Escape Routes: Further Adventure Writings of David Roberts [Hardcover]

David Roberts (Author), Jon Krakauer (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

In these twenty essays - some published here for the first time - Roberts ranges the globe, profiles explorers, and pursues his newest passions - backcountry archaeology and anthropology. From caving in the unexplored labyrinths of New Mexico to ascending Iceland's most famous mountain with Jon Krakauer to following the grueling Raid Gauloises race in the Patagonia wilderness to tracking Jeff Lowe on a new route on the Eiger - Roberts doesn't just write about these adventures, he lives them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

David Roberts writes lyrically and expressively about his adventures in the mountains. But more than an authoritative voice on what if feels like to scale seemingly impossible routes of rock and ice, he brings a sense of passion and wonder to a sport that--to the uninitiated--can appear cold and ego-driven to the uninitiated. These essays rise above the simple reporting of accomplishment or tragedy that is so common in the genre; they capture the small, oft-missed details as well as the overarching perspective of traveling around the world in search of knowledge and adventure. In addition to the many fine climbing pieces, there are plenty of low-elevation ramblings, including a bike trip through China's infamous Tiananmen Square.

From Kirkus Reviews

A collection of essays (some reprinted from Outside and other magazines) certain to provide vicarious thrills for even the most hardened adventure reader, laced with humor and cogent observations about modern-day wilderness exploration. Clambering under, over, and through a variety of exotic settings ranging from the Himalayas to the Brooks Range in Alaska, Roberts (In Search of the Old Ones, 1996, etc.) is not easily daunted. He makes a wintry ascent of an Icelandic peak, participates in a media-emcumbered rafting trip down a previously untraveled river in Ethiopia, and spelunks through previously untrodden passageways deep in a New Mexican cave. Roberts writes with equal vigor about the adventures of colleagues, including an acquaintance who attempts to become the first to scale the infamous north face of the Eigar, in Switzerland, in winter, alone and without climbing bolts. As a climber with numerous firsts himself, Roberts has a knowledge of the sport that lends added shivers to his already strong prose. He profiles a mountaineer who has reached the summit of Everest four times, the last time solo and without oxygen, and who comes across the bodies of friends recently perished on the mountain. A former Outward Bound instructor, Roberts challenges the commonly held belief that participation by wayward youth or business executives in currently popular wilderness outings produces any measurable positive effect in later life. Hiking the backcountry around Moab, Utah, and interviewing long-time residents, Roberts finds little basis for environmentalists' claims that this area has been spoiled by tourists and mountain bikers, the vast majority of whom stay on limited, well-beaten trails. Across the world, in Mali, he climbs to previously unvisited and nearly unreachable cave burial sites and granaries of the Tellem, a long-vanished tribe. As educational as it is exciting, written with wit and compassion, this is highly recommended reading for adventure enthusiasts of all stripes. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 267 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 1st edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898865093
• ISBN-13: 978-0898865097
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #572,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Adventures, Top Notch Writing, September 15, 2001

By 

Jena Ball "Jena Ball" (North Carolina, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Escape Routes: Further Adventure Writings of David Roberts (Paperback)

They don't come any better than Dave Roberts. His writing is crisp, clean, a little sardonic at times, and hard-edged. Roberts originally made a name for himself as a top flight rock climber. As a writer, he is equally skilled. He knows what it's like to risk his life for something he wants, but has enough perspective on himself to question his motives. What I like most about Roberts however, is that he has never stopped growing. Read "Moments of Doubt" and you'll get an inside look at the all consuming nature of rock climbing. Read "Rambling Through the Winds," and you'll learn how the personality quirks of llamas can endanger your life on the trail. Almost anything is fair game for Robert's pen, including old explorers who faked their accomplishments (see the book, "Great Exploration Hoaxes). Escape Routes is an eclectic mix of vintage Roberts. You'll find hair raising rock climbing, descents into caves, a discourse on Outward Bound, and yes the cantankerous llamas. If you really love good adventure writing then this is a must.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book that Changed My Life, December 12, 2005

By 

Carolyn Roesbery "world citizen" (Cordova, Alaska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Escape Routes: Further Adventure Writings of David Roberts (Paperback)

I chose this book because the cover was as black and smooth as my mood, hoping it would be a diversion from the freakish post traumatic stress I was experiencing after a back country mishap. People who climb and push their physical limits with minimum risk in high risk situations are the luckiest people in the world in my mind. This most beautiful book brought me back to the life I love from a very scary place of fear where my internal self mimicked the grey cold climate, sinking darkness of winter in sedentary depression. It cracked me wide open and helped me think, live and breathe the essence of what adventure really is. I love to read it out loud. I love to give it as a gift. This beautifully written book, I will keep for the rest of my life. Roberts is brilliant and the book reminds us to seek and treasure our own brilliance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fine book by Roberts, December 21, 2008

By 

Steve Otto "Steve Otto" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Escape Routes: Further Adventure Writings of David Roberts (Paperback)

This is a fine book, full of very real, very touching stories. As usual, Roberts brings them to life as only a great writer can. Read this book!