Outside Magazine, Mar 2003
Stories
POSTs
Low's Gully is a 6,000-foot chasm that gets deadly when it rains. This month, a team of top canyoneers take it on, with only one way out.
Question: Can adventure travel take root in struggling, war-ravaged countries where the smoke is still clearing? Test Case: The Republic of Georgia, home to unspoiled wilderness, beautiful mountains, and (oh, drat) fugitive Chechen rebels and rumored Al Qaeda cells Answer: Good question!
What is this thing called ECOTOURISM? (Besides the glimmer of hype and a dash of greenwash, that is). Here's the good news: When it's done right, it's nothing less than THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL.
Of course they do—they get to trek with camels. But you can, too! We’ve got the COOLEST TRIPS, TOP TEN TRENDS, EXPERT ADVICE, AND BEST NEW PLACES TO GET LOST IN 2003. So what are you waiting for? Giddyup! Star…
If mom had told you what fruits and veggies can do for your game, maybe you would've listened. But it's not too late.
In Bhutan's pristine alpine sanctuary, even a heathen climber can see the light
The dream is a brand-new river route through a vast, primordial, wildlife-rich wonderland on the verge of environmental salvation. The reality is what happens when a small band of marginally prepared adventurers attempts the 400-mile first descent of Mozambique's mighty Lugenda—a journey past kayak-eating crocs, out-of-nowhere waterfalls, and a multitude
THE BIG ONE A Dangerous Place California’s Unsettling Fate BY MARC REISNER (Pantheon, $22) MARC REISNER died with paper in his typewriter. When cancer claimed him three years ago (he was only 51), the author of Cadillac Desert, the classic 1986 history…
F E A T U R E S
2003 DESTINATIONS SPECIAL
BIG TRIPS & NEW ADVENTURES
Nomads Have More Fun
Get out, get wild, with 53 awe-inspiring, soul-soaring journeys
Sign up now for a Mexican adventure with REINHOLD MESSNER , trips to the sweetest international MOUNTAIN-BIKE MECCAS , up-close wildlife encounters in BELIZE , TONGA , and BOTSWANA , cultural immersion in VIETNAM and MOROCCO , and multisport escapes from FIJI to NORWAY .
PLUS: Life-changing epics, SCENIC HIDEAWAYS you can reach only by chopper, the coolest active vacations CLOSE TO HOME , and more.
A Trip Is Born
A first descent of MOZAMBIQUE’S LUGENDA RIVER —a mystery world of riotous natural beauty, incredible paddling, rare wildlife, and more than a few deadly waterfalls—underscores a timeless truth: You never know what you’ll find around the bend.
By Peter Stark
TRAVEL’S NEXT FRONTIER
Resort to Virtue
Looking for big fun, but you want to leave a small footprint? Follow our guide to the world’s TEN BEST ECO-LODGES .
By Natasha Singer
PLUS: Taking the devil out of the details-how to build an earth-friendly, guest-comfy ECO-RESORT ; Outside‘s GREEN AWARDS for adventure outfitters; and catching up with THE CLASSIC ECO-DESTINATIONS .
Hot Spot
Adventure travel is way, way down in GEORGIA —not surprising, given that the former Soviet republic is broke, still smarting from civil war, and possibly home to a few Al Qaeda guerrillas hiding in its hills. Can the new entrepreneurs of the Caucasus change all that by selling their wild outdoors?
By Fen Montaigne
D E P A R T M E N T S
DISPATCHES
A team of Belgian canyoneers makes an unsupported, no-way-out assault on Low’s Gully, a flash-flooding 6,000-FOOT CHASM on Borneo. PLUS: Adventurer Mike Horn circumnavigates the ARCTIC CIRCLE by foot, sail, and ski-kite; author Marc Reisner’s posthumous warnings about CALIFORNIA’S INEVITABLE BIG QUAKE ; and this month’s RADAR .
THE WILD FILE
Is your skin waterproof and breathable? Who’s steering that single-minded flock of birds? Do fish drink?
By Brad Wetzler
THE HARD WAY
With tight controls on all tourist traffic, Bhutan has protected its Himalayan mountain treasures from being overrun by the masses. But those few who do venture to these sacred peaks soon learn it’s not the government you need to worry about—it’s the gods.
By Mark Jenkins
REVIEW
The new full-suspension MOUNTAIN BIKES get everything right—they’re lighter, plusher, and faster than ever. PLUS: Cotton, the original outdoor fabric , has never looked this good.
BODYWORK
Power potions and carbo bars have revolutionized the athlete’s diet—maybe too well. It’s time to heed the latest research on FRUITS AND VEGETABLES , peak performance’s oft-forgotten secret ingredients. PLUS: how painkillers may undermine strength gains ; and Viagra , the mountaineer’s new secret weapon.