A new book launches this month called “Expedition to Mystery Mountain: Adventures of a Bushwhacking, Knickerbocker-wearing Woman.”

Canadian-Croatian author Susanna Oreskovic has launched her debut book, “Expedition to Mystery Mountain: Adventures of a Bushwhacking, Knickerbocker-wearing Woman” through independent publisher Walnut Tree Press.

Author Susanna Oreskovic flanked by the Mystery Mountain Project team members in 2018.

Oreskovic is a member of the Canadian Explorations Heritage Society (or Canadian EH Society for short), a niche group of eccentric outdoor adventurers, whose passion is to bring history to life through purely experiential methods: teams go into the wilderness in the same way the original explorers did, with hand-stitched canvas tents, period clothing, hobnail boots, hemp rope and other artifacts of the bygone golden age of exploration. Add to this a handful of century-old camping recipes, a restored 1921 Kodak camera and a remote destination, and you have a typical Canadian EH Society expedition.

Her new book “Expedition to Mystery Mountain” offers a female-centric narrative to the conquest theme found in much of adventure literature and, as the author explains, “I’m sharing my experience of this arduous expedition to inspire readers to think differently about their own mountain.” The story revolves around the ill-fated 2018 trip to reach Mount Waddington, the highest peak in British Columbia, using the same gear and methods as the famous explorer couple the Mundays did at the turn of the century. We’ve featured the Mystery Mountain project on this website before including in the story “Why the Mystery Mountain Project was renamed Misery.

https://vimeo.com/639377715

Coinciding with the book’s release is the Mystery Mountain Project international film tour, including the following dates in British Columbia:

Nov 4 at 7:00 p.m. – Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria
Nov 6 at 6:00 p.m. – Comox District Mountaineering Club (virtual event)
Nov 7 at 1:00 p.m. – Cortes Island Museum & Archives in Mansons Landing
Nov 9 at 6:00 p.m. – MONOVA Archives of North Vancouver in Lynn Valley
Nov 10 at 7:00 p.m. – Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Squamish

“As the society prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2022, it’s a tremendous pleasure to expand our audience beyond documentary films and public talks and now have an offering for Canada’s reading public,” says the society’s incoming president Ivan Petrov. All its activities, films, and the new book have the primary goal of raising awareness of Canada’s early explorers and adventurers. Petrov adds: “As a federally-registered educational charity we are extremely fortunate to be partnering with Canada’s talented filmmakers, photographers, and authors to bring to light important milestones in Canada’s wilderness and exploration heritage.”

For more about the Canadian EH Society, visit canadianehsociety.ca. The author’s website is susannaoreskovic.com and more info about her book can be found at walnuttreepress.ca.