Exploration & Survival
Archive
When François Guenot vanished last summer on a wild and remote Alaskan coastline, many in the state dismissed him as yet another unprepared greenhorn. But a revelatory road trip with François's father and brother revealed he was something special: a tough, soulful wanderer whose story resonates with the grand traditions of the American outdoors.
Polar Explorer Eric Larsen judges the quality of his life by how many nights he gets to spend in a tent each year. By his estimates, he's spent years of his life sleeping and living in various places around the world, and roughly a year camping solely in the Arctic…
Drop your jaws and pack your bags. Outside's best adventure photography of the year.
The climbing great died Saturday while attempting a wingsuit flight from Yosemite’s Taft Point
The Pearl River is full of trash, Volkswagen-sized catfish, and a heckuva lot of gators. Swimming in it? That was Pop's idea.
Last summer, adventurers Will Gadd and Gavin McClurg completed a historic paragliding expedition through the Canadian Rockies. And when Gadd, who completed a historic first ascent of a frozen Niagra Falls earlier this year, calls something “the truest adventure” he’s ever been a part of, you know it had to be…
They get paid to climb mountains and raft whitewater. But guiding isn't all a dream—not with whiny clients, lousy tips, and the occasional colleague pranking you in a gorilla suit.
Our anonymous survey results are in. These are the genuine horrors and joys of leading strangers into the wild.
The versatile watercraft goes way back
A look inside the survival capsule Italian explorer Alex Bellini has commissioned to help him achieve an unprecedented feat: Spend a year on an iceberg as it melts into the Atlantic.
For Scott Rogers, photography has always been about two things: friends and fears
Sir Ranulph Fiennes reflects on the life of a 71-year-old explorer as he stares down the barrel of one of the planet’s hardest ultramarathons.
Human-body-flyer Dean Potter is a man of many talents. Known for daring free-solo climbs, high-lining, BASE jumping and winguiting, Potter recently made a film about his decision to take his dog, Whisper, wingsuit-flying with him. The full When Dogs Fly film is now available here. …
Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will now attempt the first solar-powered, round-the-world flight in their high-tech, carbon-fiber, kind-of-cramped plane
That's how Mark Twain defined a gold miner. But when our writer heard head-spinning treasure tales from a legendary prospector named Flint Carter, he organized a full-scale expedition into the mountains near Tucson, Arizona. Following a hand-drawn map, the team lit out for the harsh Sonoran Desert hopped up on gold fever in search of the fabled Lost City.
This month, 50-year-old Russian adventurer Valery Rozov became the first person to BASE jump from Kilimanjaro, the largest freestanding volcanic mass in the world. Video by Red Bull Media House. …
The arts of bushcraft and wilderness survival are lost on many, but not renowned traveler and British TV personality Ray Mears. We Belong to It, a film by Goh Iromoto, follows the bushcraft expert into the heart of Wabakimi Provincial Park in…
Sometimes the best way to improve while learning a new sport is simply to embrace the embarrassment and laugh at yourself. Watch as our Online Editors learn from expert coaches and try to master rock climbing, skiing and running in our Zero to Hero series. …
Red Bull Athlete Cedric Dumont performed the first ever wing-suit flight over the Great Pyramids of Giza on Thursday January 29, 2015. After a 3-year wait, the Belgian athlete could not hide his emotions and genuine excitement to fly over the…
Give a bunch of guns and gold to hearty, tattooed Alaskans, and turn them loose.
It's easier (and yields warmer results) than you'd think
What to do when it's dark and frigid outside? We have some ideas. For starters, try building a backyard sauna, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, creating the perfect cabin fire, learning to dogsled, swinging a war hammer, kicking back with a classic adventure book, or escaping to a tropical island. Just hurry up—spring will be here before you know it.
From that time Lance Armstrong showed us how to fix a flat tire to an investigation into USA Swimming’s sex abuse scandal, we look back at the stories that defined the year.
Mountain Hardwear athlete Mike Libecki and his daughter venture across Antartica. There are many lessons learned along the way. …
Canadian Kate Harris' sure-fire two-step guide on how to become a modern explorer.
If courage is grace under fire, as Hemingway once wrote, then Sandy Cunningham is as courageous as they come. From a childhood in war-torn Rhodesia to living in a tent in Kenyan lion country, the owner of a bespoke travel company sees the future of adventure travel in the globe’s uncharted corners, where travelers take control of their own narratives.
Our vision of the year ahead, from sure bets (more fitness tech) to bold predictions (we're all moving to Seattle!)
With warp-speed ascents that include the Matterhorn (1:56) and Denali (9:43), ultrarunner turned alpinist Kilian Jornet Burgada is the king of the endurance world's latest obsession: fastest known times. And now he plans to run up Everest.
As investigators piece together the details, Douglas Messier—who witnessed the crash from the desert floor—reports on the warning signs that preceded the disaster, the already rampant finger-pointing, and the viability of space tourism.
SpaceShipTwo's accident poses a major setback to Richard Branson's interstellar vision—and the future of the $250 million taxpayer-funded New Mexico Spaceport.
We believe that life should be demanding, but never dull. When the daily grind sets in, trade in your suit and your briefcase for gear that answers to a higher call. Video by Chris Burkard. …
Life moves fast. So pack. Pack for the highs. Dress for the detours. And always make sure that you're outfitted… for adventure. Video by Chris Burkard. …
He’s been robbed, shaken down, threatened, and ripped off all around the globe, but the head of the planet’s most influential adventure-travel tourism group can’t stop diving into the unknown to look for the treasure he’s always had.
Life is a journey. What you pack can take you to the outskirts. What you wear can take you to the edge. In fact, truly great gear can take you to places you'll never forget. Video by Chris Burkard.
In 2009, a hiker named Becky Garris was struck by lightning in Vermont while hiking the Appalachian Trail. She woke up with a paralyzed right arm, and managed to get herself to the hospital. This is her story. …
True stories of survival from those who lived to tell the tale. In our Survival Stories series, you’ll find everything you need to know about unpredictable weather, big waves, and staying safe in the backcountry. In the first episode, Maya Gabeira describes what happened on the day she nearly drowned trying to…
We caught up with Dean Potter before his wingsuit flight over the ice cream social at Mountainfilm in Telluride, CO, earlier this year. Here’s what he had to say about dealing with fear.
For more than 40 years, no one has done more to shine a light on the globe’s most intriguing corners for workaday adventurers than Richard Bangs. Now 64, the father of American adventure travel is proof that old-school adventure is as alive as ever.
Some of the explosives that professionals use to take down the white dragon.
Every year, more than 500 Americans will be struck by lightning—and roughly 90 percent of them will survive. Though they remain among the living, their minds and bodies will be instantly, fundamentally altered in ways that still leave scientists scratching their heads.
A short film showing off the majesty of the high Arctic landscape. Photographer Peter Cox got to experience ice caps, glaciers, stunning mountain landscapes and wildlife during two Svalbard photo tours in July 2014. …
Nik Wallenda is preparing for his next big stunt: walking on wires 50 stories above the streets of Chicago. We caught up with Wallenda to find out how the daredevil got his start – and why he’s fascinated with death-defying walks in stunning locations. …
Avalanche dogs are the unsung heroes of the backcountry. When beacons aren’t working, search and resuce teams rely on dogs to help find buried victims. To find out what goes into training an avalanche dog, we caught up with the Snowbird Ski Partol team during a drill. …
On May 8, 2000, 48-year-old Michael Utley was struck by lightning while playing golf with friends. He woke up in an ambulance a month later with no idea where he was or what had happened. This is his story. …
Phil Broscovak was on a typical family climbing trip in 2005 when disaster struck. As he tried to untangle a rope before the weather turned, a bolt of lightning hit feet from his head and blew him from the wall. This is his story. …
In August of 2014, Sam Cossman and George Kourounis ventured inside one of the world’s most dangerous and inaccessible volcanos, Marum Crater. Joined by volcanic exploration pioneers Geoff Mackely and Brad Ambrose, the team captured this…
For one young chief, protecting his people means embracing ecotourism.
Behold: The #OutsideMobile Instagram contest winners
An inside look at what it takes to run with Ralphie, the real-life mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Ralphie gets most of the credit, but her handlers are all varsity athletes who have to stay in top shape to keep up with her. A film by…
Swiss explorer Mike Horn looks to grind out a big first—again.
When 23-year-old Zina Lahr went missing on a trail outside Ouray, Colorado, the world lost an amazing young talent. The full story from Grayson Schaffer. …
The Lumberjack World Championships, established in 1960, are a wildly entertaining display of the world's finest axmen and axwomen. But the event goes far beyond brute force and sharp blades slicing through logs. Photographer Narayan Mahon was there to capture the 2014 event, held July 24 to 26 in Hayward, Wisconsin.
Roman Dial is an adventure icon and Alaskan legend who raised his son, Cody, in the outdoors. Now Cody is missing in a Costa Rican jungle and Roman is leading the search.
Two years ago, Filipe Leite turned his ponies south on a journey from Canada to Brazil. Ten thousand miles later, he's almost home after facing drug traffickers, grizzlies, and mad bulls on an epic transcontinental trip.
Trapping of bobcats, coyotes, and other fur-bearing animals is on the rise—with man’s best friend the collateral damage.
Watch online-exclusive videos from our August issue.
There's a new brand in town. Does its dehydrated food stack up to—or shrivel before—its rivals?
Bob Saunders is a glider pilot from Telluride, Colorado. Telluride’s airport is North America’s highest commercial airport, sitting at 9078 feet, and the high altitude makes for unique gliding conditions. Watch as “Glider” Bob takes a passenger up in his Stemme Motorglider for a scenic tour of the San Juans…
Blue Chalk Media worked closely with National Geographic photographer and North Face athlete, Cory Richards, to capture what makes Richards one the premier talents in the adventure world. We’ve all likely seen one of Richard’s images before, but this video highlights a lifelong pursuit that makes each…
A quasi-legal, father-son mission to train-hop through the changing American West
Every year Mike Olbinski dedicates a week to chasing storms across the western plains. This year, his trips in April and May took him to Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas in search of pulsing clouds. Needless to say, this was a great year. …
Drop your jaws and pack your bags. Outside's best adventure photography of the year.
Dean Potter buzzed the ice cream social at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival on Saturday afternoon in a wingsuit. Without his dog Whisper along for the ride, Potter jumped out of a single-engine plane just above town and flew over main street before landing at the edge of…
Meet HISTORY’s Mountain Men and the lands where they make their living.
Dean Potter (aka The Dark Wizard) has been pushing the limits of the outdoor world for years. In his newest life challenege as a film director, Potter has created a short film about his dog Whisper, who often BASE jumps with Potter in a special compartment on…
GPS locator SPOT launched in 2007—and has already notched 3,000 rescues
Five DEET-free options to fend off bugs this summer
A top notch adventure and outdoor hype reel from EtchRock—a new community to share and discover challenges. Get out there and fuel your desire.
There's a group of people who believe that in a world of extreme natural disasters, being ready for any catastrophe is more than just a precaution. It’s practical.
When children end up in harm's way because of their parents, do positive intentions matter?
This dog is incredible. Chances are you’ve seen Jumpy in action before, but now he’s back and showing off his parkour skills in slow motion. For more videos like this, visit BeyondSlowMotion at YouTube.com/BeyondSlowMotion. …
An experimental combination of sound design and motion graphic that transports you deep into the ocean. A project from Thomas Blanchard.
Basejumper Rob Heron also known as Freefly Rob has completed 9,000 jumps and is thought to be one of the most accomplished wingsuit pilots. After watching this short edit, it’s pretty clear that Freefly Rob is living life to the fullest. From Think Big Media.
Our ultimate video guidebook has got you covered
This short piece aims to celebrate the simple and near perfect human pleasure of moving through a mysterious, beautiful, and unknown landscape. Watch this combination of Robert Marshalls “Alaska Wilderness: Exploring the Brooks Range” (1929) and images from Expedition Arguk (2013). A project from Paxson Woelber.
Not every unknown man on the side of the road wants to kill you.