Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Extreme tourism, unwise adventure and plain bad luck. Enjoy it all from the comfort of your armchair
They call it extreme sports, but this looks more like near-certain death
Don't go out without a helmet, now. Especially on a South African bush trail
Epic tale of three boys found in a dinghy in the middle of the Pacific. "They had no food, no water, no clothing, no fishing gear, no life vests, and no first-aid kit. They were close to death. They had been missing for 51 days"
"Lured by tales of mammals unknown in Europe since the Dark Ages, we're setting out on an atomic safari." Extraordinary account of adventure tourism trip to Chernobyl, site of infamous Soviet nuclear reactor meltdown
Terrifying story of mountain climbers caught in vicious electrical storm in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. "I was thinking, They're falling, but not realising I was falling too." Thanks Michael Pace for alerting us
Account of trip to ruins of once great Mayan city, abandoned for 2,000 years. Author's daredevil guide steals show. On comparisons to Indiana Jones: "My life isn’t as boring. He always jumps out of the airplane before it crashes"
Skyrocketing market value of yarchagumba, a rare fungus prized as an aphrodisiac, has led to turf wars—and possibly murder. Intrepid writer travels to remote corner of Nepal in search of answers
Standout feature revisiting history of Scott's epic expedition to South Pole. Wrong to think of him as heroic British amateur. Rather he was victim of grave ill-fortune and deception, not helped by his relentless pursuit of science
Wonderful account of Cal Rodgers's epic quest to become first man to cross America by plane. Essentially bounced along, from one crash landing to the next. Total flight time? 49 days. Only thing to bother him? A shortage of cigars
Unusual trip down the Mississippi. In a kayak during the Great Flood. "At least, we knew one thing: Since only a fool would be paddling this out-of-control river—and fools aren’t worth shooting—we were safe. Blessed be the insane"
Reflective Japanese wanderings, in the manner of WG Sebald. "Where would the roads be most deserted, where would the hotels be emptiest, where would the queues be shortest? It was time, I decided, for a holiday in Fukushima"
Extreme tourism. Geoff Hann will take you around Afghanistan for $3,700. Taliban and bandits permitting. His routes avoid most lethal parts of country. But that still allows for some pretty hairy adventures
