Books on Adventure
Doug Coombs looking for a line in Alaska. Photo: Scott Markewitz
These holiday time periods can often be a bit of a blur. Days can be spent with family, just eating carbs and cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ve been lucky enough to spend the last few days on skis and enjoying low key nights at home. Speaking of low key – this can be a great time to pick up a new book. For those looking for a new adventure read, we have shared a few of our favorite books on adventure and skiing below.
This is the ultimate skier’s book and a must read. Tracking the Wild Coomba chronicles the life and untimely death of big mountain skier Doug Coombs. It is a true page turner and will take you from Waterville Valley, to Jackson, to Alaska and La Grave in France. It’s an incredible story of the life of Coombs and an extraordinary tale of the birth of big mountain skiing worldwide.
This Land of Snow is a firsthand tale of one man’s solo journey across Canada on cross-country skis. The author, Anders Morley, is honest and at times humorous in the telling of his wayward adventure through the bone chilling cold and remote expanse. This short read will have you in tandem itching for an adventure and grateful for your warm chair in front of the fire.
Higher Love: Skiing the Seven Summits
This is the personal account of Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski from the summit of each continent’s highest mountain. In just two years, Kit completes this extraordinary adventure spanning seven continents. Kit travels through the frozen tundra of Antarctica, the African rainforest, Australia and the blue ice of Everest and skis back down them all. This at times terrifying, personal and truly candid recollection of her journey will leave you inspired and curious for further adventure.
This is a terrifying true story of a six-hundred-mile canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness gone awry when a grizzly bear mauls seventeen-year-old author, Alex Messenger. This harrowing adventure follows Alex and his five companions as they paddle the remote rivers and lakes of Canada. Twenty-nine days into the trip everything changes, and you will be gripped by the ingenuity of the group’s efforts to save Alex’s life and reach their final destination, a remote village a thousand miles north of the US-Canadian border.
Ultimate Skiing Adventures: 100 Epic Experiences in the Snow
This is indeed a worldwide overview of truly the most extraordinary adventures on snow. The book explores the most unique and “best” ski destinations – some you have most certainly heard of and others you’ll be searching where to find on a map. As the books description says – “this book allows you to escape onto the slopes in your own home” – the perfect read as we stay safely apart this winter. It’s not all about the skiing; there are stories on road trips, ski patrollers, avalanche rescue and snow science. We can promise you that you’ll finish this book with a lengthy ski bucket list of destinations across the planet.
While this is a different type of a book, a coffee table/picture book, this is a must have for all skiers. From the comfort of your own couch you can review, explore and relive runs on over 200 ski areas beautifully hand painted by artist Jamie Niehues.
Charlotte Miller caught the ski bug early from her dad. An avid skier and gearhead, Charlotte claims Sugarbush, Vermont and Alta/Snowbird, Utah as her home mountains. In addition, she has explored many other resorts throughout North America and northern Japan. Despite having a job in the corporate world, she skis 40+ days a year. She is an Ambassador for Atomic. Warning – while she loves to share her love for the mountains with others, don’t try to keep up with her on the hill – it won’t end well.