7 March, 2022
A travel memoir which one the Amazon Kindle Storyteller award - will it inspire you to take on your next adventure?
We sent a copy of Anna McNuff's Llama Drama to regular contributor Natasha Sones to review. Read some of Natasha's top tips for adventure here:
When I was sent this cool adventure book to review from the Outside And Active, I was over the moon. The travel memoir, which won the Amazon Kindle Storyteller award, is written by adventurer and author Anna McNuff - such an inspirational lady who has run through Britain in her bare feet, cycled through every state of the USA, run the length of Hadrian’s wall dressed as a Roman Soldier, and the length of the Jurassic Coast, dressed as a dinosaur!
These are just some of her adventures so I was eager to read her exploits in South America. A two-woman, 5,500-mile cycling adventure sounded like the perfect escape to read about as it was the furthest thing away from something I would like to try! But surprisingly by the end of the book I found myself thinking wistfully how I wished I could take six months off and find a cycling partner...!
As you would expect from such an adventurous escapade, there were multiple things which went wrong. From being attacked by ants in the tent to being stung by a scorpion, not to mention dealing with dog bites and gastroenteritis. But what shines through the entirety of the book is the rapport and friendship of Anna and her travelling companion Faye Shepherd (who she affectionately calls Faye-Bomb). Anna says herself that she has tried to be honest in the book and not romanticise it too much, so she describes the arguments they have on the road and how they overcame them. She really describes the relationship between the two women and the difficulty of having only each other to rely on. Anna says in the book, "It's hard to explain the kind of relationship that develops through that level of intensity." Their closeness shines through Anna's writing.
One of my favourite parts of the book was the naked cycling on the salt flats of Bolivia! I won't spoil the book if you haven't read it but trust me it's a highlight.
The feeling of freedom and adventure is so evident in the book. I loved, for example, the the description of riding the switchbacks on the way to Santiago and the pure exhilaration they felt doing it.
It made me want to cycle 5,500 miles through South America and I barely ride!
As well as the friendship, the other 'character' in the book was nature. Anna's description of the beautiful scenery and landscapes really made me want to experience it myself. The heat of the Yungas jungle, the thrill of riding down Death Road, the salt flats and the majestic, beautiful mountains. The parts about wild swimming made me very jealous as I'm a swimmer and that would really appeal to me. There is also a very amusing part about being starving hungry and the stove not working so they used a tampon to light a fire. Note to self for camping, carry emergency supplies of tampons.
As well as this there are animals they encounter along the way. Including seeing llamas and flying Andean flamingos, tarantulas, condors and Patagonian cavies. Of course there was some downsides to the creatures; bugs bites, dog bites, scorpion stings and more!
The weather also features a lot. I really resonated with Anna liking the extreme weather, which included storms, sub zero temperatures, 40 degree heat and 50mph crosswinds. She says, “Just like with the lightning storms and altitude, there was something about the extreme conditions that reminded me I was alive. To be out there in nature, and so connected to it, was addictive.” I just love this as I am the same.
In conclusion both Anna and Faye are bad-asses. Anyone who can cycle 5,539 miles through 3 countries, making 10 border crossings and 107,753 m of ascent through the Andean mountains is officially amazing.
Anna McNuff is an adventurer, speaker, author and self-confessed mischief maker. Named by The Guardian as one of the top female adventurers of our time, Condé Nast Traveller included her in a list of the 50 most influential travellers in the world. She is also the UK ambassador for Girl Guiding.
Anna's travels include cycling through each and every state of the USA, running the length of New Zealand, exploring The Andes mountains on a bicycle. She is best known for an adventure in which she set off to run – a 2,300+ miles (90 marathons) run through Britain… in her bare feet. All the way along, she gave talks to the young women of Britain about taking on challenges of their own. She has also spent a month cycling across Europe directed entirely by social media, run the length of Hadrian’s wall dressed as a Roman Soldier, and the length of the Jurassic Coast, dressed as a dinosaur. As you do.
You can buy Llama Drama by Anna McNuff from the Outside And Active shop here. Whether you want to get a new running top or inspirational adventure book, if you love being active check out the shop. It offers a curated selection of their favourite books from adventurers, runners and explorers for you to enjoy.
Author Bio
Natasha Sones has an outside family adventure travel blog: www.natashasoneseditorial.com/blog. With three children, three dogs and a husband she enjoys days out, holidays, camping, walking, paddleboarding, kayaking, stargazing and much more! Follow her blog or her Instagram account: @natashastarseeker if you love family lifestyle articles.
I have an outdoor adventures blog. Having three children, I am particularly interested in getting outside with my family. I aim to make every day an adventure, especially with my children, husband, dogs and friends. From exploring new cities to being in our campervan with the dogs, we like an adventure. We live near the sea and forest and explore every day.
Most recent articles by Natasha Sones
Kayaking multi-day trips are quite easy to find online but multi-day paddleboarding trips are a bit more of a new thing. But they are a great way of taking trips as you can fit lots on the board and see some wonderful sights.
Natasha Sones is an Ambassador for the National Outdoor Expo, read her review of the second ever show.
This Valentine’s Day why not spend some time with a very important person – you? Whether you are single or have a family or partner we could all do with lavishing some attention on ourselves. Self care is very important and spending some time outdoors will make you feel better and improve your mood too!
Most recent articles in ADVENTURE
dryrobe®, the UK’s leading outdoor change robe brand, has launched the dryrobe® Lite. The latest cutting edge-edge innovation from the makers of the original outdoor changing robe.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and we think it is incredibly important to support your mental and physical health by getting outside & active. Here are some tips on how you can do so.
This week on The Outside & Active Podcast Dom is joined by an expert in the outdoors and wilderness bushcraft, Ray Mears. This is certainly one not to miss!