The Accidental Adventurer - Barbara Washburn

Subtitle: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt McKinley

Some people who achieve amazing feats are the most humble, down to earth people.  This was my takeaway after reading the story of a WWII housewife and mother who became the first woman to climb Mt McKinley (Denali) in Alaska because she knew "her husband wanted her to be with him".  The book is written plainly with little overstatement or waxing eloquence or boasting.  I wonder at her stamina and grit to survive multiple arduous climbs.  Her and her husband, Brad, spent years of exploring to produce their map of the Grand Canyon that was published in the July 1978 National Geographic magazine.  A quick read that left me wanting to know more about their adventures.

Published: 2001  Read: January 2021  Genre: Memoir

Blind Corners - Geoff Tabin

I picked up this adventure book in a great used bookstore in Kenai.  It's a brief memoir by an amazing man who not only conquered the Seven Summits but is also an eye surgeon.  It was written while he was early in his medical career, after graduating from Yale (undergrad) and Harvard (doctorate) and attending Oxford - whew!  He chose the title to advocate for taking risks by pursuing your dreams and testing your limits.  It was inspiring and at the same time intimidating.  At times he seemed reckless but his belief in his abilities and willingness to challenge himself has served him well.

He currently heads a philanthropic project to eliminate preventable blindness in the poor of the world and visits Nepal each year to perform cataract surgery on what is now thousands of people. 

He would be a fascinating person to meet, I plan to listen to his TED talk.

p.s.  He also is responsible for "inventing" bungee jumping!

Published:  1993   Read: June 2018  Genre: Adventure

Left for Dead - Beck Weathers

Sub-title: My Journey Home from Everest

Finishing up on my 2016 reading posts!  I picked this up at a Christmas book exchange.  It's the first person account of one of the hikers in an ascent on Mt Everest.  He suffered frostbite, was "left for dead" and lost almost both of his hands.  He shares how his obsession with mountain climbing almost ruined his family.  Not particularly good writing but a compelling tale and lessons even for those who don't go off climbing mountains.


Published: 2000 Read: December 2016  Genre: Non-fiction, memoir, Adventure