Customer Reviews

The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Preparing to hike the canyon myself I wanted to read up on what it would be like.I found "The Man Who Walked Through Time" in the bookstore on the Canyon's rim and read it right there,under a tree. This book will transport you to another world,deep below the rim and the mystery's and dangers therein. Colin Fletcher's courage and precise planning made for a successful journey and anyone planning a trip within the Grand Canyon would do well to read this book. I still have that worn copy I bought in 1972 and I re-read it once a year-just before I pull on my pack and head down the Canyon. Cheers Mr. Fletcher,Cheers.

I plan to hike from one rim of the Grand Canyon down into the Canyon and ascend to the other rim. Having recently seen Colin Fletcher's book on a list of the "100 Greatest Adveture Stories" compiled on behalf of National Geographic Explorer Magazine, I thought it would be a worthwhile read. Captivated by his initial view of the Grand Canyon in 1962, Fletcher developed a well conceived plan and completed his two month trek the following summer. Not a "how to book," there are useful insights about hiking and backpacking in the Grand Canyon to be gleaned from the book. Though Fletcher clearly faced danger and hardship, he could have escaped the canyon if necessary, he had regular supply drops along the way, and people knew roughly where he would be on his journey. Fletcher's story is not a tale of desparate survival such as Shackleton's "South" or Krakauer's "Into Thin Air." Those looking for a story of that genre will be disappointed. Fletcher's journey would be better viewed as a spiritual pilgrimage as he contemplates the age of the earth, the web of life and man's place in all of it. At times, Fletcher's ruminations seem a bit contrived and grasping, but the overall message that man is a bit player is thought provoking. Though man may be a bit player in the spectacle of earth's natural history, yet we have quickly developed capabilities to wreak havoc. Fletcher's closing ideas about the importance of protecting special places like the Grand Canyon are compelling.

The Man Who Walked Through Time is about Colin Fletcher's 1963 solo backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, it is considered a classic of Outdoor Literature ranked #45 in National Geographic's "100 Best Adventure Books". It was first published in January 1968, almost exactly 40 years from the date of this review - the author was 41 when he took the trip, I am 41, and Fletcher emerged from the trip declaring "life begins at 40", adding the journey had offered him the "key to contentment." Like Dante's descent into the Inferno 'in media res' (age 40), Fletcher descended into the Abyss of the Canyon and emerged a spiritually changed man, changing the landscape of outdoor recreation with him.

Colin Fletcher (1922-2007) was a Welshman and WWII vet who moved to California in the 1950s. An avid backpacker, he is best known for The Complete Walker I-IV (1968-2001), which for a generation or two has been the singular bible of backpacking - "Colin was sort of the founding father of modern backpacking, the first person to write about going out for an extended period and being self-sufficient." (Annette McGivney, editor of 'Backpacker Magazine'). In 1968, the same year he published the first edition of 'The Complete Walker', he also published 'The Man Who Walked Through Time', recounting a 1963 trip in which he was the first person to walk the length of Grand Canyon National Park "in one go" (second to complete the whole journey). More than an adventure journal, it inspired a generation to take up (create) the backpacking lifestyle as a way to fill a spiritual void and escape the confusion and chaos of Vietnam-era America. As 'Backpacker Magazine' contributing editor Buck Tilton recalls "After Vietnam, I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. So many of my friends had died from bullet holes. I read 'The Man Who Walked Through Time', and it was the only thing that made sense to me. Fletcher's words gave meaning to backpacking. I loaded my pack exactly the way Fletcher did and carried a walking stick like his. He was my hero."

Fletcher wrote about what he saw in day to day events, none are death defying or edge of the seat, what set it apart was Fletcher's inner journey of discovery as a metaphor of the vast expanse of time in the geology of the Grand Canyon. "I saw that by going down into that huge fissure in the face of the earth, deep into the space and the silence and the solitude, I might come as close as we can at present to moving back and down through the smooth and apparently impenetrable face of time." Fletcher found peace and solitude in removing himself from the "piercing arrows" of the modern world.

'The Man Who Walked Through Time' is essentially a Romantic work in the tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes (1879), highly influential with an earlier generation of bohemians (Stevenson invented and describes the first sleep bag in outdoor literature). Fletcher re-fashioned his account for a new generation of drop-outs who wanted to find inner solitude and discovery in the outdoors. I see in Fletcher a sort of proto-hippy, he shed his clothing and walked bare naked with a bamboo cane, floppy hat and scraggly beard. He ate pemmican and lamented the loss of the martial spirit of the natives. He found value in nature and disparaged the dam builders who would destroy it. He was a key element in the burgeoning environmental movement - 'The Man Who Walked Through Time' will be "forever" a permanent mark in time of a movement and a generation. In February 2008, almost exactly 40 years from the books publication, the National Academy of Sciences published a report saying "Camping, fishing and per capita visits to parks are all declining in a shift away from nature-based recreation.. the replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor videophilia." The times are changing and 40 years ago today seems about 180 degrees in difference. Perhaps by 2048, 40 years from now, we will see a re-discovery of Fletchers vision of vigorous outdoor challenge, solitude and self-sufficiency in nature.

I've never seen the Grand Canyon, but after reading Fletcher's book I feel that I've already been there. Colin's trek through the canyon in the early 1960's is a wonderful example of descriptive writing and attention to detail. One can almost visualize the immense passages of time as they unfolded before his eyes during his solitary walk through the heart of the canyon. Those of you looking for adventure and action need to look elsewhere, though. This book is about reflection and introspection, one man's thoughts about his (and mankind's) place and role on this planet. As Colin himself says the book and hike is meant to be more like a pilgrimage to a strange and wonderful place than a mere journal of collected thoughts. This inspiring book has me adding 'hike the Grand Canyon' on my life's 'to do' list, and it will be on yours, too!

This well written volume is the story of one man and one trip. I suppose if I took the same journey, my motivation might be quite different and my story, I am sure, would be different. I think you kind of have to take this book as just that, i.e. one mans quest, one mans vision and one mans interpretation of what he saw and what he expierenced. I personally felt inspired by this work and felt as if I were reading the words of a kindred spirit. On the other hand, according to my friends and family, I am a bit of a flake, so take this review for what it is worth. Granted, Fletcher did have good support, but then I don't think he had a particular death wish either. If I could afford it, I would do the same. I do regrete that, as one reviewer pointed out, that the hype for the book could be a bit misleading to the reader. I suppose those that like living on the very edge might find this work a bit prosaic in that no death defying feats were performed, yet I really don't feel that is what this work was all about. I suggest just reading and enjoying it.

This book suceeds on every level and is one of the best adventure books I've read. Much more than a hiking guide, it is an amazingly well-written of a journey more mental than physical, as Colin shares deep insights into life, geology and the history of the Earth as revealed by the Grand Canyon.

Backpackers will appreciate his accurate portrayals of hiking: the mixed emotions before setting of on a long and possible perilous journey, the still moments feeling at one with Nature, the way everyday minutia and worry eventually recedes into the background. If you have friends who want to know what backcountry hiking is all about (without actually going on one), this is the book to read.

Also, for Canyon afficionados (such as myself), Fletcher's book captures the majesty, awe, and grandeur of America's (or at least Arizona's) crown jewel.

Although written in the 1960's, this account does not feel dated. It is very much more than a 'been-there, done-that' journal of a record-setting performance, but instead has much to offer to any reader. Highly recommended.

I've been to the Grand Canyon once, and it blew my mind. :-)

Colin Fletcher's book is beautifully written. Admittedly, I found myself getting slightly lost in the geological descriptions, but his ability to turn such wonderful phrases makes for good reading. Overall, this book has stood the test of time. :-)

If you're interested in backpacking and transformation, I would highly recommend this book.

Only by being down in the canyon can one truly appreciate the natural wonder of what it is. Fletcher takes us there, through descriptions of surroundings and his thought processes while en route. An awe-inspiring and humbling experience. It would be hard for any reader who has not been below the rim to fully appreciate the contents of this book. Fletcher does an admirable job of attempting to relay the impact the canyon can have upon a person.

This well written volume is the story of one man and one trip. I suppose if I took the same journey, my motivation might be quite different and my story, I am sure, would be different. I think you kind of have to take this book as just that, i.e. one mans quest, one mans vision and one mans interpretation of what he saw and what he expierenced. I personally felt inspired by this work and felt as if I were reading the words of a kindred spirit. On the other hand, according to my friends and family, I am a bit of a flake, so take this review for what it is worth. Granted, Fletcher did have good support, but then I don't think he had a particular death wish either. If I could afford it, I would do the same. I do regrete that, as one reviewer pointed out, that the hype for the book could be a bit misleading to the reader. I suppose those that like living on the very edge might find this work a bit prosaic in that no death defying feats were performed, yet I really don't feel that is what this work was all about. I suggest just reading and enjoying it.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Colon Fletcher is a well known backpacker who has written the bible on backpacking (The Complete Walker IV; Alfred A Knopf, New York). On this trip he talks about the planning and preparation for the trip and all the details of the execution of the adventure. He explains the natural history and the geological history of The Grand Canyon at length as he walks the length of it. He may be the first non-native man to do so. Mostly, Fletcher has a honest, smooth, enjoyable style of writing that I find enchanting.
The appendix contains a list of everything he took.
With a little philosophy, a little geology and a story of personal struggle with the task at hand Fletcher conveys something of a understanding of humankind's place in the world. One can ask for nothing more than that!