Adventure
ArchiveThe route I took from the Balcony to the summit as seen from Lhotse on the same day I summited. I stood on the summit of Mount Everest at 5:00 AM, May 21, 2011. To say this event had a personal meaning is…
Texas court grants unusual request: Irons’s family and lawyers will get 30 days to review autopsy results, prior to their public release next month–Brad Melekian On May 19th in Dallas, state district judge Donald J. Cosby granted extension of a motion blocking the release of autopsy results for…
Well, we have slipped our summit day by one day to May 21st. We receive our weather report around 8:00 PM daily and once again after most of us had gone to bed, the report showed very high winds localized at Camp 3 for the time we would be there.
The New York Times reported Friday that former professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton has surrendered his 2004 Olympic gold medal after admitting to doping during his cycling career. The article states that the International Olympic Committee has been in touch with the United…
Today's reports that George Hincapie has flipped on Lance Armstrong don't bode well for the seven-time Tour de France winner (and frequent Outside cover subject). Unlike previous Armstrong accusers Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, Hincapie didn't go public with his accusations—he reportedly told federal investigators, not a…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=klkduuguvbs%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 American Alpine Club Executive Director Phil Powers is in stable condition after sustaining severe injuries in a rock climbing accident in Colorado. The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon while Powers was sport climbing with a group in the Highwire…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rGA1vI2HxTs%C2%A0 This Hulk has nothing to do with angry green superheros. It's the second installment of Big UP Productions and Sender Films' Origins series, where young climbers tackle famous routes with the pioneers who did them first. In this…
The family of Andy Irons filed court documents Thursday afternoon to further delay the release of the toxicology report that will reveal the cause of death for the three-time world champion surfer. According to an email sent by the courthouse clerk… “The family requested a day extension, which was granted…
Willow Koerber (Photo by Gary Perkin) In 2010, all eyes were on Trek World Racing pro Willow Koerber. She finished second overall in the World Cup, won bronze at the World Championships, and made a sexy…
The intro is a little long, but this video of Adam Ondra on the first ascent of Chaxi Raxi (5.15b) is worth a look. Ondra sent the project–a 160-foot line bolted by Chris Sharma in Oliana–late last month. He called it “probably my hardest route I have ever done” and…
A mountaineer died on Friday while climbing Alaska's 20,327-foot Denali. The Italian climber, Luciano Colombo, 67, died of traumatic injuries after falling 1,000 feet during a traverse between Denali Pass and a camp at 17,200 feet. Colombo’s death is the second on Denali in…
Filmmaker Chuck Fryberger has made a name for himself creating visually arresting climbing flicks with some of the sport's strongest athletes. But high-def sparkle isn't enough to satisfy Fryberger, whose film Core last year became the first rock climbing movie to be released on Blu-Ray.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=S72gB0pWiUc%C2%A0 Australians Bri Moreau and Chris Vogelzang are revolutionizing surf films one remote control helicopter at a time. In 2010, the duo created Extreme Aerials, a company that uses 19-inch, four-rotored helicopters to capture otherwise costly aerial footage of surf events. The team packs…
This year's Himalayan climbing season is in full swing, which to most people means one thing: Everest. Already this season the world's highest mountain has seen the first cellphone call from the summit, a record number of…
Which current survival TV host has the most wilderness cred? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Apa Sherpa summited Everest on Wednesday for the 21st time, breaking his own world record of 20 summits, the Alpinist reports. The 51 year old first reached the summit in 1990 and has stood atop the…
I'm ready to head away from the resort. What's the best way to work out for ski mountaineering? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Summer adventure is nigh so arm your pack with a good first aid kit like one from Adventure Medical Kits. And learn how to use it. Here's the scoop on wilderness medicine courses. CPR is a vital 3-4 hour class, endorsed by American Red Cross or American…
https://www.youtube.com/embed/JJFqRcvq3rw English mountaineer Kenton Cool summited Everest for the ninth time on Thursday, an accomplishment he celebrated by calling his wife on his cell phone—from the summit. It was the first cell call made from the top of the world's highest mountain, Wired…
This film looks stunning, but be warned, the trailer contains graphic content. An Australian pilot left a surfboard in a village on Papua New Guinea's coast. Thirty years later, PNG's holding a national surfing championship. We picked up the story of how one surfboard changed a village…
Pummeled by gastric illness and facing an incoming bad weather front, Ueli Steck and Don Bowie pulled off an ascent of Cho Oyu (8,201m) last week, knocking off the sixth-highest peak on Earth and ticking another of their expedition's objective. Cho Oyu is the…
South Africa native Ursula Grobler is out to prove she is the best lightweight rower on the planet.
Canada’s Ellesmere Island, a 75,000-square-mile chunk of ice and rock off Greenland’s southwest coast, has never been circumnavigated. Two men hope to change that fact. Three days ago, 26-year-old photographer Erik Boomer and 65-year-old writer John Turk kicked off…
Outside's best writers share their thoughts on fatherhood and nature-bonding with Dad.
Weylandt winning Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia, May 10, 2010 viaFlickr Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt died on Monday following a crash on a technical descent during stage three of the…
What should I carry in my car in case I break down in the backcountry or have to survive on the road during a blizzard? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Cho Oyu Alpinists Ueli Steck and Don Bowie of the Himalaya Speed project have summited the world's sixth-highest peak, according to Bowie's ground team. Bowie reported in a satellite phone dispatch that he and Steck made it to the…
Five days before the 2010 Olympic snowboarding trials, Kevin Pearce slammed his head on a rock-hard wall of halfpipe, suffering severe brain trauma that flipped the script of his life. A return to competition is out of the question--he's had to relearn how to walk and talk--but that's not enough to keep him off the mountain.
For those willing to experiment on a snowboard worth a few hundred dollars or more, get out your power tools. Timeline and Xavier de le Rue have a put together a pretty cool tutorial on how to build…
Rick Hitch, a 55-year-old California man, died Sunday on Everest, according to the Folsom (California) Telegraph. Hitch's wife, Loretta, told the Telegraph that he was climbing to Camp 3 with six other climbers and two guides when he collapsed…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=NJo7to7KXrU%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 By his own admission, Ueli Steck is one of the most Swiss climbers out there. He's well-prepared, precise, and functions reliably–“like a Swiss watch,” as Steck himself has said. So it makes sense on some level that Steck would get his own…
The Quebec, Canada-based Whitewater Grand Prix is to kayaking what Quicksilver’s In Memory of Eddie Aikau is to surfing: an invitation only event that brings the sport’s top athletes to a premier venue. There’s no cash purse but the…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vVXdC-PY-nw%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 With his 30th birthday now two weeks behind him, Chris Sharma doesn't seem to have slowed down at all. On Thursday, the climber successfully linked two 5.15 routes–one of them a 5.15b first ascent–in a single day. The takedown began after Sharma had already warmed up and unsuccessfully attempted…
He's got the genes and the track record (literally). Can Taylor Phinney become America's next cycling superstar?
Photo by whileseated on Flickr The International Cycling Union (UCI) filed a defamation suit yesterday against cyclist and deposed 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, VeloNews…
Here’s a cool behind the scenes video from Murray Fredericks on shooting timelapses in Greenland. Picked up from a Renan Ozturk tweet. –Joe Spring@joespring…
I bought a pair of beginner Evolv climbing shoes and they have fared well, but I'm getting better and need something with aggressive heel and toe. What's the next step for a shoe? Greg Freeport, ME
A South Carolina man died on Saturday after falling off a 125-foot waterfall while trying to rescue his dog. David Allan Lewis, 29, was hiking with his girlfriend and dog near Heritage Falls in Greenville County when the accident occurred. Deputy Coroner Kent Dill said Lewis was trying to grab…
Niccolò Ceria flashes Jack's Broken Heart, one of the problems Alex Puccio climbed in Magic Wood. Alex Puccio sent two of the hardest boulders of her career this weekend, climbing Jack's Broken Heart (V12) and The Right Hand of Darkness (V11) in Magic Wood, Switzerland. Jack's Broken Heart is a…
Greg and Alan enjoing some rare sunshine outside the IMG communcations tent What a difference a day (or week) makes! I came down from C3 last Wednesday basically shattered. My upper repository lung infection was taking control and I was in a battle for the…
You would think kayakers all over would be chomping at the bit after watching record precipitation build up in California—58 feet of snow at Squaw Valley! The reality is, the summer of 2011 may be the worst for high Sierra paddling California has…
Angel Collinson joins the team from Backcountry.com on Vimeo. Freeskier Angel Collinson announced yesterday that she has signed with Team Backcountry.com, whose roster includes such…
Between presenting slideshows and speaking to audiences during a recent tour of Europe, Dean Potter found the time to take a leap from the previously unjumped Forcellino lookout near Lecco, Italy. Potter wrote on prAna's blog that Fabio Palma brought him to the…
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
The eleventh annual Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, often lauded as the Oscars of big-wave surfing, took place Saturday in Anaheim, California. A panel of 400 surfers, photographers, and surf media editors reviewed more than…
The World Ski and Snowboard Festival wrapped up recently in Whistler, BC, in the usual nine-day riot of partying, skiing, and celebrating the newest, most talented, and most dedicated innovators, athletes, and individuals in the ski industry. The Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown is among the…
The Former Governor of New Mexico May Be The Most Unique Presidential Candidate in The Field. We Hereby Endorse His Campaign Trail. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GyBaWhBWqwU%C2%A0 Last week, I joined Gary Johnson, the 58-year-old former governor of New Mexico and aspiring Republican presidential nominee, for a…
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…
If I don't have a compass, how can I tell direction? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
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…
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.
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…
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 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,…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
What survival priorities should you have in the city versus the wilderness during a major crisis? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
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…
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…
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…