, I was alone and frightened but I knew if I could just make it through the next 48 hours, things would look up. I applied that philosophy to the whole NZ run actually. I broke every day down into one-hour chunks. I only focused on that hour, nothing beyond it. When you break the task down into small chunks, and take a reality check on what is actually happening vs. what your brain is telling you could happen, then you realise how much stronger you are than it. And that’s when you find the strength to kick some serious ass,’ she says, speaking to Responsible Travel.
The Pants of Perspective is available on Amazon
by Anna McNuff
‘When I ran, I ran for pleasure. I didn’t run for times, to win, to impress: I ran for me. When I ran my bum cheeks rubbed together, so much so that if I was going on a long run I’d have to ‘lube up’. I maintained that I was not a ‘real’ runner – I just liked to run so that I could eat cake,’ says McNuff. ‘Anna was never anything like those ‘real’ runners on telly – all spindly limbs, tiny shorts and split times – but when she read about New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometre-long Te Araroa Trail, she began to wonder… perhaps being a ‘real’ runner was overrated. Maybe she could just run it anyway? Travelling alone through New Zealand’s backcountry for 148 days, she scrambled through forests, along ridge-lines, over mountain passes, along beaches and across swollen rivers. Running up to 52 kilometres in a day, she slept wild most nights, and was taken into the homes and hearts of the kiwi people in between,’ says the publisher’s note. ‘The Pants of Perspective is a witty, colourful and at times painfully raw account of a journey to the edge of what a woman believes herself to be capable of. It is a coming-of-age story which will lead you on a roller coaster ride through fear, vulnerability, courage and failure. For anyone who has ever dreamt of taking on a great challenge, but felt too afraid to begin – this story is for you,’ it adds.
‘Growing up in the McNuff household, life was never dull. I was raised in an environment where I was told I could be anything I wanted to be, if I just tried. Being the middle sibling between two brothers, I quickly learnt that in order to get along in life, I must simply do what the boys did. And I could do it better than them, faster than them, last longer than them, then that earned me something called respect. And I liked respect. I liked how it felt. So that’s just what I did. I did things as hard and fast and for as long as I could,’ says McNuff, which perhaps partly explains why she chose to run across New Zealand. ‘When I’m on an adventure, two things keep me going. One is that everything will feel different in a mile / an hour / a day. So long as I can see out the rough patch – I know I’ll find my mojo again. When I sprained my ankle in the middle of the NZ bush, I was alone and frightened but I knew if I could just make it through the next 48 hours, things would look up. I applied that philosophy to the whole NZ run actually. I broke every day down into one-hour chunks. I only focused on that hour, nothing beyond it. When you break the task down into small chunks, and take a reality check on what is actually happening vs. what your brain is telling you could happen, then you realise how much stronger you are than it. And that’s when you find the strength to kick some serious ass,’ she says, speaking to Responsible Travel.
The Pants of Perspective is available on Amazon
Walking the Americas
by Levison Wood
‘Walking the Americas chronicles Levison Wood’s 1,800-mile trek along the spine of the Americas, through eight countries, from Mexico to Colombia, experiencing some of the world’s most diverse, beautiful and unpredictable places. His journey took him from violent and dangerous cities to ancient Mayan ruins lying still unexplored in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala. He encountered members of indigenous tribes, migrants heading towards the US border and proud Nicaraguan revolutionaries on his travels, where at the end of it all, he attempted to cross one of the most impenetrable borders on earth: the Darién Gap route from Panama into South America. This trek required every ounce of Levison Wood’s guile, tact, strength and resilience in one of the most raw, real and exciting journeys of his life. Both thrilling and emotional, Walking the Americas is the story of a very personal journey, about endurance, empathy and challenging yourself to be the best that you can be,’ says the publisher’s note.
‘This is solely a journey through Central America. Mexico to the Darién, bringing out a little bit of the past along the way. The book doesn’t intend to present a comprehensive geo-political narrative, nor does it pretend to cover the vast history of this complex and often misunderstood region. It is, instead, a tale of adventure in the modern age,’ the authors says in his introduction to the book. ‘British explorer Wood narrates another formidable trek, this time his travels across Central America, a journey that spans eight countries and includes the harrowing jungle of Panama’s Darién Gap. Wood’s subject matter is fascinating [and he offers some] historic asides and insights into the politics of the region. Fans of Wood’s previous books will certainly welcome another journey with him,’ says Publishers Weekly. ‘A jaunty glimpse into the cities and countryside of Central America from the point of view of a traveller well-equipped to compare life there to other countries around the globe. Wood excels at verbal snapshots of the differences among the countries. Readers only get tantalising glimpses into the author’s experience [but] it also makes for brisk reading,’ says Kirkus.
Walking the Americas is available on Amazon
Also see Part 1 of this article
by Levison Wood
‘Walking the Americas chronicles Levison Wood’s 1,800-mile trek along the spine of the Americas, through eight countries, from Mexico to Colombia, experiencing some of the world’s most diverse, beautiful and unpredictable places. His journey took him from violent and dangerous cities to ancient Mayan ruins lying still unexplored in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala. He encountered members of indigenous tribes, migrants heading towards the US border and proud Nicaraguan revolutionaries on his travels, where at the end of it all, he attempted to cross one of the most impenetrable borders on earth: the Darién Gap route from Panama into South America. This trek required every ounce of Levison Wood’s guile, tact, strength and resilience in one of the most raw, real and exciting journeys of his life. Both thrilling and emotional, Walking the Americas is the story of a very personal journey, about endurance, empathy and challenging yourself to be the best that you can be,’ says the publisher’s note.
‘This is solely a journey through Central America. Mexico to the Darién, bringing out a little bit of the past along the way. The book doesn’t intend to present a comprehensive geo-political narrative, nor does it pretend to cover the vast history of this complex and often misunderstood region. It is, instead, a tale of adventure in the modern age,’ the authors says in his introduction to the book. ‘British explorer Wood narrates another formidable trek, this time his travels across Central America, a journey that spans eight countries and includes the harrowing jungle of Panama’s Darién Gap. Wood’s subject matter is fascinating [and he offers some] historic asides and insights into the politics of the region. Fans of Wood’s previous books will certainly welcome another journey with him,’ says Publishers Weekly. ‘A jaunty glimpse into the cities and countryside of Central America from the point of view of a traveller well-equipped to compare life there to other countries around the globe. Wood excels at verbal snapshots of the differences among the countries. Readers only get tantalising glimpses into the author’s experience [but] it also makes for brisk reading,’ says Kirkus.
Walking the Americas is available on Amazon
Also see Part 1 of this article
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