Product Description

A story of old-fashioned adventure driven purely by curiosity and a refusal to believe that everything has been done. It hasn't. This is a true story of modern day exploration and the discovery of cannibal tribes in the 21st century. It will appeal to anthropologists as much as it will to adventurers and those with a thirst for excitement and humour. From the very start the team found far more hurdles than those just the jungle could throw at them. In the course of their 150-mile journey by dugout canoe and foot through the largest swamp on Earth they dodged police, encountered politically disgruntled ex head-hunters and were pursued by a previously undiscovered clan of the little known Korowai tribe. This was all before they had begun their arduous journey into the mountainous interior of the island and the previously unclimbed south face of Gunung Mandala, the reason for their expedition. An expedition far more extraordinary than they had ever imagined, one that would stretch them, their friendship and their equipment to the limits.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176814 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
The Times: "Of all the unspeakable tests of endurance, this has got to be one of the worst. Two ex-army officers climb the south face of Mt Mandala in New Guinea. It takes them seventy days just to get there. First they travel upstream in a dug out canoe and then they hack through the jungle carrying 90lb rucksacks. Their feet rot, their cuts become infected and don't heal and despite feasting on the feet and claws of rodents, they become emaciated. Time and again, they are nearly swept away by rivers, they get on each others nerves and the cannibals tell them: 'Make sure you are gone by the morning or you will be dead.' That's even before they start climbing the sheer face of the mountain - without ropes of course." Endeavour: "A very well written book about an amazing adventure!" Adventure Magazine "A great read, fascinating viewing and superb value"

About the Author
Born and brought up in the Scottish Highlands, Mark Anstice developed a passion for adventure and the Earth's wilder places at an early age and lost no time in seeking them out as soon as he had left school in 1985. Realising he was not cut out for the 9-5 existence he joined the army 3 years later and immediately began planning expeditions, squeezing them in between operational commitments in the Gulf, Central America and Bosnia. Leaving the services in 1995 as a captain, he set about making a living from adventure - a spiritually rewarding but financially disastrous route that culminated in 'Maverick Travel', a company offering people extreme sports holidays. The following few years were spent abseiling from London's taller buildings, fixing and cleaning them to pay off the resulting debts. As he says of the time, "I was good at the adventurous aspects of it but not at business side of things - I made every mistake in the book." He had, however, still managed to undertake 12 major expeditions to deserts, mountains and jungles around the world. Mark has made 2 films for television including 'Crampons & Cannibals', the award-winning film that accompanies this book, has also written numerous articles for adventure magazines, and is a motivational speaker. He is currently working in Iraq, leading a local force of 800 men defending a 200-mile pylon line against saboteurs. First Contact is his first book.

Customer Reviews

First Contact - First Book - First Rate
First Contact is an excellent first book from Mark Anstice detailing the trials and tribulations of an expedition to climb Gunung Mandala with friend and fellow adventurer Bruce Parry. His writing is refreshing and emotional and brings to life the many difficulties, high points and discoveries of their journey. His account is honest and insightful and it is interesting to discover the changing dynamics of their relationship - to each other and to their surroundings and the thrill of making `first contact' with a previously undiscovered (and undisturbed!) tribe in the heart of the jungle. As Bruce Parry is now most widely known for his series `Tribe' it is interesting to learn more about his earlier encounters as well as the length's a writer will go to in order to retrieve their journals!

The accompanying film `Cannibals and Crampons' is brilliant but it is Mark's writing which brings the adventure to life and adds depth to their experiences in a way which can never really be captured on film.

Read the book, watch the DVD, then re-read the book again!

DVD of Cannibals & Crampons
If bought new, Mark's brilliant book DOES come with a DVD of the film, "Cannibals and Crampons" about the journey. The film was produced in the UK by Ginger TV, but was filmed, directed and presented on location by Mark Anstice and Bruce Parry.

This film has won many international awards including "Grand Prize" and "Peoples Choice" at Kendal Mountain Film Festival as well as "Best Mountain Film" and "Peoples choice" at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival .

The DVD is PAL but works on all region codes. May not work on all NTSC DVD players but should work on all computers internationally.

A truly wonderful and witty account
I was first drawn to reading Mark Anstice's First Contact after having seen Cannibals and Crampons on TV. I was instantly intrigued by this footage and wanted to know more. To a good degree, the book fills out what one can see in the televised documentary (which is included with this book) and both complement each other nicely.
Anstice's writing is witty and humble, not afraid to show his shortcomings or admit his innermost fears on what he claims has been one of the most challenging experiences of his life.
It really is a truly remarkable story and, even after having first seen the film, the book does not seem repetitive. It is informative and insightful, and one can learn a lot about exploration, the regions they trekked through, and even pick up a little Indonesian along the way!
First Contact