Beyond the W

Five teenagers. One dream trek. A forbidden trail. Mara Bennett has prepared for every kilometre of the famous W Trek through Torres del Paine. She has studied the maps, weighed the food, checked the equipment and memorised the emergency plan. As far as she is concerned, nothing has been left to chance. But Patagonia does not follow anyone's plan. Soon after the expedition begins, supplies start disappearing. A disturbing warning appears beside the group's tent. Rivalries deepen, confidence begins to collapse and the rapidly changing weather pushes every member of the team towards their limit. Then their guide answers a distress call—and never returns. When the expedition's emergency beacon begins moving away from the recognised trail and towards a forbidden valley, Mara and her companions must decide whether to wait for rescue or follow the signal into an area that does not appear on any official map. What they discover is Zero Camp: a hidden community guarding a secret that could change the future of Torres del Paine. But someone among the trekkers has been transmitting their location. Cut off by a violent Patagonian storm, surrounded by mountains and running out of time, the teenagers must confront betrayal within their own group, uncover the truth about the hidden valley and decide whether every important discovery should be shared with the world. An adventure about more than survival Beyond the W combines an exciting wilderness mystery with an emotional coming-of-age story. Beneath the suspense are questions about friendship, responsibility, courage, conservation and the difference between protecting a secret and becoming trapped by it. Readers will experience the wind-battered trails, immense granite towers, mountain lakes, wildlife and unpredictable weather of Patagonia while following a group of young people who begin the journey as rivals—and may only survive by learning to trust one another. The novel includes 19 atmospheric black-and-white illustrations in an artistic watercolour-and-sketch style, bringing key moments from the expedition, the hidden settlement and the dramatic Patagonian landscape to life.