Colin Fletcher

Fletcher published a total of 10 books between 1964 and 2001, which included 4 editions of the The Complete Walker. His first book was The Thousand Mile Summer (1964) recounting his 1958 hike along the entire eastern edge of California. His second book was The Man Who Walked Through Time (1968), in which Fletcher was the first person to walk a continuous route through Grand Canyon National Park in 1963.

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewto ... tart=14567

I'm a beginner climber but have found "Climb (Stories of Rock, Snow, and Ice)" to be a good read. It's an anthology of essays by a lot of famous climbers. They're really good.

Once again, since she seemed more interested in boats than climbing:

"Two years before the mast" by Dana. It's a real adventure story of sailing and perseverance in the face of illness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Years_Before_the_Mast

Couple of books about river running, that not only rafters would enjoy:

Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River by Colin Angus - hilarious account of rafting from Mongolia thru Siberia to Arctic sea, highly recommend even for non-rafters or non-adventurers

River : One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea by Colin Fletcher

For anyone looking to combine travel/adventure literature with a political and social conscience, Ryszard Kapuscinski cannot be beat. A Polish journalist, he covered coups, wars and bloody conflicts around the globe--with a special emphasis on Africa. He has many great books to choose from, but I'd recommend starting with one of these:

The Emperor
The Soccer War
Travels with Herodotus

welle wrote:Couple of books about river running, that not only rafters would enjoy:

Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River by Colin Angus - hilarious account of rafting from Mongolia thru Siberia to Arctic sea, highly recommend even for non-rafters or non-adventurers

River : One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea by Colin Fletcher

Oh my god, A FEMALE perspective.... THANK YOU... I'll check out Lost in Mongolia.

Thank you Fatdad and Blaz'n I like your recommendations with a social bent also.

CClaude wrote:

welle wrote:Couple of books about river running, that not only rafters would enjoy:

Lost in Mongolia: Rafting the World's Last Unchallenged River by Colin Angus - hilarious account of rafting from Mongolia thru Siberia to Arctic sea, highly recommend even for non-rafters or non-adventurers

River : One Man's Journey Down the Colorado, Source to Sea by Colin Fletcher

Oh my god, A FEMALE perspective.... THANK YOU... I'll check out Lost in Mongolia.

Thank you Fatdad and Blaz'n I like your recommendations with a social bent also.

Seriously? I didn't realize I was the first female to reply to this post. That's funny that only guys answered the call... In any case, if you guys need a book gift ideas for a female, anything by Annie Proulx or Zadie Smith are great reads. Also, cliche, but yes most women whether 15 or 85 enjoy Jane Austen (maybe not Mansfield Park - it's one of her more "serious" novels and is not widely liked like her other more famous works).

The Chief wrote: & &

I 2nd this

Also, "A boys' life"

CClaude wrote:What would be interesting (reading wise)for a young female who while not a climber per se (ok she does a little bit) is an adventurer (white water rafter, skier, trail runner, mtn biker, surfer) with an ecological and civil bent who is in the 20-30 range.

Jack Turner, perhaps to be read in the following sequence (my second was composed last):
Teewinot. Beautifully written, twelve chapters/months of a year with his cabin on Guides Hill in the Tetons. His most 'available' book perhaps, and the short, independent chapters are good while recovering.

Travels in the Greater Yellowstone. A passionate and vigorous series of essays on the larger area, the threats of oil and gas interests, the wildlife, the whole kit and kaboodle.

The Abstract Wild. Sometimes difficult essays, rigorously thought and written, on what "wild" could possibly mean in these times. Much is anecdotal, some show his philosophical training. Reaching nicely to Thoreau ('will' ~ 'willed'): it's a human construct not an objective condition of things. Turner has the good sense not to make all his conclusions explicit, but to leave some work for the reader.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

+ 1 for "A walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson One of the funniest books I have read. Also, "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm. The Last Season is a must read for anyone who has spent time in Yosemite and Kings Canyon.