States of Adventure: Stories About Finding Yourself by Getting Lost

by Fitz Cahall

From completing the Great Divide Mountain Bike route in a wheelchair bike to swapping the city for van life in Yosemite, these 30 stories will inspire you to pack a knapsack, head outside, and push yourself.

The campfire tale is ubiquitous in mountain culture. If we’ve climbed, skied, boated, hiked, or traveled, we’ve been telling stories. Inspired by the popular Dirtbag Diaries podcast, States of Adventure showcases some of the most unbelievable tales from America and beyond. These stories span the breathtaking landscapes of North America, taking you on adventures across mountains and woods, through snow, rapids, and up rock faces.

Set alongside stunning imagery from well-known outdoor photographers, these stories capture a spirit of adventure and wilderness on every page.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2024

Reviews

[André Filipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Onr of my favourite podcasts made one of the best reads of my year. Inspiring stories artfully written.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

States of Adventure, Stories About Finding Yourself by Getting Lost by Fitz Cahall is an excellent book to lose yourself in. Yes, the point emphasizes finding yourself, and I love how the background is set up to do this. When you are in the wilds of nature and you push yourself past what you believe to be your limit, then you truly find yourself. Maybe you prefer to live vicariously through others, or you just need some new inspiration, this is a great book! The pictures are stunning, and the stories are truly motivational and inspirational. There are activities, traditional and non-traditional from all over the world and covering all seasons, so there really is no excuse not to take a peek and try it out. I especially enjoyed the perspective of the people being interviewed as it provided great insight into the how and why for some of the selections.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 4 out of 5]

#StatesofAdventure #NetGalley

If you are the reader who's intimidated by heights (think mountains), has not much physical endurance (think long treks on trails spanning from Alaska to Argentina), love the sight of the powdery white stuff (snow) dotting the landscape but not the chill, this is the book for you.

This book gives the reader a chance to metaphorically walk away from it all and join these intrepid travelers. Expected stories of adventure from the blurb but reading about a young kayaker braving the rapids, hearing about a team of individuals using adaptive device to climb, the legacy of adventure in multiple generations (father to son, father to daughter) and the uniqueness of burro racing was something altogether unexpected. The photographs only added to the thrill of reading their adventures.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, DK, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lavishly illustrated book about a range of adventures covering skiing, hiking, climbing, kayaking, dog mushing and everything in between. Largely focused on the US and PNW but Ipswich gets a shoutout, just don't tell Ipswich it's a small town.

I was surprised to see Fitz Cahall received a Bonderman grant which he used to travel Australia before graduating with a journalism degree.

Overall it's a good coffee table book and well worth a read. You'll see several names of frequent collaborators pop up as both authors and adventurers.

Good for the armchair adventurer or for someone seeking inspiration for their next climb or winter through hike of the AT.

The brief foreword by Alex Honnold gives you a good intro to Fitz Cahall if you just randomly picked this book up and haven't heard of him or the Dirtbag Diaries before.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't what I expected and at first I was disappointed, and then I was really pleased and excited. The stories are like snapshots, so some of them aren't as complete, but each one describes a big adventure. Every one is impressive in its own way, and I cried after reading the story of the brave lady who borrowed a dog to make an impressive snow trek and then got to adopt the dog. I highly recommend this, for the stories, for the pictures, and for the sense of adventure. Read this and then make your own dreams come true! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t think of a better book to reach my 2024 reading challenge goal. Took my time with this book to savour each story. I was, and still am, a fan of the Dirtbag Diaries podcast, where some of these stories have been featured. Reading these stories felt like an extended version of it. More epic outdoor adventure stories! Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys going on outdoor adventures, or just reading about them from the comfort of your own home. It’s a book I’ll keep coming back to for years to come. 10/10 for sure!

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

In States of Adventure, Cahall tells the stories of both his adventures and those of many other outdoor lovers. The stories were very inspiring and the photographs were absolutely stunning. I love nature and being outdoors, but am not a true adventurer. I loved living vicariously through others as they developed their climbing skills to achieve a goal, hiked alone for extended distances, and enjoyed a host of other exhilarating accomplishments. I loved that this book is in the style of a coffee table book with many pictures throughout, but gave each story the depth that it deserved.

[A.L. Renna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a series of short stories, Fitz Cahall takes readers on a journey to where the wild, untamed outdoors become the backdrop for personal discovery. States of Adventure is an exciting and inspiring book that shows how getting lost is one of the best ways to find yourself.

Read the full review: https://travelnitch.org/states-of-adv...

[John Brentlinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories on the outdoors and adventures, it serves as an inspiration to get out there and explore more of the world and what it has to offer. A nice companion to the Dirtbag Diaries podcast and some reminders of stories from past episodes

[PottWab Regional Library]

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