WASHINGTON—Facing fierce currents, near-freezing temperatures and 100 mph winds, Jon Bowermaster and three fellow adventurers set out on a 25-day kayaking and mountaineering expedition to one of the most remote, inhospitable and wildly beautiful spots on Earth—Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

In BIRTHPLACE OF THE WINDS: ADVENTURING IN ALASKA’S ISLANDS OF FIRE AND ICE (National Geographic Adventure Press, ISBN 0-7922-7506-3, February 2001, $26), Bowermaster chronicles their journey to the Islands of the Four Mountains, where they test their sea-kayaking skills against 10-foot tidal rips and then, in gale-force winds, climb the islands’ volcanic peaks. His narrative is complemented with an in-depth account of the ancient and mysterious history of the region and 16 pages of vivid, full-color photographs.

In this unforgiving realm where the Pacific meets the Bering Sea—ominously dubbed “the birthplace of the winds” by natives to Alaska—powerful currents and tides create rough waters in the channels between the islands. And, rolling off the peaks of the Aleutians, tail winds of williwaws—fast-moving, seaborne mini-hurricanes—can overturn even the heaviest objects. On Attu Island, Bowermaster writes, winds “once lifted a B-52 off the runway and dumped it over like a Tinkertoy.” The same winds can easily upend the 22-foot long, 100-pound, two-person kayaks into the frigid waters, or blow the small crafts out to sea.

The strong winds also challenge Bowermaster and his team as they scale the volcanic peaks. Climbing Mount Cleveland, they brace themselves against the strong gusts, struggling to secure their footing on the loose earth, a mixture of sand, volcanic ash, centuries-old lava and rock scree. Bullied by the wind, they spend the final 50 feet of the eight-hour climb crawling on their hands and knees as hot, putrid flames spew from sulfur vents.

The Aleutians were home to 15,000 to 25,000 Aleuts before Russian fur traders arrived and nearly wiped out the native population with disease, violence and slavery. Today the native population numbers about 2,300, and only a handful of the nearly 200 islands in the archipelago are inhabited. Adding to the mystery that surrounds this region is bewildering evidence of elaborate, Egyptian-style death rituals from centuries ago and recently discovered remains of World War II warplanes.

Bowermaster’s thrilling journey on land and sea, combined with the ambiguous history and alluring beauty of the Aleutian Islands, makes BIRTHPLACE OF THE WINDS an unforgettable tale of adventure and discovery.

Bowermaster has also written a children’s book on his Alaskan expedition, which is being published by National Geographic this spring—ALEUTIAN ADVENTURE: KAYAKING IN THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE WINDS (National Geographic Books, ISBN: 0-7922-7999-9, March 2001, $17.95).

He is the author of six other books, including two with polar explorer Will Steger, and has written about adventure, environmental issues and exotic places for National Geographic and other magazines.

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