The Earth Beneath My Feet : A 7,000-Mile Walk of Discovery into the Heart of Wild Nature : 1

The Earth Beneath My Feet tells the extraordinary true story of a 7,000-mile solo walk from Calabria in Italy to the top of Norway. More than just a compelling travel narrative about a challenging physical journey, it explores 'the journey within' – a passionate search for belonging within the natural world.

Like millions of people, Andrew Terrill grew up on the edge of a big city, but suburban life lacked purpose and meaning. What he craved was a life of simplicity, freedom and adventure, and after surviving a near-fatal fall in the Swiss Alps, that was the life he chose. In May 1997, despite lacking the funds, the young man in his early twenties left his London home and travelled to the southernmost point of Calabria. Once there, he turned north and began walking towards the North Cape at the top of Norway, which lay unimaginably far away.

Leaving civilisation behind, and frequently even trails, Terrill journeyed deep into the 'other' Europe – the hidden wilderness Europe that still exists beyond road's end. He hiked the length of the Apennine mountain range, continued across the Alps, through the forests of Central Europe, and then on towards the vast northern wildernesses of Arctic Norway. With every step, he immersed himself in the natural world, seeking a deeper connection with it. The 18-month journey became a voyage of discovery, unveiling the secrets and treasures of Europe's least-known places.

This book describes the first eight months of the epic walk, taking readers the length of Italy during a searing-hot summer, and then across Austria into the depths of a fierce Alpine winter. It introduces many of Europe's wildest and most beautiful locations – environments little touched by the modern world – as well as the colourful characters who live alongside the wild. Filled with freshness, optimism, wonder and youthful enthusiasm, it chronicles a journey of immense growth and finding connection with something bigger and wilder. Featuring 80 evocative black and white photographs and 8 maps, this inspiring true story will satisfy anyone who feels the call of adventure, loves nature, and desires to live the life they know deep down they are meant to live.