A brief personal meditation on the healing power of living a life connected to the sublime beauty of the natural world.

Based on the core philosophy expressed in the forthcoming documentary film of the same name, The Zone is an autobiographical account that details the emotional and physical struggles of renowned mountaineer, naturalist, and architect Rob Wood as he deals with the ravages of Parkinson’s disease on his body and mind.

With an unshakeable faith in the power of nature and our own need to reconnect with the natural world, Rob Wood takes the reader on a step-by-step journey documenting how — through the author’s deep connection to what he calls a “universal consciousness” — even the most difficult physical limitations can be dealt with effectively and successfully, with limited medical or pharmaceutical support.

The Zone is an inspiring manifesto of resilience and a love song to the power of nature.

Rob Wood has been a professional architect, pioneering mountaineer, organizer of ocean-to-alpine expeditions, instructor of wilderness self-reliance at Strathcona Park Lodge, and a founding member of the Friends of Strathcona Park, a protest group that helped stop logging and mining in the park. He is also the author of At Home in Nature: A Life of Unknown Mountains and Deep Wilderness. Rob and his wife, Laurie, still live on Maurelle Island, British Columbia.

Rob Wood's profile page