BOOKS TO EXPLORE

The top 10 greatest adventure books of all time, according to National Geographic Adventure magazine.

1. The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard (1922)

2. Journals, by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (1814)

3. Wind, Sand & Stars, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1940)

4. Exploration of the Colorado River, by John Wesley Powell (1875)

5. Arabian Sands, by Wilfred Thesiger (1959)

6. Annapurna, by Maurice Herzog (1952)

7. Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey (1968)

8. West With the Night, by Beryl Markham (1942)

9. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer (1997)

10. Travels, by Marco Polo (1298)

CLASSROOM OUTSIDE

Nadia Kimmel started Desert Mountain Medicine about a decade ago after taking an uninspired class at a local university. The Leadville-based company built its premise through Kimmel's vision that wilderness medicine should not be limited to lectures. Her strides in instruction earned her praise as one of Outside magazine's "25 Goddesses Who Rule."

In that spirit, the company brings its classroom out into the real world of adventure to help provide all levels of wilderness training for those who seek certification or just want to learn how to travel more safely.

Classes throughout this year are scheduled from the Grand Canyon to Idaho, Utah and Virginia.

For information about DMM and its classes, check out DesertMountainMedicine.com.

TELL US YOUR STORY

Are you going to run the Colfax Colorado Marathon? Do you have a story to tell about participating in last year's inaugural event? Share it with us. E-mail sports@RockyMountain News.com, attention Colleen McDaniel.