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Quest for Adventure: Remarkable feats of exploration and adventure
Quest for Adventure is a collection of stories written by Sir Chris Bonington looking at the adventurous impulse which has driven men and women to achieve the impossible in the face of Earth’s elements: crossing its oceans, deserts and poles; canoeing its rivers; climbing its mountains, and descending into its caves.
Bonington selects seventeen of the most thrilling expeditions and adventures of the mid-late twentieth century, uncovering the common thread that drives men and women to achieve the impossible. Following a new preface, he charts such outstanding achievements as Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki voyage across the Pacific Ocean; Francis Chichester’s round-the-world tour in his boat Gipsy Moth IV; the race for the first non-stop circumnavigation of the globe under sail; and Ice Bird’s sail around Antarctica.
Away from the ocean, the travels of one of the world’s most outstanding desert explorers, Wilfred Thesiger, are detailed, journeying through what is menacingly called the Empty Quarter. Bonington returns to familiar ground as he writes about some exceptional mountain adventures, including the 1970 ascent of the South Face of Annapurna; Hillary and Tenzing’s first ascent of Everest; Reinhold and Gunther Messner on Nanga Parbat; Andy Cave’s triumph and tragedy on Changabang; and the Warren-Harding-led first ascent of The Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite. Wally Herbert’s team crossing of the Arctic Ocean and the equally gruelling Fuchs/Hillary crossing of Antarctica are written about in detail.
More recent adventures include the race to make the first circumnavigation of the globe by balloon – a high-stakes race with a high-profile cast, including Richard Branson and Steve Fossett. Quest for Adventure concludes with an account of the cave diving epic the Dead Man’s Handshake, leaving the reader with a chill in their spine and an appreciation for the natural wonders below the Earth’s surface.
Bonington’s eloquent writing on a subject in which he is a passionate authority makes for a highly engrossing read for adventurers and armchair explorers alike.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
12 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bonington
110 books35 followersChris Bonington was educated at University College School, London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He was commissioned in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1956. He spent three years in North Germany in command of a troop of tanks and then two years at the Army Outward Bound School as a mountaineering instructor.It was during this period that he started climbing in the Alps, making the first British ascent of the South West Pillar of the Drus in 1958 and then the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 with Don Whillans, Ian Clough and the Pole, Jan Dlugosz. At that time this was one of the most difficult climbs in the Alps and even today is considered one of the great classics of the Mont Blanc region.He made the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger in 1962.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 29, 2017
Gripping adventures - never go in for it folks; so glad I myself never overdid it ... in every (other?) chapter people die or lose fingers/toes or what have you: this is the main message I came away with from this book. The writing is swift but, to my mind, a bit messy. An O.K. read for armchair adventurers. (That warning, again: there is a fatal-car-crash-compilation clip on Youtube which has a background song going "Killed myself when I was young (bis)" - that song kept welling up in my subconscious while I was reading this book.)
May 17, 2025
Hmm. As a reference book, perhaps, or something to dip into in order to learn a little more about any of the impressive endeavours discussed within, this certainly would be recommended. Bonington here discusses a range of feats of adventure and does so in a well-researched and interesting manner. There's plenty here I found interesting, especially the chapters about the original Golden Globe Race, the conquest of Everest, roaming Arabia and descending The Blue Nile. A little too much was about climbing for my liking (I know the author is a mountaineer, but I found the chapters on each Himalaya to be much of a muchness) and maybe the book was too long to appreciate and enjoy fully, but it was broadly interesting.
I felt however that, despite Bonington attempting to discuss what makes for adventure, and what makes for the personality of an adventurer.. he never really tied this down. It was a bit of a frustration for me as a reader - I'm possibly more risk averse than some people (esp. those in this book) and hence it was a mystery to me why all these people were so compelled to put themselves through so much hardship and danger.. it didn't seem just to be about 'firsts', testing oneself, or gaining fame, and I would have perhaps liked to understand more about why.
I felt however that, despite Bonington attempting to discuss what makes for adventure, and what makes for the personality of an adventurer.. he never really tied this down. It was a bit of a frustration for me as a reader - I'm possibly more risk averse than some people (esp. those in this book) and hence it was a mystery to me why all these people were so compelled to put themselves through so much hardship and danger.. it didn't seem just to be about 'firsts', testing oneself, or gaining fame, and I would have perhaps liked to understand more about why.
March 9, 2008
I have eclectic tastes. I have always been fascinated by mountaineering.
Conquering the unconquerable is a theme that I explore all the time. The selfishness (or being in the zone) attitude or culture of mountaineers has always fascinated me.
Everest is now becoming a yak trail and as Guy Cotter who owns Adventure Consultants in NZ told me "whoever has enough money can get up Everest". We have seen the first one legged man get up the highest mountain, whats next first deaf person, first blind person, first oldest, youngest etc!
Anyway Chris Bonnington spins an interesting tale of mountain logistics and different personalities.
Conquering the unconquerable is a theme that I explore all the time. The selfishness (or being in the zone) attitude or culture of mountaineers has always fascinated me.
Everest is now becoming a yak trail and as Guy Cotter who owns Adventure Consultants in NZ told me "whoever has enough money can get up Everest". We have seen the first one legged man get up the highest mountain, whats next first deaf person, first blind person, first oldest, youngest etc!
Anyway Chris Bonnington spins an interesting tale of mountain logistics and different personalities.
May 18, 2015
I basically got this book to read the mountain climbing section before passing it on to my uncle who also loves these adventure kind of books.
Chris Bonington gives an overview of each climb and then uses the words of the climber from their published accounts to add to the story. It is not an in depth coverage of the story of each climb of course, just a hint to let you see what happens. I suggest a follow up reading list to read the full stories.
Chris Bonington gives an overview of each climb and then uses the words of the climber from their published accounts to add to the story. It is not an in depth coverage of the story of each climb of course, just a hint to let you see what happens. I suggest a follow up reading list to read the full stories.
November 20, 2017
Through most of history, humanity had no need to seek out adventure for its own sake. Adventure was a natural part of exploration, colonization, military expeditions, and commercial voyages to distant lands.
Near the end of the nineteenth century, a sea change took place. With virtually every place on the globe that held out the prospect of any sort of gain having been opened up, men began to compete simply to say they had been the first to set foot in the few remaining unvisited places.
The first widely known example of this new type of competition was the race to the North Pole. Unlike previous Arctic explorers, who hoped to find gold, new hunting grounds for whales and seals, a passage to the Orient, or whatever, explorers who sought the pole were seeking simply to reach a particular point on the map, where the scenery would be no different than any other place for hundreds of miles in every direction, and there was nothing to be brought back other than the simple experience of having been there.
After Robert Peary reached the North Pole, attention shifted to the South Pole, which soon was conquered by Roald Amundsen, while the men of Robert Falcon Scott's more amateurish expedition perished in the attempt. Mountain climbers also made the first attempts on Mount Everest, for no reason other than, as Sir Edmund Hillary famously stated after he reached the top with Tenzing Norgay, "because it's there."
This book focuses on expeditions undertaken from the end of WWII through the late 1970s, most likely because those were the ones the author was most familiar with. (The book was published in 1981.) A wide variety of efforts are included, including expeditions across oceans, deserts, and frozen wastelands, down wild rivers, and up high mountains, as well as underwater cave exploration, the first successful flight across the Atlantic by helium balloon (a personal favorite of mine), and the first moon landing.
What emerges is a picture of highly competitive men (and a few women) who sought to make a name for themselves by doing something in the outdoors that had not been done before. The competitive natures of these adventurers enabled them to achieve amazing feats of endurance, but more than a few fell into back-biting and petty jealousies when they returned to civilization. Most were not fully prepared for the challenges they faced, and more than a few probably would not have survived but for the intervention of Lady Luck (and indeed, some perished on later expeditions).
As technology and equipment gradually improved, new possibilities were opened, and the first adventurer to reach a particular objective usually did so with others, employing the same technical advances, not far behind. Then, as the relentless march of technology made formerly-impossible targets relatively easy to achieve, new adventurers sought to be the first to reach it with ever lower levels of assistance, for example, by climbing Everest without a supply column following close behind, or without bottled oxygen.
In recent years, this trend has made "firsts" seem ever more artificial. I have been waiting for someone to claim to have been the first to climb Everest with one hand tied behind his back, but that is another story.
As for myself, I enjoy outdoor experiences, but cannot identify with the competitive aspect of adventuring. Many of the men and women in this book seem to have been so fixed on being the first one to the top, or across the ocean, or whatever, that they probably didn't have enough energy left to properly appreciate the experience as it was happening.
The most admirable man in the book, in my view, was Bernard Moitessier, who was a contestant in the first solo sailboat race around the world in the late 1960s. The race began in England. The entrants sailed south to the Cape of Good Hope, then easterly across the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the "roaring forties." After rounding Cape Horn ahead of the other competitors (many of whom had been forced to drop out of the race) and with his boat still in good condition, Moitessier was in position to win the race. After sailing north past the Falkland Islands, however, Moitessier basically said "f--- it," abandoned the race, and sailed halfway around the world again to Tahiti. By showing such a fine disregard for the competition which still obsessed the rest of the world, Moitessier lost the opportunity to set the first record for solo sailing around the world. However, he probably was in Tahiti, enjoying life in paradise on his own terms, when he heard who had won the race, which no doubt made up for his "loss."
Near the end of the nineteenth century, a sea change took place. With virtually every place on the globe that held out the prospect of any sort of gain having been opened up, men began to compete simply to say they had been the first to set foot in the few remaining unvisited places.
The first widely known example of this new type of competition was the race to the North Pole. Unlike previous Arctic explorers, who hoped to find gold, new hunting grounds for whales and seals, a passage to the Orient, or whatever, explorers who sought the pole were seeking simply to reach a particular point on the map, where the scenery would be no different than any other place for hundreds of miles in every direction, and there was nothing to be brought back other than the simple experience of having been there.
After Robert Peary reached the North Pole, attention shifted to the South Pole, which soon was conquered by Roald Amundsen, while the men of Robert Falcon Scott's more amateurish expedition perished in the attempt. Mountain climbers also made the first attempts on Mount Everest, for no reason other than, as Sir Edmund Hillary famously stated after he reached the top with Tenzing Norgay, "because it's there."
This book focuses on expeditions undertaken from the end of WWII through the late 1970s, most likely because those were the ones the author was most familiar with. (The book was published in 1981.) A wide variety of efforts are included, including expeditions across oceans, deserts, and frozen wastelands, down wild rivers, and up high mountains, as well as underwater cave exploration, the first successful flight across the Atlantic by helium balloon (a personal favorite of mine), and the first moon landing.
What emerges is a picture of highly competitive men (and a few women) who sought to make a name for themselves by doing something in the outdoors that had not been done before. The competitive natures of these adventurers enabled them to achieve amazing feats of endurance, but more than a few fell into back-biting and petty jealousies when they returned to civilization. Most were not fully prepared for the challenges they faced, and more than a few probably would not have survived but for the intervention of Lady Luck (and indeed, some perished on later expeditions).
As technology and equipment gradually improved, new possibilities were opened, and the first adventurer to reach a particular objective usually did so with others, employing the same technical advances, not far behind. Then, as the relentless march of technology made formerly-impossible targets relatively easy to achieve, new adventurers sought to be the first to reach it with ever lower levels of assistance, for example, by climbing Everest without a supply column following close behind, or without bottled oxygen.
In recent years, this trend has made "firsts" seem ever more artificial. I have been waiting for someone to claim to have been the first to climb Everest with one hand tied behind his back, but that is another story.
As for myself, I enjoy outdoor experiences, but cannot identify with the competitive aspect of adventuring. Many of the men and women in this book seem to have been so fixed on being the first one to the top, or across the ocean, or whatever, that they probably didn't have enough energy left to properly appreciate the experience as it was happening.
The most admirable man in the book, in my view, was Bernard Moitessier, who was a contestant in the first solo sailboat race around the world in the late 1960s. The race began in England. The entrants sailed south to the Cape of Good Hope, then easterly across the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the "roaring forties." After rounding Cape Horn ahead of the other competitors (many of whom had been forced to drop out of the race) and with his boat still in good condition, Moitessier was in position to win the race. After sailing north past the Falkland Islands, however, Moitessier basically said "f--- it," abandoned the race, and sailed halfway around the world again to Tahiti. By showing such a fine disregard for the competition which still obsessed the rest of the world, Moitessier lost the opportunity to set the first record for solo sailing around the world. However, he probably was in Tahiti, enjoying life in paradise on his own terms, when he heard who had won the race, which no doubt made up for his "loss."
April 6, 2021
'The risk game is addictive.'
‘Quest for Adventure’ describes 17 bold expeditions: crossing oceans, flying, climbing mountains and caving. It’s definitely a fascinating read for anyone interested in the broader spectrum of adventure and exploration.
The book moves between different adventure spheres: crossing oceans to deserts to rivers, mountains, the poles, flight, and finally to caving. Perhaps inevitably given Bonington’s background, the mountaineering section is by far the longest. I felt there was quite a mix in the different expeditions captured: some of the chapters are utterly gripping, but occasionally the history of the expedition starts to feel a bit longer than necessary – particularly in the chapter discussing the first ascent of Everest. Some chapters focus solely on one expedition, and others recount several teams or attempts before eventual success. I found Bonington’s writing to be at its strongest and most empathetic when focusing just on one expedition, although of course it’s always difficult trying to cover multiple attempts succinctly.
Bonington’s extensive knowledge of planning expeditions allows for some interesting insights. He goes on the expedition to the Blue Nile himself, and in other chapters he’s able to recount conversations with members of the expedition teams. Blue Nile was one of the standout chapters for me, even though I know very little about canoeing or the skills required to explore unknown rivers. I found myself tensing up just reading it; it definitely felt like the tale of an expedition survived by sheer luck, but it’s impossible not to admire their determination and grit in continuing
despite several near misses.
The book finishes with a chapter describing Dead Man’s Handshake: the quest to link Kingsdale Master Cave with Keld Head. I always find reading about deep caves or cave diving a bit chilling, and this was definitely no exception. There’s one horrifying scene in particular which has lingered in the back of my mind ever since reading it.
The longest polar journey was another highlight, recounting an expedition run by Wally Herbert. The expedition took fifteen months(!) to complete which must make it one of the toughest expeditions in the book – almost understated by Bonington, I thought. It’s not difficult to imagine the inevitable tensions that would form within a small team over such a long period of time, even without dealing with the constant risks of the ice breaking up or attack from a polar bear.
Although most of the chapter were wholly engrossing, there were a couple which didn’t really seem to fit within the book. The climb on El Capitan and the first microlight circumnavigation of the world both seemed to lack the risk and isolation that the other chapters capture. These are both undoubtedly huge technical accomplishments, but they felt like strange inclusions compared to the complete inaccessibility of high mountains or the open ocean. The microlight account in particular felt quite slow with long discussions of complex logistics that stalled the expedition.
I still found both chapters interesting reads though, and definitely enjoyed reading about types of exploration that I’m not very familiar with.
‘Quest for Adventure’ describes 17 bold expeditions: crossing oceans, flying, climbing mountains and caving. It’s definitely a fascinating read for anyone interested in the broader spectrum of adventure and exploration.
The book moves between different adventure spheres: crossing oceans to deserts to rivers, mountains, the poles, flight, and finally to caving. Perhaps inevitably given Bonington’s background, the mountaineering section is by far the longest. I felt there was quite a mix in the different expeditions captured: some of the chapters are utterly gripping, but occasionally the history of the expedition starts to feel a bit longer than necessary – particularly in the chapter discussing the first ascent of Everest. Some chapters focus solely on one expedition, and others recount several teams or attempts before eventual success. I found Bonington’s writing to be at its strongest and most empathetic when focusing just on one expedition, although of course it’s always difficult trying to cover multiple attempts succinctly.
Bonington’s extensive knowledge of planning expeditions allows for some interesting insights. He goes on the expedition to the Blue Nile himself, and in other chapters he’s able to recount conversations with members of the expedition teams. Blue Nile was one of the standout chapters for me, even though I know very little about canoeing or the skills required to explore unknown rivers. I found myself tensing up just reading it; it definitely felt like the tale of an expedition survived by sheer luck, but it’s impossible not to admire their determination and grit in continuing
despite several near misses.
The book finishes with a chapter describing Dead Man’s Handshake: the quest to link Kingsdale Master Cave with Keld Head. I always find reading about deep caves or cave diving a bit chilling, and this was definitely no exception. There’s one horrifying scene in particular which has lingered in the back of my mind ever since reading it.
The longest polar journey was another highlight, recounting an expedition run by Wally Herbert. The expedition took fifteen months(!) to complete which must make it one of the toughest expeditions in the book – almost understated by Bonington, I thought. It’s not difficult to imagine the inevitable tensions that would form within a small team over such a long period of time, even without dealing with the constant risks of the ice breaking up or attack from a polar bear.
Although most of the chapter were wholly engrossing, there were a couple which didn’t really seem to fit within the book. The climb on El Capitan and the first microlight circumnavigation of the world both seemed to lack the risk and isolation that the other chapters capture. These are both undoubtedly huge technical accomplishments, but they felt like strange inclusions compared to the complete inaccessibility of high mountains or the open ocean. The microlight account in particular felt quite slow with long discussions of complex logistics that stalled the expedition.
I still found both chapters interesting reads though, and definitely enjoyed reading about types of exploration that I’m not very familiar with.
January 5, 2020
Seconda edizione di un libro scritto nei primi anni Ottanta in cui l’autore raccoglie le imprese avventurose di maggior impatto avvenute nella seconda metà del secolo scorso.
Chris Bonington, non solo un avventuriero ma un avventuriero britannico (sente cioè un grande orgoglio ed esempio tra gli esploratori della storia del suo paese) dà innanzi tutto una sua definizione di avventura: essa deve implicare un viaggio, uno sforzo prolungato in cui ci siano degli elementi di rischio e di ignoto che devono essere superati dalle capacità fisiche dell’individuo in azione. Questa persona deve aver scelto spontaneamente di cimentarsi nell’impresa la quale poi non deve costituire una minaccia per nessun altro tranne che il protagonista.
Successivamente il giornalista spiega di voler anche confrontare le diverse imprese analizzate, che coinvolgono diverse discipline, per vedere se c’era un pattern comune. Spiega inoltre come la scoperta dell’ignoto geografico corrisponda ad una grande curiosità di conoscenza di sé stesso da parte dell’Uomo e lo dimostra illustrando quanto scienza e scoperte geografiche sono andate da sempre a braccetto.
Infine spiega il perché della scelta del periodo: la seconda metà del secolo scorso da una parte ha visto un boom nello sviluppo tecnologico a tutto tondo (e quindi anche nuove possibilità di sostegno e soccorso dei vari avventurieri) dall’altra ha conosciuto sempre più “prime”: il primo uomo sulla Luna, il primo uomo sulla montagna più alta della Terra e così via. Ora, cosa poteva restare all’Uomo ancora da conoscere?
Bonington coinvolge il lettore in ben diciassette imprese: quattro sugli oceani (Kon-Tiki; la prima circumnavigazione del globo in solitaria; la prima gara di circumnavigazione del globo in solitaria; la prima circumnavigazione dell’Antartide); una nel deserto (la prima attraversata dell’Arabia Saudita); una sul Nilo (due tentativi separati nel tempo di discesa in canoa – Bonington ha partecipato alla prima); sei in montagna (Annapurna e la vittoria francese; Everest e Edmund Hillary e Tenzing Norgay; parete sud dell’Annapurna – spedizione diretta da Bonington; Nanga Parbat: Messner in solitaria; la storia dell’ascesa a de El Capitan, Yosemite; Changabang); due ai poli (l’attraversata dell’antartica – Fuchs vs Hillary; la traversata del Polo Nord – Wally Herbert); due in cielo (la prima circumnavigazione aerea del globo in pallone – tra i vari che hanno tentato c’era anche Robert Branson, di Virgin; la prima circumnaviagazione aera con microlight); una in cave diving.
Per tutte sa usare le parole giuste per far arrivare il lettore sul posto e famigliarizzarlo con l’impresa (acutamente scritta sempre in un numero di pagine che la rende leggibile in una volta sola, senza doversi interrompere); sa toccare diversi livelli emotivi (eccelle nell’adrenalina, decisamente meno efficace a livello empatico ma pur tuttavia riesce anche a generare una certa commozione, quando necessario) e trae delle interessanti riflessioni sia personali che di analisi dell’Uomo in relazione alla Scoperta.
Chris Bonington, non solo un avventuriero ma un avventuriero britannico (sente cioè un grande orgoglio ed esempio tra gli esploratori della storia del suo paese) dà innanzi tutto una sua definizione di avventura: essa deve implicare un viaggio, uno sforzo prolungato in cui ci siano degli elementi di rischio e di ignoto che devono essere superati dalle capacità fisiche dell’individuo in azione. Questa persona deve aver scelto spontaneamente di cimentarsi nell’impresa la quale poi non deve costituire una minaccia per nessun altro tranne che il protagonista.
Successivamente il giornalista spiega di voler anche confrontare le diverse imprese analizzate, che coinvolgono diverse discipline, per vedere se c’era un pattern comune. Spiega inoltre come la scoperta dell’ignoto geografico corrisponda ad una grande curiosità di conoscenza di sé stesso da parte dell’Uomo e lo dimostra illustrando quanto scienza e scoperte geografiche sono andate da sempre a braccetto.
Infine spiega il perché della scelta del periodo: la seconda metà del secolo scorso da una parte ha visto un boom nello sviluppo tecnologico a tutto tondo (e quindi anche nuove possibilità di sostegno e soccorso dei vari avventurieri) dall’altra ha conosciuto sempre più “prime”: il primo uomo sulla Luna, il primo uomo sulla montagna più alta della Terra e così via. Ora, cosa poteva restare all’Uomo ancora da conoscere?
Bonington coinvolge il lettore in ben diciassette imprese: quattro sugli oceani (Kon-Tiki; la prima circumnavigazione del globo in solitaria; la prima gara di circumnavigazione del globo in solitaria; la prima circumnavigazione dell’Antartide); una nel deserto (la prima attraversata dell’Arabia Saudita); una sul Nilo (due tentativi separati nel tempo di discesa in canoa – Bonington ha partecipato alla prima); sei in montagna (Annapurna e la vittoria francese; Everest e Edmund Hillary e Tenzing Norgay; parete sud dell’Annapurna – spedizione diretta da Bonington; Nanga Parbat: Messner in solitaria; la storia dell’ascesa a de El Capitan, Yosemite; Changabang); due ai poli (l’attraversata dell’antartica – Fuchs vs Hillary; la traversata del Polo Nord – Wally Herbert); due in cielo (la prima circumnavigazione aerea del globo in pallone – tra i vari che hanno tentato c’era anche Robert Branson, di Virgin; la prima circumnaviagazione aera con microlight); una in cave diving.
Per tutte sa usare le parole giuste per far arrivare il lettore sul posto e famigliarizzarlo con l’impresa (acutamente scritta sempre in un numero di pagine che la rende leggibile in una volta sola, senza doversi interrompere); sa toccare diversi livelli emotivi (eccelle nell’adrenalina, decisamente meno efficace a livello empatico ma pur tuttavia riesce anche a generare una certa commozione, quando necessario) e trae delle interessanti riflessioni sia personali che di analisi dell’Uomo in relazione alla Scoperta.
November 24, 2017
I have read this book over the course of 6 months, reading individual adventures in between my usual diet of thrillers. This worked really well as the book is in nice bite sized individual adventure chunks.
The book was interesting and covered sections on Mountains, Oceans, Rivers, Deserts, The Poles, Air, Space and Beneath the Earth, with between 1 and 7 adventures per section. I don't think I could have ploughed through the book in one go, it is over 600 pages long but does include some great photographs.
There are a number of quotes and 'cut and pastes' from other books, often the hero's own book, but it's good to get the adventurers' own take on it.
An interesting diversion that I would recommend.
The book was interesting and covered sections on Mountains, Oceans, Rivers, Deserts, The Poles, Air, Space and Beneath the Earth, with between 1 and 7 adventures per section. I don't think I could have ploughed through the book in one go, it is over 600 pages long but does include some great photographs.
There are a number of quotes and 'cut and pastes' from other books, often the hero's own book, but it's good to get the adventurers' own take on it.
An interesting diversion that I would recommend.
March 30, 2021
Having binged on mountaineering books over the Lockdowns, it's been refreshing dipping in to Quest for Adventure and reading about other remarkable achievements. Unlike some other adventurers, Bonnington is a very good writer and his accounts are clear and vivid. I'd thoroughly reommend this for any other armchair explorers - some inspiration for a life post-Lockdown...
December 26, 2018
A highly absorbing read
December 12, 2019
Inspiring
This book encouraged me to pick up rockclimbing and push myself harder and harder inspired by the titans of previous generations.
This book encouraged me to pick up rockclimbing and push myself harder and harder inspired by the titans of previous generations.
October 11, 2024
Only half as interesting
March 23, 2017
A fascinating account of not only Chris's adventures but of others and what drives them
April 19, 2016
Some of the stories are just incredible. It`s amazing what people are willing to put themselves through. The rowing, sailing and some the climbing achievements are just out of this world.
November 13, 2022
Kerry bookclub 2022
Read
July 9, 2018Glad to have made the journey. Make ready for the next great adventure;.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews