Crude Book Review: Hunted By David Fletcher

A sense of utter despair sweeps over me. I begin to panic. What more can I do? Surely I've done enough? Everything has been against me on this expedition. This time, stuck in a hole in the sloping floor of the ramp, my best just has not been good enough. There are some situations that can never be won. But I'm never going to let go of my rope. I may have lost the battle. But I haven't lost my determination to hold onto my rope.

That's an excerpt from the book, Hunted: A True Story of Survival written by David Fletcher, and pretty much the heart of this incredible adventure. It's also my favorite passage from the book, as it truly defines the author's epic struggle.

In a nutshell, the book documents British climber David Fletcher's account of a solo expedition into the remote Hayes mountains of Alaska. When Fletcher mistakenly kills a grizzly bear cub, his adventure becomes one that can only be compared to that of Captain Ahab's battle with the great whale. The mother grizzly literally stalks Fletcher over the next several days in his pursuit to complete his goal, that of climbing Mount Hess. In the end, it's kill or be killed.

This book has easily become one of my all-time favorites. Any personal adventure story grabs my attention, but this one had me engaged from start to finish. It would even make a great movie. You've got climbing & a battle with a 1200 pound bear. Get this book!

~The Pilgrim.