12 great long reads about outdoor survival... and surrender

12 great long reads about outdoor survival... and surrender

A hand-picked selection of some of the most dramatic and compelling long-form outdoor survival reads from the last five years.

You may have guessed that at Atlas & Boots we're just a little bit obsessed with stories of endurance. From the best survival books to epic voyages of discovery, we've written about some of the most dramatic endeavors in the history of exploration.

Over the last few years we've been fascinated by a number of brilliant long reads about outdoor survival (and surrender).

From the fisherman lost at sea for a year to the cave divers who returned for their friends, our selection climbs dizzying peaks, attempts daring feats and treads the very thin line between life and death.

The cave divers who returned for their friends

Website: BBCLink: bbc.co.ukAuthor: William Kremer

alt=“A visual representation of the Plura caves, a long read on outdoor survival”>VG; Fair useA visual representation of the Plura Caves

In February 2014, two divers died more than 100 meters deep in a huge cave system in Norway. Authorities said it was too dangerous to recover their bodies, but four of the men's friends decided to take the risk - and seven weeks later they descended into the dark and icy waters. This is her incredible story.

Lost at sea: the man who disappeared for 14 months

Page: The GuardianLink: theguardian.comAuthor: Jonathan Franklin

In November 2012, Salvador Alvarenga went fishing off the coast of Mexico. Two days later a storm came and he sent a desperate SOS. It was the last time anyone heard from him - for 438 days. In this fascinating read, reporter Jonathan Franklin learns firsthand what happened to Alvarenga on his harrowing journey.

How 1,600 people disappeared without a trace from our public lands

Website: OutsideLink: outsideonline.comAuthor: Jon Billman

When 18-year-old Joe Keller disappeared from a dude ranch in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, he joined the ranks of missing people on public lands. There is no official count, but their numbers are growing. And if an initial search doesn't turn up anything, who will continue looking? Investigated outside.

The tragic story of Mt. Everest's most famous corpse

Website: BBCLink: bbc.comAuthor: Rachel Nuwer

alt="Everest has claimed the lives of over 290 people; a great long read on outdoor survival">DreamtimeEverest is home to more than 200 bodies

Mount Everest is home to more than 200 bodies. Rachel Nuwer investigates the sad and little-known story behind its most prominent resident, "Green Boots" - and discovers the disturbing effects this deadly mountain can have on the mind and body.

The wetsuit

Page: DagbladetLink: dagbladet.noAuthor: Anders Fjellberg

In January 2015, two bodies were found in Norway and the Netherlands. They wore identical wetsuits. Police in three countries were involved in the case but were never able to identify her. This is the extraordinary story of who they were.

Alone on the ice

Website: OutsideLink: outsideonline.comAuthor: Eric Larsen

In 2015, German explorer Martin Szwed claimed to have broken the speed record for solo skiing to the South Pole. He shared no GPS data, no photos - no evidence that he even attempted the trip. After returning from the icy continent, he lost his house, job and sponsors and became the subject of two federal government investigations. Should anyone believe him, asks Eric Larsen in this riveting long read.

Bullish determination

Page: ClimbingLink: Klettern.comAuthor: Dougald MacDonald

alt=“The imposing totem pole in Tasmania, Australia is featured in a great long read about outdoor survival”>Fair useThe impressive totem pole in Tasmania, Australia

In 1997, British climber Paul Pritchard had just won the Boardman Tasker Prize for his book Deep Play, and he and his then-girlfriend Celia Bull spent the prize money on a climbing trip around the world. In Australia, Pritchard's big goal was a free ascent of Totem Pole, a slender peak on the southeast coast of the island of Tasmania. The spindle, just 12 feet thick and rising over 200 feet high from the Tasman Sea, would nearly kill him.

Seven hikers' descent to doom in Zion National Park

Website: LA TimesLink: latimes.comAuthor: William Yardley, Matt Pearce, Nigel Duara

A group of seven hikers had been planning their descent into Keyhole Canyon for months. Some had extensive hiking experience. All but one took a five-hour canyoneering course offered by the local Zion Adventure Company - so why didn't any of them make it out alive?

The death of the top diver casts a long shadow over the deep beauty of the Blue Hole

Page: The GuardianLink: theguardian.comAuthor: Edmund Bower

The “underwater cathedral” on the edge of the Red Sea is probably the most dangerous diving site in the world – even for experts. After the death of an experienced diver, journalist Edmund Bower investigates the dive site's fearsome reputation.

Rescue on Killer Mountain

Website: OutsideLink: outsideonline.comAuthor: Marcin Jamkowski

alt=“Nanga Parbat in one of the best long reads on outdoor survival”>Imran Khakwani; CC BY-SA 4.0Nanga Parbat is known as the killer mountain

In January 2018, two mountaineers became stranded near the summit of Nanga Parbat. They sent a frantic call on their satellite device. One hundred miles away, a Polish team of extraordinary climbers answered the call and launched one of the most daring rescue missions in the history of mountaineering.

What killed the lady bear?

Website: OutsideLink: outsideonline.comAuthor: Brandon Sneed

For 28 years, Kay Grayson lived alongside wild black bears in the swampy coastal forests of North Carolina, hand-feeding them, defending them from poachers, and letting them into her home. When she disappeared in 2015, investigators could only find her cleanly picked bones. And that was just the beginning of the mystery.

Murder on the Appalachian Trail

Website: OutsideLink: outsideonline.comAuthor: Earl Swift

Twenty-five years ago, a gruesome double murder on America's most famous hiking trail shocked the nation and forever changed its perception of crime, violence and outdoor safety. The journalist Earl Swift traces the reverberations.

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The million-selling global bestseller SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman is the definitive survival resource for campers, hikers and outdoor adventurers.

Mission statement: Dreamstime

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