Book
Lost in the Valley of Death : a story of obsession and danger in the Himalayas
Edition
First edition.
Publication Information
New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2022]
Physical Description
xiv, 286 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), map ; 24 cm
Summary
"In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest--his own hero's journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a "spiritual journey" to a holy lake--a journey from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man's search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life"--
Contents
- Prologue
- Part I The way. Trailhead ; Visions ; Let it go ; First steps ; Alobar
- Part II The road. Pilgrims ; Solitude ; The Valley of Death ; The cave ; Finding freedom
- Part III The path. Searching ; Alarm ; Into the mist ; Stone Valley ; Footsteps ; Epilogue.