Expedition photographer Gordon Wiltsie, whose award-winning pictures grace National Geographic, has crisscrossed the earth on foot, by dogsled and on skis all while toting a camera. A companion to many modern-day explorers (including the late Galen Rowell and Jon Krakauer), in To the Ends of the Earth: Adventures of an Expedition Explorer Wiltsie chronicles 10 climbs and treks all ambitious, death-defying adventures that took him up looming peaks, across frigid plains and through mysterious rainforests. This is Wiltsie’s personal diary of being a load-carrying, pot-washing, full-fledged expedition team member and the man responsible for capturing each dramatic moment on film. From Tibet’s Potala Palace to a polar wall on Canada’s Baffin Island, Wiltsie’s spectacular images capture the exploits and travails of expedition teams, plus the inspirational landscapes and exotic cultures of the places visited.
Tragically, explorer and photographer Galen Rowell perished when his small plane crashed near Bishop, California, in August 2002. Thankfully, Rowell’s photographic work and his numerous books (among them, Mountain Light and My Tibet) survive to enchant and educate us about the glories of wild places shrouded in light and shadow. A renowned climber, photographer, writer and eco-advocate who routinely ventured into the most remote corners of the earth, Rowell was tireless, passionate to the end about the conservation and celebration of the earth’s landscapes and wildlife.
Alison Hood was formerly a National Park Service Ranger at Muir Woods and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
