Into the Wild

Recently I picked up two items from the library that my brother recommended. Since he is what you wouldn't call an avid reader, I was interested in seeing what caught his interest.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is all about the life and death of the "kid" (he was 24) who traveled to the Alaska wild by himself in the early 90's and ended up dying in an abandoned schoolbus. It's an exploration not only of the events that happened, but also of the personal story behind it. What impels a kid who grew up in a middle class home in the Suburbs of Virginia to cut all ties with family and friends, to drop every possession, and to explore the farthest reaches of the wilderness alone? Krakauer does a good job of discrediting the easy accusations- he goes on to prove that this kid was smart, he was prepared, he was fully capable of being social, he was not mentally ill. So what drove him? The author compared his own experiences as a mountain climber as a young adult, and the grave risks that he took. His conclusion was that it was pure luck that he survived, whereas the kid didn't. He explored quotes from John Muir, Thoreau, and other authors who venerated living in the wild, outside of civilization. It really puts some perspective on a sad story.

The movie Touching the Void was pretty dramatic. It was the re-telling of the experience of two young mountain climbers, who each faced death and improbable odds. There was a 'recreation' of the action interspersed with interviews of the two climbers, adding what they were thinking or experiencing during this ordeal. It is really gripping, and amazing that either of them lived to tell the tale. Again, you get a glimpse of what motivates people to push their physical limits to experience nature far outside of the comfortable realm of society.

After watching the movie and reading the book, certain similarities became apparent. They both referred to people with a love of nature, and a desire to experience it. There is a driving need to get away from people, if only for a while, in addition to a test of your wits. It's a challenge to the universe to see what you can accomplish in the face of incredible odds.

What was most striking to me was the description by one of the mountain climbers of what it feels like. What does it feel like to be hanging from a cliff of ice, thousands of feet above any secure area? Your life relies on your skills, your tools, and the luck of the draw. One wrong move, one bad storm, one faulty piece of equipment- and you're dead. The description he gave was that your perception of the moment expands and contracts to where all you perceive is your situation. All of the petty details in life fall away completely. You perceive yourself as a part of the universe, but you aren't thinking so much as living in the moment. It really reminded me of Buddhist texts that I've read. This is almost word for word a description of the state of mind you aim for with meditation. It's a different way of achieving the same state. Fascinating!

As far as my brother is concerned, he does love nature. I can see the appeal in the action and adventure side of these tales. I don't believe he has the driving need to prove himself, or to expose himself to exaggerated risks that these guys did. I think the stories are appealing even to those of us who have no desire to go into the wild beyond the scope of a day hike.