Beyond Fear: A Journey Across New Guinea

by Joel P. Kramer

The island of New Guinea has long been a land shrouded in mystery, living up to its ominous reputation as the "Land of the Unexpected." When Joel Kramer and Aaron Lippard, two young explorers from Salt Lake City, Utah, set out on their own to cross the entire island of New Guinea without the use of motors, almost everyone said it was impossible and that they would surely die. To fulfill their dream, Kramer and Lippard must depart from Wewak on the north side of the island and travel in a tiny inflatable kayak over remote rivers and swamps and hike over rugged interior mountains, covered in dense jungle. They must face ferocious man-eating crocodiles that can sneak up on and ravage a man in a death twirl in a matter of seconds; a relentless onslaught of blood-sucking leeches, deadly malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and black flies; raging whitewater rivers and whirlpools; and a Stone Age tribe of cannibals before they reach their destination of Daru on New Guinea's southern coast. The young men begin their journey as complete strangers. Learning to travel with one another under such extreme conditions at times seems less bearable to them than the chronic life-or-death situation at hand. However, what they learn about themselves, one another, and the human capacity for survival will change them indelibly and take them to an extraordinary emotional and physical place beyond their fears.

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Josh Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as it was for my 5th grade book report

[Liberty {LittyLibby} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was lent to me by my daughter-in-law when I said I was in the mood for adventure/explorer reading. It was written by a distant cousin of hers.
It was well-written, and I enjoyed reading about the indigenous people of New Guinea, and the adventure and struggle of the expedition. It's quite dated though, written in 1995, and written from a very us/them Western Christian perspective. I would have liked to read more about interactions with the people of New Guinea and less about the author's uber-prideful personality. I hope he grew up a bit and is kind and humble nowadays. He wasn't a nice guy, and I also didn't appreciate the way he made everything about good and evil. For instance, bats aren't evil, nor are they a portent of bad juju.
This was written from a very naive spiritual paradigm, and I kept that in mind as I tried to enjoy the adventure aspect.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first hand experience and an awesome young man who I've had the pleasure of meeting!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an honest an inspiring account of the way two young young men faced an extreme ordeal and overcame, against all odds, to complete an expedition that even the locals thought impossible. Joel Kramer, the author, became a family friend last summer when we met in Israel. The incredible focus and drive that he displayed in completing this expedition are still evident in his life. The experience was a defining one which strengthened his character and vision, which he now channels into Christian apologetics related to anthropology and archeology. My three boys will definitely read this book! Joel was a great author to meet!

[Anne S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! Course, it helped that I already heard the story directly from the author, but the book went more into detail. One of those things that I would never even consider doing, but pretty fascinating to read about.

[Jonathan Woodyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book

[Joanne H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this reading a lot, powerful and honest writing.