Adventure
ArchiveBig-wave surfer Frank Solomon recently had a bit of a tussle with an ornery Zambezi shark, Transworld Surf reports. Solomon, who is currently on a journey across the Indian Ocean with fellow surfer James Taylor, spotted sharks while having lunch on the deck of…
Climbing Himalayan mountains in the Fall can be risky at best. Each day is shorter, it is progressively colder and winter looms. So every summit, especially Everest, is highly valued by the climbers. This year, Fall 2010, we saw two summit successes of very different types. First up is the…
Local Tofino surfer Peter Devries beat out a gathering of some of the best professional surfers in the world last year to be crowned champion at the inaugural O’Neill Coldwater Classic Canada. He had a good run this year, but fell short of the quarterfinals to eventual…
Matt Wilder working Iron Monkey (via ClimbingNarc) Just a few weeks after his surprise second-place finish at the Nor'easter bouldering competition, Brian Kim has made a rare ascent of Eldorado Canyon's hardest trad climb, Iron Monkey (5.14 R),…
When the Nissan Freeride World Tour announced last month that it was dropping female athletes from its professional big mountain competitions, it didn’t go over very well, as we reported earlier. So, the tour has released a third schedule revision for…
Photo courtesy of Flickr. Focus Designs has unveiled the 2.0 version of their Self-Balancing Unicycle (SBU), Wired reports. Meanwhile, Segway users the world over rejoice at no longer being the least awesome travelers on the block. Essentially a one-wheeled Segway,…
Josh Kerr, beer in hand In 2007, surfer Josh Kerr was competing on the World Tour against the top names in the surfing world: Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, and 41 other hungry surfers. He didn’t enjoy that first year and…
Kelly Slater edged out Jordy Smith in the finals of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal in Peniche. Watch the heat in the video above. The victory pushes Slater closer to a 10th world title. If you didn't get your fix during…
It's a good thing my mom isn't here watching me climb. This is definitely not the safest thing I have ever done.— Eric Larsen, Day 44, Camp 4 Explorer Eric Larsen moved with his team up to…
Race Across The Sky 2010 from Citizen Pictures on Vimeo. Yes, Lance Armstrong dropped out of this year's race before it started. Still, the 2010 Leadville 100 MTB Race featured a slew of great competitors: Levi Leipheimer, Dave Wiens, Rebecca Rusch, and…
Red Bull just issued a press release saying that they have stopped Felix Baumgartner's planned record breaking free fall jump. Mary Roach wrote The Supersonic Man, a detailed look into the attempt, for our August Issue. The text from the press release is included…
At 34, Ueli Steck is one of the fastest and most versatile climbers around today. Practically unknown to most Americans, the Swiss alpinist has set speed records on some of the Alps' toughest walls, including the Eiger's infamous north face, and has summited both Gasherbrum II and Makalu.
On November 20, the world's best big-air skiers will meet in Stockholm, Sweden, to compete for the King of Style award–and you could be one of them. Peak Performance, Scandanavia's “biggest clothing label in the functional sportswear sector,” sponsors the event that draws 25,000…
Kite surfer Gavin Broadbent set New Zealand's national speed record at Lüderitz, Namibia on Oct. 8. After three runs, Broadbent's average speed over 500 meters was 44.51 knots, or just over 51 miles per hour. The previous record was 40.68 knots. French kite surfer,…
By Stephen Regenold For virtually any outdoors adventure, the right gear can give you an edge. But in few product categories does this ring as true as it does with lighting. For activities at night, an ill-performing headlamp, flashlight, or other source of…
The king of surfing took it all off for ESPN's 2010 Body Issue, on newsstands now. A number of professional athletes, from basketball star Amare Stoudamire to skier Julia Mancuso, got naked for the magazine. Watch a behind the scenes video of the…
We are most of the way through the Fall 2010 climbing season in the Himalaya. So far, not so good with one exception. Arguably Cho Oyu at 26907′ is the most climbed Himalayan mountain in the Fall. It is the 6th highest mountain and climbed from Tibet. Poor weather…
Ryan Sutter is best known as the guy who married Trista Rehn after courting The Bachelorette on the first season of ABC’s hit reality show. …
If you haven't yet seen the above video this week, then you might not have heard the various assults on its authenticity. How could a man—even with a protective suit—get that close to violently spewing lava? The man in the suit is Drew Bristol, filmed by volcanologist Geoff Mackley…
A new study published in High Altitude Medicine and Biology cautioned us against standard tactics to ward off altitude illness. The review of Kilimanjaro climbers showed that neither a single rest day nor drugs (acetazolamide) helped prevent acute mountain sickness. Although aclimatization beforehand…
Photo from solarthermienator on Flickr Eagle Point, Utah's 14th ski resort, is set to open this December 15, weather permitting, according to SkiNet.com, though there's a chance you've already skied there. Formerly known as…
Last July, when I rode over four-hundred-and-fifty miles across the state of Iowa with one badass, my dad, Larry Erb, I hurt my knee on the sixth day. The sixth day. Twenty miles outside of Manchester, shooting pain started rippling through my knee with each pedal…
The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route was announced this morning, with seven communities hosting a stage start or finish for the first time, roadcycling.com reports. The sixth annual race will cover more than 800 miles in eight days, beginning…
While there's plenty of snow here in Australia, the temperatures typically don't get as low as they do North America or Europe. Give me the low-down on some great cross-country ski pants that aren't insulated so I won't burn up. – Tom Canberra, Australia
Utah's Canyons Resort is running a contest that promises fame, fortune and endless powder to one wanna-be ski bum. All you have to do is answer the question, “How do You Mountain?” Mountain being “a widely applicable verb that encompasses both the…
Photo courtesy of Flickr. A urine sample taken from three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador shows unusually high levels of plastic residue that may have come from plastic bags used in transfusions, CBC News reports. Last week, Contador…
Climber Daniel Woods has made the second ascent of Jaws II at Rumney, the hardest sport climb in the eastern US, Climbing Narc reports. Originally established by Dave Graham as Jaws (5.14d), Jaws II climbs up a steeply overhanging schist wall in the White Mountains…
The prestigious Switzerland-based Nissan Freeride World Tour recently announced that it was creating a separate men’s and women’s freeride tour. Entering its 4th season, the Nissan FWT has been the most well-publicized and well-funded series of big mountain extreme skiing and snowboarding competitions in its short tenure.
The prestigious Switzerland-based Nissan Freeride World Tour recently announced that it was creating a separate men’s and women’s freeride tour. Entering its 4th season, the Nissan FWT has been the most well-publicized and well-funded series of big mountain extreme skiing and snowboarding competitions in its short tenure.
Freeride mountain biking competition, Red Bull Rampage, took place in Utah just outside of Zion National Park on Oct. 1-3. For three days, mountain biking's top tricksters flew down a sandstone ridge, carefully picking whatever line they pleased between a start gate and…
What do the world's most rejuvenating island escapes have in common? Empty sand, lonely surf, and new adventures of the strangest kind.
In between covering rounds of the UBC Pro Tour at the Nor'easter last weekend, I managed to sneak out and have a look at some of the gear on display in the sponsor village. The exhibitors at the Nor'easter had loads of new equipment to show…
A new law in Fiji opens the entire country's reefs and surf breaks to anyone—for better or worse.
Courtesy of NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr. Energia, the lead Russian contractor in the construction of the International Space Station, has designs for the first hotel in space, Reuters reports. The proposed space…
Prescription-only acetazolamide has long been standard prevention for acute mountain sickness. A new study just published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine suggests ibuprofen works equally well to stave off the most common malady: the dreaded high altitude headache. The randomized, double-blind trial was completed in the…
Courtesy of murphy-R on Flickr. On the last rest day of July's Tour de France, Alberto Contador tested positive for small quantities of a banned substance, the New York Times reports. Although the 27-year-old Spaniard insists that…
Why are leading green groups like Patagonia offshoot Freedom to Roam still in bed with BP?
A wild journey into the world of giant waves—and the crazed surfers who seek them out.
When minister and aid specialist James Gulley came home alive from the Haitian earthquake—barely, after an incredible survival ordeal in Port-au-Prince—he turned right around and went back. His son went, too, discovering the true power of a faith he'd never shared.
For New York's jet-ski gang, ripping around the city isn't just sport; it's an ecstatic celebration of life. If only I could make it my life.
Running a DIY dog-rescue operation is never easy, but when you've got two dozen misfit animals under your care, you need a way to let off steam.
Courtesy of matthewlrigdon on Flickr. On October 9 Malibu's Surfrider Beach and its vicinity will be officially declared the first World Surfing Reserve, Transworld Surf reports. The area has been plagued by poor water quality over the…
If you want fresh news from the mountain bike races, where do you go? Mountain biker Shanon Bofeli hopes you'll chose MTBracenews.com, a website he created with photo galleries, featured articles and interviews…
If you have ever climbed in the Himalaya, you probably were as shocked by this headline as I was to receive the news. Lama Geshe suffered a stroke around September 20, 2010. He was flown to Kathmandu, paralyzed and in poor condition. He has since undergone an initial surgery…
Photo courtesy of Flickr Disaster Airborne Response Teams, a nonprofit, non-governmental rescue unit plans to use its two Cessna 206 planes to improve access to backcountry rescue sites and other emergency scenes in Colorado and the six surrounding states. DARTS will fly emergency first…
Photo courtesy of Flickr. Last night, divers from the European conservation organization The Black Fish cut the nets of six holding pens in Taiji, Japan, their Web site reports. The freed dolphins had recently been…
Alternative, ecologically-friendly transportation is getting a lot of lip service this days, but we rarely see these ideas come to fruition. Next in the line of dreamers? The Shweeb transportation system, a pedal-powered recumbent bicycle capsule that hangs from a…
And you thought your weekend hike was tough. Adventurer Todd Carmichael is challenging one of the most inhospitable places in North America–Death Valley–again. Carmichael, who attempted an unassisted solo crossing of Death Valley last year, is slowly making progress…
Any article about death on a mountain is difficult to write. I am concerned about getting the facts wrong, perhaps offending family and friends. However, it serves a purpose of exploring the reason for incident and reminding everyone that mountains can be deadly. The best source year after year is…
After spending the morning checking out the Nor'easter sponsor village, slacklining, and trying my hand at artificial ice climbing (more on that later), I got the chance to sit down with climber Daniel Woods. Woods, who crushed all six…
Ethan Pringle and Alex Johnson took first place at the Nor'easter, the final Unified Bouldering Championships event of the season, competing for a crowded audience in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The men's division turned unexpectedly competitive after front-runner Daniel Woods failed to top the first problem, dropping the…
The Nor'easter bouldering competition kicked off today with qualifiers at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire. After an incredible series of snafus including lost rental car keys, a lost phone, and a broken camera, I made it to the comp just in time to…
Ultracyclist Jure Robic died on Friday after being struck by a car while he was cycling on a forest road near his home in Jesenice, Slovenia. Emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene, but Robic could not be revived,…
The skis above can be yours with a little outdoor creativity. Beginning October 6th, we'll be checking tweets to to see if you qualify to win a pair of Outside-branded skis from Folsom Custom Skis. The contest will run until October 31. Here's what you have to do to…
Courtesy of Edward Vielmetti on Flickr. Despite surpluses of dry grass across the West, the 2010 fire season so far has represented about a 20-percent decrease in the number of recorded fires and a 50-percent decrease in total acreage burned…
Courtesy of See-ming Lee on Flickr. A woman living near Frenchtown, Montana drove a bear from her threshold by hurling a 14-inch zucchini at its head, Fox News reports. The approximately 200-pound bruin was…
Most people know me as the woman who has won three consecutive World Ironman Championships, and maybe for breaking the world record twice. But there was a time, pre-triathlon, when I lived and worked in the Himalayan paradise that is Nepal, which helped shape me into the person…
On September 12, Stephen Wampler set out to become the first person with Cerebral Palsy to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan. Joining him were two experts…
The Road to the Nor'easter with Sonnie Trotter & Russ Clune from NE2C…
Surfers came from the corners of the globe to meet a monster swell at the Fijian island of Tavarua on Monday. They were not disappointed for their efforts. The waves on hand were huge, the wind was fairly good, and…
Outside Magazine offers free photo galleries. See the best in outdoor photography, featuring top pictures of climber Alex Puccio.
After the grueling two-week Mount Hood search in 2006, Oregon lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to require cell phones for climbers. Replay: after a brutal 2009 search on the same peak, above, Washington introduced a similar bill, according to an extensive story in Northwest…
A 115-pound Massachusetts woman caught a half-ton, 13-and-a-half-foot alligator in South Carolina last week, the AP reports. She and her husband were out on a permitted hunt, hoping to get at least a 10-footer. Only…
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Last month, English explorer Ed Stafford became the first person to walk the length of the Amazon from source to sea, a grueling journey of over 4,000 miles in 860 days. His goal, in addition…
Quadruple amputee, Philippe Croizon, swam across the English Channel on Sept 18, the Adventure Blog reports. Only a few days later, the Frenchman has his sights…
Share your life-changing or death-defying moment in the great outdoors and you could win one of 126 prizes. We're looking for 126 stories that can compliment Aron Ralston's life-changing moment so we can make the ultimate list. Submit your entry to 127definingmoments.com…
Photo from TimothyJ on flickr Ben King pulled off an amazing win at the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship on Sunday, becoming the first person under the age of 23 to win the event, all while holding…
September 17 marks the sixth annual PARK(ing) Day, when people around the globe reclaim metered parking spaces as public spaces. According to Parkingday.org, the “project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted…
Saturday, September 11 was one of the most painful days of my life. On that day, I competed in the Tahoe Sierra 100, a 100-mile endurance mountain bike race in the wilderness northwest of Lake Tahoe. Suffering with me were my husband and our…
For Alex Honnold, 2010 was the summer of speed. The 24-year-old climber, who's famous for his hard free-solo ascents, switched gears this summer, blazing up big walls in Yosemite and Squamish and making the first one-day ascent of the 28-pitch sport route…
What should be in an emergency survival kit you take while hiking or canoeing? -John (Edmonton, Alberta)
Photo courtesy of Flickr In July, eco-adventurer David de Rothschild and his crew ended their 130-day voyage across the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney in Plastiki, crafted from 12,500 plastic bottles. Their journey…
Photo courtesy of Flickr Currently the points leader in the Tour of Spain, Mark Cavendish won today's 18th stage of the Tour, his third stage victory in the race, the BBC reports. The day came down to a…
What's the best axe for chopping wood? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
The head of France's anti-doping agency said he would do anything to help Jeff Novitzky's federal investigation of Lance Armstrong, the AP reports. Pierre Bordry said that if Novitzky asked, Bordry would give the Food…
On Monday, the director of Utah's Division of Oil, Gas & Mining approved plans for the first commercial U.S. oil sands project, the AP reports. Director John Baza gave Canadian company…