A funny, irreverent look at outdoor activities from rock climbing and mountaineering to kayaking and mountain biking, A Life Outside brings together a selection of non-fiction and fiction writings by Matt Artz. Former editor of mOthEr rOck and FunPig magazines, and contributor to TopRope, Dirt Rag, Vertical Jones, What's the Beta?, Rock & Ice, and other publications, Artz has never met an outdoor activity he didn't at least marginally enjoy (with the possible exception of golf).
The second volume in the A Life Outside series brings together 15 all-new essays and stories about the outdoor lifestyle. A Life Outside 2 maintains the trademark humor of the first volume while also looking more closely at the meaning of the experiences. But whether mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, fishing, or doing something else, the author reveals each activity for what it truly is--just an excuse to get outside, enjoy life, and maybe learn something along the way.
Craig DeMartino never thought this would happen to him. He was 100 feet up a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park when--with one step--his 13 years of rock climbing experience and 15 pounds of gear plummeted with him to the ground. Expert climbers say that if you fall 10 feet you have a 10% chance of dying, a 20% chance at 20 feet, 30% at 30, and so on. Craig fell 100 feet. By basic calculation, Craig should not be alive today. But he is. For anyone who has been knocked down or run over by life, After the Fallnot only offers an engaging read but also provides a clear message of hope: sometimes the greatest gift we can receive isn't just healing, but the power to endure.
A funny, irreverent look at outdoor activities from rock climbing and mountaineering to kayaking and mountain biking, A Life Outside brings together a selection of non-fiction and fiction writings by Matt Artz. Former editor of mOthEr rOck and FunPig magazines, and contributor to TopRope, Dirt Rag, Vertical Jones, What's the Beta?, Rock & Ice, and other publications, Artz has never met an outdoor activity he didn't at least marginally enjoy (with the possible exception of golf).
From the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California to the wilds of Botswana, the third installment in Matt Artz's stories of outdoor adventures takes him around the world and back again. Whether it's coming face-to-face with crocodiles and hyenas in Africa, finding himself trapped in a snare in the foothills of Greece, battling corporate bureaucracy in the office, or striving to find that delicate balance between work and family and a life outside, his unique perspective on all things outdoors is sure to make you laugh, think, and most of all want to get out there yourself.
"....a very sweet dog story" -- Outside The story of a dog, his human, and the friendship that saved both of their lives. When Ben Moon moved from the Midwest to Oregon, he hadn’t planned on getting a dog. But when he first met the soulful gaze of a rescue pup in a shelter, Ben instantly felt a connection, and his friendship with Denali was born. The two of them set out on the road together, on an adventure that would take them across the American west and through some of the best years of their lives. But when Ben was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 29, he faced a difficult battle with the disease, and Denali never once left his side until they were back out surfing and climbing crags. It was only a short time later that Denali was struck by the same disease, and Ben had the chance to return the favor. Denali is the story of this powerful friendship that shaped Ben and Denali’s lives, showing the strength and love that we give and receive when we have our friends by our side.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The authors bring extreme climbing to life. . . . Perhaps no author can rationalize why some choose to risk their lives . . . for the thrill of conquering a mountain. The Ledge comes perilously close and tells a ripping true story at the same time.”—The Denver Post In June 1992, best friends Jim Davidson and Mike Price stood atop Washington’s Mount Rainier, celebrating what they hoped would be the first of many milestones in their lives as passionate mountaineers. Then their triumph turned tragic when a cave-in plunged them deep inside a glacial crevasse—the pitch-black, ice-walled hell of every climber’s nightmares. An avid adventurer since youth, Davidson was a seasoned climber at the time of the Rainier ascent. But the harrowing free fall left him challenged by nature’s grandeur at its most unforgiving. Trapped on a narrow frozen shelf, deep below daylight, he desperately battled crumbling ice, snow that threatened to bury him alive, and crippling fear of the inescapable chasm below—all the while struggling to save his fatally injured friend. Finally, alone, with little equipment and rapidly dwindling hope, he confronted a fateful choice: the certainty of a slow, lonely death or the near impossibility of an agonizing climb for life. A story of heart-stopping adventure, heartfelt friendship, fleeting mortality, and implacable nature, The Ledge chronicles the elation and grief, dizzying heights and punishing depths, of a journey to hard-won wisdom. “Plunges readers into a dark, icy chasm from which escape seems impossible. Then it reveals the strength it takes to look up, and to start climbing.”—Jim Sheeler, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the National Book Award finalist Final Salute “How [Davidson] rescued himself is the core of The Ledge, and its most gripping part. The physical effort and will involved are astonishing.”—The Plain Dealer “A moving portrait of friendship and loss.”—The Wall Street Journal
From the wilds of Africa to local trails and boulders, the fourth installment in the A Life Outside series is the perfect companion for those unfortunate times when you can't do what you really want to do: get outside and enjoy the natural world. An American myth perpetuated in the Botswana wilderness. Wildlife in the wild, and even wilder wildlife in wild dreams. Interviews with rock climbing royalty. Bouldering. Bikes. Beer. Injuries. More Bouldering. More bikes. And more beer. Compassion. Love. Death. It's all here. In the end, A Life Outside 4 is about finding your place in the outdoors-the place that defines you, the place where you could spend your life, and the place where you could die.
Features a new “where are they now” section, updating readers on lives of expedition’s original climbers Fully updated and detailed resources based on the "Anti-Racism in the Outdoors" (ARITO) guide Readers’ Guide explores additional context and questions for further consideration Outdoor journalist James Edward Mills’s book, The Adventure Gap, is a groundbreaking volume that is equal parts adventure story, history, and inspiration as it chronicles the first American all-Black summit attempt on Denali in 2013. Mills uses this momentous expedition as a jumping-off point to explore diversity in the outdoors, from Mathew Henson who stood at the North Pole in 1909 to contemporary adventurers such as polar explorer Barbara Hillary and rock climber Kai Lightner. This tenth anniversary edition once again shares the compelling events that unfolded during Expedition Denali’s summit bid. But it also provides fresh context: A new thought-provoking afterword by Mills examines what has evolved in and around the outdoor community since that effort. He highlights progress and inspiring stories, such as Full Circle Everest, an expedition led by Phillip Henderson that put an all-Black team on top of the world’s highest peak. And he points to places where we can and should all strive for higher achievement. The Adventure Gap has become an essential text in outdoor education and inspiration--a story of our times, now more relevant than ever.
I'm getting older. I'm slowing down. I can't do everything that I used to. And as the steamroller of old age continues its relentless advance, there's not much I can do about it. Except complain. And write. Many of the outdoor stories I've been writing over the last three or so years share a common theme: reflections on aging, and how it's changing my perspective on life and my relationship with the outdoors. And thus this little compilation was born. The road may end ahead, but there is still quite a distance left to travel...
