Owen Clarke is a freelance outdoor sports writer. He often writes about climbing, but his work also covers motorcycles, long-distance trekking, and environmental conservation. He also authors the dark fantasy series Void Injection and is the founder of the collaborative writing workshop Dead Foot.
Published
A hiker was just rescued from a Colorado peak after blowing a simple rescue whistle. The lesson? Satellite messengers are great, but low-tech tools have their place in a safety kit, too.
Todd Shoulders, 54, died in the South San Juan Wilderness, just ten miles away from where two other hunters were recently killed by lightning
Officials say that the 26-year-old victim was rappelling from the popular Mount Blue Sky route when she suffered a fatal accident
That’s what a group of former National Park Service employees is urging in light of a looming federal shutdown
Both parties were on the non-technical Clear Creek route. Outside spoke with climbing officials to find out what happened and why.
The iconic American action star hiked Northern California’s 10,457-foot Lassen Peak
The “Save Our Signs” project is attempting to archive as many signs as possible before they are removed, and hopes park visitors will contribute
Thousands of people flock to Illinois' “Snake Road” every year to view the slithering serpent crossing
Several participants were disqualified from this year’s World Stone Skimming Championships in Scotland after being caught cheating
Ultimately, responders said the incident was a preventable waste of time and resources
The 27-year-old broke his ankle after falling into a deep glacial crevasse known as a bergschrund
Tanner Mansell, a Florida diving guide, saw his life turned upside down after he freed captured sharks on a fishing line
Geologists at Yellowstone National Park have already collected more than 300 hats from the park’s hot spring areas this year
Big Bend does not see many visitors, but it has a high relative death rate.
Last year, Sunseri broke the speed record for ascending and descending the 13,775-foot peak. The record was shortly revoked
Five years after Forrest Fenn’s bronze chest was found, a Canadian treasure hunt is reigniting the wild search for riches
Six questions to ask yourself before adventuring into the outdoors, according to the National Park Service.
Hikers in British Columbia and Montana successfully fended off attacking bears in two separate incidents using this compact deterrent.
The area around a popular lake trail is replete with human waste. Park officials may install a permanent toilet.
Hundreds of festivalgoers are injured at Burning Man each year. To some, the medical bills can be astronomical.
Pete Thompson flew 190 miles over western Colorado by harnessing updrafts and wind. It’s believed to be a record-breaking flight.
The newest Outdoor Industry Association participation report says that more than 180 million Americans went outside to recreate in 2024
A new study illustrates how a city’s specific infrastructure contributes to its inhabitants’ overall health and wellbeing
On average, three hikers have died every day throughout the summer in Italy’s high peaks. Experts explain why.
Officials believe at least 200 people may have been exposed to rabies while visiting a hotel in Grand Teton National Park.
Jake Schmitt crawled for 11 hours to get help, with his dog, Buddy, by his side
The extinct creature was eight-inches long, had razor-sharp teeth, and resembled a character from the ‘Alien’ movies
Officials in Italy used a combination of flying drones and AI software to locate the remains of a man who vanished in September
A Statue of a Confederate General Was Toppled in 2020. The National Park Service Is Reinstalling It.
The NPS says that refurbishing and reinstalling the toppled statue “aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law”
A search and rescue team in British Columbia deployed drones, mounted police officers, and volunteers. They found a backcountry crooner.
Laura Dahlmeier, 31, was a world champion biathlete. She died after being struck by rockfall on Laila Peak at 20,000 feet.
On October 26, 60 participants will run laps in a Swedish zinc mine in complete silence, 4,300 feet below Earth's surface
The proposal would allow for the killing of nearly 200 black bears over a three-week period in December
The waters of Lonesome Lake, an alpine lake in the Wind River range, exceed the EPA’s safety threshold for fecal contamination by a staggering 384 times
Located in the Yellowstone’s Porcelain Basin, the new thermal feature is believed to have appeared on Christmas Day
A 31-year-old hiker in Washington State is lucky to be alive after suffering serious injuries in a fall. His screams for help led to a rescue.
The effigy was emblazoned with the words “Make America Wait Again,” and it toured the park on Saturday, July 12
Officials in Arizona and Colorado have closed huge swaths of parkland to visitors after lightning-sparked blazes destroyed thousands of acres and hundreds of structures
More than 300 tremors were recorded below Mount Rainier over the course of three days. Scientists say they were too weak for humans to feel.
Everyone survived, but rescuers and bystanders had to perform CPR on two people who fell into the water and extract a third from a tree above a steep gorge
The executive decision also requires all NPS sites to grant American residents preferential treatment in permit lotteries
A habituated male elk chased visitors, poked its antlers into their tent, and then left a stinky surprise in their campsite. Park officials say they are monitoring the animal.
Four rescues in June prompted SAR squads to issue a request to pet owners: “these pup emergencies can be prevented.”
Five distress calls in seven days prompted the local search and rescue team to warm visitors to hike with caution
A bison fell into the 160-degree Grand Prismatic Spring and died. An eyewitness tells us the ordeal was like seeing "the circle of life unfold.”
Officials have reminded the public that summer conditions can quickly become dangerously cold and windy atop the 6,288-foot peak
After seeing a dramatic uptick in search and rescue calls, an official in southern Washington is threatening to charge hikers who are deemed to be negligent
Signs are popping up at NPS sites asking visitors to report any instances of rangers speaking negatively about America. Critics say it’s an attempt to whitewash U.S. history.
Rescuers located Israeli-American hiker Samuel Vengrinovich near the city of Dharamshala in India’s Himalayan foothills
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate added a mandate to the budget bill to sell enormous swaths of public land managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
The Park Service has reminded visitors to keep their distance from the 2,000-pound animals after a man from New Jersey was attacked
A medevac crew in southern Colorado completed a helicopter rescue on the 14,055-foot mountain, which was recently reopened to hikers
The seismic activity on May 29 was much smaller than the July 2024 explosion that closed Biscuit Basin
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advised dog owners to keep pets on-leash when walking in moose habitat, and to choose trails with good visibility
Inclement weather has delayed the search for a man who went missing on the West Buttress route
More Perfect Union, a nonprofit advocating for workers‘ rights, has put up 300 billboards calling out the staffing cuts to national parks
The 38-year-old from Chicago beat a brain tumor as a teenager and used his passion for mountaineering to raise money for cancer charities
This ultramarathoner didn’t start running until his thirties. Now aged 55, he’s survived cancer—and completed a longtime quest to ski 300 miles across a remote Arctic island.
Brooke Raboutou just became the first woman to ascend a route rated 5.15c. For those unfamiliar with ratings and route names, our climbing writer offers an explainer.
The price of a permit to climb the world’s highest peak will rise 36 percent later this year. Guides believe that climbers will still flock to the mountain.
Tina Lewis was enjoying a “trip of a lifetime” before she was detained at an airport in India. Her crime: traveling with a satellite communication device.
Brothers Hugo and Ross Turner recently flew an electric paraglider over Val d’Isere in France. They believe that small electric motors and lightweight batteries could revolutionize the aerial sport.
The Nepali climber who summited Mount Everest three times in two weeks has always gone her own way
“It goes, boys!” Zangerl, 36, blasted up the 3,300-foot Free Rider on her first attempt, without a single fall.
Metcalfe, a 50-year-old doctor from Colorado, recently became the first American woman to ascend all 14 mountains above 8,000 meters. Before completing the record, she battled internal demons over what it means to make history on the peaks.
Gary Kristensen grew a massive gourd in his backyard and then paddled it 46 miles down the Columbia River to set a new world record
Mountaineers Michelle Dvorak and Fay Manners take us inside their harrowing rescue on the side of Chaukhamba III in the Garhwal Himalayas
Five questions with American Olympic climber Brooke Raboutou about the new format in Paris, her physical and mental preparation, and why climbing accelerates personal growth
From historically dingy to gleaming and tall, these 13 artificial climbing paradises more than rival many “real” climbing destinations
After spending her infant years ascending New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks in a carrier, Lydia Pearson recently accomplished the challenge on her own two feet—summiting all 48 of them
White recently unveiled a new halfpipe series for professional snowboarders and freeskiers. Lucas Foster, an American Olympian, thinks the Snow League could give athletes more earning potential.
Last week a trio of climbers from Malaysia became stranded on Denali in Alaska. Guides and rescuers recount how they spent multiple days trying to save them.
Photos and videos of the destroyed roadway flooded social media after it gave way on June 7. Officials have not given a timeline for opening the highway.
Martin Feistl, 27, was among the most talented and bold alpinists of his generation. He died after a 130-foot fall.
“I’m sure there must have been edges to make the foot placements better,” says Jesse Dufton, “but because I can’t see, I didn’t find any. I’ve never known such pain in my calves.”
Belgian climber Jelle Veyt recently scaled Denali after biking, sailing, and skiing from his home country
A motorbike can make getting to the trailhead cheaper, faster, and a lot more fun
Climbers regarded the North Face of Jannu as the most baffling project in the Himalayas until these alpinists cracked it
Deep in the Canadian wilderness, two professional climbers in dire straits triggered a rescue with their cell phone
Grippy, durable climbing footwear that will get you to the wall (and back) in comfort and style