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| Nordkapp sign. Norway. CREDIT The Raven Brothers © |
Ever yearned to see what lies at the top of Europe, at the furthest point north before mainland Norway spills into the Arctic ocean? Forever curious, The Raven Brothers, Simon and Chris Raven, travelled from the UK to northern Norway in a one-letre hatchback. With a focus on wilderness survival, ‘A Little Hike to the Top of the World’ is the second story in the travel writing duos 5th book 'Hike, Drive, Stayin' Alive!' and follows the authors on a drive from the Lofoten archipelago to Norway's North Cape. Hiking the Knivskjellodden trail to the extreme northernmost point of Europe, reindeer and traditional sami people cross their paths as the brothers go wild on a Norwegian Arctic journey in the midsummer to the top of the world. A career in overland adventure was launched when The Raven Brothers drove across Russia from the UK to Vladivostok in a rusty Ford Sierra. Their cult travel book 'Driving the Trans-Siberian' spurred an endless series of adventures that has led the duo to travel around the globe, from South America to tribal India. With very limited knowledge of wilderness survival, Simon and Chris pick up a few new skills during their journey north.
Simon: We came into possession of a one-letre Corsa, it seemed like a sweet idea to drive to the top of Europe in the vehicle our mum used for the supermarket and to visit grandma. For two months we lived inside that cosy shopping trolley. We travelled all over Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Chris: After a month on the road we were able to get a fire roaring in the rain. Old dry spruce (Christmas trees) make excellent firelighters. We harvested mussels on the rocky shores of breathtaking fjords, and collected wild fruit. Anything without the capacity to move we claimed as lunch. There was a fantastic moment when we found ourselves chasing behind a snow white albino reindeer with huge pink antlers. It felt like we were on a sleigh ride. We gave a toot of the horn and it sprang into the forest. Reindeers can jump impressively high!
Simon: Quite often we had deserted roads all to ourselves. We'd cruise alongside endless fjords that mirror mountains with snow still on the top even in the midsummer. We tried to live a normal routine, but it was light 24 hours a day, so we could drive when we liked or explore hiking trails in the small hours. With more deserted coastline than we could ever possibly explore in a lifetime, we’d park up, wash or swim in the crystal clear water and harvest mussels from the shore. If heaven were a road, it would be Norway’s E6. You could easily idle away an infinite period of time there.
Chris: Travelling in such a small car we had very limited supplies. A broken golf umbrella kept us dry and Si wore socks on his hands during the hike (he forgot to bring gloves). We hiked the Knivskjellodden trail across the Arctic tundra with a herd of reindeer cascading down the hillside, a white tailed eagle with a wingspan over two metres swooped low overhead. We stood looking out across the Barents Sea. It’s incredible to imagine that you are one of only a handful of people stood at that latitude at that hour.
If riding reindeers at 3 o'clock in the morning isn’t your idea of a good time, fear not, the fifth book by The Raven Brothers covers ten inspiring stories of adventure with the promise of more coming soon. Cruise the road to Damascus, hike the Camino trail into Spain's Wild West, row the Ganges, explore Frida Kahlo's world in Mexico City, hangout with the dead in Sicily's eerie catacombs, crawl deep inside Bolivia's notorious silver mine, seek lions in Gujarat, wellness in Berlin and journey into the Naga Hills where tribal kings still rule. Noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an accurate view of what to expect, 'Hike, Drive, Stayin' Alive!' signals a return to the duo writing buttock clenching travel comedy with the first in a series of candid stories of adventure by The Raven Brothers.
'Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!' by The Raven Brothers is out now! Order your copy from Amazon or your favourite book retailer worldwide.
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by The Raven Brothers
Out of shape and unprepared, The Raven Brothers return to the road in a collection of ten quests to travel to their dream destinations against all odds! After two decades pioneering new routes across the globe, you would expect the authors of 'Driving the Trans-Siberian' to be hotshot explorers, with a sixth sense and an ability to survive in almost any situation. Think again! With virtually zero knowledge of the workings of the internal combustion engine and very limited skills of wilderness survival, Simon and Chris struggle into their hiking boots and power across three continents by river, tarmac and trail.
Venture to the top of Norway, cruise the road to Damascus, hike the Camino trail into Spain’s Wild West, row the Ganges, explore Frida Kahlo’s world in Mexico City, hangout with the dead in Sicily’s eerie catacombs, crawl deep inside Bolivia’s notorious silver mine, seek lions in Gujarat, wellness in Berlin and journey into the Naga Hills where tribal kings still rule.
Noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an “accurate view of what to expect”, 'Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!' signals a return to the duo writing “buttock clenching” travel comedy with the first in a series of candid stories of adventure by The Raven Brothers.