Why is risking death worth it for adventurers? This is a question Greg Hill—Canadian pro skier, guide, and “The 2-Million Foot Man”—gets asked often. In this frank, open, and unflinching memoir, he does his best to provide an answer and bring some understanding and solace to his friends and family should he pay the ultimate price for his undeniable need for adrenaline.

Starting with his formative years with young, hard-working parents in the Eastern Townships of Québec, Canada, Hill describes his challenges with finding his place in a blended family, his desire to be seen and acknowledged, learning to live with the serious consequences of poor decisions, and looking for the love of a lifetime while building a career from doing the crazy things he loved most of all.

As he matured and set his sites on higher peaks and greater challenges, he also developed an awareness for the care of the planet that he traversed so extensively. Nature is a force to work with, not against, and despite the adrenaline drive, Greg knows to keep his humility in check—if not, it will get checked for him.

How does an adrenaline-seeker build a career doing what he loves and still have time to be an integral part of a loving family and lead a full and balanced life as a ski adventuring environmentalist? To answer this question for himself and those he loves, Greg opens up about hardcore life-altering decisions, survival as a reality he faces daily, and the gratitude he has for still being alive after experiencing everything from avalanches to world records. As he puts it, he could die at any moment…