Banff Mountain Book Festival 2006

Book Launch — Friday, November 3 at 4:00 p.m.

Free — Max Bell Auditorium

Gordon Wiltsie — To the Ends of the Earth

Gordon Wiltsie is an internationally-acclaimed photographer whose success and pursuit of his craft have in no small part legitimized the role of adventure photography. His work has appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Men’s Journal, American Photo, Time, and Life magazines. To the Ends of the Earth: Adventures of an Expedition Photographer embodies a lifetime of Wiltsie’s astonishing work: some images that you’ll recognize instantly, some images that are being published here for the first time. For fellow adventurers, first-time hikers, and arm-chair travelers alike, To the Ends of the Earth is a treasure trove of stories, told from the heart, by one of the world’s most gifted, unique photographers. It is the result of 35 years of Gordon Wiltsie’s expedition adventures—from his first explorations in his hometown of Bishop, California, to amazing, perilous treks in the farthest reaches of the world. After years of features in major outdoor, adventure, and photography magazines, Wiltsie now offers up the best of his work in this single volume.

In To the Ends of the Earth, Wiltsie invites readers along for nine unforgettable expeditions: through Nepal, Antarctica, Patagonia, Chile, Peru, Canada, and Mongolia, and across the Arctic Ocean via the North Pole. At the outset of each chapter, Wiltsie introduces us to expedition members, and gives an overview of the trip’s specifics: its duration, the amount of ground covered, the exact route of the trek, and the overall weather conditions experienced. An excerpt from Wiltsie’s journal during a trek from Russia to Canada via the North Pole reveals a typical morning for a person in his trade: “I leave the tent shortly after sunrise to shoot camp scenes in rich, golden light. As usual, I quickly reach the end of a roll and remove my gloves to change it. After only 30 seconds exposed to the air, both of my hands are suddenly as white as the snow around me. I can scarcely feel them as I slam the camera closed. I dive for my tent, where I can thaw my hands over a stove. Three minutes later, the color in my fingers returns. Outside the temperature is somewhere below -45 degrees. At 8:30, Will yells for everyone to tear down the tents. I am astonished by how quickly they load three sleds with 1300 pounds of equipment, provisions, and dog food — a top-heavy pile almost six feet high… as soon as the dogs are harnessed, they burst forward. We have to run on our skis to keep up. I try to snap pictures without breaking stride, and every film change threatens to leave me hopelessly behind.”

Gordon Wiltsie is one of the finest adventurer photographers alive. He also happens to be a wonderful writer. To The Ends of the Earth is a unique and immensely appealing book.

— David Roberts, author of Between Life and Death
and Mountain of My Fear

Gordon Wiltsie combines captivating stories and inspiring photography to convey the joy and intensity of the expedition life in a way that all can understand. The breadth and diversity of this epic work answers our primal calling for adventure.

— Conrad Anker, mountaineer and coauthor of
The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest