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Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge
Two by a couple rows the wild coasts of the far north in Rowing to Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge.Jill Fredston has traveled more than twenty thousand miles of the Arctic and sub-Arctic-backwards. With her ocean-going rowing shell and her husband, Doug Fesler, in a small boat of his own, she has disappeared every summer for years, exploring the rugged shorelines of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Norway. Carrying what they need to be self-sufficient, the two of them have battled mountainous seas and hurricane-force winds, dragged their boats across jumbles of ice, fended off grizzlies and polar bears, been serenaded by humpback whales and scrutinized by puffins, and reveled in moments of calm.As Fredston writes, these trips are "neither a vacation nor an escape, they are a way of life." Rowing to Latitude is a lyrical, vivid celebration of these northern journeys and the insights they inspired. It is a passionate testimonial to the extraordinary grace and fragility of wild places, the power of companionship, the harsh but liberating reality of risk, the lure of discovery, and the challenges and joys of living an unconventional life.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
March 22, 2011
I purchased this book during a "books about rowing" binge. The cover shows a woman in her scull, floating peacefully next to an amazingly beautiful iceberg. Envy engulfed me; I want to see that! I want to row in the wilderness! Two of my favorite things in one: nature and rowing, what could be better?
It became evident early on in the book that my idea of nature and her idea of nature are dramatically different. Very, very different. Maybe it's the fact that the long, cold winter we've had here has soured me a bit on the cold; her frozen rows didn't sound like much fun. Or maybe it's the fact that I did back to back head races in the fall, totaling not even 10 miles, which was exhausting. Whereas the author can row 100 miles a day. In ocean sized waves, navigating her shell through ice. With polar bears swimming after her. With headwinds punishing her for miles and miles and miles. She does not go home to a cushy bed after her daily row. She's on the water for weeks on end, setting up camp on bear infested, bird poop covered little pieces of frigid land. She's hard core, a total bad ass. I am a mere mortal.
At first, I wasn't big on her tone. Anyone that can have a custom made ocean boat is probably a bit uppity for my taste. I soon realize that truly pretentious folk don't willingly sleep on bird poop covered islands, eat reconstituted food, and deal with a lack of proper toilets. Some readers may think she's bragging or boasting of her accomplishments, and that's very possible. She certainly has plenty to toot her horn about.
There is so much more to the story than just rowing. It's a love story of sorts. She meets her husband, an avalanche expert, in Alaska. They work together and soon enough, love. They both know and love the wilderness. He kayaks, she rows. They decide to do some serious endurance rowing, together. Adventure and romance can be either really, really good, or really, really bad. They make it work. Together, they row the frozen and challenging coasts of Alaska, Canada (East and West coasts), Greenland and Norway.
During these rows, they encounter amazing wildlife; birds, bears, whales. In fact, along the frozen islands of Svalbard, they spot a whale above them. Yes, above them. Not jumping out of the water; (though they also see that frequently) this whale is stuck in a glacier. Upon their return to civilization they report it to the Norwegian Polar Institute, who in turn sends out a crew to investigate and discover that whale is from the 1500's.
There are also several run-in's with bears. Polar bears swimming after them in the water. Brown bears pushing on their tent at night. I was amused by her repeated use of the phrase, "HEY! Bear!" to scare them off. Just after finishing the book I saw a show in which a man was trying to scare a brown bear away from his tent, yelling, "hey bear!" It appears that is the phrase rangers tell you to yell to scare them off. "Hey Bear" is NOT the explicative I'd yell if face to face with a bear.
While it all looked amazing, my wilderness rowing envy mellowed, (well, downright vanished) and I realize I am much more comfortable experiencing this adventure from the comfort of my cushy chair, in my warm, safe, polar bear free living room.
It became evident early on in the book that my idea of nature and her idea of nature are dramatically different. Very, very different. Maybe it's the fact that the long, cold winter we've had here has soured me a bit on the cold; her frozen rows didn't sound like much fun. Or maybe it's the fact that I did back to back head races in the fall, totaling not even 10 miles, which was exhausting. Whereas the author can row 100 miles a day. In ocean sized waves, navigating her shell through ice. With polar bears swimming after her. With headwinds punishing her for miles and miles and miles. She does not go home to a cushy bed after her daily row. She's on the water for weeks on end, setting up camp on bear infested, bird poop covered little pieces of frigid land. She's hard core, a total bad ass. I am a mere mortal.
At first, I wasn't big on her tone. Anyone that can have a custom made ocean boat is probably a bit uppity for my taste. I soon realize that truly pretentious folk don't willingly sleep on bird poop covered islands, eat reconstituted food, and deal with a lack of proper toilets. Some readers may think she's bragging or boasting of her accomplishments, and that's very possible. She certainly has plenty to toot her horn about.
There is so much more to the story than just rowing. It's a love story of sorts. She meets her husband, an avalanche expert, in Alaska. They work together and soon enough, love. They both know and love the wilderness. He kayaks, she rows. They decide to do some serious endurance rowing, together. Adventure and romance can be either really, really good, or really, really bad. They make it work. Together, they row the frozen and challenging coasts of Alaska, Canada (East and West coasts), Greenland and Norway.
During these rows, they encounter amazing wildlife; birds, bears, whales. In fact, along the frozen islands of Svalbard, they spot a whale above them. Yes, above them. Not jumping out of the water; (though they also see that frequently) this whale is stuck in a glacier. Upon their return to civilization they report it to the Norwegian Polar Institute, who in turn sends out a crew to investigate and discover that whale is from the 1500's.
There are also several run-in's with bears. Polar bears swimming after them in the water. Brown bears pushing on their tent at night. I was amused by her repeated use of the phrase, "HEY! Bear!" to scare them off. Just after finishing the book I saw a show in which a man was trying to scare a brown bear away from his tent, yelling, "hey bear!" It appears that is the phrase rangers tell you to yell to scare them off. "Hey Bear" is NOT the explicative I'd yell if face to face with a bear.
While it all looked amazing, my wilderness rowing envy mellowed, (well, downright vanished) and I realize I am much more comfortable experiencing this adventure from the comfort of my cushy chair, in my warm, safe, polar bear free living room.
October 13, 2024
In Jill Fredston’s 2001 memoir, she recounts her experiences of rowing and kayaking expeditions she took with her husband, Doug Fesler, along the coastlines of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. The book details the extreme physical and mental demands of rowing thousands of miles in harsh Arctic conditions. They camp in remote locations and must deal with dangerous wildlife (mostly bears) and the elements. It portrays the couple’s shared passion for extreme adventure and how it strengthens their bond.
The prose is a blend of vivid descriptions and personal musing. It is structured around the authors' annual expeditions with one chapter on each journey. It beautifully captures the excitement and unpredictability of venturing into wild places. Rather than focusing on conquering nature or achieving specific goals, this book is more about the journey itself. Fredston also observes changes in the Arctic environment over the years, touching on issues of climate change and ecological shifts.
Throughout their journeys, the couple occasionally interacts with local communities, providing insights into the lives of those living in remote Arctic regions (most of whom are descendants of the indigenous peoples). One of my favorite aspects is the importance of retaining a connection with nature. This memoir contributes to a broader understanding of the Arctic regions at a time when these areas are undergoing significant changes due to global warming. There is a stellar chapter near the end that emphasizes the evaluation of risk in venturing into extremely remote environments, which reflects the couple’s work in avalanche safety. It will appeal to adventure enthusiasts, as well as those interested in nature writing and environmental issues.
The prose is a blend of vivid descriptions and personal musing. It is structured around the authors' annual expeditions with one chapter on each journey. It beautifully captures the excitement and unpredictability of venturing into wild places. Rather than focusing on conquering nature or achieving specific goals, this book is more about the journey itself. Fredston also observes changes in the Arctic environment over the years, touching on issues of climate change and ecological shifts.
Throughout their journeys, the couple occasionally interacts with local communities, providing insights into the lives of those living in remote Arctic regions (most of whom are descendants of the indigenous peoples). One of my favorite aspects is the importance of retaining a connection with nature. This memoir contributes to a broader understanding of the Arctic regions at a time when these areas are undergoing significant changes due to global warming. There is a stellar chapter near the end that emphasizes the evaluation of risk in venturing into extremely remote environments, which reflects the couple’s work in avalanche safety. It will appeal to adventure enthusiasts, as well as those interested in nature writing and environmental issues.
February 26, 2024
This is a travel book about rowing the most famous rivers and islands in the Arctic over decades. It is largely a good read because of the numerous bear and wildlife encounters in the middle of the book. The bear encounters were both Grizzly (Alaska and Canada) and Polar bears (Labrador, Greenland and Svalbard). This is the specialness of the book - whether intended or not. When a polar bear in Labrador is woofing at your husband who is in his birthday suit and you have a gun to save his life, well that is Hollywood material.
I have encountered black and grizzly bears on my backpacking and kayaking trips and almost all sightings were near water sources. Since the author and her husband were covering twenty miles a day exclusively along water routes, it stands to reason that she would have dozens of bear stories to tell. And there are some good whale stories and even a shark that tried to capsize her boat.
Wildlife aside, the writing is professional but a little inconsistent. There are often random facts or insertion of current events. It is incongruous to see random numbers (percentages, precise times, dates) in the same paragraph describing the scenery of a remote sunlit beach below towering cliffs. It just stops the flow dead and is one of my pet peeves. Write noon instead of 11:30 am or mid day instead of 3:30 pm or plenty instead of 40% etc. If you mention 1992 out of the blue after thirty pages of not mentioning a date, it better lead to something other than Bill Clinton was elected. I enjoy reading adventurous memoirs because of the escapism, challenging circumstances and imagery. Anyway these random oddities are easy things to fix in a memoir or at least can be caught by a strong editor.
The backstory in the beginning with grandparents and her time at Dartmouth felt a little privileged and the reflections near the end felt a little too opinionated but the middle of the book was on the mark. At the beginning of an adventure - there are nine in the book- the author does a good job of describing the history of the region they are visiting. I would like the vignettes to have been much longer.
What is missing from the book is the deep purpose exemplified by Cheryl Strayed in Wild or the sweeping descriptions of imagery you get from a Barry Lopez. So in summary, this book had enough material for a five star book. There aren't many people who have been to these Arctic places and almost no-one has willingly experienced so much adventure first hand.
3.5 to 4.0 stars
I have encountered black and grizzly bears on my backpacking and kayaking trips and almost all sightings were near water sources. Since the author and her husband were covering twenty miles a day exclusively along water routes, it stands to reason that she would have dozens of bear stories to tell. And there are some good whale stories and even a shark that tried to capsize her boat.
Wildlife aside, the writing is professional but a little inconsistent. There are often random facts or insertion of current events. It is incongruous to see random numbers (percentages, precise times, dates) in the same paragraph describing the scenery of a remote sunlit beach below towering cliffs. It just stops the flow dead and is one of my pet peeves. Write noon instead of 11:30 am or mid day instead of 3:30 pm or plenty instead of 40% etc. If you mention 1992 out of the blue after thirty pages of not mentioning a date, it better lead to something other than Bill Clinton was elected. I enjoy reading adventurous memoirs because of the escapism, challenging circumstances and imagery. Anyway these random oddities are easy things to fix in a memoir or at least can be caught by a strong editor.
The backstory in the beginning with grandparents and her time at Dartmouth felt a little privileged and the reflections near the end felt a little too opinionated but the middle of the book was on the mark. At the beginning of an adventure - there are nine in the book- the author does a good job of describing the history of the region they are visiting. I would like the vignettes to have been much longer.
What is missing from the book is the deep purpose exemplified by Cheryl Strayed in Wild or the sweeping descriptions of imagery you get from a Barry Lopez. So in summary, this book had enough material for a five star book. There aren't many people who have been to these Arctic places and almost no-one has willingly experienced so much adventure first hand.
3.5 to 4.0 stars
April 26, 2018
I do not have the fortitude to leave behind the comforts of modern civilization to endure a season in the wilds of the Arctic, whether in a cabin like A Woman in the Polar Night or rowing around the land masses of the Arctic, like Jill Fredston and her husband Doug Fesler. I sure do love to read about these intrepid souls, however. For one thing, both Christiane Ritter (of A Woman In the Polar Night) and Jill Fredston can write. The reader is transported to these remote and inhospitable locations with the authors, and it doesn't take much work on the part of the reader to see these beautiful places of our earth with the mind's eye. Secondly, I am always impressed by how well these folks can forgo comforts I'm rather attached to. I'm sure I can live without the internet and cell phones, as I am old enough to have gone to college before the age of being reachable 24/7, but a hot shower and a warm home is pretty high on my list of must-haves. Plus Fredston ran out of reading material a few times on her journeys, and that's a hardship I'm not sure I could even think about stomaching.
But Fredston doesn't just give us a rower's eye view of her travels. She began her journeys about forty years ago, and it's clear how quickly the world has changed in such a short time. Temperatures, especially in Arctic regions, are going up quickly, and native peoples of the younger generation are too entranced by the TV and the internet to be interested in carrying on traditional ways of life and to learn the tribal tongues.
She also discusses the impact of people on the fragile environment of the Arctic. Native peoples, used to throwing away only that which would quickly decompose, now have homes surrounded by the plastics and other materials that don't biodegrade. Every stop she and Fresler made in Greenland was tainted by this overflow of refuse. In their quest to be surrounded by nature, instead they found themselves always reminded of the human presence on this earth.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fredston's ability to commune with nature. As one who is always pointing out the beauty of a sunset, or a cloud formation, or the view from a hill, I was enthralled by her appreciation of all things natural. But she also made me think; in her trips to Norway, she points out that most of what we average people see as nature is still shaped by humans. As a child on road trips, I'd stare at the woods surrounding the highway and wonder what it looked like when the native peoples of that state were the only humans to roam it, before it was trammeled into the needs of the colonizers for farmland and industry and the modern Americans with their desire for quick and easy travel throughout this country. Fredston is one of the few people to have experienced true nature, the way an area has been without the influence of humans in any way.
I'm surprised that Fredston hasn't read A Woman In the Polar Night, considering that she and her husband rowed around Spitsbergen. They said they had read some of the books published on the subject, but she never mentions Ritter's book. Had she done so, I think she would have had a much more positive view instead of the gloomy one given to her by the 1506 account that she quotes.
My only objection to this book is my own fault -- I requested a library copy, and the dust jacket is taped so snugly to the cover that I can't see most of the maps on the outer flaps. Being able to see where in Alaska or Greenland or Norway that Fredston and her husband were paddling would have added to my grasp of their location.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves nature and adventure.
But Fredston doesn't just give us a rower's eye view of her travels. She began her journeys about forty years ago, and it's clear how quickly the world has changed in such a short time. Temperatures, especially in Arctic regions, are going up quickly, and native peoples of the younger generation are too entranced by the TV and the internet to be interested in carrying on traditional ways of life and to learn the tribal tongues.
She also discusses the impact of people on the fragile environment of the Arctic. Native peoples, used to throwing away only that which would quickly decompose, now have homes surrounded by the plastics and other materials that don't biodegrade. Every stop she and Fresler made in Greenland was tainted by this overflow of refuse. In their quest to be surrounded by nature, instead they found themselves always reminded of the human presence on this earth.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fredston's ability to commune with nature. As one who is always pointing out the beauty of a sunset, or a cloud formation, or the view from a hill, I was enthralled by her appreciation of all things natural. But she also made me think; in her trips to Norway, she points out that most of what we average people see as nature is still shaped by humans. As a child on road trips, I'd stare at the woods surrounding the highway and wonder what it looked like when the native peoples of that state were the only humans to roam it, before it was trammeled into the needs of the colonizers for farmland and industry and the modern Americans with their desire for quick and easy travel throughout this country. Fredston is one of the few people to have experienced true nature, the way an area has been without the influence of humans in any way.
I'm surprised that Fredston hasn't read A Woman In the Polar Night, considering that she and her husband rowed around Spitsbergen. They said they had read some of the books published on the subject, but she never mentions Ritter's book. Had she done so, I think she would have had a much more positive view instead of the gloomy one given to her by the 1506 account that she quotes.
My only objection to this book is my own fault -- I requested a library copy, and the dust jacket is taped so snugly to the cover that I can't see most of the maps on the outer flaps. Being able to see where in Alaska or Greenland or Norway that Fredston and her husband were paddling would have added to my grasp of their location.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves nature and adventure.
November 25, 2016
Tales from a lifetime of rowing -- rather different kind of book than the 'I did a cool thing once' type. In the latter, the hypothetical author would spend the whole book writing about one summer's trip: preparation, how far they travelled each day, detailed descriptions of scenery... The beauty of the sort of book that this is is that the author can pick the best-of moments, can take a dozen different battles with ice and focus only on the one or two that are most interesting.
(Don't get me wrong -- I'm perfectly happy to read 'I did a cool thing once' books! Some of them are excellent. But this is still a different sort.)
It's something of a love story, but with two lovers -- Fredston's husband, and the ocean. Fredston has a recurring theme of Doug-as-Viking, tempting fate by declaring how lucky they are to have this great weather today (etc. -- my s.o. is on Doug's side, by the way, and tells me that all my knocking wood will make no difference; I am on Fredston's side, that even if it doesn't make a difference, there's no use tempting fate)...but there's also a moment (177) when, rowing with a third (Doug's daughter from a previous marriage), they realise just how many unspoken systems they have -- for setting up and breaking down camp, for deciding when to rest or eat, for alerting the other's attention to a creature or person.
Fredston and her husband are avalanche experts, and she occasionally mentions that work here. It seems she's written about it more extensively elsewhere, hurray, but...well. Cannot imagine having helped recover three figures' worth of bodies (page 253). But also -- I think that background adds to the richness of this book, these stories about rowing and the Arctic and where human limits lie. Great read.
Onlookers frequently remark that they would love to do similar trips if only they had the time, or the necessary experience. No matter how often I've heard these comments, they still give me pause. As for time, we give it a high priority; if we wait too long, we will be unable to row. And we've gained the experience by doing, stroke by stroke. (x)
(Don't get me wrong -- I'm perfectly happy to read 'I did a cool thing once' books! Some of them are excellent. But this is still a different sort.)
It's something of a love story, but with two lovers -- Fredston's husband, and the ocean. Fredston has a recurring theme of Doug-as-Viking, tempting fate by declaring how lucky they are to have this great weather today (etc. -- my s.o. is on Doug's side, by the way, and tells me that all my knocking wood will make no difference; I am on Fredston's side, that even if it doesn't make a difference, there's no use tempting fate)...but there's also a moment (177) when, rowing with a third (Doug's daughter from a previous marriage), they realise just how many unspoken systems they have -- for setting up and breaking down camp, for deciding when to rest or eat, for alerting the other's attention to a creature or person.
Fredston and her husband are avalanche experts, and she occasionally mentions that work here. It seems she's written about it more extensively elsewhere, hurray, but...well. Cannot imagine having helped recover three figures' worth of bodies (page 253). But also -- I think that background adds to the richness of this book, these stories about rowing and the Arctic and where human limits lie. Great read.
Onlookers frequently remark that they would love to do similar trips if only they had the time, or the necessary experience. No matter how often I've heard these comments, they still give me pause. As for time, we give it a high priority; if we wait too long, we will be unable to row. And we've gained the experience by doing, stroke by stroke. (x)
January 21, 2025
Jill Fredston provides incredible perspectives throughout this book. Her ability to capture and depict the imagery, emotions, and overall experience of her paddles with Doug is fantastic. Raw exciting accounts of dangerous endurance paddles, camping in hurricane force winds, and run ins with wildlife are sewn together with heartwarming interactions with locals met along the way, demonstrations of skill and risk management, good luck, insight on Native American history & culture, and Jills personal takes on wildlife preservation, navigation of life’s problems, and philosophical reflections. The dynamic, stark, and volatile nature of Alaska and other locations in the Arctic circle are on full display.
August 21, 2007
Some of the best books I've ever read have just fallen into my lap. Rowing to Latitude is one of those books.
Rowing to Latitude chronicles a number of kayaking trips that Jill Fredston took with her husband, Doug. When they aren't kayaking, Jill and Doug work as avalanche experts in Alaska. Most of the the trips described are along the Alaska coast or along rivers that end in the Arctic Circle. The final chapters of the book cover their trips around Greenland.
I enjoyed the Alaska and Canada trips the most as they describe areas I am familiar with either through direct experience or through reading and correspondence with friends.
Fredston writes vividly, involving all the senses. Full color photographs included in the middle of the book verifies just how well she writes.
Rowing to Latitude chronicles a number of kayaking trips that Jill Fredston took with her husband, Doug. When they aren't kayaking, Jill and Doug work as avalanche experts in Alaska. Most of the the trips described are along the Alaska coast or along rivers that end in the Arctic Circle. The final chapters of the book cover their trips around Greenland.
I enjoyed the Alaska and Canada trips the most as they describe areas I am familiar with either through direct experience or through reading and correspondence with friends.
Fredston writes vividly, involving all the senses. Full color photographs included in the middle of the book verifies just how well she writes.
September 20, 2016
This was a fantastic story by someone who really lives the adventure and conveys it in a true and heartfelt manner. Would also highly recommend her book Snowstruck as well.
May 7, 2013
I picked 3 years AFTER leaving Anchorage to read this book - a memoir written by an Anchorage author. It describes rowing trips with her husband from Seattle to Nome, the Mackenzie River and along the Arctic coast of Alaska, Labrador, Greenland, Norway, Svalbard, and more. I relate to Jill's affinity for rowing, where the rhythm of the catch-pull-glide can make the oars and heart alike sing. I enjoyed Jill's writing style, which was first intended as a trip-log for herself and friends, full of introspection that ties her personal journeys into their physical ones. Her expansion into this book results in deeper themes that touch the reader individually. There are two thoughts that I found especially insightful. First, there was a complete lack of space and appreciation for nature along the entire coast of Norway, having been completely turned into industries to make the country self sufficient. There was a corresponding lack of community, communication, and sharing among the people they encountered. Jill ponders that the lack of solitude has led to self-isolation. Another thought that struck me is that after nearing the end of their Yukon River journey, Jill had assumed the rhythm of the river and wildlife and people she encountered. A Koyukon family shared a meal and stories with them, and Jill recognized in herself a personal ethic that they shared. A elder told her the same, proclaiming her 'of the river' and therefore able to appreciate what they had to share. I can think of no higher compliment. Very very sweet!
September 28, 2016
I started reading this book at a friend's house in Greenland, in 2010. The beginning of the story stuck with me: an intense blend of spectacular landscape and impressive endurance, practical tips and emotional depth. I had every intention of tracking down a copy once I got home, but it wasn't in print and I failed in my first attempts to find a secondhand copy. I'm glad to have finally rectified this. If you love the Arctic the way I do, this is a compelling account of exploring the coast at sea level.
August 27, 2011
I am adding this book to my library. Many quotable quotes. Here are a few samples:
Page 285
Greenland is beautiful with dramatic mountains and a landscape of power, but it is not immune to the cancer that is all around us sickening the world at large.
Page 286
It is easy to take open water for granted and forget how vulnerable we really are.
Page 286
If I don't exhaust my energy trying to control what I cannot I am left with more time to live as I choose.
Page 285
Greenland is beautiful with dramatic mountains and a landscape of power, but it is not immune to the cancer that is all around us sickening the world at large.
Page 286
It is easy to take open water for granted and forget how vulnerable we really are.
Page 286
If I don't exhaust my energy trying to control what I cannot I am left with more time to live as I choose.
December 9, 2013
No doubt a strong, passionate, adventurous woman. Any person who loves to paddle could find excitement in this book. At times, I found myself getting a bit annoyed by the tone of her voice. Her writing tries to convey a humble nature, but rather it comes across as better than thou.
June 26, 2017
Not overbearingly poetic or flowering yet the story somehow drips out of the page smoothly and settles over you like a nice warm wool blanket on a day that you are very grateful to not be out rowing in frigid, wave filled waters.
October 4, 2012
One of the best memoirs I have read. Well written, entertaining. A great read if you like the outdoors.
January 23, 2020
My mom loved real-life adventure stories (even though she was not an adventurer) and she definitely would have loved this book. I loved it, too. This memoir had a wonderful way of describing the very unique life the author had chosen and the amazing rowing trips around the Arctic she had taken without the focus being on her own amazingness. The focus was on the experience, the reflections and thoughts she had, the observations, the state of nature in the Arctic (Alaska, Canada, Norway and Greenland), the culture of the indigenous peoples that she met, and the already-visible effects of climate change. It sounds like a lot, but it was a peaceful and natural observation of these things. It is hard to describe, but was so lovely. An additional compelling part of this story is the perspective from 2001, when it was written and it really left me thinking about the state of these places and people now, almost 20 years later.
January 19, 2025
this book has its ups and downs, but at the core is a beautiful perspective on place, people, and the constant battle some of us may know as risk/reward in the outdoors and backcountry. More than that, i appreciated the stories of connection, caution, and respect that Jill and Doug have for those they met along Arctic waters. An additional bit of review, but the chapter on their falling in love truly felt like a personal call out, but hey, what can ya do.
February 13, 2022
"Rowing trips require a certain adjustment period to relax into a different pace, to weave a web of connectedness in surroundings much bigger than we are." (p. 268)
This book helped me delve into the rowing lifestyle (and learn about avalanches some, too), which is something I doubt I'll ever fully experience. It is so well-written and even a bit heavy at points that I found myself reading only a few pages or up to one chapter in a single sitting. I needed time to fully immerse myself and let the words and eloquence all soak in. It was a fabulous read that was highly recommended by a wonderful librarian in Alaska.
This book helped me delve into the rowing lifestyle (and learn about avalanches some, too), which is something I doubt I'll ever fully experience. It is so well-written and even a bit heavy at points that I found myself reading only a few pages or up to one chapter in a single sitting. I needed time to fully immerse myself and let the words and eloquence all soak in. It was a fabulous read that was highly recommended by a wonderful librarian in Alaska.
March 16, 2023
This book provides such a unique perspective of the Arctic circle. Can you imagine following the coast of Labrador in a kayak and rowing boat? Dodging polar bears and grizzlies when picking your nightly camping spot? Trying to find a maze through Greenland’s pack ice and calving icebergs? I loved this book. All the adventure without having to leave my warm living room. 😁
March 26, 2021
Just one of the many journeys in this book would have been worth its own tale. A lyrically woven together meditation of life on the edge.
April 1, 2022
I had forgotten to update Goodreads until I was done with this book. Having made a similar sort of journey as the author, I could relate to some of the isolation and risk management involved in this book. With this being said, a lot of the book seemed to divide into two things, the journey itself and the personal life of the author. Its a blend of the two, but not in a good way, as if the author couldn't decide what was most important to write about.
June 30, 2021
Part philosophy of life and part a story of skilled risk taking on epic journeys, Rowing to Latitude is a slow read that encourages reflection.
July 1, 2019
Evocative and inspiring. Jill Fredston writes with humor and insight, her descriptions do vivid you feel as if you are in the rowboat with her. I really enjoyed this book.
September 28, 2022
A fantastic read! But this book is not for everyone. Jill Fredston is a wonderful writer! I felt like I was on these journeys with them. Each description kept me one with nature and one with the animals. I was able to travel with this team without getting freezing cold , drowning or capsizing. 286 paperback pages of northern country travel! She truly gives new meaning to how to live; how to navigate the world and it’s splendors and it’s ‘trash’.
December 10, 2012
Rowing to Latitude
By Jill Fredston
4 stars
pp.289
I’m not a rower and truly, I’m not much of a water person. I can barely doggy paddle, but I picked up Jill Fredston’s Rowing to Latitude because my sense of adventure is easily satisfied by the turn of pages. I hoped for a book which would give me a peak at the Arctic and its animals without having to suffer its chill and biting winds. I was satisfied on that count as this description of her journey from Seattle to Skagway Alaska describes:
The sun reappeared shortly after Petersburg. In celebration, we stopped uncharacteristically early on the end of Cape Fanshaw, a low-lying peninsula that protrudes into Frederick Sound. Though shiny, sculpted pebbles spoke of frequent waves, the sea was docile that day. As soon as we landed, we began to turn in circles, like chickens on a rotisserie, binoculars and cameras in hand. All around us were humpback whales, at least twenty-five of them, spouting geysers of spray, swimming with gentle undulations of their dorsal fins, leaping into clear sky, and slapping the water with their fifteen-foot side flukes and broad, notched tails. A mother and clad eased by, their sides touching. Only a hundred yards away, a forty-foot whale repeatedly torpedoed free of the water, twisted sideways in midair, and landed with a cannonlike explosion. Another whale, closer to shore, continuously and deliberately beats its tail against the water like a gong.
Jill Fredston was a competitive rower in college, she is an environmentalist and an avalanche expert with her husband Doug Fesler. Together they spend their summers engaging in mind boggling Arctic trips. Jill rows while her husband Doug paddles in a kayak. This works well for them as it provides them with a good 360 view with Jill rowing backwards and Doug facing forward.
Rowing to Latitude is a memoir giving the reader a glimpse of the forces that shaped Fredston’s life, her philosophy as well as following along on her amazing journeys. We are introduced to some of the Inuit people who she meets on her journeys, we admire the wildlife and are scared by bears during the night. Jill takes the reader through some truly scary moments she has had in her boat and we witness some extraordinary sights as a whale suspended in an iceberg high above their heads by Spitsbergen Island.
For those who are fond of the environment and love tales of travel and adventureRowing to Latitude is a great book to read
By Jill Fredston
4 stars
pp.289
I’m not a rower and truly, I’m not much of a water person. I can barely doggy paddle, but I picked up Jill Fredston’s Rowing to Latitude because my sense of adventure is easily satisfied by the turn of pages. I hoped for a book which would give me a peak at the Arctic and its animals without having to suffer its chill and biting winds. I was satisfied on that count as this description of her journey from Seattle to Skagway Alaska describes:
The sun reappeared shortly after Petersburg. In celebration, we stopped uncharacteristically early on the end of Cape Fanshaw, a low-lying peninsula that protrudes into Frederick Sound. Though shiny, sculpted pebbles spoke of frequent waves, the sea was docile that day. As soon as we landed, we began to turn in circles, like chickens on a rotisserie, binoculars and cameras in hand. All around us were humpback whales, at least twenty-five of them, spouting geysers of spray, swimming with gentle undulations of their dorsal fins, leaping into clear sky, and slapping the water with their fifteen-foot side flukes and broad, notched tails. A mother and clad eased by, their sides touching. Only a hundred yards away, a forty-foot whale repeatedly torpedoed free of the water, twisted sideways in midair, and landed with a cannonlike explosion. Another whale, closer to shore, continuously and deliberately beats its tail against the water like a gong.
Jill Fredston was a competitive rower in college, she is an environmentalist and an avalanche expert with her husband Doug Fesler. Together they spend their summers engaging in mind boggling Arctic trips. Jill rows while her husband Doug paddles in a kayak. This works well for them as it provides them with a good 360 view with Jill rowing backwards and Doug facing forward.
Rowing to Latitude is a memoir giving the reader a glimpse of the forces that shaped Fredston’s life, her philosophy as well as following along on her amazing journeys. We are introduced to some of the Inuit people who she meets on her journeys, we admire the wildlife and are scared by bears during the night. Jill takes the reader through some truly scary moments she has had in her boat and we witness some extraordinary sights as a whale suspended in an iceberg high above their heads by Spitsbergen Island.
For those who are fond of the environment and love tales of travel and adventureRowing to Latitude is a great book to read
October 28, 2011
This book is phenomenal. Truly, a wondrous journey through space, time, love, life, and philosophy. Jill Fredston is not only a stupendous storyteller but also a deeply thoughtful woman, and her perspective on life comes across beautifully in her prose. This is a book to read with a pen - she shares some universal truths in words well-chosen and appropriate for a wide audience. Somehow, she manages to present her travels (and life) from both an intellectual and personal vantage point and deftly avoids passing judgement on what could turn into an environmental rant in other hands, and yet conveys her point poignantly and with certainty.
Her life has been well-lived, and lived deliberately, and we are truly lucky that she's decided to share it with us. I read this book over the course of many months, as I was transitioning between a summer of leisure to graduate school, and I think I enjoyed it for different reasons the different times I picked it up. There's more here than first meets the eye, and it seems it can speak to a reader for many reasons. She's bold in her discussion of her personal life as well as her rowing trips, and brings the reader a quiet, calm acceptance of danger, crisis, death, beauty and love. The energy and flow in the story is perfectly crafted, and lo and behold the children's book she mentions in the acknowledgements is the one I've been trying to locate in my memory for months (perhaps that's partly why I'm quite this excited to write a review!).
If you have any interest in the arctic, conservation, snow-life, rowing, oceans, water, environmental philosophy, a little adventure love, or just something different - READ IT!
Her life has been well-lived, and lived deliberately, and we are truly lucky that she's decided to share it with us. I read this book over the course of many months, as I was transitioning between a summer of leisure to graduate school, and I think I enjoyed it for different reasons the different times I picked it up. There's more here than first meets the eye, and it seems it can speak to a reader for many reasons. She's bold in her discussion of her personal life as well as her rowing trips, and brings the reader a quiet, calm acceptance of danger, crisis, death, beauty and love. The energy and flow in the story is perfectly crafted, and lo and behold the children's book she mentions in the acknowledgements is the one I've been trying to locate in my memory for months (perhaps that's partly why I'm quite this excited to write a review!).
If you have any interest in the arctic, conservation, snow-life, rowing, oceans, water, environmental philosophy, a little adventure love, or just something different - READ IT!
February 16, 2014
I chose this for our island book club because we have sailors, kayakers & travelers in it. The author goes to Alaska (where she lives) to British Columbia, Greenland, Labrador, Norway, the Yukon River & many parts of the Bering Sea. She made me relieved to be an armchair traveler, when it comes to those parts of the globe!
An avalanche expert, with another book, 'Snowstruck' Jill is a serious outdoors woman & one heck of an athlete. I was tired just reading of how many miles she rowed each day on these 3 month trips! And imagine pitching & packing up the same campsite 3 times as you debate weather risks. She gives a fine definition of risks, as when knowing the consequences well enough to make informed decisions. Also recommended, by her husband & fellow rower, 'Take along a female & listen to her advice' as a way to prevent the deaths of more foolhardy males, out of their depth in the wilderness.
It made me smile to read that she takes about 25 books along per trip, despite having to row & haul their extra weight. Gives you an idea of just how precious reading is, to her. ;)
On page 66 she gives some advice to couples who will be pushed to their endurance extremes. Her husband Doug is a self-described 'noncombatant combatant' while her style is 'expeditionary behavior code of conduct'. This translates as 'a conscious commitment to get along despite physical exigencies & personal idiosyncrasies' which she learned from the National Outdoor Leadership School.
'Your responsibility is to be amicable & work to diminish your own offensive behaviors.'
Daresay, that's great advice, even if you are not battling bears in the Mackenzie River wilds!
An avalanche expert, with another book, 'Snowstruck' Jill is a serious outdoors woman & one heck of an athlete. I was tired just reading of how many miles she rowed each day on these 3 month trips! And imagine pitching & packing up the same campsite 3 times as you debate weather risks. She gives a fine definition of risks, as when knowing the consequences well enough to make informed decisions. Also recommended, by her husband & fellow rower, 'Take along a female & listen to her advice' as a way to prevent the deaths of more foolhardy males, out of their depth in the wilderness.
It made me smile to read that she takes about 25 books along per trip, despite having to row & haul their extra weight. Gives you an idea of just how precious reading is, to her. ;)
On page 66 she gives some advice to couples who will be pushed to their endurance extremes. Her husband Doug is a self-described 'noncombatant combatant' while her style is 'expeditionary behavior code of conduct'. This translates as 'a conscious commitment to get along despite physical exigencies & personal idiosyncrasies' which she learned from the National Outdoor Leadership School.
'Your responsibility is to be amicable & work to diminish your own offensive behaviors.'
Daresay, that's great advice, even if you are not battling bears in the Mackenzie River wilds!
Read
April 19, 2013Written by Jill Fredston in 2001. Jill and her husband are avalanche experts and co-directors of the Alaska Mountain Safety Center. They live outside Anchorage. According to Jill, she and her husband are such two different types of people that they would never be expected to get together. To me the book is written in the format that made me feel like I was sitting with he author, her husband and some friends and she was sharing stories with us.
Jill and her husband would take the summer months off and row & paddle the Northern waters of the Americas and Europe. Some of their trips were Seattle to Skagway; the Yukon Rive from Whitehorse to Nome; the Mackenzie River from the community of Hay River in the Northwest Territories to Kotzebue Alaska; the Alaskan Peninsule; from Golthenburg Sweden along the coast of Norway to Kirkenes Russia. All total the traveled over twenty thousand miles using only oars and paddles for population carrying the supplies and equipment they would need.
Jill used a custom designed rowing type hull and her husband used a seagoing kayak. He paddled facing forward and Jill rowed facing rearward.
All in all a great book if one is interested in the joys I finds in life. Some of the things Jill wrote about her husband's youth reminded me of my own. One of the things her husband did was what I used to do, only I spent ten cents where he had to spend fifteen cents.
Lots of human interest, lots of adventures, and lots of reminders that life is great.
Jill and her husband would take the summer months off and row & paddle the Northern waters of the Americas and Europe. Some of their trips were Seattle to Skagway; the Yukon Rive from Whitehorse to Nome; the Mackenzie River from the community of Hay River in the Northwest Territories to Kotzebue Alaska; the Alaskan Peninsule; from Golthenburg Sweden along the coast of Norway to Kirkenes Russia. All total the traveled over twenty thousand miles using only oars and paddles for population carrying the supplies and equipment they would need.
Jill used a custom designed rowing type hull and her husband used a seagoing kayak. He paddled facing forward and Jill rowed facing rearward.
All in all a great book if one is interested in the joys I finds in life. Some of the things Jill wrote about her husband's youth reminded me of my own. One of the things her husband did was what I used to do, only I spent ten cents where he had to spend fifteen cents.
Lots of human interest, lots of adventures, and lots of reminders that life is great.
November 25, 2008
10-28-08
This book is best appreciated by those who might have a similar attraction to wild country as does the author, Jill Fredston.
Often lyrical, always worshipful of the Arctic's Edge, Fredston's account of rowing feats along the coasts of Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Labrador will most resonate with those who've often dipped oars or paddles into the water themselves. Just when descriptions of the thousands of miles of shoreline threaten to slip into the mundane, Fredston introduces polar bears, anthropomorphic winds, or wild water.
This book will likely resonate with those whose adventures take them to the edge as often as Fredston and her husband, Doug, spent in those fragile spaces.
While I love to paddle, I just can't imagine five or six months on the water. Call me shallow, but I don't have the inner resources to be away from electricity for that long. So... I'll continue to live vicariously through people like Jill Fredstone...
This book is best appreciated by those who might have a similar attraction to wild country as does the author, Jill Fredston.
Often lyrical, always worshipful of the Arctic's Edge, Fredston's account of rowing feats along the coasts of Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and Labrador will most resonate with those who've often dipped oars or paddles into the water themselves. Just when descriptions of the thousands of miles of shoreline threaten to slip into the mundane, Fredston introduces polar bears, anthropomorphic winds, or wild water.
This book will likely resonate with those whose adventures take them to the edge as often as Fredston and her husband, Doug, spent in those fragile spaces.
While I love to paddle, I just can't imagine five or six months on the water. Call me shallow, but I don't have the inner resources to be away from electricity for that long. So... I'll continue to live vicariously through people like Jill Fredstone...
September 5, 2007
If you considered rowing to be exclusively the domain of prep schools, this travelogue/autobiography will swiftly disabuse you of that notion. Jill Fredston says she didn't originally intend "Rowing to Latitude" to be a book, and in a lot of ways, it feels like a patchwork of emails from a distant friend doing something you would give anything to join her for.
Sprinkled throughout are moments of genius, and the language rarely if ever falls into the humdrum voice of most travel accounts. The book traverses phases of Fredston's life almost as readily as she traverses thousands of miles in a specially-made skull, recounting her personal sea yarns, offering the usual cultural and scenic commentaries, and occasionally narrating a love letter to her husband. It's great reading for a relaxing weekend away, but you might not go back to work on Monday.
Sprinkled throughout are moments of genius, and the language rarely if ever falls into the humdrum voice of most travel accounts. The book traverses phases of Fredston's life almost as readily as she traverses thousands of miles in a specially-made skull, recounting her personal sea yarns, offering the usual cultural and scenic commentaries, and occasionally narrating a love letter to her husband. It's great reading for a relaxing weekend away, but you might not go back to work on Monday.
January 4, 2019
Jill Fredston’s descriptions of nature are so beautiful it hurts. This book is slow, thoughtful, and carefully crafted. It describes several journeys in extreme North that Fredston took with her partner, focusing on descriptions of nature and the minutia of rowing through ice, as well as the emotional stamina this hardcore activity requires. The author of this book is a major badass, but she remains light and humble throughout the story. My two favourite highlights of the narration are encounters with bears and discovery of the ancient whale suspended in ice. The book also talks about Native communities that Jill and Doug encountered and stayed with during their travels. These parts of the book are respectful, political, and not exotifying, which I see as a major plus. Superb travel writing!
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