The South Nahanni, one of North America's wildest and most spectacular rivers, rushes through this park in the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. John Harris and his partner, climber extraordinaire Vivien Lougheed, mount an expedition to this glorious but dangerous region. Harris's conversational account builds momentum as the party follow in the footsteps of a pair of mysteriously — and grotesquely — despatched turn-of-the-century prospectors. Will they end up bear fodder? Or just covered in blisters? The sheer thrill of roughing it in the bush permeates every page of this spellbinding adventure yarn. The gems unearthed during Harris's archival spelunking, recounted with his trademark dry wit, help pace the hikers. Detailed trail notes written by Lougheed alternate with the narrative to make this a practical guide to hiking the South Nahanni region. Whether you're a seasoned explorer or just a fan of colourful, down-to-earth outdoors stories, you will savour the tongue-in-cheek travelogue that is Tungsten John.

John Harris' profile page

John Harris is the author of two short story collections, Other Art and Small Rain. "Canada's best nearly unknown prose writer" (Vancouver Sun) lives in Prince George, where he teaches English at the College of New Caledonia. Vivien Lougheed, hiker and guidebook author extraordinaire, has written The Kluane National Park Hiking Guide, Forbidden Mountains, and Central America by Chickenbus.