Who was the first person to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail? In 1970, a 17 year old boy from the midwest named Eric Ryback decided to hike the 2,650 mile trail from Canada to Mexico by himself! There is some controversy as to whether or not he completed it without hitching a few rides from …
One of the biggest fears hikers have is getting lost. The best a hiker can do is to be prepared! Get a good, comprehensive guide to the area where you’ll be hiking, read it, study it, and bring it along! There are numerous guide book companies, ranging from Falcon Guides to The Mountaineers Book, and …
Are you ready to hear a story about a female mountaineer? A woman who maintained a successful business career and decided in her 40s that she wanted to climb the seven highest peaks on each continent…A woman who summited Mt. Everest at age 51, establishing a record for being the oldest British woman to do …
Into the Wild is a great book! It combines adventure, a trek across the U.S., and the Alaskan wilderness with a deeper story line about a young man who questions societal norms. As with many of Jon Krakauer’s books, the story is controversial. Was the protagonist, Christopher McCandless, irresponsible? Was he trying to prove something …
If you’ve read my blog for awhile, then you probably are already familiar with the most famous American mountaineer, Ed Viesturs. Ed has climbed all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, and what is even more amazing is that he did so without supplemental oxygen! Himalayan Quest was published in 2003, and is a compilation …
If you have a fascination with adventure, and love to read stories about climbing Kilimanjaro (without a permit!), summiting K2, and exploring the Andes, then you’ll enjoy this book. Check out my review of Risking Adventure: Mountaineering Journeys Around the World. Do you agree?
Have you ever thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail? I sure have! A close hiking friend of mine insisted that I borrow her copy, and I swear I couldn’t put this book down. Obviously I am a fan of most books about hiking, but this one is truly special – Bill Bryson weaves into his …
Renowned American mountaineer Ed Viesturs has just come out with a new book, called K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain. Until I watched the IMAX movie Everest, I had never heard of Ed Viesturs. But since then I’ve read his book Himalayan Quest, have heard about him in David Breashears book …
Do you want one book that will cover almost everything you’ll ever need to know about hiking, backpacking, snow travel, rock climbing, and technical climbing? Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is it! While I can’t say I’ve read the sections about technical climbing (I don’t plan on climbing Everest or K2 any time soon!), …
This bestselling book is a page turner – you won’t want to set it down! When he made the decision to climb Everest in 1996, Jon Krakauer was a journalist for Outside magazine (a Hiking Lady favorite!). Little did he expect that 1996 would result in the most tragic year on Everest with 15 deaths. …