Overview

On Sacred Ground continues the epic journey begun in The Earth Beneath My Feet. Not everyone would consider a 7,000-mile walk a particularly sensible idea. Especially if it involved living outside for eighteen months, and travelling alone through high mountains and wild forests. But to a young Londoner, the idea made perfect sense... In May 1997, Andrew Terrill set out on an extraordinary journey: a walk from Calabria in southern Italy to the top of Norway via the highest, wildest and remotest route he could find. Seeking freedom and adventure, connection with nature, and a life of meaning and purpose, Terrill chose to take an unconventional path into Europe's hidden wild side, unaware it would be far wilder than he'd ever expected. The adventures that followed in the first ranges he crossed - the Apennines and Alps - are described in The Earth Beneath My Feet. Now, continuing north, Terrill must face the full fury of winter in the remote forests of central Europe, then even harsher conditions in the snowbound wilderness fjells of Norway and the Arctic. Struggling through untracked snow and painful cold, and enduring loneliness, Terrill will confront challenges that will test him to the limit. But if he can overcome them, there are rewards down the trail beyond anything he could have ever imagined. On Sacred Ground takes the reader on an immersive journey into Europe's wildest and least-known places, and into a simpler way of life where every day is different and every dawn comes bright with possibility. It is a compelling tale of youthful energy and optimism, an old-fashioned adventure yarn from a time before smartphones and social media, and an inspiring true story of connection, insight and growth. Above all, it is a celebration of the natural world - and of a young man's quest to find his true place within it. Featuring ninety-four black and white photographs and fourteen maps, this captivating, multi-layered narrative will transport the reader into the wild. Anyone who has experienced the powerful pull of wanderlust, felt the urge to lose themselves in nature, or yearned for travel and adventure, will find a great deal to relate to and enjoy.

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9781737068624

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Reviews

There are many epic books of epic journeys, but few that so eloquently meld a journey of geographical discovery with one of self-discovery, and even fewer that do it with such brutal honesty. On Sacred Ground takes the reader through the whole range of emotions as the author winds his way forwards on unknown paths. It has the power to make you laugh out loud, to cry, to recognise your own questioning, to genuinely feel the highs and lows of another's journey. It's up there with Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet as a journey of enlightenment and Simpson's Touching the Void in its self awareness. It's a classic of our age. -Dave Mycroft, MyOutdoors.co.uk ...a masterpiece of nature writing beyond anything I've ever encountered before. The journey is recounted with such honesty and detail that the reader is transported to another place and time, providing the true escapism that every reader hopes to achieve when delving into a new book. Beware of the resulting wanderlust this book will bring forth! -Stephen Sexton, author of 'A Long Walk in Spain'. It's about rigour, human tenacity, resourcefulness, connection and perhaps above all good humour and forward-looking optimism. He recounts his impressions and emotions in so straightforward and honest a manner that you can't help but be charmed by his company and good-natured intent. He's not out to impress. He simply wants to see for himself what's out there in Europe's few remaining truly wild places, and in turn to convey a vibrant sense of them to us, his armchair readers. In this he succeeds. Here, then, is the newest classic of our outdoor literature. -Jim Perrin, author, two-time winner at the Banff Mountain Book Festival, and two-time winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. Once in a generation, a writer distils the essence of backpacking into a book that enfolds the reader in the author's mindset, transporting them to the very landscape through which they are travelling, conjuring up the sounds, smells and even the mud and snow through which they tramp. Colin Fletcher's The Thousand Mile Summer once did it for me, planting the seed for my 2,650-mile walk along the Pacific Crest Trail. Years before, Eric Newby's A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush lured me to the Himalaya, while Andrew Stephenson's Kiwi Tracks helped fuel my desire to tramp some of New Zealand's Great Walks. On Sacred Ground is in that league: a modern backpacking/travel classic. Like Fletcher before him, he intimately captures the spirit of the activity. Like acclaimed author and conservationist John Muir, Terrill never ceases to be amazed by the landscape: every day is filled with wonder and awe. I can't recommend it highly enough. -John Manning, Lakeland Walker magazine

Author Information

Andrew Terrill grew up in Pinner, suburban London, far removed from mountains and wild places. He didn't step onto a mountain until he was fifteen, but after that there was no going back. In the three and a half decades since, travelling on foot into wild nature has been a central part of his life. After completing several ultra-long walks, he settled in Colorado, where he now lives with his wife and two children. Open country lies just steps from his front door, and rarely a day passes without him visiting it. A regular contributor to The Great Outdoors magazine over the past two decades, On Sacred Ground is his second book. He has plans for further long walks. Learn more at andrewterrill.com.

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