Lost in Mongolia

June 16, 2003
Angus didn't know the Yenisey River existed until he came across its name in a book while researching another trip. The Yenisey, he learned, is the world's fifth-longest river, flowing 5,500 kilometers (3,300 miles) from western Mongolia to the Arctic Circle, and had never been run from source to sea. That kind of challenge proved irresistible to the Canadian adventurer. In short order, Angus (Amazon Extreme) cobbled together three companions and (barely) enough sponsorship dollars to keep them afloat, and in spring 2001 set off for Mongolia. The quartet paddled through territory covered by few travelers and even fewer writers. They dealt with financial difficulties, freezing temperatures, a kayak-swallowing maelstrom and more. The book is nearly a blow-by-blow account of the harrowing five-month journey, with trivial events reproduced as faithfully as extraordinary ones. Some sections read as though they were plucked unedited from Angus's journal (e.g., after mentioning fresh milk in one entry, he concludes, "The remaining liter of milk turned into yogurt overnight. I guess with unpasteurized milk, you don't need to stimulate the process. Still, it tasted great"). The characters Angus meets along the way—a kindly Mongolian army officer; a Russian mafia boss; and the indigenous people of the Arctic—are tantalizing, but Angus doesn't linger on them or on the three young men he's traveling with. Some readers may wish Angus had something more to say, in the end, than "we did it." Still, his book should please readers looking for a straightforward, uncomplicated adventure tale. Photos.

August 1, 2003
While some types of travel may be in decline, adventure travel remains strong, judging from the number of books that continue to come forth. Angus, a Canadian who makes a living from writing and filming his undertakings (Amazon Extreme), put together an expedition to kayak, raft, and row a river system collectively known as Yenisey that begins in Mongolia and flows north through Lake Baikal in Siberia and up into the Arctic Ocean. He was accompanied by another Canadian and two Australians. As this chronicle of their trip reveals, adventure travel today isn't what it used to be. The men used satellite phones for daily communication and had 600 pounds of high-tech gear, but their challenges were nonetheless considerable and involved not only natural obstacles but also bureaucratic and financial ones. This is a well-told and quite entertaining story about a land little known to the outside world. Larger public libraries with an interest in adventure travel may wish to consider adding to their collections. (Maps not seen.)-Harold M. Otness, formerly with Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2003
Asia's Yenisey River, the world's fifth longest (at 3,250 miles), had not been navigated until the author and his two companions made the five-month journey in a whitewater raft and two kayaks. Angus, a "full-time adventurer," describes the trip that began at the 13,000-foot summit of Otgon Tenger in Mongolia, which entailed treacherous rapids; extreme heat, cold, and snow; intense fog; and plagues of mosquitoes and blackflies. One of the most interesting sections details his being separated from his fellow travelers and of a run-in with Russian police. His journey took him through Siberia and into the Arctic Ocean, and Angus describes the people the trio encountered along the way, including shepherds in the Gobi Desert and the Nenets of the Arctic, who lived in reindeer-skin tepees. It's a trip that readers will relish--from the comfort of their homes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)