Adventure addict Keith Foskett adores travel and the outdoors. A veteran of El Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Pacific Crest, Appalachian Trail and more, he follows a different lifestyle. Adventure and chasing dreams come first, convention and acceptance are second.

In this book he shares a collection of trips, thoughts and observations from his award-winning blog. From the extremes of the New Mexico wilderness to his beloved South Downs in England, he observes the world with clarity, hope, daydreams and humour.

With tales of local history, the changing of the seasons, facing death and pursuing his chosen path, this is a glimpse into one man’s unfaltering passion to follow his dreams.

My Review

While I have had my more serious walking/hiking achievements in the past, these days I would describe myself as a social rambler ( ie a couple of hours before lunch in the pub). However I’m always partial to a bit of vicarious hiking through reading so I was delighted to read this latest offering from Keith Foskett. While Keith’s previous books have concentrated on specific long distance hikes, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachia Trail and El Camino de Santiago, this is a collected miscellany of short hiking and outdoor adventures inspired by his blog.

This selection offers a perfect introduction to Keith’s writing and philosophy. By his own admission he comes to life when on the trail and these tales exemplify that. They vary from weekend hikes over the North and South Downs, seeking out new footpaths around his locality and snippets from longer trails including the Camino to name a few. Keith’s sense of joy and freedom shines through his writing and it’s a joy that is infectious. If you are a walker reading these observances you’ll nod your head in recognition at many of those ‘at one with the world moments’, whether it be the view over the brow of the hill you’ve just trudged up, or making it to the cafe for that longed for cup if tea before closing time. It also has a chapter on that less than joyful scenario, when the sun starts to sink, the weather changes and you realise you’re lost (we’ve all been there).

So whether you need a bit of encouragement to dust off the boots and rediscover the joys of walking or just enjoy reading about the great outdoors, you could do far worse than dip into these bite sized chapters of one man’s delight in doing what he loves best.

I received an ecopy of this book for the purpose of writing this review

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