National Network for Equitable Library Service

In this classic adventure story, the diaries of two men—a scientist and a mountaineer—reveal their distinct struggles in the unforgiving wilds of the northern landscape. Four months alone in the remote windswept wilderness, adventurer and ecologist Hamilton Mack Laing spends his days deeply immersed in observing the natural world of the Chitina River valley. He endures dust storms, befriends a family of ravens, and fearlessly tracks elusive bears. At the same time, Fred Lambart documents the gruelling expedition to the summit of Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada. In their primitive wool gloves and canvas trousers, the mountaineers soldier on across the frozen landscape despite escalating tempers and rivalries. Written nearly 100 years ago, Laing and Lambart's diaries give the reader a visceral, tactile, and cinematic experience of the north in this remarkable tale—highlighted with archival photos.