About Marybeth, National Geographic Author, Writer

Curious Explorer. Award-winning author.

Gutsy Traveler: A woman, like travel expert Marybeth Bond, stands among purple flowers, raising her arms and smiling in front of a wooden building in bright sunlight.
Polar bear tracking and snorkeling with beluga whales in the northern Canadian Arctic.

Marybeth knows travel. She has hiked, biked, dived, danced and trekked across all seven continents – from the depths of the Flores Sea near Komodo Island to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

More recently, she tracked polar bears and snorkeled with beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic, then kayaked among icebergs in Antarctica.

Somewhere in between, four years of studying in Paris earned her two degrees – and a taste for good wine and strong cheeses.

Twelve books (three with National Geographic), countless travel articles, and numerous TV and radio appearances have built her devoted fanbase. She won the esteemed Lowell Thomas, Gold Award for the Best Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Woman on cliff in front of a monastery in Bhutan
Yesterday’s Video below. A decade or more later. Is Marybeth still GUTSY? Here in Bhutan.
Marybeth in Antarctica with penguins, snowy mountains, and water—just the kind of moment travel expert Marybeth Bond would capture in a travel video.
Kayaking and camping near penguins in Antarctica.

Yesterday….

Hyatt Regency SF

My friends all thought I was crazy. “Climbers fall you know. Splat — on the pavement. That could be you,” I was warned. After all, I’m not a so young any more and  I had never rappelled off a skyscraper. Nor had I ever done a “free” rappel — you have no contact with the building — you just dangle and control your speed, hopefully.

My mantra was: “this will be safe and a blast” and worthwhile to raise awareness and scholarship funds for Outward Bound California.  I wanted to experience for myself how Outward Bound uses challenge to teach young people bravery, self-assurance and fearlessness.

Watch me rappel and land on my YouTube channel, here. 

How did it feel going over the edge and “free” rappelling down 23 stories? Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I  took the elevator to the top floor of the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco and walked out on the roof.  After I did a 6″ practice rappel from a swing-like structure on the flat roof, I felt more trusting of myself , my capability, and my mental fortitude. I made the butterflies fly in formation.

Ten minutes later, feet flat on the ground again, an adrenaline rush made me giddy. It has lasted all week. The feeling that I can still “do great things, and push myself farther than I ever imagined” will last even longer.

Hyatt Regency Outward Bound

Dropping over the edge of a skyscraper and descending 230′ down, helped me put into perspective some of the petty worries, and problems of every day life.

I was reminded how important it is to get out of our comfortable boxes. To travel, try new things and move outside  our comfort levels. For me, that is living intensely.

It was, quite simply, a BLAST.

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Thanks Outward Bound for giving students a similar opportunity to learn self-confidence, resilience, mental control and trust in themselves.

Outward Bound offers a life-changing experience for many students. They range from 14-day backpacking programs in the Blue Ridge Mountains to outdoor programs on Hurricane Island, Maine, Chesapeake Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Patagonia. Learning opportunities include; wilderness courses, Gap Year and semester programs  in the USA and 30 countries worldwide.

This was the first annual Outward Bound California City Skyline Challenge fundraiser. It brought the thrills of mountaineering and the power of experiential learning to the Bay and gave corporate teams, businesses and individuals a chance to go over the edge of one of the tallest buildings on the San Francisco Skyline.The event was a huge success, raising more than $250,000 for scholarships.

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Learn more at  www.cityskylinechallenge.org and www.OutwardBound.org

Marybeth Bond