First published 1996
Peter Matthiessen embarks on a grueling expedition across the Tibetan plateau of Dolpo in 1973. The journey spans 250 miles through the high Himalayas as part of a scientific mission to observe wild blue sheep. Matthiessen battles blisters, blizzards, and bone-chilling cold while negotiating constantly with his sherpa guides. The physical hardships mount as the expedition pushes deeper into the remote wilderness. Yet beneath the surface of this scientific venture lies something more personal. Among the stark beauty and cruel indifference of the mountain landscape, Matthiessen searches for inner peace and healing. He also hopes for a sighting of the elusive snow leopard, a creature so rarely seen it seems more legend than reality. The twin quests become intertwined as the harsh environment strips away pretense and forces a reckoning with loss and solitude.
Genres: nature, travel, adventure, biography-memoir
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: man-vs-nature, personal-growth
Setting: Dolpo, Tibet
Period: 1973
338 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books