4000s by 40: Tackling Middle Age in the Mountains of New Hampshire

by Matt Larson

4000S BY 40 IS THE HUMOROUS TALE OF A HARD-CHARGING GUY HUMBLED BY MOUNTAINS—AND BY LIFE

Following in the footsteps of writers like Cheryl Strayed and Bill Bryson, 4000s by 40 gives voice to the universally relatable journey of dealing with middle age, and doing so while stumbling around in New Hampshire’s 4000-foot mountains.

Faced with the fact he couldn’t stay in his 30s forever, Matt Larson fled to the White Mountains where no one could remind him how old he was getting. From failed summits to hitchhiking with strangers, 4000s by 40 is one man’s quest to conquer all of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains before turning 40, while trying not to get himself killed in the process. An adventure of mistakes and self-discovery, Matt’s journey led him from idiocy to expertise, and ultimately newfound humility, when a series of health crises derailed his life. Getting over the hill took him over quite a few hills, and taught him that no matter how many mountains we climb, greater challenges await, each one leading us closer to discovering our best selves.

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2024

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply relatable and entertaining, 4000s by 40 captures the humbling experience of chasing the impressive goal of climbing all 48 mountains. Matt Larson’s humor and wit makes you feel like you’re right there with him on the trail. A great read and reminder that the journey is just as valuable as the destination!

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book (and the author!!)

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book! Matt Larson vividly describes the thrill, joy and struggle of climbing the 48 New Hampshire 4000 footers in one year. Just as much, he writes about why he climbs. Yes, he loves the mountains and the physical challenge, but his drive to climb reflects his desire to be the best husband, father and man he can be. Matt is a good writer and also seriously funny. Such a thoughtful and fun read!

[S.M. Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves hiking but would never consider tackling all of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers in a year, or hiking mountains knee-deep in winter snow for that matter, I wasn’t sure how interesting I would find this book. I’m happy to say, it was a winner. I enjoyed every minute of living vicariously through Matt Larson’s journey, his descriptions pulling me right into the setting and scenery, his challenges profoundly relatable.

The climbing travails and lessons learned were entertaining. The observations about himself, his family and the world around us were insightful and hard-earned. But most of all, I loved the humor in this book. If you’re going to "climb" 48 mountains with someone, you want that person to be fun to hang out with. Larson is that guy—smart, witty, humble and human.

[Martha Kuppens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Matt Larson has done a great job of relating his mountain climbing adventures to life’s challenges. Written with humor and honesty his love of family and the outdoors is revealed every step of the way. Highly recommend.

[Jerry Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I enjoyed Matt’s writing style. It felt more like a conversation with him than anything else. Very relatable and entertaining. I met Matt at the AMC celebration this year in Exeter NH. I promised to provide him with my honest feedback. Matt, if you read this, well done in so many ways!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My colleague bought me this book, knowing I’m a hiker, slowly making my way through several lists. I loved it! It seems the author is also avoiding the Terrifying 25, since it wasn’t mentioned. I was scared for a second when you wrote you considered going DOWN Flume Slide Trail. I haven’t attempted that one at all yet, but I think it’s on the Terrifying List and is only supposed to be climbed up!

For some easier lists, there’s the 52WAV and the Belknap 12. I suspect I’ll get those before the 48, but we will see.

I’ve considered volunteering as a Trail Steward to help dissuade the people trying to climb in Crocs. This is a good reminder to look into it!

Lastly, I see in another comment that your health is improving and I’m so happy to read that. You probably hate people suggesting things, but I’m going to be one of those annoying people for a minute. My husband ended up in a North Country ER with low magnesium. The symptoms mimicked a heart attack or panic attack and included uncontrolled shaking and pins and needles. Luckily, there was a sports medicine doc there who was able to figure it out. With you having a kidney surgery and all, I figured I’d suggest you get your magnesium and potassium checked. After a few hours with an IV bag of Magnesium, he was mostly healed!

[AndyL]

As someone who just completed his 48 but who took a lot more than one year to do so (although I am older and was driving 5+ hours from NY), I found this a fun and enjoyable read.  Not a "how to" book but more of a leisurely, at times humorous, at times philosophical journey through the Whites.  I think beginners could have benefitted from a little more "how to" -- what to pack, how to plan your hike etc. -- but that would have been a different book and not one the author understandably wanted and needed to write.  I hope what I am about to say does not detract from his accomplishment but the author is clearly not your typical new hiker, having hiked Rainier, a Teton and Kilimanjaro before his NH journey and some of the times it took him to complete the 4000 footers were super fast. His clearly strong fitness, however, made the accomplishment seem somewhat easier than it actually is for the average hiker and did slightly lessen the drama of whether he would accomplish his goal of completing them all.  I admire what the author did re: Isolation, which was my least favorite of all the 48s -- and I did not hike back via Rocky Branch.  If he is reading the reviews, the author should go back and do the Tripyramids in the spring or summer and ascent via the Slide. And I hope the author's health is back to normal or at least improving. 

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it existed, I would give the book a 4.5 rating. Great read! So many moments when I laughed out loud. One such moment was about the "imbecile" hiking up a 4,000 footer in flip flops. My outburst while reading annoyed our ten year old who was also reading quietly - which led to me sharing why I was laughing. She was aghast that someone would have the audacity to attempt any mountain in a pair of flip flops. Smart girl.

Thank you for an inspiring book and sharing your incredible journeys and discovered insights hiking the New Hampshire's 48 4,000s. I pray you find answers to your health issues. May you and your family have many, many more blessed years together. Thank you also for mentioning the 52 with a view - now a goal for me.

[Dee]

I don’t rate memoirs, but this one missed the mark for me. I also don’t quit books, but I was seriously tempted to DNF this one.