Product Description

Only weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, Glen Heggstad set out from his sunny California home vowing not to return until he had accomplished his life-long goal of riding a motorcycle in a lap around South America. Upon crossing into Mexico, with terrorism on his mind, he wondered if he was riding away from the fire, or directly into it? Not long after, when he was stopped at a roadblock in the remote jungle of Colombia, he found his chilling answer.

The Ejército de Liberación Nacional, Colombia's deadliest rebel army, funds its terrorist activities by taking captives for ransom. When the six-foot-four hulking American on a loaded and customized motorcycle rolled up to their roadblock, the terrorists thought they had struck gold. Dozens of dirt covered, sweat-soaked, desperate men with AK-47's frantically grabbed Glen off his motorcycle, and with their new American prisoner, disappeared into the jungle.

The weeks of physical and psychological torture Glen is forced to endure push this powerful man to his absolute breaking point. It is the desperate decision he makes one wet night while curled up on a muddy hut floor, panicked for food, and questioning his own sanity, that finally wins him his freedom. Without a second thought, but with more determination than ever, Glen remounts another motorcycle and continues his incredible journey.

Heggstad battles kidnapping, mechanical failures, violent protests, and some of the planet's most inhospitable climates, in this American odyssey. Two Wheels Through Terror is the terrifyingly gripping true story of Glen's motorcycle journey to the brink of death, to the edge of sanity, and to the southern tip of the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64326 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 276 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781884313493
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"...a compelling story about bravery in the face of terror, [and] perserverance in overcoming adversity..." -- Peter Doyle, Producer “To Hell and Back” CBS News

"His terrifying account...sends chills down my spine... The story of his kidnapping justifies buying this book." -- Ted Simon, author of Jupiter’s Travels

"I’ve known Glen Heggstad for 25 years...this book is as unique as the man himself." -- Chuck Zito, Hell’s Angel and author of Street Justice

"Straight to the point with moods and emotions that come right off the page..." -- Jimmy Lewis, Cycle World Magazine Editor

About the Author
Glen Heggstad is an adventure motorcyclist who has ridden all over the world. His adventures have been featured on NPR and CBS's 48 Hours. His friends know him as an adventure motorcyclist who stands tall in the face of challenge--an ability that helped him to win several international martial arts championships; and earn the rank of Sergeant-At-Arms in the legendary Hell's Angels. His online journal at strikingviking.net has more than 25,000 devout readers. Heggstad currently lives in Palm Springs, California, where he owns and operates the martial arts school, Coachella Valley Judo.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
After clearing the last hairpin curve, I come upon a two-ton truck with a canvas-covered bed being waved on after apparently being stopped and searched by armed men in dark clothing. What happens next, on a late, warm, sunny afternoon, in the spooky silence of a towering encroaching jungle, will forever alter the course of my life. I am 5,000 miles from the safety of my home, on a desolate stretch of the Colombian Autopista, two hours from the security of Medellín, when I’m stopped at the military-style roadblock by about thirty heavily-armed young men.

They’re clean-shaven, short haired, dressed in black sweat pants and black long sleeved T-shirts with nylon ammunition vests. They bear AK-47 assault rifles. Several of the men step out from behind the truck, while others line the road in front and behind. They wave me over with their rifles in firing position, aimed directly at me.

This is my first encounter with rebel forces. I had imagined guerrillas would be attired in camouflaged uniforms with some type of military look to them. I’m still uncertain who they are. It’s possible they’re only bandits. My mind races to a pulsating red alert and for a moment, I consider making a run for it. The jungle on either side is an impenetrable wall of tangled green, shooting straight up the mountain on the right, and dropping off perilously on the left. There are only two choices, forward or backward on the road. I deliberate revving my motor and running on through until I notice the tall shiny antennas glinting in the air, connected to radios in hand. I assume they’re talking to lookouts in both directions.

It’s unlikely I can safely elude a barrage of machine gun fire from so many troops. Even if I do, more gunmen up the road are certain to have better luck. Before I can collect my thoughts, the men shout commands in an unfamiliar campesino slang that doesn’t register in my mental dictionary of second semester college Mexican Spanish. Gesturing by jerking their guns to one side and ordering me off the bike, several of the men jam gun barrels in my ribs as I dismount. I scan the scene, trying to stay calm as the reality sinks in. A moment I had feared has arrived with no escape. It hits me—I may die here today.

As I step away from my bike, several of the men rip the electronic equipment off the handlebars in a wild frenzy. Others feverishly ransack the contents of my saddlebags, tossing clothing into the road. They are shouting, "Ropa, ropa." (Clothes, clothes.) I’m not sure what they want, and still don’t know who they are. I hope maybe, because they are stuffing my clothes in a sack, I’m just being robbed. Then an older, light-skinned man in his mid-thirties, apparently the leader, yells, "Vámonos!" (Let’s go!) Thinking he means for me to get on my bike and leave, I start to do so. This enrages him and it’s back to the gun barrels in the ribs. What he means is, we are leaving together.

Other stern faced men motion with their weapons for me to accompany them behind some dilapidated deserted shacks half buried in the jungle. My mind races for a way out—there is none. I have never felt heart-thundering, cottonmouth fear like this before. I now believe with absolute certainty that this is execution time. They want me behind those structures for fun and games before blowing my head off. Positive my life is about to end, I’m determined not to die alone in the jungle and never be found. My only option is to stonewall and try to take it in the street where a bus had been stopped next to us. Let the terrified passengers be the witnesses to my murder. At least then my loved ones might hear what happened and get my body back. I would have a say in where I spend my final moments.

"No quiero ir!" (I don’t want to go!) I respond, shaking my head while trying to conceal the fear in my quivering hands.

Customer Reviews

Great motorcycle adventure book!
I won't bother outlining the story, the editorial review does a good job of that. I just want to say how much I enjoyed this book and how much I admire Glen Heggstad after reading it. I've done a few solo cycle trips - nothing on this scale, of course - and his writing captured perfectly the atmosphere of the journey. His tale of capture and release is chilling and suspenseful, but his story of the rest of the trip is just as good. The beautiful scenery, the huge variations in weather, the characters (good and bad) he meets on the road, and the solo tourer's feeling of isolation and necessary resourcefulness when faced with adversity all combine for a great adventure story. And of course, no great story is complete without insights into the character of the writer, and how his journey has changed him. That's here, too. If you read and enjoyed "One Man Caravan" or "Jupiter's Travels", buy this book; but be forewarned: after reading it, your next purchases may be a Kawasaki KLR650 and a World Atlas.

Glen Heggstad Never Surrenders
Sometimes you have to give in to the stresses of life--and other times you have to gut it out no matter what gets in your way. Glen Heggstad set out with a goal to ride from Palm Springs to Tierra del Fuego. Communist rebels in Columbia delayed him setting that goal for five weeks. No one could fault him for giving up, going home, healing up, dealing with the emotional trauma, and putting back on the 55 pounds he lost.

No one, except Glen himself. He got another bike shipped in from the states and completed his journey. He wouldn't let the terrorists win.

This is adventure writing at it's finest--a true story of striving through impossible odds to complete a journey--to reach a goal--to finish the job he started. Heggstad's DEFINITELY full of himself--but it isn't arrogance--it's well-deserved and accurate self-esteem. He's a larger-than-life figure, living a larger-than-life life. His writing is filled with a bravado attitude that would be an exaggeration for most people--not for Heggstad.

His kidnapping and captivity only take up a small portion of the book. The rest is devoted to his travels--depicted richly and vividly. It's a biker's dream come true--just get on the bike and keep going. THAT'S what this book's about: the ride, and the people you meet along the way. That's why Glen made the journey--the same reason all motorcyclists make the journey.

I couldn't put it down--well, except for times it motivated me to get on my bike and go for a ride.

Crazy Glen
As a former martial art student of Glen from over 7 years ago I can tell you that he tells events exactly as they happen. This is the most exciting book I have ever read.