The Gentle Art of Tramping

I always enjoy travel books. It took me a long time to actually recognize I might be enjoying them more than being on a long trip myself.

This one originally interested me due to being written 100 years ago at the time of this post (1926). And indeed it is reflected in the language, described landscapes and tools. The language nothing but simple, and was very hard to read initially, but satisfying non the less.

At the core, it's a little book about hiking which tries to be a universal guide. It begins with a collection of connected essays on clothing, sleeping outdoors, the best hiking routes known by the author. Interestingly and fittingly to the policital situation of 2026, Crimea, Caucasus mountains in Russia are some of authors favorite locations, but the author notes that the travel there became very dangerous. "“Since the War, and the Revolution, the Caucasus has, unfortunately, become much more dangerous for travelers of all kinds. The tribes are warlike, and have been badly treated by Bolsheviks and Europeans in general”.

A beautiful section named "The art of idleness" was one I really connected to. It speaks of how "life's quality is in momentws, not in distance run" - meaning the author considers quality over quantity. Beautiful proze gives examples of the benefits of slow travel, even suggesting travel is only worth it if it's not a rush, but "the way" (I interpreted it as the way you live).

If one rushes, then tramping might be only a stamp one puts on his life, "done that" to, as the author says, "a stunt, something done to make a dull person ornamental". A strong statement, but I appreciate the whole text of being opinionated like that, cause what's a book if there's no opinion in it (An encyclopedia or an atlas would fit the bill but you know what I mean).

"It is a fallacy to think that during the siesta you do not tramp; you are tramping, wandering in unknown parts..." - author suggests.

...Reading in progres...