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Professional snowboarder and Olympic athlete Seth Wescott shares his top five adventures for the off-season.
All aboard who's going aboard. Photo courtesy Linx Co-op In our May issue we rounded up 12 amazing off-the-beaten path National Park adventures. Trekking into Yellowstone National Park (oh, you've heard of it?) didn't make the cut. But that doesn't mean you should avoid the 3,472 square…
I'm training for my first marathon, and I'd like to run it in a fun place. What are the best marathons in cool destinations?
Each spring, the modest mountains that line Iceland’s Troll Peninsula host creamy corn snow, sunlight that lasts until 10 P.M., and steep, rarely skied chutes that take you right to the ocean’s edge
The author packed up his house and family and moved to northeastern Brazil for a year. Fantasy or struggle? It’s complicated.
The top of the world is getting more crowded—last spring, 94 teams visited base camp, and 535 climbers reached the summit. Rescue operations are getting more sophisticated, too, with high-altitude helicopters and, starting this year, a team of Sherpa rangers. Here's a look at where things go wrong and the support systems in place when they do.
The wildest two-wheeled events on the planet feature both world-class racing and world-class carousing
I’ve some vacation time coming, and I’d like to escape to a Mediterranean island for some adventure. Where should I go?
Sweating your way to a rustic lodge isn’t just a wintertime activity
What is the best way to escape the crowds on my trip to Yellowstone this summer?
The rankest mountain roads for testing your cycling mettle
I want to take a spring whitewater rafting trip in the U.S., but I hate being cold. Where should I go?
I tend to divide the handfishing world into two groups: those of us who knew about and appreciated the sport called noodling (or catching fish with your bare hands) before the Animal Planet show “Hillbilly Handfishin’,” and all of the wannabes who are just now jumping on the bandwagon and…
Starr Pass, Tucson, Arizona As you probably already know, I'm sick of winter. Many friends are chasing snow this weekend—the Santa Fe backcountry should be glorious from the big dump earlier this week, and one buddy of mine flew to Rogers Pass in Canada for a…
The Kona Production crew heads to Oregon, and identifies why Portlanders love their bikes. Learn more about the joys of bike commuting in Tom Vanderbilt’s article Rage Against the Machine.
Summer is prime time in our national parks, and that means crowds—unless you know where to go. From Washington to Maine, here are 12 adventures that will have you exploring the emptiest quarters of our most spectacular landscapes.
Little yurt in big woods photo: Katie Arnold My husband, Steve, and I have been living and skiing in northern New Mexico for 16 years. We’ve had epic powder season, when we skied Taos nearly every weekend and drought seasons when we had to settle…
Kate Kernerman on her way to a campground. Photo: Ryan Branciforte It was a brisk and sunny morning, typical for the dry winter we're having in San Francisco. As I locked my bike up to a sturdy fence and started down the escalator to the 24th…
I want an adventure without crossing the pond, but don't want to break the bank. Where should I go?
Forget the drunk, stumbling, bleached-blonde, muscled hordes of Panama City. Take a trip to one of the country’s top spots for adventure and come back refreshed.
From weekend escapes for beginners to weeklong expeditions for seasoned pros, the best destinations on the continent for taking flight
I want to ride the best rapids in the Caribbean. Where should I start?
[all photos: Emily Shoff] Soon it'll be mud season–time to escape to drier ground. And there's no better remedy to the tail end of winter than dropping a thousand feet into the canyons of southern Utah. My husband, Andy, and I have traveled with…
Video by Devon Balet Photo. With the profusion of marathon mountain bike events and the growing popularity of the expanding National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Race Series, I keep hearing talk that the days…
I live in the Southeast and I’m a pretty good amateur photographer. What are some of the most amazing, camera-worthy hikes in my neck of the woods?
I want to go on a road and mountain biking vacation in the tropics. What do you recommend?
Need to get away? Far away? Where you, and maybe someone else, can spend some time on an endless beach and in a whole lot of water? Here you go.
Where are the best places in the world to learn to BASE jump?
Shred ready Camp life is good At play in the Purcells Western Spirit Cycling, www.westernspirit.com; O.A.R.S., www.oars.com; Canadian Mountain Holidays, www.canadianmountainholidays.com —Katie Arnold@raisingrippers …
By late February, you reach a point where you need the promise of warmth just to get outside. The hot springs at Avalanche Ranch and Nordic trails at nearby Spring Gulch, outside of Carbondale, Colorado, will give you the kick you crave, and then some. Kids and…
What are your five favorite travel apps for iPhone and Android?
Globe-trotters: we've got you covered. Our 2012 Travel Awards honor the best destinations on seven continents—everything from idyllic beach escapes to camping safaris in Kenya to a mountain-bike expedition in Tibet. Plus: Outside-endorsed outfitters, adventure insurance, and more.
A multimedia guide to seven of North America’s best adventure destinations—featuring Duct Tape Then Beer’s new videos series
I want to stay in a cabana on stilts, with margarita in hand, in a tropical location. Got any ideas?
Duct Tape Then Beer shoots epic North Shore singletrack in this short about mountain biking. Here’s how you can repeat the trip.
The PR spin that keeps tourists coming when rabies, kidnapping, and other calamities make headlines
From hidden fishing rivers in Chile to mountain biking in Whistler, our guide shows you where to go and the gear you'll need to take your adventures to the next level.
Every Everest climber, actual or armchair, knows the “Lhotse Face” is a difficult section on the mountain that leads to the Death Zone at 8,000 meters. What some people often miss is that the Face is part of the fourth highest mountain on Earth. Lhotse stands 27,940 feet tall.
I’m planning a long weekend of cross-country skiing in the West. Which national park is a better option: Yosemite or Rocky Mountain?
Skiing is expensive. Where can I find a resort that sells lift tickets for under $50?
Is your old Samsonite looking a little dogeared? Are you ready to replace your black roller board with something that's easier to identify on the luggage carousel? We'll be checking out new luggage this week at the Outdoor Retailer show. Here's a preview of a few of the pieces we're…
What are the best non-tropical places to go scuba diving in the winter?
Australia’s Northern Territory is our kind of place—a vast expanse of desert playgrounds, tropical rainforests, and supersize wildlife. Buckle up with Matthew Power as he bounces through the most extreme landscapes on the planet.
I want to plan a rugged weekend in the Southwest with a group of my buddies. Some aren’t very outdoorsy, others are moderately experienced, and one could vanish for a week in the woods with nothing but a knife and dental floss and come back fatter and stronger. What would be a fun, not-too-cold adventure that would please everyone?
Some people like to head to the tropics in the winter. I like to bask in the snow and cold. What are your favorite winter carnivals in North America?
From the world’s most fuel-efficient commercial plane to foreign economic collapses to a cloud-tickling hotel, the biggest adventure travel stories this year
I want to spend a week in the Galapagos. Plan my trip for me, please.
I feel guilty about the environmental impact of skiing at a resort—given the energy consumption of the chairlifts and grooming machines, not to mention the snowmaking. What are the most eco-friendly ski resorts?
Where in the U.S. should I go to learn to ice climb this winter? Is Ouray really worth the trip?
Start off 2012 right, with a trip to one of the world’s wildest destinations
Our favorite frontier for 2012? The surreal, gradually opening Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
Emerging from a 27-year civil war, Sri Lanka’s jungle terrain and white-sand beaches remain largely undiscovered. But the conflict ended in 2009, meaning there are empty (and safe) waves to be found. Head to the island nation’s southernmost tip, near the village of Gandara, where 24-year-old British surfer Jack Phillips recently opened his Talalla Surf Camp.
Starting with a single Alaskan Husky named Derby, Kenth Fjellborg built a dogsled-touring empire that attracts 5,000 would-be mushers a year to a frozen patch of tundra 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. And he's not afraid to yell at you in bad words.
La Niña means a long, hard winter—just how we like it. Take advantage by basing yourself at one of these nine Outside-approved adventure lodges.
Is it possible to learn to kitesurf on the cheap in the Caribbean? If so, where?
Tom Chapman's cunning real estate deals have made him a lightning rod in the battle over property rights in the wildlands of the West. Is he gaming the system or just playing smarter than everyone else?
I want to learn to ski off-piste this winter. Are there any resort ski schools that can teach me?
I want to take my girlfriend to a romantic, outdoorsy winter lodge in the Northeast. Any suggestions?
I want to take a weekend road biking trip in California. What are your suggestions?
Further putting to the test whether there's no such thing as too many pictures, photographer Brian DeFrees strapped a Canon 60D camera to his windshield and used an intervalometer to take a photo once every five minutes as he circled the United States on…
Boulderer Thomasina Pidgeon attempts the Method one last time before heading south to continue her endless summer of climbing.
My girlfriend and I want to spend a getaway weekend in a tree. What do you recommend?
Big-mountain skier Ingrid Backstrom picks her 5 favorite places to ski
Where are the best places in North America to make early tracks this fall?
Name a coast that’s treacherous to navigate, or a shallow area where an epic naval battle took place, and I’ll show you a ship graveyard that’s worth exploring. The beauty of wrecks is that they’re not only giant, waterlogged pieces of history, but also artificial reefs that teem with life.
What are the best American mountain biking destinations that don’t begin with “M” and end in “oab?”
Norway's forbidding Hardangervidda Plateau nearly killed Roald Amundsen when he attempted a ski traverse in the winter of 1896. But the failure set him on a path of training, study, and exploration that led to his historic conquest of the South Pole. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of that feat, Mark Jenkins and his brother Steve skied the route, an epic challenge that even now can prove deadly.
Winter comes to British Columbia. Is it too late for Kevin and Jeremy to ride the trail they spend the summer building?…
Steamboat was the only town awarded both a USA Pro Cycling Challenge start and finish.Photo courtesy of David Dietrich Photography. I was skeptical when I heard that Steamboat Springs, the low-key ski town…
Where to take photos to inspire your Facebook friends to get out.
Greg Martin in Sun Valley Last month, I interviewed Greg Martin about building the USA Cycling Cross Country National Championships course in Sun Valley, Utah. I posted a quick by the numbers on…
Before any know-it-alls start complaining about the absence of Edmund Hillary, Thor Heyerdahl, or Amelia Earhart from this list, let me make a distinction between “explorer” and “adventure traveler.” An explorer has historically been someone who attempts to do something that no one has done before (or plunder indigenous people…