Across the Roof of the World: Equestrian Adventures in the Karakoram Mountains During the Second World War

Wilfred Skrede was nineteen in 1941 when the Nazis occupied his homeland of Norway. Determined to reach a training camp of the free Norwegian Air Force located in Toronto, Canada, the daring young man set off across Russia, Siberia, China, Turkestan and India before finally reaching his destination in far away North America, more than one year later. After the war Skrede wrote about this amazing journey describing in "Across the Roof of the World " how he made his way along the tracks of Genghis Khan's hordes, followed the silk caravans from China, crossed the high mountains of Central Asia, and miraculously made his way to freedom. Yet the liberty he sought demanded a high price. Being a Norwegian refugee, he was frequently arrested by various police forces who threatened him with deportation back to his Nazi-occupied homeland, and in communist controlled Sinkiang the young adventurer had his back cracked by a wild truck driver. His most perilous challenge however came when he was forced to ride horseback over the infamous 16,000 foot high Mintaka Pass, a hideous bit of trail known for killing horses and riders alike. The resultant story, told with fortitude, humor and resilience, is thus populated by a host of colorful characters, including famed English mountaineer Eric Shipton, and Tenzing, the Sherpa who went on to conquer Mount Everest. Amply illustrated, "Across the Roof of the World" is an epic equestrian travel tale laced with unforgettable excitement.