There Will Be Headwinds by Mark Agnew
Review by Natasha Sones

“I’d been in the wilderness before… to my eyes, which could only see as far as the horizon, this place was as wild and vast as anywhere… it spoke to a primal part of my being. It was a feeling I couldn’t quite articulate and would struggle to explain to anyone when I got back. It just felt so vast.”

Mark Agnew’s debut book, There Will Be Headwinds (Icon Books), is a story about teamwork, perseverance and personal growth in an epic adventure. It details Mark’s groundbreaking journey with The Arctic Cowboys, the team that became the first to kayak the entire Northwest Passage.

This infamous route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans had defeated countless explorers for centuries. But when Mark joined the team of West Hansen (Expedition Leader), Eileen Visser and Jeff Wueste, they took on the amazing challenge in two tandem kayaks. This made them the first to complete the journey by human power.

The book was shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature 2025 – the first time in its 40-year history that a book centred on kayaking has been on the shortlist. Natasha Sones reviews the adventure book here.

I was so excited to read this book after hearing Mark speak about his adventure at the Kendal Mountain Festival and after meeting him. So when it arrived, I read it in just a few days.

The idea of community
I think my favourite theme in the book is teamwork. Hearing and reading about the obstacles in Mark’s way before taking on the expedition (including two failed previous attempts to row across the Atlantic) makes it all the more satisfying when the team completes the task. The book is definitely about determination and ambition. There are arguments, as to be expected when living so close together, and flared tempers. But when they all work together, it celebrates the power of teamwork, the value of being outside in nature, and camaraderie with people, rather than just racing to the finish line.

Mark writes, “Before departing on this trip, I’d reached out to Dr Elizabeth Vidon, who studies authenticity, alienation and wilderness. She told me about communitas, a shared experience and bond that transcends conventional ideas of community. ‘The time that you spend out there with this group of people and the relationships that you have, this is a perfect example, in my mind, of communitas,’ she said. ‘You’re going to have this community of people, and these relationships and these experiences together that will never happen again.”

As someone currently planning my own adventures (on a smaller scale than this!), which will be with teammates, this really interests me, as it isn’t easy to bond with strangers. But taking on a shared experience like this shows that a common goal and shared hardships can unite people.

Kayaking in the wilderness
Just reading about the nature and environment in the book is awe-inspiring. Mark describes ‘dazzling white snow, jet-black cliffs and turquoise water’. He also writes eloquently about the mighty mountains and sea glaciers, giant icebergs and lots and lots of ice.

Explains Mark, “I’d been in the wilderness before – in Scotland, tens of miles from the nearest town. Or at sea, 100 miles offshore. To my eyes, which could only see as far as the horizon, this place was as wild and vast as anywhere. Yet I was conscious that there was nothing over the horizon. It spoke to a primal part of my being. It was a feeling I couldn’t quite articulate and would struggle to explain to anyone when I got back. It just felt so vast.”

Partway through the book, the team reaches a cabin that was barred shut against polar bears and the wind. Inside was a gas stove and dried food left from sailors passing through. Mark writes, “The North West Passage is often called the Everest of sailing, as it is so famous and difficult to complete by sail. The accolade shone a light on the size of our own task. We hadn’t seen any sailors yet. Given our slow relative speed and the ice-choked water, we had entered the passage long before most sailors would dare.”

Reading about the incredible wildlife encounters, such as whales, polar bears, narwhals, humpback whales, murres and kittiwakes, walruses, bowhead whales, seals and more, is also thrilling.

For me, it was also exciting to read about kayaking – particularly Mark’s struggles to kayak as fast as the other teammates. I empathise with this as a newcomer to kayaking who struggles to keep up with the faster members of my canoe club.

I don’t want to give away everything in the book, so I will leave it there, but suffice to say, if you love hearing about adventures – particularly of the paddling variety – this is well worth a read! Read Natasha’s interview with Mark at: https://paddlerezine.com/interview-with-mark-agnew/
Price: £20.00