https://youtube.com/watch?v=bxejDyDU7Kw%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 The American Alpine Club announced the winners of the 2011 Copp-Dash Inspire Award on Friday, giving grants to expeditions headed for Alaska and central Asia. The Copp-Dash Inspire Award is named for Colorado alpinists Jonny Copp and Micah Dash who died in an…

We've got your all-access pass to summer: 21 DIY and outfitted adventures guaranteed to recharge for less than $500*. Just pick one—or five—and leave your lawnmower behind. *Transportation not included

If I don't have a compass, how can I tell direction? The Editors Santa Fe, NM

This is the American West--when you're hanging out of a tiny plane with the doors pulled off, holding a 20-pound camera and looking for the truth.

High winds this week on Cho Oyu, west of Everest So far at Base Camp during the 2011 climbing season, Everest ER has seen 276 patients, a number they say is on target “to break all previous…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog, Lhotse, trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

Ski guide and mountaineer Kip Garre and Allison Kreutzen were killed in an avalanche in the Sierra Nevada backcountry south of Bishop, California, earlier this week, according to reports from Powder.com and…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5wRUNTg53ZU%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Well-known Swiss alpinist Erhard Loretan died on Thursday after a fall in the Bernese Alps, the Chicago Tribune has reported. Loretan, who turned 52 on Thursday, was guiding a client up the Gruenhorn when the accident occurred. The pair had approached…

Toketee Falls, North Umpqua River, Oregon, April 17, 2011 I grew up two hours from the 65-foot Tokatee Falls on Oregon's North Umpqua River. It's one of those waterfalls that I've always wanted to kayak, but the flow has never been right—always too high or…

This weekend is the annual 5 Point Film Festival, and there should be plenty to see. With 35 films on schedule, including 10 premieres, attendees have plenty of footage to look forward to. We went through and picked some of the films we're…

Photo by jeremyeanlittle on Flickr The Southern Hemisphere’s largest winter sports event, Winter Games New Zealand, have opened entries for this year's competition…

Sender Films and Mountain Hardwear just posted a short video on Ueli Steck's 10.5-hour solo of Shishapangma. Steck, who's famous for his speed climbs in the Alps, hadn't originally planned to go to the summit. After leaving advanced base camp,…

Ocean rower and environmental campaigner Roz Savage halted her attempt to row across the Indian Ocean this week after experiencing problems with her desalination unit flooded. She was only 100 miles into her 4,000-mile journey from Freemantle, Australia, to Mumbai, India.

Photo by carolyn.will on Flickr ESPN Action Sports announced yesterday two new events for X Games 17, which will take place this July 28-31 in Los Angeles. In the…

Willow Koerber, a mountain biker on the Trek World Racing Team, has dropped out of the 2011 World Cup Series. Koerber, a two time bronze medalist at the Mountain Bike World Championships, found out she was pregnant a day before…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=z4puedruucM%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Brazilian sport climbers have been banned from international competitions this year after the International Federation of Sport Climbing suspended the country's membership over unpaid debts. The Confederação Brasileira de Montanhismo e Escalada, which governs sport climbing in Brazil, owes a total of 4,395 euros (about $6,427) to the IFSC.

The Cayman Islands are one of the world’s best diving destinations–the reefs are lively and the visibility is excellent. I spent ten days on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac; here are my picks for the best dive sites in those islands. Grand Cayman Lighthouse Point: One of…

Don't worry: they had parachutes. Last November, BASE jumpers Marshall Miller and Hartman Rector led police on a miniature manhunt after they sneaked their rigs into the 28-story LDS Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake and leapt from its observation deck. Miller and Rector–the grandson…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog, Lhotse, trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

The freeskiers at this year's Jon Olsson Invitational in Åre, Sweden, this weekend got such big air and wild twists that, in one instance, a joke about the need for pocket calculators to tally rotations wasn't out of the question, according to…

For three top alpinists, pulling off one of the most difficult ascents in mountaineering history required speed and daring. Getting down alive took a miracle.

Adam Ondra sent his fourth 5.15b of the year this weekend, making the first ascent of La Planta de Shiva near Málaga, Spain. La Planta de Shiva adds an extension to an established 5.14b for 148 feet of pumpy, often dynamic climbing. According to 8a.nu news, Ondra…

Lynda Wallenfels at the start of the AZT300. Photo by Caroline Soong. On Monday, April 11, after three days, four hours, and five minutes of riding, Lynda Wallenfels won the…

Alli Rainey has a great post on prAna's blog about dealing with fear. Rainey, a 5.14 climber and Harvard grad, writes that she's struggled with a serious, often-crippling fear of heights since she started climbing in 1992. A troublesome…

Last week, Sam Freihofer and Todd Wells posted video of dropping 82 feet over Metloka Falls in a tandem kayak. We picked up the news from The Goat, but there's more details…

In September 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson developed the idea of Earth Day, a nationwide, grassroots demonstration that would take place in the spring of the following year. Everyone was invited to participate. “The response was electric,” he told Envirolink.com. “It…

Check out this cool cyclist-eye-view clip of Mavic Neutral Support at the Paris-Roubaix. https://www.youtube.com/embed/sf0GtDP2XmI  –Christopher Van Tilburg…

What survival priorities should you have in the city versus the wilderness during a major crisis? The Editors Santa Fe, NM

Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog, Lhotse, trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

I leave for my first rotation to the high camps in about 12 hours. We will get up abut 3:00 AM for a breakfast of toast and a single fried egg, maybe a cup of coffee. Then along with our personal Sherpa we will pass the puja alter and through…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hk-LBmIUDF8%C2%A0 Swiss climber Dani Arnold has broken the speed record for the Eiger, blazing up the mountain's north face in 2 hours and 28 minutes. Arnold, 27, beat the previous record by nearly 20 minutes. According to Mammut's blog, he soloed the classic Heckmair route, passing…

The eighth episode of Xavier de le Rue's snowboard series Timeline was posted yesterday on Backcountry.com. In the five-minute short, de le Rue joins fellow big-mountain riders and filmmakers Jeremy Jones, Jimmy…

I'm looking for a backpack for traditional, one-day, multi-pitch climbing. Which is the best one? I'm inclined to the Marmot Ascent 40. AndreaSao Jose

https://youtube.com/watch?v=JCqe96jtExU%C2%A0 After two years of work, Chris Sharma has made the first ascent of his well-known First Round First Minute project in Margalef, Spain. Sharma first began trying the bouldery, 25-move route in 2009. He came frustratingly close to success, and fell off the last move of the climb some…

O'Neill CWC Scotland – Finals from O'Neill on Vimeo. The worlds northernmost and coldest surf competition wrapped up this weekend. According to Surfer Magazine, Gold Coast surfer Brent Dorrington took…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VI5F9K7Ytl8 Comedian Stephen Colbert announced today at the New York Auto Show that he will once again be competing in the biennial Charleston Bermuda Race, this time with the newly formed Team Audi, according to…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4hbxNFNQ2ZY The New York Times reports war photographer Tim Hetherington was killed today in the city of Misrata, Libya by a rocket propelled grenade. The news first came from photographer Andre Liohn's Facebook page. According to indiewire.com, Liohn wrote,…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog, Lhotse, trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…

Red Bull Bobby Brown Triple Cork 1440 from Poor Boyz Productions on Vimeo. At a private park in Squaw Valley, Bobby Brown conquered the first ever Triple Cork 1440. Brown, from Colorado, is only 19 years old, but has been dominating the freeskiing world since he first…

Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…

Shasta Boyz productions just released the fourth of seven trailers in their series Slippery When Wet. Ben Stookesberry, the 32-year-old pro kayaker, is the focus this time. Watch Stookesberry paddle record high water on Idaho's Payette River and race down…

Shasta Boyz productions just released the fourth of seven trailers in their series Slippery When Wet. Ben Stookesberry, the 32-year-old pro kayaker, is the focus this time. Watch Stookesberry paddle record high water on Idaho's Payette River and race down…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=66GIShXATts Photographer Lucas Gilman, recently featured on MSNBC for shooting kayaker Rafia Ortiz's descent of Mexico's 128-foot Big Banana Falls, just released this video offering tips to aspiring adventure sport photographers. “There's only once chance to capture a first descent,” says Gilman. The video's set…

Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog, Lhotse, trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…

Photo by Lauren Ross Photography Presenting the Olympian snowboarder’s advice on how to be green in your daily life. 10. Get a composter and let nature breakdown your compostable trash and use the remains as mulch for your plants. 9. Walk, skateboard, bike, car pool, or use mass…

For the fifth year, hundreds turned out for one of the steepest road rides in the nation: Ronde PDX, officially known as De Ronde Van West Portlandia. The route: 47 miles, 7,700 vertical feet ascent, 26% max grade (twice). No prize but honor, no fee but massive…

Kayaker Chris Korbulic blogs from South America as he films an expedition for the South American paddling show Kaiak. His previous posts can be found here, here, and here.

A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…

For the fifth year, hundreds turned out for one of the steepest road rides in the nation: Ronde PDX, officially known as De Ronde Van West Portlandia. The route: 47 miles, 7,700 vertical feet ascent, 26% max grade (twice). No prize but honor, no fee but massive…

Kayaker Chris Korbulic blogs from South America as he films an expedition for the South American paddling show Kaiak. His previous posts can be found here, here, and here.

Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…

Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…

A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…

While deep water soloing is still something of a fringe practice among climbers, it's getting more and more popular. It was really only a matter of time until gear manufacturers started taking the idea to market.  Case in point:…

A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…

Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…

Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…

A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…

Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…

A skier in Alaska survived this avalanche using a Backcountry Access Float 30 avalanche airbag backpack. Airbag backpacks, tested with much success in Europe, allow a skier or snowboarder to deploy airbags  from the pack using compressed air, thus decreasing their density and keeping them atop the snowpack…

A skier in Alaska survived this avalanche using a Backcountry Access Float 30 avalanche airbag backpack. Airbag backpacks, tested with much success in Europe, allow a skier or snowboarder to deploy airbags  from the pack using compressed air, thus decreasing their density and keeping them atop the snowpack…

Beginning April 16th, America's national parks are free. Saturday marks the beginning of National Parks Week, a week-long (April 16-24) celebration of America's 394 national parks, according to the National Park Service. This year's focus is “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” and the role…

A look at the outermost limits of human performance, from the fastest marathon and longest swim to smokingest fastball and deepest freedive.

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog Lhotse trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog Lhotse trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

The United States Congress has removed the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List in two states, according the The New York Times. The action sets a new precedent that could introduce political influence…

Kayakers Evan Garcia and Fred Norquist, both recently featured in our Exposure section, just released a preview of a video series the whitewater-focused Bomb Flow Magazine will host. Every month, the pair plans to…

Kayakers Evan Garcia and Fred Norquist, both recently featured in our Exposure section, just released a preview of a video series the whitewater-focused Bomb Flow Magazine will host. Every month, the pair plans to…

  Courtesy of Flickr. If you've ever considered using a Taser to incapacitate an animal long enough to take your picture with it, don't do it in Alaska. The Alaska Board of…

  Courtesy of Flickr. If you've ever considered using a Taser to incapacitate an animal long enough to take your picture with it, don't do it in Alaska. The Alaska Board of…

Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? Adventure, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…

Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? Adventure, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog Lhotse trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

To raise awareness about first responders diagnosed with PTSD, guest blogger Michael Ferrara plans to ski 900 miles across Alaska, south to north, from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean, with his dog Lhotse trotting beside him. To learn more about Ferrara's quest, read…

As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…

As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…