Sunday Times - Mini Adventure Story

[sandbender]

For those who read the Sunday Times, the style section has a little tale from Benedict Allen, having him fleeing for his life from murderous gold miners in the Amazon basin, capsizing his canoe and losing all his gear and having to survive the onset of malaria as he walks out of the forest.

Entertaining read.

Also available online but free registration is required.

http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/

Click on the Style 'just peachy' link to access the style page, then click on the 'Also in Style' link to access all the articles, the one in question is titled 'Bug Off'.

 

[P Wren]

Thanks for the 'heads-up' regarding the Benedict Allen article online. I enjoyed it , shame it was so brief though.

I'm glad to see Benedict Allen's name cropping up again as I've followed his travels for years now and find his books and documentaries very interesting. I first heard of him in 1991 when I made a random purchase of 'Into the Crocodile Nest: A Journey Inside New Guinea', it was this book and BBC2's show Tracks that rekindled my interest in the outdoors and exploring. I got to meet him in person in February when he gave a lectureure at Southend Library. It was a superb talk.

I noticed that in the Times article he mentioned Wilfred Thesiger, and by chance I am currently reading one of his books on Iraq's 'Marsh Arabs'. The book mentions many aspects of bushcraft, hunting, tracking, boat making. The same happens in many of Benedict Allen's own books, Bushcraft skills always seem to emerge as the best means of inhabiting and travelling through the landscapes he explores.

I wonder if anyone else has any recommendations for travel/buscraft books by travellers, gentlemen explorers, or backwoodsmen ?

For those of us having to commute daily into London on crowded trains, 'Bushcrafty' books make it bearable ....just.

 

[marcja]

Benedict Allan's advetures are also on one of the UKTV (Documentaries - I think) channel this week, they started last night.

EDIT

For times & dates: -

http://www.uktv.co.uk/?uktv=channel.uktvDocumentary

 

[jdlenton]

Couldn't find this article using above instructions but did a serach and found it here no log on required.

Wow have just read the article thats some luck the guy has if it had been me with my luck i think i would not have survived

J*

 

[P Wren]

Good luck and fortune seem to follow Benedict Allen around - fortunately for him - his books are littered with scrapes and mishaps which he works through.

While the shooting incidents with the illegal miners is all very exciting, the brush with disaster which had the most impact on me was in his TV series Ice Dogs. The documentary covered his attempt to complete a 1,000 mile sledge trek across the Bering Strait with 10 husky dogs during Siberia's worst winter in living memory. At one point he leaves the pack for a few moments I can't remeber wheher it was for a quick pee or to check for a clearer route through the jagged ice outcrops...but when he returns he'd lost the dogs. He searched but couldn't find them - then as night fell he hurridly errected a shelter and started to make a brew...... talking to his camcorder he contemplates the seriousness of his situation and his chances of survival being marooned on the ice pack without supplies and the digs...staring into camera he said something along the lines of " fortunanetly I have this stove so I can make water....." - just as the last of the gas canister runs out. The look of horror in his eyes was just awful.

Fortunately he struck lucky (as always) the next day - I won't spoil the outcome for those who don't know it I believe he's currently writting a book of the journey which must have been 3/4 years ago now (?) But if you get a chance to see the series you should deffinately watch it. It's fab.

He has a website at the following URL: http://www.benedictallen.com