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BOOK REVIEWS
Are We Doing The Stelvio Today? MARTIN SMITH 2020 ISBN 978-1-913208-54-7
Hunting Fear BENJI BRUNDIN 2020 ISBN 978-0-6487958-0-3
It is a short book( 108 pages including Afterword and links) and a short ride; a week or so through the Alps.
For many Are We Doing The Stelvio Today? wouldn’ t be considered an adventure, an overland ride, and Martin Smith is the first to admit that it perhaps doesn’ t stack up to the expectation of others yet what he has constructed is a fine account of seven friends exploring the alpine passes of Italy and Switzerland.
The first fourteen pages are filled with notes on the riders plus the gear and approach taken by Martin, it’ s not needed, even a little pedantic, yet does add some context to the ride and the mindset, for Martin this is his adventure; the planning, the packing, the anticipation. In his own words it’ s to help encourage others to take that first step to adventure.
Recounting the numerous passes
R E
Reading like a self-help version of a Boys Own( or Girls) Annual, Benji Brundin has penned an adventurous account of how his life, in a pit of despair, was able to be resurrected and brought back to have some form of meaning.
Hunting Fear: The Adventure of a
Lifetime recalls Benji’ s adventures in Australia, almost forced upon him after losing his‘ dream’ job before his marriage fell apart. It’ s raw and heartbreaking while at times a little self-pitying, Benji doesn’ t shy away from that and the reader benefits.
This is not so much a story of travel but more one of self-discovery as Benji takes to the wilds of Australia’ s Kakadu region and the famous national park. Several encounters with locals and fellow travellers sees Benji realise that his outlook hasn’ t always been helpful, he sets out to make things better by challenging himself on numerous bike rides. is interesting, the reader is taken through the numerous twists and hairpin turns, we some of the history thrown in. There’ s plenty of machismo thrown in, this is after all, a boys’‘ week’ away. It diminishes little from the overall tale.
Are We Doing The Stelvio Today? A great question, it seems to be missing from the overall story. Yes, the Stelvio was ridden yet we were a little disappointed that it featured little in the overall story. A myriad of other passes sort of made up for it.
Are We Doing The Stelvio Today? is proof that adventure is not always dirt tracks, wild camping, and strange encounters, sometimes it can be great roads, GPS and warm beds.
This is a little book with a big heart that will leave you wanting; more passes, more exploring … more Stelvio.
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Benji’ s time in Kakadu is explored in great depth, it’ s enjoyable and engaging, a highlight of the book that leads into further travel to Cape York Peninsula. This is not so engaging yet still an enjoyable part of the read.
The adventure concludes with a ride through all ten of Australia’ s deserts, an epic challenge that saw Benji awarded a Guinness World Record for his effort … this ride should’ ve been a separate book.
Hunting Fear is a fascinating exploration into Beni’ s mental health and how he dealt with it through adventure. It’ s an exciting ride that only slows with intermittent‘ self-help’, Benji’ s Keys; a personal opinion of what approach to take that do considerably diminish the pace of the story. Reading these, after the whole story, might be best recommended.
Hunting Fear is well worth the read and will want you challenging yourself for your next adventure.
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