Everything
Spot Messenger emergency beacons have become popular with backcountry users as a low-priced way to summon help when outside of cell-phone coverage areas. Today, however, the company issued a statement that it would be accepting free returns of the new, smaller version of the beacon—the Spot 2—after the company…
If you have a winter-sports junkie on your shopping list, and you've seen Outside's third annual Winter Buyer's Guide, you've got your ski-coat, hard-shell, and soft-shell needs taken care of. To fill in the gaps, we found ten great jackets for…
Burton celebrated the victories of two team members as both Kelly Clark and Shaun White finished the first Grand Prix at Copper Mountain with first place wins. Clark, who is going for her third Olympics, landed back-to-back 500s on her first run, along with a frontside 900, two 720s, and…
African and other developing countries walked out of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, suspending talks on Monday, Reuters and ENN report. They refused to continue discussion without a guarantee that…
After a series of setbacks, including frozen water pipes, the Teton Ice Park will open this Saturday, December 19, at Grand Targhee Resort. The park, which was inspired by the Ouray Ice Park in…
Aircraft continue searching for the remaining two climbers on Mt. Hood Monday after finding their partner's body on Saturday. Multiple news agencies reported on one dead and two climbersmissing on Mt. Hood as of Saturday, December 12. They left theTimberline Wy'east Day Lodge at 1:00 a.m. Friday morning for a…
Three climbers left Timberline Lodge on Friday at 1 am to climb Oregon's Mt. Hood. They did not return the same afternoon. Authorities were notified and began setting up a search and rescue effort. Yesterday authorities said…
Three U.S. Senators have outlined a compromise climate bill in an attempt to win votes for legislation to be passed in 2010, Reuters reports. The House passed a climate bill in June. Other countries have accused the U.S. of being soft…
By Stephen Regenold With its new high-top trail shoe, Inov-8 stakes a simple claim: The Roclite 288 GTX is “the lightest-weight waterproof boot on the market.” Its GORE-TEX membrane provides a waterproof barrier. It weighs about 10 ounces per foot in a men's size nine–half the weight…
Explorer Eric Larsen, who aims to be part of the first expedition to travel to Mount Everest, the North Pole, and the South Pole in one year to draw attention to climate change, is steadily logging…
Alberto Contador says he's moved on from his dispute with Lance Armstrong over team leadership during the Tour de France, Reuters reports. “I want to think about sport. I'm not interestedin the polemics. For me 2009 is finished. Now…
More than 300 Nepalis, including 100 climbers, protested in Copenhagen to bring international attention to the effects of climate change on the Himalayas, TakePart reports. “It didn’t snow at all during December, January, and February, when itshould snow heavily, and it…
I got a chance to talk with Damion Hickman, the president of TeamVeloSport/Sho-Air in SoCal. Aside from running the team, Damion also owns his own designstudio and has several cycling clients. Check out his work at damionhickman.com. What was your first job as a designer?It was at GT…
It just dumped about two feet of snow here in Durango, Colorado (The Powder Feed Headquarters), and it got me thinking: What does El Niño have in store for us snow hounds? To find out, I rang up a guy in the know: Mike Halpert, deputy director of…
Can Hollywood teach you valuable lessons about climbing? See for yourself by watching clips from Vertical Limit, above, starring Chris O'Donnell, complete with helpful tips on what to do and what not to do when you're dangling thousands of feet from the ground.
Danish police have arrested 68 activists who were protesting in street demonstrations in Copenhagen on Friday, Reuters reports. The goal of the protesters was to disrupt corporations and industry lobbyists that they see as “climate criminals” during the…
Professional skier Davenport, 37, was first to ski all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks in a single year
Poles The Classic Scott’s Team Issue poles ($120; scottusa.com) are made from aircraft-grade aluminum (translation: twice as strong as cheapies) and have a really simple and durable strap. BACKCOUNTRY READY Need extra leverage? A quick flick is all it takes to extend Black Diamond’s aluminum Boundary…
Stephanie Gilmore has achieved the distinction of being the first ever surfer, male or female, to win the ASP World Title consecutively during the first three years of competing in the Tour. And…
Whether you're looking to get some holiday shopping done, or just need to upgrade your gear stash, a web site to watch is SteepandCheap.com. Much like Woot! and other bargain sites, SteepandCheap offers daily deals on outdoor apparel and gear, with products…
Last week, tens of thousands of fish were poisoned when officials poured more than 8,000 liters of fish poison into a stretch of water that connects the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, reports NewScientist.com. The poison, rotenone, was used as…
Sure, it's great to see amazing feats of agility and speed in surfing videos, but sometimes you just want to see some wicked wipeouts. Luckily, TransWorld's got it covered with some cringe-worthy crashes from the…
On Sunday, a German man who was about to board a flight from New Zealand was found to have 44 lizards stashed in his underwear, reports TreeHugger. The man confessed to being an endangered species dealer, and expected to get $1,500…
How much does it cost to climb Mt. Everest? This is one of the most common Google searches that lead people to my site. And the most often asked question during my presentations. My usual answer is “A car.” But everyone who has read Jon Krakaurer's Into Thin…
Last night, mountaineer and philanthropist Greg Mortenson received a standing ovation after a talk in Santa Fe sponsored by Garcia Street Books. We attended and filmed the event (coming soon to outsideonline.com), and left inspired. Perhaps…
By now, you've probably seen ads for Reebok's new EasyTone shoes for women, the shoes that claim to tone your legs and butt by engaging the calf, hamstring, and gluteal muscles. But if you weren't one of the many who bought into the…
UP-AND-COMER The Sundance set will rejoice over the fact that The Canyons, a once unknown Park City resort, now hosts a Waldorf Astoria, complete with a slick new Spruce Restaurant from celeb chef Mark Sullivan. Avoid the glitz by hitting the steep, open glades off the Ninety-Nine…
Sure, it's not the world record solo kayak drop (186 ft.) set by Tyler Bradt last April, but this world record tandem drop is still pretty impressive. Anton Immler and Steve Fisher (one of Outside's Top 10 Athletes to follow on Twitter) took this…
The inaugural adidas TERREX Adventure Race will be held in Lake District, in northwest England, August 27-30, according to the Adventure Blog. Registration for the event begins December 15th. The registration fee for a team of four will be £1350. For those who aren't up to the…
First Descents, a nonprofit founded by kayaker Brad Ludden to benefit young adults with cancer via outdoor adventure sports, will hold a ski-weekend fundraiser December 10 to 12 at the Ritz-Carlton,…
Dear Auntie Nellie, Thank you so much for the closet-full of holiday sweaters. I particularly love the one with the reindeer branded festively across my chest–the sewn-on bells were a nice touch too. And not annoying at all. This year, I thought I might lend you a hand in…
I like clothing that encourages you to use it and abuse it. The tags attached to my new Lululemon Contender Jacket ($108) read: “Play hard and sweat hard.” It also claimed it was “created to withstand five years of physical athletic abuse.” After wearing it…
First-time participant Greg Long (featured by Outside in 2008) scored a perfect ride to win Quiksilver's Eddie Aikau event. Long rallied in the final heat of the day, knocking Kelly Slater from the lead. Riders at Waimea Bay, Hawaii were treated to the “largest sustained episode”…
Lance Armstrong said the RadioShack Pro Tour team is taking a “team approach”, reports VeloNews. The nine-member team won't be focused solely on Armstrong's objectives, but will instead try to succeed as a team. Armstrong also said he feels better this December than he did at…
Need some help getting motivated to stay fit this year? The American College of Sports Medicine has some advice for actually keeping that New Year's resolution. The ACSM says you should plan ahead, determine your barriers, and try to incorporate sports into your…
The UN defends its stance on the role that humans play in climate change, in response to news of leaked emails that purportedly show scientists suppressing evidence to the contrary, Reuters reports. “Nothing that has come out in the public as…
A map of Oz. The land-and-water-based route FDR took—from Washington, D.C. toCalifornia and then down the Pacific coast and through the Panama Canal—on his 1935 presidential vacation. Europe as it might look had the Nazis won. These are just a few of the images London-based journalist Frank Jacobshas collected…
There's only one more day left to enter Vibram's Grip Your World Giveaway sweepstakes. The grand prize winner gets a five-day trip for two to Jackson Hole that includes airfare, hotel, and lift tickets. Weekly prizes include ski and snowboard boots and the Vibram FiveFingers…
Kelly Slater has just scored 98 out of 100 points for riding a big wave in Round 1 of Quiksilver's Eddie Aikau event at Waimea Bay. Slater won in 2002, and he's after a repeat win, which would be…
By Stephen Regenold Snow is on the ground. Lights are twinkling in neighborhood trees. Time to find gifts for the outdoors lovers on your holiday list. Here are a few of my favorite things from this year, a half-dozen holiday gift potentials for the…
Elyse Saugstad, 31, is one of the top women freeskiers on the planet, and The Levitation Project recently released a solo video of her footage. (Check it out below. Pretty badass.) I caught up with her this evening…
The climbing season on the highest mountain outside the Himalayashas just begun and the first death has already occurred. Americanclimber, Michael Nimitsil died during his descent. The 39-year-old climber had attempted the summit twice and on histhird attempt was returning when he is reported to have become lost in a…
Quiksilver's Eddie Aikau contest, the only big-wave event of the ASP Tour, is gearing up for what looks to be a day of major swells. Tom Carroll, a two-time world champion, has already fallen victim to a…
Human Growth Hormone is crucial to the body's recovery, and ingesting protein instead of carbs increases HGH levels, Trifuel reports. So what does this mean for folks who want to manage their nutrition for optimal athletic performance? Well, the body releases HGH during sleep,…
What's on the Gear Girl's Christmas wish list? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What are some great recycled products? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What's the secret to testing gear? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What are the best green products for cleaning my holiday swag? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lindsey Vonn, called the “Best Skier in the World” by Outside in 2008, was just .03 seconds off from sweeping the speed events at the first World Cup event of the season, reports the Los Angeles Examiner. Vonn won downhill events at the Lake Louise…
Climbers Martin Ploug and Kristoffer Szilas were the first to summit Ren Zhong Fen, a mountain in Sichuan province, China. Climbing Magazine has the story and photos from the climb. The 5,800 meter mountain was unknown to climbers until Japanese explorer Tamotsu Nakamura made them aware of…
Chris Davenport, the pro who skied all 54 of Colorado's fourteeners in a year, is on to the next big project: Antarctica. At the moment, he and a team of skiers are cruising around the icy continent in a 75-foot boat with enough muscle to navigate through icebergs. Along the…
In the December issue, we looked at the “Most Underrated Ski Resorts” in Vermont. On the other side of the continent, Whistler Blackcomb is getting buried in snow. The resort reported 18 ft. of snow through the month of November. The previous one month record? A…
Welcome to the 2010 Everest Coverage. I will be posting summary updates on Outside Online and detailed posts on my site at www.alanarnette.com. Even though most teams willnot arrive in Kathmandu until late March, climbers are busy training,finalizing expedition members, organizing logistics and for some,making huge plans.
As of June 1, 2010, the Resort Sports Network will no longer be known as RSN–it will become the Outside Television Network. RSN has 61 million viewers a year in 110 destinations. The network's traditional coverage of outdoor sports will continue,…
Not everyone can help David de Rothschild build a ship out of plastic bottles and sail it across an ocean. For those of us stuck at home, Adventure Ecology is offering another option: Build a toy version. The toy Plastiki is a scale model…
In 2003, the Library of Congress paid $10 million for a 500-year-old German map. Why the hefty price tag? The document is the only remaining copy of the 1507 Waldseemüller map, which contains the earliest known reference to the New World as America. Upon hearing of the sale, Toby Lester,…
People give when they know it will buy something tangible. We asked directors at five organizations to tell us what donations from $50 to $50K would accomplish.
Photos and videos from New Zealand's premier winter sport and lifestyle event.
The Rim of Africa, set to open to the public in October of 2010, will be the first long distance hiking trail on the African continent. Influenced by the Appalachian trail and the Continental Divide, the trail will wind along the gorgeous landscapes of…
Imagine this: You live in Summit County, Colorado and a local sheriff's deputy calls to ask if your ski-bum son is having a sex change. Um, what? That is precisely what happened when police busted a woman using a guy's ski pass at Keystone, according to the…
Are you a girl looking to get away? The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is giving away a weekend for you and three friends, worth $1,200, to ski the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, NC. The package includes two nights at the Boyd Mountain Log Cabins, two days of…
Errol Kerr, 23, will be the only member of Jamaica's ski team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Sponsored by Spyder, Kerr is predicted to be a medal contender in the skiercross event. Kerr moved to Tahoe when he was ten but has duel citizenship…
Professional snowboarder or indie skateboarder? We're not sure. But, it doesn't matter because we like it! The Burton uniform for the U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team to compete in at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, that is. Can't you just picture…
It took a lot for me to let go of The North Face down sleeping bag I’ve had for about two decades, in spite of its becoming flatter and flatter by the year. It had been with me through the Andes, North Africa, much of Europe, and…
This year's O'Neill World Cup of Surfing was hit with the largest surf ever contested in the 27-year history of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The waves crashing on Sunset Beach, HI, were 20 to 25 feet and even bigger swells are in the forecast for the next few…
A new travel outfitter is offering up dream adventures guided by elite athletes. Is it too much of a good thing?
Book clubs, rejoice: The rollicking sequel to Three Cups of Tea is here.
Homer, the dummy, has been taking one on the chin—and everywhere else—for you.
It’s hard to call an Olympic silver medal a defeat, but that’s what Gretchen Bleiler’s 2006 halfpipe loss to Vermont native Hannah Teter seemed like. Bleiler, the 28-year-old from Aspen, Colorado, has been the dominant woman in snowboarding for the past half-decade, but she’s entering this Olympic year as an…
This fall, Warren Miller Entertainment (WME) sued Level 1 Productions for having Warren Miller (the man) narrate a segment of its new ski film, Refresh. Miller, 85, responded by intervening in the suit and entering into arbitration with WME, a company he sold in 1988thus relinquishing the right to use…
We always knew the stats were rigged, but now comes proof: A team of Dartmouth economists discovered that ski resorts report 23 percent more new snow on weekends than during the week, even though government weather data shows no such “weekend effect.” The resorts least likely to exaggerate? Those with…
Forest fires get a bad rap. Too often, with all the focus on the damage they could cause, we forget that they're actually necessary to keep the forest healthy and growing. BBC News explains how the build-up of vegetation can prevent seeds…
Five years ago, Chad Kagy broke his neck while practicing a double backflip for the Gravity Games. But that didn't stop him: ESPN has a sick video of Kagy completing a double backflip — and this time, he's doing them over a distance of…
By Stephen Regenold Jeans rarely do double duty as performance wear for active types. But this month Quiksilver releases three sport-specific pants that are fashionable enough and can squeak by for cyclists and skaters looking to jump a curb or kickflip a set of stairs while wearing…
Where would we be without the down jacket, high-altitude sunscreen, and some of the first waterproof/breathable fabrics? Luckily, we don't have to think about that, because we've got Klaus. The founder of ski/snowboard outfitter Obermeyer turned 90 this week, reports Skiing magazine, and it doesn't…