10 Must-Read Adventure Books to Buy at December's Book Sale

As the days grow shorter and winter sets in, there’s nothing better than escaping into a book from the warmth of your favorite reading nook. We’ve compiled this list of top ten titles that are guaranteed to bring outdoor adventures to life with tales of heart-pounding ascents, long-distance journeys, resilience and inclusion, and the raw beauty of the natural world. With our Winter Book Sale running through December, now is the perfect time to bring home one of these true-life accounts and get inspired for your next adventure.

Stop by the bookstore at the Seattle Program Center to take advantage of these great discounts:

• 25% off all books
• 35% off book bundles
• 50% off book 'seconds'
• 40% off merchandise  

Our Seattle Program Center Bookstore (located at 7700 Sand Point Way NE) is open Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm. We will have extended open hours on December 7 from 8am-4pm, and December 17 from 9am-8pm.

10. Walking to the End
of the World

A Thousand Miles on the Camino de Santiago

By Beth Jusino, Editor at Mountaineers Books

Walking to the End of the World is a warm-hearted and engaging story about an average couple going on an adventure together, tracing ancient paths first created in the tenth and eleventh centuries, paths that continue to inspire and reveal surprises to us today in the twenty-first.

9. ARCTIC TRAVERSE

A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range

By Michael Engelhard

Much more than a captivating account of a human-powered, solo thru-hike and float, Arctic Traverse illuminates the spirit of Alaska, drawing on encounters with Indigenous elders, guided clients, scientists, and others, as well as on Engelhard’s long-held dream and his experiences of the land itself.

8. Been Outside

Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature

Foreword by Carolyn Finney, Edited by Shaz Zamore and Amber Wendler

Been Outside features essays and poems by Black women and nonbinary scientists, examining how their experiences in nature shape their identities. Edited by Amber Wendler and Shaz Zamore, this collection highlights personal journeys in ecology and outdoor exploration, celebrating the challenges and joys of forging paths in the natural world while promoting a more inclusive outdoor community.

7. Journeys North

The Pacific Crest Trail

By Barney Scout Mann

Journeys North follows six hikers on their trek along the Pacific Crest Trail, capturing the spirit of the thru-hiker community and the relationships they form along the way.

6. A Year in Paradise

By Floyd Schmoe

The mountain is always out when you’re tucked into this timeless collection of vignettes from life at Mount Rainier in the early 20th century. In midwinter 1920, a young newlywed couple struggle uphill on snowshoes to become the overwinter caretakers of Paradise Inn. Stories from the seasons that follow are a naturalist’s delight at both the creatures of the high country and the peculiarities of tourists. This is a staff favorite and belongs in the hands of anyone enamored by one of our country’s oldest national parks.

5.  Adventure Gap

Changing the Face of the Outdoors, 10th Anniversary Edition

By James Mills

Outdoor journalist James Edward Mills’s book, The Adventure Gap, is a groundbreaking volume that is equal parts adventure story, history, and inspiration as it chronicles the first American all-Black summit attempt on Denali in 2013. Mills uses this momentous expedition as a jumping-off point to explore diversity in the outdoors, from Mathew Henson who stood at the North Pole in 1909 to contemporary adventurers such as polar explorer Barbara Hillary and rock climber Kai Lightner.

4. This Land of Snow

A Journey Across the North in Winter

By Anders Morley

This Land of Snow chronicles one man’s journey of self-discovery as he reflects on his past and contemplates his future after an adrenaline-fueled adventure. Through humor and honesty, this narrative offers captivating insights into Northern outdoor culture, modern wilderness living, the history of northern exploration and Nordic skiing, the right to roam movement, winter ecology, and more.

3. Miles from Nowhere

A Round-the-World Bicycle Adventure

By Barbara Savage Foreword by Tara Austen Weaver

In this timeless classic, we experience Barbara and Larry Savage’s 23,000-mile bicycle journey through 25 countries in two years. Originally published in 1983, Miles from Nowhere has provided inspiration for legions of modern travel-adventurers and writers.

2. Minus 148°

First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley

By Art Davidson

We couldn’t put this book down. Rated one of National Geographic Adventures “The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time”, this heart-pounding description of the first winter ascent of Denali in 1967 had us on the edge of our seats.

1. Alpine Rising

Sherpas, Baltis, and the Triumph of Local Climbers in the Greater Ranges

by Bernadette McDonald

This award-winning  book tells the  thrilling and often dangerous stories of the local climbers from Pakistan, Nepal, and Tibet. From the significant roles they have played on mountaineering expeditions, to the Nepali team that marked the first ascent of K2 in winter,  Alpine Rising highlights the often overlooked contributions of these climbers, and celebrates their achievements.

GIVE THE GIFT OF THE OUTDOORS AND
SAVE 25%

Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoor lover on your list? Give a gift of the outdoors and save 25% with a Mountaineers gift membership.  Act now - this offer ends December 31! 

GIVE A GIFT MEMBERSHIP

A membership with The Mountaineers opens a world of self-discovery, exploration, learning, and conservation through outdoor adventure. With benefits ranging from discounts on classes, lectures, events, and social activities, to deals on travel, lodging, and publications, The Mountaineers is the largest and most comprehensive outdoor community in the Pacific Northwest.