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

Paperback – May 29, 2021 - ISBN: 978-1-7370686-0-0
Ebook: - June 1, 2021 - ISBN: 978-1-7370686-1-7

The Earth Beneath My Feet is the first of two books that tells the true story of an extraordinary 7,000-mile wilderness walk.

What does a young Londoner do when life feels predictable, crowded and lacks purpose? Why, he leaves everything that’s safe and familiar and sets off on a 7,000-mile solo walk of course! What else would he do?

In May 1997, Andrew Terrill left his suburban home and travelled to the southernmost point of Calabria, Italy. Once there, he turned north and began walking. His destination, the North Cape at the top of Norway, lay unimaginably far away.

Stepping off the beaten path, Terrill journeyed deep into the ‘other’ Europe, the wilderness continent that still exists beyond road’s end. Facing tangled forests, trail-less mountains and searing summer heat, he trekked the length of the Apennines, an overlooked mountain range far wilder than most people would expect. He entered an unrecognisable Italy, a secret realm of woodland glades, airy ridges and remote summits. There were encounters with wildlife, run-ins with the Mafia, charismatic shepherds, adventures on high peaks, as well as quieter moments of insight and reflection. The journey became a voyage of discovery, unveiling the treasures of Europe’s least-known places. There were hardships and struggles, but also soaring rewards.

The Earth Beneath My Feet covers the journey’s first eight months, taking readers the length of the Apennines, then across the Alps into deepening winter snows. Set in a pre-digital age, the book describes slow and immersive travel along an intriguing new route. At its core, The Earth Beneath My Feet is a celebration – a celebration of freedom, of the natural world, and of living life to the full. It chronicles a journey of immense growth, a tale of overcoming a modern upbringing and re-forging a connection with the natural world.

Written in an engaging and conversational style, this is an account of youthful optimism and limitless possibility. Commended for its freshness, depth, warmth and straight-forward honesty, The Earth Beneath My Feet is a story so relatable, with descriptions so expressive, that it’s impossible not to be transported into the journey yourself. Anyone who has experienced the powerful pull of wanderlust, heard the call of the wild, or yearned for travel and adventure, will find a great deal to enjoy.

The journey’s second half – the ongoing walk to Arctic Norway – is told in On Sacred Ground, to be published on October 1, 2022.

Featuring 80 evocative black and white photographs and 8 maps, this captivating multi-layered narrative is far more than the story of a long walk.

Coming on October 1, 2022, On Sacred Ground concludes the epic journey begun in The Earth Beneath My Feet.

Not everyone would consider a 7,000-mile walk a particularly sensible idea. Especially if it involved living outside for eighteen months, and travelling alone through high mountains and wild forests. But to a young Londoner, the idea made perfect sense...
In May 1997, Andrew Terrill set out on an extraordinary journey: a walk from Calabria in southern Italy to the top of Norway via the highest and wildest route he could find. Seeking freedom and adventure, connection with nature, and a life of meaning and purpose, Terrill chose to take an unconventional path into Europe’s hidden wild side – a slower-paced parallel continent filled with natural wonders.

The adventures that followed in the first ranges he crossed – the Apennines and Alps – are described in ‘The Earth Beneath My Feet’. Now, continuing north, Terrill must face the full fury of winter in the remote forests of central Europe, then even harsher conditions in the snowbound wilderness fjells of Norway and the Arctic. Struggling through untracked snow and painful cold, and enduring loneliness, Terrill will confront challenges that will test him to the limit. But if he can overcome them, there are rewards down the trail beyond anything he could have ever imagined.

‘On Sacred Ground’ takes the reader on an immersive journey into Europe’s wildest and least-known places. It is a compelling tale of youthful energy and optimism, an old-fashioned adventure yarn from a time before smartphones and social media, and an inspiring true story of connection, insight and growth. Above all, it is a celebration of the natural world – and of a young man’s quest to find his true place within it.