Customer Reviews

No Picnic on Mt. Kenya (Adventure Library)

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A climber is captured during the war, and is brought to a camp within sight of Mt Kenya, and the only thing he can concentrate on is to climb the mountain. With all of the difficulties just to get to the mountain let alone climb it with only the crudest of tools, no maps or any other knowledge of the mountain he and two others seek out its summit. Then to try to return into the same POW camp without harming a soul is a remarkable feat in itself, and a tribute to the love of the mountains and climbing them, at all costs.

What a delightful story. Italian POWs confined in a British prison camp in Kenya during World War II decide to break out and climb Mt. Kenya. Each day, from their prison confinement they view the 17,000 foot peak in the distance and are captured by its beauty and majesty. Prison is boring, with endless days and nights so anything would be better than just sitting around. How they assemble their supplies and equipment is a major work in deception. Then, their escape and subsequent journey up the mountain is nothing short of sensational. What a bunch of wild and crazy guys! An unusual adventure story, well worth your time.

Not your average formulaic expedition book. Not destined to be this summer's Hollywood blockbuster either.

No Picnic is the true story of a group of Italian civilians who were jailed as prisoners of war by the allies in WWII Africa. Deprived of their freedom, families, work, and purpose, they are treated like children by their captors. They are unable to escape back to the real world through hundreds of miles of British controlled English speaking territory. So they escape from prison camp into the wilderness to assert their humanity by climbing a difficult and unknown-to-them mountain using gear handmade from stolen scrap.

Do people ask why you climb? This is why. This is what people do. If you read one book in the next ten years: make it this one.