Sunday, February 22, 2009

ADVENTURE READING

Here's a National Geographic Adventure magazine list of the 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time.

I feel really educated and worldly because I've actually read two of them:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (#9 on the list!) about a fatal climb of Mt. Everest and the factors contributing to the disaster.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger about the loss of Gloucester swordfishing boat Andrea Gail in the north Atlantic triple-storm of 1991.

I would like to nominate two others:
Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage. A young woman's account of her 2-year journey with her husband, around the world on bicycles. One of my favorite reads ever. The author, however, never got to see it in print. As the book was going to press, Barbara was killed in a cycling accident while training for a triathlon. This information is provided in the text on the back of the book, so I'm not giving away anything.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. Utah climber's harrowing story of being imprisoned in a canyon for 6 days, his arm pinned by a rock to a canyon wall, and his hair-raising account of how he finally freed himself. I remember hearing about that one on the news when it happened.

And my favorite account of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike by a woman:
Walking Home by Kelly Winters. She describes in dreamy, poetic prose the life trauma and confusion that led to her hike, and her journey to finding herself on the way to Maine.

Anyone care to cast a vote on their favorite true adventure book?

3 comments:

forever lost said...

oh walking home sounds really good. I read Not over the Hill but into the woods (I think that is the title LOL) about all the women hikers that hit the long trail after the age of 50. The first female to thru hike on AT was 60!

My contact info:
krze24@aol.com
And OMG I am thankful for someone that can relate! :)

Steve said...

Two books started me off and I still remember them. "The Long Green Tunnel" about an early AT thru-hike. I read that long ago when I was in grade school. I didn't get to hike the AT when I was 40 years old, but I started wanting to.
The other one that still rings is "A Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins. Jenkins started from Alfred, NY. That is only 30 miles away. He walked the year I graduated high school. I've read the book several times. I haven't yet done a cross country walk, but I will.

Steve

Anonymous said...

An interesting list. Thanks for the link. I've read
Miles from Nowhere
Out of Africa
Alive
Full Tilt: From Ireland to India by Bicycle - My favorite of the bunch but anything by Dervla Muphy is well worth your time. She's a true adventurer!

Peter Jenkins, Across America kindled my fascination for traveling slowly.
Here's some other books you would enjoy:
At the End of the Pavement - Erika Warmbraun (Solo Bicycle trip from Russia to Vietnam)
Tales of a Female Nomad - Rita golden Geldman (She gets around!)
Tracks - Robyn Davidson (crossing the Australian outback by camel)
and lest I seem sexist
The Longest Walk - George Meekan (Walking from the tip of S. American to Alaska)

I'll have to check out Walking Home.

Brocolli drying commencing tomorrow. :-)