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LIFE LIVED WILD: ADVENTURES AT THE EDGE OF THE MAP BY RICK RIDGEWAY, PATAGONIA BOOKS
Summits, an aspiration for many an adventurer) to the ill-fated kayak trip in Patagonia with Doug Tompkins, and the making of cult adventure-meetsconservation film 180 Degrees South, he was there for all of them.
If you know Rick Ridgeway mostly due to some of his more notable ascents, you’d be in the same position I was before I cracked the spine on his memoir. I settled into the book expecting a bunch of daring tales told by adventurous lads driven by adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment. There definitely is some of that, but I’ve never been so happy to be fundamentally wrong. Instead I found: a love story; a thank-you letter to important people, transformative places and pivotal moments; and a chronicle of growth. As you make your way through the anthology you see Rick evolve from a dirtbag adventure addict to a considered and thoughtful environmentalist. At around 400 pages (edited down from almost twice that) the hefty tome contains 25 separate stories and is a testament to the sheer volume of adventure Ridgeway has experienced in his life. From the multi-peak quest of Dick Bass and Frank Wells (which launched the concept of the Seven
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The focus of each story is less on Ridgeway as the protagonist and his achievements, but more on the experiences, places and people that impacted him along the way. He writes about the Chang Tang traverse to track the migration of endangered chiru to further the research of George Schaller, and about supporting rising-star photographer Joe Riis on his project to protect the migration corridor of the endangered pronghorn. Like some sort of explorer vigilante, he discovers, he learns, and then quietly moves on. His respect for the people that made each adventure and for the places he was privileged to experience comes through
in his writing. In the chapter “The Two Burials of Jonathan Wright” he recounts both witnessing the death of his friend Jonathan after an avalanche struck them in Nepal, and 20 years later taking Jonathan’s daughter Asia on a journey to find where her father was buried. We see Rick’s deep respect for Asia, her father, and the mountain that took his life. As a multi-talented creative, Rick’s book is full of evocative photos. The images go beyond showcasing naturally beautiful places, though. Ridgeway also shares personal letters, messages and moments of tenderness that allow you to connect with him on a personal level. Ridgeway balances his desire to explore with considered reflection on the impact we have on the places we explore. I came away from reading feeling inspired—and educated.
