Over the Top & Back Again: Hiking X the Alps

Here in cold, wintry Sweden, apart from daydreaming about warmer climates, I have visited my sister in Gothenburg, celebrated (for the first time ever) a 100% vegan Christmas and New Year’s, and done some great reading. Thanks to Pilgrim’s Tales, Inc. I recently received a PDF copy of Over the Top & Back Again: Hiking X the Alps by Brandon Wilson, author, photographer, explorer and adventure travel writer.

With a plan to cross eight countries, five trails and 5,000 km carrying only the essentials, Wilson and his wife set out on a unique adventure to hike the Via Alpina. From Trieste by the Adriatic Sea via Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to the final stop in Monte Carlo, they summited, from sea level, the equivalent of almost twelve Mount Everests throughout their journey, which they early came to see as one continual improvisation. Surely an impressive feat. Apart from Wilson’s often humorous accounts, I enjoyed the photos (in particular Mirror Lake above Lac Ste-Anne in France) and the quote below from the last stages of the red route to Monaco, when the couple had left Sospel and caught sight of a village-dog.

The pure joy reflected in his eyes reminded me why I take to the trail. It’s the fresh air, the heart pounding, air-gasping pace; it’s the lure about something new around each bend and the freedom to explore. It’s the sweat and strain to accomplish something measurable each day. It’s the memorable views from a mountaintop. It’s reducing life to its primal essentials and finding satisfaction in the smallest things: a hot shower, a warm meal, a soft pillow, or word of encouragement. It’s the new people you meet everyday and experiences shared. It’s the personal peace you find when you reconnect with nature and the Universe.

To learn more about the book, visit Over the Top & Back Again by Brandon Wilson.