At 7.22am on May 26th 1998, Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive. He was only 23 years old. The actual ascent took Bear over ninety days of extreme weather, limited...
At 7.22am on May 26th 1998, Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive. He was only 23 years old. The actual ascent took Bear over ninety days of extreme weather, limited sleep and running out of oxygen deep inside the 'death zone' (above 26,000 feet). On the way down from his first reconnaissance climb, Bear was almost killed in a crevasse at 19,000 feet. The ice cracked and the ground disappeared beneath him, he was knocked unconscious and came to swinging on the end of a rope. His team-mate and that rope saved his life. The expedition was raising funds for the Rainbow Trust and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Previously, in 1997, Bear had become the Youngest Briton to climb Mount Ama Dablam in the Himalayas (22,500 feet), a peak once described by Sir Edmund Hillary as unclimbable'. Prior to the Everest Expedition, Bear, also a Karate Black Belt, spent three years with the British Special Air Service (21 SAS). What makes his story even more remarkable is that during this time he suffered a free-fall parachuting accident in Africa where he broke his back in three places. After months and months of rehabilitation, focusing always on his childhood dream of Everest, he slowly became strong enough to attempt the ultimate ascent of the world's highest peak. In 2003 Bear successfully completed another ground breaking expedition, leading a team across the freezing North Atlantic Arctic Ocean in a small open rigid inflatable boat. Suffering weeks of frozen spray and icebergs, the expedition was filmed for a documentary, and was raising funds for the Prince's Trust charity. The book on this remarkable journey, 'Facing the Frozen Ocean', and was short-listed as Sports Book of the Year, and Bear was awarded an Honorary commission in the Royal Navy for this record-breaking feat. In 2007, he became the first man to fly a powered paraglider to a height above Mount Everest in the Himalaya. Sponsored by GKN, the team raised over $1million in the process for Global Angels and children's charities worldwide.
At 7.22am on May 26th 1998, Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive. He was only 23 years old. The actual ascent took Bear over ninety days of extreme weather, limited...
At 7.22am on May 26th 1998, Bear entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive. He was only 23 years old. The actual ascent took Bear over ninety days of extreme weather, limited sleep and running out of oxygen deep inside the 'death zone' (above 26,000 feet). On the way down from his first reconnaissance climb, Bear was almost killed in a crevasse at 19,000 feet. The ice cracked and the ground disappeared beneath him, he was knocked unconscious and came to swinging on the end of a rope. His team-mate and that rope saved his life. The expedition was raising funds for the Rainbow Trust and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Previously, in 1997, Bear had become the Youngest Briton to climb Mount Ama Dablam in the Himalayas (22,500 feet), a peak once described by Sir Edmund Hillary as unclimbable'. Prior to the Everest Expedition, Bear, also a Karate Black Belt, spent three years with the British Special Air Service (21 SAS). What makes his story even more remarkable is that during this time he suffered a free-fall parachuting accident in Africa where he broke his back in three places. After months and months of rehabilitation, focusing always on his childhood dream of Everest, he slowly became strong enough to attempt the ultimate ascent of the world's highest peak. In 2003 Bear successfully completed another ground breaking expedition, leading a team across the freezing North Atlantic Arctic Ocean in a small open rigid inflatable boat. Suffering weeks of frozen spray and icebergs, the expedition was filmed for a documentary, and was raising funds for the Prince's Trust charity. The book on this remarkable journey, 'Facing the Frozen Ocean', and was short-listed as Sports Book of the Year, and Bear was awarded an Honorary commission in the Royal Navy for this record-breaking feat. In 2007, he became the first man to fly a powered paraglider to a height above Mount Everest in the Himalaya. Sponsored by GKN, the team raised over $1million in the process for Global Angels and children's charities worldwide.
An easy read, although I found the proofreading gaps distracting. Often recommend this title for the younger teenaged boys at work when they don't know what to read.
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Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
11 years ago
More than meets the eye!
If, like me, you thought Bear Grylls was just a crazy adrenaline junkie, then you need to read this book to discover the depth of his character and also his faith. He is a truly inspirational guy who has overcome many trials - and is now a great role model for the worldwide scouting movement.
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Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
13 years ago
Christian?
I enjoyed this book. It was great to see the average person share with passion about how much they enjoy the thrill of adventures and the natural world, that our God has made!\\r\\n\\r\\nThat said, this is not a Christian Living title and the expectation should be as such. This is a secular book that will touch a little on Bear's journey with God, but at the end of the day, he's just your ordinary bloke still on the journey of working it all out.
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Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
13 years ago
A reading escapade
I love Bear Grylls, allmost as much as I like his autobiography. The book takes you through his years in SAS training, his adventures up Everest and insights into Man vs Wild. Although I would have loved to read more about his spiritual adventures it was nonetheless inspiring to read about the obstacles and challenges he has overcome in life. If you have an adventurous spirit, this book is a must read.
A
Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
13 years ago
A Real Adventure of Faith
As a man I find Bear quite an inspiration. The way he grabs hold of life by two hands and tries to get the best and most out of it really makes you want to do the same. The fact that he was an SAS soldier and climbed mountain Everest (just to mention a few things) by the time he was 23, is an incredible example of this. \\r\\n \\r\\nThis memoir is an all encompassing autobiography. Bear chronicles his time growing up quite extensively which I enjoyed. You can see how his love for adventure and nature was both innate as well as nurtured from an early age with his dad always venturing out with him showing him the world. \\r\\n \\r\\nHe then speaks about his time at the SAS, firstly trying to just get pre-selected, then trying to get selected, and then briefly his time as actually being a soldier. The chapters in which he talks about the tests and drills that the SAS put him through are unbelievable. Unbelievable in how they push the limits of the human condition; mentally, psychologically and obviously physically. He often goes into detail about the battle between giving up not giving up. Really inspiring. I won't go into too much detail, but I found this part of the book exhilarating. \\r\\n \\r\\nAfter this he talks about his parachute accident, his Everest climb and then of course his adventures with Man vs Wild. \\r\\n\\r\\nThis book is a real easy read. Most importantly though, you get a real insight into Bear's person and character. He seems a real humble guy and is often…
