• ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Bronze Award Winner (travel essays)

After decades of hiking some of the world’s greatest trails, Brandon Wilson was excited to hear about the Via Alpina, new paths running through eight countries along the backbone of the Alps. Besides promising immersion into Alpine life, it’d be the ultimate adventure. It meant climbing 3000 feet from valley to mountain hut each day – 1200 miles – for nearly four months.

Faster than you can say “schnitzel,” he coaxed his desk-jockey wife into joining him. Unlike their trek across Tibet, they wouldn’t dodge bullets. Who knew that ice fields, relentless rain, Föhn winds, ticks and cow patties could be more dangerous?

Then again, the weird encounters and bizarre characters would help put peril into perspective. It’s all here, the daily triumphs and agony of de feet, captured in Wilson’s witty, gritty, award-winning style.

Join us for an inspiring, slightly crazed look at the peerless Alps – and at an everyday midlife couple who dare to follow their dream.

Includes author photos, maps and custom illustrations by Ken Plumb.

"This lighthearted hiking narrative reflects the positives of such an experience: overcoming hardship, laughing at their inability to find trail blazes, Europe's apparent fear of switchbacks on trails ascending 1000-plus meters per col, and the bond and struggle with your trail partner. Another celebration of simply putting one foot in front of the other with everything you need on your back and faith in the trail ahead.… Recommended for armchair travelers and anyone interested in hiking the Alps." ~ Library Journal

“My favorite kind of adventure tale… I laughed, I winced, and then I started checking to see when I was next scheduled to be anywhere near the Via Alpina.” ~ Kyle Wagner, travel editor, The Denver Post

“Award-winning author Brandon Wilson is a pioneer in a groundbreaking genre of travel writing.” ~ Midwest Book Review

“Wilson brings his considerable intellect and dry sense of humor to this epic adventure and the result is brilliantly accessible and wonderfully subversive.” ~ Richard Bangs, author of Quest for the Sublime, legendary adventurer

"Thanks to Wilson's gritty and often comedic portrayal of events and the characters they come across (like Mr. and Mrs. Mustache and their snails), Over the Top & Back Again suggests that maybe a little madness isn't too crazy after all." ~ Sarah Esterman, WEND Magazine

“Marvelous account… told with a fine eye for detail and a keen sense of humor.” ~ Royal Robbins, rock climbing pioneer

“Wilson’s the king of ‘tell it like it is’ travel writing!” ~ Donna Coomer, Between the Lines Reviews

"Their teamwork, love of the great outdoors and their courage makes this a hi-octane travel adventure story unlike any other I have read. Go buy Brandon's book but I am warning you. Come prepared for a "heart stopping, blood boiling" real life expedition." ~ Neville J. Tencer, Co-Author of An Italian Odyssey: One Couple's Culinary & Cultural Pilgrimage

"Brandon Wilson's one-of-a-kind adventure makes you want to grab your walking stick, step into your hiking boots and climb a mountain." ~ Christopher Elliott, syndicated travel writer

“Wilson is my favorite travel writer. …A completely captivating read. Throughout there is a sense of suspense in this wild adventure. This is perfect for armchair travelers as well as those who aspire to hike the same trail.”
~ Rebecca Review, Amazon Top 10 Reviewer

“He walks the way Forrest Gump runs. Brandon’s driven to it. As for the connection between the outer journey and the inner journey, he never pushes it. You get it in small bits, as he does, because that's the way it comes. It has a lot to do with savoring the simple pleasures of life that surround us every day. Wilson's books point the way toward this happy state of mind: just be bold and endure a few vicissitudes.” ~ Stephen Hartshorne, GoNOMAD.com