Does your spirit for outdoor adventure need some inspiration? Well, there’s nothing like a good book to get you ready for the great outdoors! Below is a great mix of classics and new adventures that are guaranteed to inspire your adventurous spirit! They are full of thrilling tales that will make you want to go on some sort of outdoor adventure.
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
- A River Runs Through It And Other Stories by Norman Maclean
- Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
- The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
- Beyond Possible by Nims Purja
Into the Wild
“Terrifying… Eloquent… A heart-rending drama of human yearning.” —New York Times
If this isn’t the book on the top on everyone’s list then I don’t know what it is. Chances are this is the best book you read or sparknoted in high school. Krakauer picks an increadible story of Christopher McCandless and tells it in a way that makes you feel part of the story. It’s truly inspiring and has so many levels and themes in it that this is where you should start or adventure side!
A River Runs Through It
Let me start by saying this a very quick and easy read and you should also watch the movie with Brad Pitt about this book. I’m not even a fisherman but this book is so much more. The fishing is just a back drop to the storyline. This simply put is a beautiful story. I read it before I ever went to Montana, but now that I’ve been (thanks to my wife being from Missoula) multiple times and every time I go I picture stories from this book. Check out the link here.
Touching the Void
I continuously thought “this can’t be real” as I was reading this story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that I truly just don’t want to put down. I read this in two days and it would’ve been one if I didn’t have to go to a dinner. I love the fact that Simpson is the one telling the story. It makes you feel like you are right there with him and Simon Yates. It’s an incredible story about adventure and when disaster strikes… survival. Check out the link below.
The Emerald Mile
This book is about turning a disaster into adventure. Massive flooding in the Colorado River gives this guy, Kenton Grua, a crazy idea to use the flooding to help break the all-time record for fastest boat ever down the entire length of the Colorado River. It is an absolute insane adventure that leaves the reader wondering how he even survived such a feat. At the same time, it’s made me want to do the same thing… maybe in safer conditions though. Check out the link below.
Beyond Possible
The Nims Purja story may be one of the underrated stories of all time. I don’t think people actually understand how difficult of a feat it is to climb all 14 death zone mountain peaks. And to break the world record by 7 years! I could relate to Nims through our military backgrounds and understand some of the issues that related to that world, but any reader will be amazed at the accomplishments of NIms. He literally puts his entire financial future on the line for this mission. His family and friends were upset and almost everyone thought he was going to die in pursuit of this, but there is a reason he names this mission: Project Possible. He will inspire all sorts of self belief in yourself as you read this book and literally showing you that anything can be possible. Check it out below.