When leading mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington was researching Quest
for Adventure, his study of post-war adventure, he contacted Sir
Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail single-handed and
non-stop around the world, for an interview. This simple request turned
into an exchange of skills, which then grew into a joint expedition to
Greenland's unexplored Lemon Mountains. Sea, Ice and Rock is
the story of this epic journey.
With both Bonington and Knox-Johnston having little experience
in the other's craft, their expedition was not without difficulty. But
through one another's support, the two men and their team sailed from
Britain to Greenland, going on to twice attempt the Lemon Mountain's
forbidding highest peak, the Cathedral. Though their attempts ended
in a dramatic descent, this could not dampen the unfailing optimism with
which the two approached their task. They recount their experiences not
only with appreciation for the awe-inspiring nature that surrounded
them, but also for one another.
Layers of alternate narration between Bonington and
Knox-Johnston make this a truly collaborative memoir. In the same
way they exchanged skills on their expedition, the two authors rely on
one another's recollections to fill the gaps in their own. Full of
ambition and perseverance, anyone wondering why Bonington and
Knox-Johnston are masters in their fields need only read Sea, Ice
and Rock.
