Beyond Adventure

"Beyond Adventure" looks beyond the excitement of adventure and exploration, and through the author's inner journey it investigates the relationship of man and nature and draws lessons for the modern world. Colin Mortlock's previous book, "The Adventure Alternative", was written in 1984. In the world of adventure, education and values, it has gained an international reputation. "Beyond Adventure" is a very different book to its predecessor. It has evolved through the experiences garnered from long solo expeditions in wild places. The inspiration for these journeys initially came from the writings of John Muir. In the course of his journeys Colin came to experience an elusive deep contentment we all instinctively seek. Solitude encouraged reflection. The questing became a search for answers to fundamental questions that face humanity, and for what lay beyond the immediate sensations felt in adventurous situations. What he discovered in the concept of a journey included a sense of the beautiful and a sacredness of place. The author has been described as 'inspirational to work with, to talk with, to know' and also as a 'strange, awkward, shy-stumbling-worded man'. Struggle is evident in his text. It defies categorisation. But throughout the book, his passion for adventure and for the mystery and grandeur of Nature burns brightly. This account of an intensely personal inner journey strikes universal chords. It will appeal to all who love the outdoors and believe there is a unique wisdom to be found in the wild.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Chris Bonington Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Self Chapter 2: Deeper into Self Chapter 3: The Impact of Other People Chapter 4: The Impact of Nature Chapter 5: Sea Kayaking and Alaska Chapter 6: Elemental Experiences Chapter 7: Wild Flowers and Trekking Chapter 8: Further Reflections Chapter 9: A Pilgrim in the Wild Chapter 10: Seeking Unity with Nature Chapter 11: Inner Resources Chapter 12: A Framework of Values Epilogue: Back to the Wilderness Endnotes Bibliography Appendix A: Basic Beliefs Appendix B: Outdoor Education Appendix C: Further Notes on Inner Resources Appendix D: Inner Self and Ideal Self Colin Mortlock Comments about Beyond Adventure

About the Author :
Colin Mortlock was born in 1936 and educated at Bemrose Grammar School, Derby, and Keble College, Oxford, where he graduated in Modern History. A keen athlete, he went on to Loughborough College to take first class honours in Physical Education and Education. After teaching at the Royal Wolverhampton School and Manchester Grammar School he became, in 1965, Warden of The Woodlands Outdoor Centre in south Wales. This centre for school children from the city of Oxford soon became recognised as one of the country's leading adventure centres. In 1971 he was appointed Director of the Centre for Outdoor Education, Charlotte Mason College, Ambleside, in the Lake District. Over the next twenty years the Centre became renowned both for its degree courses and especially for its one-year International Adventure course for experienced teachers. Apart from a lifetime in Outdoor Education, Colin has acquired a considerable reputation for his own adventures. In the 1960s he was one of Britain's top rock climbers, and was probably the first to devise and use a climbing wall. He led an Oxford Expedition to Norway and was on the successful Trivor Himalayan Expedition. He later went on to discover Pembrokeshire sea-cliff climbing and wrote the initial guidebook. After several years of white-water canoeing and small-boat sailing off the west coast of Britain he began sea kayaking. In 1975, he was awarded a Churchill Scholarship for leading a pioneering six-man kayak expedition along the arctic coastline of Norway and round the North Cape. This was followed in 1979 by a two-man kayak expedition along the Alaskan coastline from Prince Rupert to Sitka. In 1981 he returned to Sitka and made a 650-mile solo kayak journey to the north, including Glacier Bay. In the following years he spent a considerable time establishing and working as Chairman for the Ambleside and Area Adventure Association and the Lakes Community Outdoor Project. Together these charities provided outdoor experiences and sports resources for the local community. He returned to the mountains of Europe in 1988, and since retirement in 1991 has covered over 15,000 miles trekking in the wild, often alone. Colin Mortlock was founder and first chairman of the National Association of Outdoor Adventure Education. He is currently chairman of the Adventure & Environmental Awareness Group. He has written extensively on outdoor education and has an international reputation as a keynote lecturer on adventure and values. His other book, The Adventure Alternative, was published by Cicerone in 1984 and remains in print.

Review :
'I first read Colin Mortlock's work in 1980 as an undergraduate grappling with the philosophy of taking young people into the outdoors. His small booklet 'Adventure Education' was essential reading for students of Outdoor and Environmental education. In 1984 he published 'The Adventure Alternative', which likewise became a standard text for numerous courses. His latest book "Beyond Adventure" will no doubt be lapped up and quoted in thousands of student dissertations, but it is a very interesting book for all outdoors folk, whatever their area of work or study. For this book explores the deeper reasons for wanting to head outdoors in order to seek adventure. In particular this book looks at one man's changing reasons for going to the wilder places, from the attitude and beliefs he held as a youth, through his different adventures and activities, to his deeper philosophical thoughts he now holds in his older years. Beyond Adventure is a small book that can be quickly read, but the writing is meaningful and should not be rushed. It may well be a book that many will choose to read twice in order to enable the thoughts to sink in. In a country where our contact with adventure can be taken over several days, but is quite often grabbed on days out from home, before going home for tea, this book is well worth a read, because it describes the feelings that can easily be missed in the busy lives that so many people lead. So, whether it is looking for a concise quote for that essay, exploring your own motivations for seeking adventure, or just reading about the impact Scotland has had on a great adventurer, then this book is well worth picking up and absorbing.' (Mike Dales, Scottish Mountaineer)