Lost in the Valley of Death - A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas

In the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley. For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life. NATIONAL BESTSELLER ONE OF CBC'S BEST CANADIAN NONFICTION BOOKS OF 2022 For fans of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild , the riveting story of the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley. For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life. In The Vein Of Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild, Here Is A Riveting Work Of Narrative Non-fiction Centering On The Unsolved Disappearance Of An American Backpacker In India--one Of Dozens Of Tourists Who Have Met A Similar Fate In The Remote And Storied Parvati Valley. For Centuries, India Has Enthralled Westerners Looking For A Getaway, A Brief Immersion In Yoga And Meditation, Or In Rare Cases, A True Pilgrimage To Find Spiritual Revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, An Inveterate Traveler Trained From Adolescence In Wilderness Survival, Was One Such Seeker. When He Was In His Early Thirties, Justin Quit His Job At A Tech Startup And Set Out On A Global Journey: Across America By Motorcycle, Then Down To South America, And On To The Philippines, Thailand And Nepal, In Search Of Authentic Experiences And Meaningful Encounters While Also Documenting His Travels On Instagram. His Enigmatic Character And Magnetic Personality Gained Him Devoted Followers, Many Living Vicariously Through His Adventures. But Justin Remained Restless, Driven To Seek Out Greater Extremes And Greater Risks In What Had Become A Personal Quest--his Own Hero's Journey. In 2016 He Made His Way To The Parvati Valley, A Remote And Rugged Corner Of The Indian Himalayas Steeped In Mystical Tradition Yet Shrouded In Darkness And Danger. There, He Spent Weeks Studying Under The Guidance Of A Sadhu, An Indian Holy Man, Living And Meditating In A Cave. At The End Of August, Accompanied By The Sadhu, He Set Off On A Spiritual Journey To A Holy Lake--a Journey From Which He Would Never Return. Lost In The Valley Of Death Is About One Man's Search To Find Himself In A Country Where, For Many Westerners, The Path To Spiritual Enlightenment Can Prove Fraught. But It Is Also A Story About All Of Us Who Are Searching For Meaning, And The Ways, Sometimes Extreme, We Seek Fulfillment In Life. In the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centring on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India — one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley. For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveller trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker.In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey.In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return.Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfilment in life. "For fans of Into the Wild, a gripping true-life tale of extreme explorer and social media star Justin Shetler's mysterious disappearance in India's legendary Parvati Valley. Lost in the Valley of Death is about the disappearance of one charismatic young man, Justin Shetler. But it is, equally, about the tradition of Westerners seeking enlightenment in India, and about how, in our hyper-connected age, some explorers will go to new extremes to find fulfillment. We may never end up spending three weeks meditating in a cave in the Himalayas, as Shetler did, but we all look for answers and meaning in our lives. What happens when our complex modern world, with its blurred connections between the real world and online, collides with the beautiful but dangerous valley in India where Shetler disappeared? What drew Shetler to India and the remote Parvati Valley in the first place? And why was the end of his journey so different from that of others who followed the same path? A mix of travelogue, biography, memoir and true crime, this gripping story explores the longtime lure of India as a spiritual destination alongside the well-documented disappearances and murders of foreign travellers in the Parvati Valley over the past two decades. It queries the extremes to which we push ourselves to find meaning in life along the often dangerous path to enlightenment--all told through the complicated life and tragic disappearance of a charismatic thirty-five-year-old, Justin Alexander Shetler."-- Provided by publisher In 2016, Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveller trained from adolescence in wilderness survival, made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a "spiritual journey" to a holy lake - a journey from which he would never return. This is a riveting narrative centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India. Hometown: Saltspring Island, B.C. Print run 5,000