Across the Edge

Author, photographer and explorer Peter Clutterbuck's love of adventure developed as a child growing up within the British Army. Peter's thirst for adventure, and his work as an engineer in the energy sector, have taken him to 105 countries on all seven continents, including some of the most remote regions on the planet. He crossed the Atlantic by sail, and sailed singlehanded across the Pacific; scaled previously unclimbed mountains in unexplored regions of the Arctic and Antarctic; crossed the deserts of Australia and the Empty Quarter of Arabia; and dived in pristine waters of the Indian Ocean. But these journeys came at a cost, and there were crises along the way: from a vehicle abandonment with no water in central Australia, to a high-speed motorcycle collision in Asia Minor. From rolling a Land Rover in the Arabian desert to getting stranded in Arctic Alaska and stuck in a raging blizzard in Antarctica. From being dismasted in the North Atlantic to an emergency on a molten lava flow, to finding himself surrounded by a seventeen-strong pride of lions in Africa.These high-risk expeditions have enabled Peter to explore the pristine savagery of previously unexplored regions. But they also required him to push technology - and himself - to the limit, in temperatures ranging from a numbing -40°C to the searing heat of 59°C. Meticulous planning in such desolate regions can be the difference between life and death. While the objective was always to 'get there', the excitement was in the journey. However, these stories come with a warning: that urgent action must be taken to preserve these wildernesses for future generations, and pollution must be reduced. Many of the journeys undertaken in this book were completed by sail and foot, via wind and manpower, leaving a minimal carbon footprint. Join him as he journeys across the edge, into a fascinating and often untouched world, where dust storms, blizzards and breaking ocean waves rule. A world of staggering beauty, beyond the civilised world of central heating, air conditioning, traffic jams, and 24/7 news, to places where time stands still.