Amazon.com Review
Lazy sunsets and leisurely cruises are for milksops, according to Brad Olsen. The adrenaline rush is what he seeks, what he knows all about, and what he sets before you in Extreme Adventures Northern California. He tells you at the outset that his book is not for wimps or prima donnas--some degree of physical fitness is required, but just as important is a willing frame of mind. Each adventure, from rope swings to skyboarding, is rated for risk (Novice-Friendly to Professionals Only) and adrenaline (Kid's Stuff to Absolute Hairball), so you know from the get go what you'll be getting into. There are mellow activities like touring Gold Rush ghost towns, death-defying stunts like skiing Squaw Peak Chute, and low-risk, high-rush adventures like bungee jumping the Rubicon River. Olsen poo-poos the major lame excuses (like "the water is too cold" or "I'm afraid of sharks") and his enthusiasm and verve are infectious. --Stephanie Gold
From Library Journal
Extreme adventures are individual sports and outdoor activities, like rock climbing, parasailing, mountain biking, skyboarding, disc golf, and snowboarding, that contain a certain degree of risk and excite an adrenaline rush. Olsen, author of World Stompers (see below), surveys extreme adventures in Northern California and Hawaii. Each adventure, organized by region or island, is rated on a scale measuring the risk factor and the adrenaline rush. Replete with practical advice?the best being to avoid any activity you have the slightest degree of uncertainty about?each section contains a selective list of guides, suppliers, and information sources. While these titles do offer coverage of less traditional activities, crude and unscaled maps, a trite writing style, and misspellings such as "El Captan" for "El Capitan" easily outweigh any contribution they make to travel literature. The main fault, however, lies in the permission suggested by rating restricted areas; Olsen rates the off-limits caves under the University of California at Santa Cruz, and he advises the adventurer to be discreet when venturing onto the closed Navy Beach on Mono Lake. Rules apparently do not apply to extreme adventurers. Not recommended.?David Schau, Kanawha Cty. P.L., Charleston, WV
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
