Pioneer your own journey.

Part guidebook, part self-help manual, Grit is a 4-Letter Word covers mental preparedness for living with only the gear on your back and a nimble mind. But it isn't a "how to" set of instructions, mostly because there are as many ways of enjoying the wilderness as there are backcountry travelers.

The beauty of wilderness travel is discovering what works for you.

Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist. She's also a mountaineer and a vagabond. The wilderness has played a huge role in her life.

Stories speak to us at a bone-deep level, so this book is packed full of stories from the author as well as others. Read them with an open heart. It's how they were written.

Appendices covering gear and backcountry kitchen ideas have been added, along with a resource guide, but this is only a starting point.

Read. Absorb. Ask questions. Live your dreams.