Walking the Gobi

Starred review from December 31, 2007
The Gobi Desert is a barren stretch of Mongolia that runs north of China, south of Russia and far from everything—not an ideal place to visit, except by book. Fortunately, the daring Thayer, age 63, fights nature and common sense for us, giving readers a fascinating account of her 1,600-mile journey with her husband, Bill, 74. The aging adventurers lace up their boots, load two borrowed camels with supplies and set out to survive an 80-day trek through temperatures in excess of 120 degrees while wolves, scorpions and the Chinese border patrol stalk them. Encounters with smugglers and nomads add shades of character and culture: one hospitable nomad family enthusiastically serves them such uninviting fare as sour horse milk. The adventure ramps up when an angry camel rolls over their water containers, setting off a desperate search for hydration. Frightening skirmishes with heatstroke, sandstorms and wildlife take their toll, but the greater enemy is mental, which Thayer knows well (having once skied to the North Pole with just her dog for company): “At all costs we had to avoid the mental trap of losing focus,†a slippery step toward becoming “emotionally paralyzed.†Despite the hardship, Thayer is a sure and steady guide; this harrowing travelogue reads like a nail-biting adventure, sure to enthrall fans of Jon Krakauer and Bill Bryson.