Adventure
ArchiveThe Four Seasons Whistler has a new definition of “up close and personal” when it comes to the Olympics: the new Ski With An Olympian package. Schralp the continent's longest vertical drop with World Cup downhill champ and three-time Olympian Cary Mullen, Olympic silver medalist Hilary Lindh, or current…
On February 12, the full session of the International Olympic Committeeformally recognized the International Federation of Sport Climbing, meaningclimbing now can compete with other sports for entry to the OlympicGames, states…
The ban on firearms in the national parks has been lifted as of yesterday. Visitors must still comply with all state laws regarding their firearms, but this is a big day for those who have advocated to carry weapons…
Otero Mesa Otero Mesa, in New Mexico. Photo by Paul Garland; used under CC license The Department of Interior is considering…
Hey there, Olympics fanatics. Here's a recap of what went down this weekend, in case you had to step away from your comfy couch: 5. The U.S. has racked up 24 medals so far, putting it at the top of the country…
The obvious thing to do after you win an Olympic medal is to go out and party, right? That’s precisely what Scotty Lago did after snagging the bronze in the snowboard halfpipe event last week. Unfortunately he didn’t get the memo about nixing the lewd and suggestive victory poses—or at…
Finland is usually associated with Nordic sports like ski jumping and cross country skiing. Now Anne-Mari Hyryläinen wants to make history by being the first Finnish woman to summit Everest. An accomplished marathoner, she saw Mount Everest for the first timewhile bicycling from Lhasa to…
It was his first competition in six months, but Alberto Contador has won Portugal's Tour de Algarve. The win is a big moral victory for Contador, whose Team Astana was practically non-existent after Lance Armstrong left and took…
A lot of Americans have done well at the Olympics in Vancouver. Regardless of how they've finished, we want to know which skier or snowboarder you'd most want to head downhill with. Tell us what you think in the poll below. And don't forget, this week you can follow us…
Torah Bright of Australia has won the gold in the women's halfpipe. Americans Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark won the silver and bronze, respectively. Teter was the winner in the 2006 Games, and Clark was the winner in 2002.
Last week we looked at the north side of Everest for 2010, now let's have a quick look at the south for 2010 through the eyes of IMG's Eric Simonson. As many know, IMG is one of the largest operators on Everest and the other highest peaks…
In case you haven't been glued to the tube, here's our recap of the best moments caught on camera from Vancouver over the last few days: 5. Shaun White's coach Bud Keene got caught with a…
If the idea of skipping a potential ski day–or, more specifically, a powder day–for your own wedding makes you cringe, then check out Colorado’s Loveland Ski Area. Every Valentine’s Day for the past 19 years, it's hosted a mass marriage ceremony,…
I recently went to Vail, Colorado, for a mini-vacation. I wanted to enjoy a nice day of beautiful vistas, blue skies, serene, wide-open slopes, and even an après beer in the sunshine that wasn’t a PBR. Basically, the opposite of my usual freeski urchin, storm chasing, all…
There will be no second gold medal today for Lindsey Vonn at the Olympics–she crashed out of the women's super combined. Maria Riesch of Germany, a close friend of Vonn's, ended up in the top spot.
The Australian Maritime College is offering a PhD scholarship in Wave Pool Design to one lucky surfer/graduate student. The scholarship is part of three year grant the college received from the Australian Research Council to pursue the technology that would…
We want to hear what you think. What has been the most defining moment of the 2010 Olympics so far? ext_script = "//s3.polldaddy.com/p/2719804.js"…
With all eyes on Vancouver and the Winter Olympics, the Sierra Club is taking an opportunity to call attention to the environmentally destructive practice of oil sands mining. It has launched a campaign called Love Winter, Hate Oil Sands and partnered with three winter athletes–skier (and…
The top entries from the Venture/Protect Our Winters snowboard art contest have been posted to the Venture Snowboards blog, states snowboarding.transworld.net. Members of the general public are encouraged to cast their votes. A…
I was reading the news today and came across an interesting headline on the BBC website: “Money-burning snowboarder rescued from alpine ski lift.” Turns out Mr. Dominik Podolsky, 22, of Munich took the lift down at a ski resort in the Austrian Alps…
Okay, so Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso are ostensibly rivals. But it's a fairly friendly rivalry, although the friendship has waned somewhat over the years, The New York Times reports. The two…
The 25th Honda L.A. Marathon has reached 80% capacity with still over a month until the race begins, states RunnersWeb.com. “The response to our new Stadium…
Cyclist Joe Papp, a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency witness againstFloyd Landis in 2007, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute human growthhormone and another performance-enhancing drug, states the Associated Press story.
In case you missed our summary post yesterday, a rogue wave swept the beach at Saturday's Mavericks Surf Contest, injuring at least 16 spectators and scaring countless…
I recently got back from an epic weekend in Steamboat. I stayed at the swanky One Steamboat Place, a brand new ski-in/ski-out residence, located just steps from the gondola. The spacious yet cozy “gathering room” was a major…
In case you missed them, here's our list of the most stellar Olympic moments of the past few days: 5. On the snowboard circuit, Seth Wescott won gold for the U.S. in the men's snowboard cross final, beating out Canadian…
After six-and-a-half grueling days, the British team Helly-Hansen Prunesco bested 14 international teams and held on to their title at the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race, the “world's toughest and wildest race” through the southernmost reaches of Chilean Patagonia. The 600km course has teams…
Update: A Navy helicopter recovered the body of 52-year-old climber Joseph Bohlig from the crater of Mount St. Helens, according to oregonlive.com. An autopsy will be performed at…
This ode to cutting loose could make you quit your job.
Chris Bertish of South Africa won the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest by aggressively paddling into monster surf that many were calling 40-foot and higher, with some reports of 60-foot waves that no one was able to catch. “I…
Overlooked mountain ranges, river beer, running album, gear of all time, and 47 other big ideas, accidental winners, and awesome things about the world outside we've come to love over the past 33 years. Introducing our first annual Editors' Choice Awards...
This may be your best shot to look like a world-class snowboarder. Beginning February 15th we'll be giving away 20 pairs of limited edition Bollé goggles signed by Olympians Lindsey Jacobellis and Seth Wescott. It's easy to win. All you…
Between now and the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, athletes will receive a total of 1014 medals. All that bling represents a goodly amount of the Earth's minerals. But this year, and for the first time, a percentage of the metals used to forge…
Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luge competitor in the Olympics, died in a training crash today at the Whistler Sliding Center's track, The New York Times reports. He lost control of his sled 48 seconds…
In his latest suspected airplane heist, teen fugitive Colton Harris-Moore nearly entered restricted airspace surrounding the city of Vancouver, which is under tight security ahead of the Winter Olympics, according to CNN.
Daniel Woods has just completed an ascent of what he calls “The Game” in Boulder Canyon, a V16 climb, which The North Face said could be the most difficult boulder problem in the world. Others…
I got to catch up with three-time 24-hour solo world champion cyclist Rebecca Rusch, who is in Patagonia, Argentina for winter training. She decided to participate in the Trans Andes stage race and chose…
The Richmond Olympic Oval, the arena for speed-skating at the Vancouver Olympics, is getting a thumbs up from athletes for its environmentally conscious design and its beauty, Reuters reports. The roof was made from…
Wild weather makes the next couple of months the hardest time of the year to plan an adventure. To help you out, we've worked up game plans for all kinds of conditions. Your job? Just check the doppler—then go.
A couple of years ago I got the chance to interview the cast and crew of The Deadliest Catch in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. My first interview was with Captain Phil…
Last night, a stolen Cirrus plane landed on Orcas Island, a favorite stomping ground for infamous teen fugitive Colton Harris-Moore, giving residents reason to assume the “Barefoot Burglar” is at it again, according to the…
Colorado rafting outfitters, who contribute $142 million to the state'seconomy every year, won their first battle in securing rightsto float in-state rivers, reports paddlinglife.net. Developers want to prohibit rafters from providing trips on some…
The Center for Biological Diversity is distributing 100,000 free Endangered Species Condoms in all 50 states for Valentine's Day to underscore how unsustainable human population growth is driving species extinct at a cataclysmic rate,…
Skiers Keith Christien and Michael Wagener of Team Rampinnnggg took home gold last weekend at the first of several Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battles. The event, held at Taos Ski Valley Resort in New Mexico, challenged 47 two-person teams to an intense, big-mountain course of ascents and descents. The winners…
CNN reported today that alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn may not be able to compete in the Olympics due to a crushingly painful shin injury. Her worst injury yet, it was sustained in a crash during a recent practice in Austria. Though there is…
Just days before Lindsey Vonn is slated to compete in her first event of the 2010 Winter Olympics. We just blogged that the skier revealed a shin injury she'd sustained Feb. 3 during…
It is about a month before teams from all around the world packtheir duffel bags for the flights to Kathmandu. Thus far the southlooks like business as usual with about 16 teams already announced. Toput this in perspective, in 2007, when we saw a record number ofEverest…
Seventeen avalanches in Afghanistan's 12,000-foot-high Salang Pass area buried more than two miles of highway yesterday, after heavy winds and rain loosened up recent heavy snowfall. More than one hundred cars were trapped — many inside the notoriously dangerous tunnel — and at at least 64 people are dead or feared dead…
When a young woman is killed by coyotes on a busy trail in broad daylight, how worried should we be?
The 2010 adventure racing season is about to begin. The first big race of the year, the Wenger Patagonian Expedition, begins tomorrow in Chile. The course runs 372 miles (600 km) over eight days. The…
Ellen Miller is a quiet climber. Many people have not heard of her athletic and mountaineering achievements. For example, she is the only woman to summit Everest from both sides within the span of one year. I first met Ellen in 2002, on an expedition in which she summited…
Think of it as skiing's equivalent of a backstage pass: This March, Chugach Powder Guides will host a special heli-ski trip with pro skiers Cody Townsend and Elyse Saugstad in Alaska's Chugach Range. Let's just say that these two know what they're doing.
We don’t know where this video was taken or how Backpacker found it, but it’s pretty cool. The video features a three-legged black bear and her cub. All is normal until the bear stands up on two legs and walks…
More sad news to report: A slide killed at least 17 soldiers when it hit a military training camp near Gulmarg, a popular Indian ski resort, today. This border with Pakistan has long been disputed in one of the world's highest-altitude wars. The Christian…
I shamelessly swiped this VholdR helmet-cam video from my friends over at Skiing magazine. Check out these pretty (ahem) sweet-looking lines from Chamonix, courtesy of athletes Tim Dutton, Jackie Paaso and JT Holmes. —Kate Siber…
Kick Kennedy The dynastic brothers are gone, but up comes the next generation. Kick, 21, a senior at Stanford, has quietly built a résumé fighting for water conservation. In 2006, she joined an Imax crew filming Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk and became…
Eight skiers and climbers were killed by an avalanche in Iran's Alborz Mountains on a road between popular ski areas Shamshak and Dizzine, reported Iranian and international news agencies today. Rescuers saved another 49 victims, including three foreigners. Iran might not immediately conjure images of steep, snowy mountain ranges, but…
Merced River Waterfalls photo by David Liu The National Parks Service is crafting a new Merced River Plan that could restrict climbing and camping near the river. The plan isn't finalized yet and the park service extended the public comment period to the end of…
You already heard about the SnowSports Industries of America (SIA) trade show that happened in Denver, Colorado, last week from our Powder Feed blogger, Kate Siber! She gave you a round-up on some of the best new gear out there. But, wait. What…
The 2010 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games are headed to Latin America. Peru will host 200 of the world's best surfers this October. Sound like you've heard this before? Maybe you're thinking of the great 1965 World Surfing Championships…
Women's ski jumping will simply have to wait to become the next sport deemed worthy enough for the Olympics. Check out this awesome contender: —Kate Siber…
The New York Times Magazine features Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn this week. Of course, we're partial to our own profile, “Nine…
Once again, an Everest expedition is trying to solve the who done itmystery of Everest: did George Mallory and Sandy Irvine summit Mt.Everest in 1924? You see Sandy Irvine, who went missing on Everest'sNorth side in 1924, had a camera. A plan is emerging for a new search for the…
Injuries? What injuries? Both of America's great medal hopes for ski cross, Casey Puckett and Daron Rahlves, are ready to compete in the Olympic Games despite recent injuries, says U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association CEO Bill Marolt. In Aspen's Winter X Games last weekend, Rahlves sustained a dislocated hip and…
Pro Kayak Angler Drew Gregory knows a thing or two about catching fish from a kayak, but he's certainly no match for the birds. In a surprise attack featured on backcountry.com, Gregory has to worry about a new obstacle while kayak…
Freestyle mountain biker Andreu Lacondeguy has just acheived unprecedented amplitude on a 45-feet long speed jump. He got about 35 feet out and 25 feet high from his FMX ramp, which he had hauled to the small village of…
In my book, every trade show or conference necessitates at least a day or two of recovery, ideally in a ski town. So on my way home from SIA in Denver, I stopped in Breckenridge. I hadn't been there since a family ski trip in, oh, 1993. It wound…
When visiting one of the best ski towns in North America, it's worth it to splurge on a meal in one of the country's best restaurants. But these days such trips are in short supply, so what can you do? Not much, unless you have a recipe. I gathered up…
Courtesy of Flickr Punxsutawney Phil, a.k.a. Mr. Groundhog of Groundhog Day, has seen his shadow this morning in Pennsylvania, the AP reports. That means six more weeks of winter, so you’ve…
What does it take to make the U.S. Ski Team's Olympic roster? A lot, according to the new documentary “Truth in Motion: The U.S. Ski Team's Road to Vancouver.” After airing on Saturday, it's now free (in HD!) at iTunes, thanks to sponsor Audi. —…
There have been several trade shows in outdoorlandia in the past couple of weeks. I just spent the last two days at SIA, the big snow sports show in Denver. If you've never been to a trade show, it can best be described as a spectacle. Picture…
Just in case you were out and missed the 2010 Winter X Games, we compiled a list of our ten favorite moments. You don't have to agree. Tell us what you think in the comments section below. 10) Anything involving…
In 1999, at the age of forty-three, Lori Schneider awoke with numbness in over 50 percent of her body. Two months later, her entire body was numb. She had Multiple Sclerosis – MS. MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system, and often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed…
Daron Rahlves sustained a heinous crash in the ski-cross finals of the X Games yesterday, dislocating his hip. He was wincing as an ambulance sped him from the course, reported the Denver Post. This brings up the obvious question: Will he recover in time to compete in…
“Pipeline likes certain people.” That’s how surfing legend and two-time Pipe Master Gerry Lopez explains the epic performance of Brett Barley at this year’s…
Ted Ligety has won the World Cup giant slalom in Slovenia for the third year in a row. This is his first World Cup win this season, and he cinched it with a combined time of 2:22. Austria's Marcel Hirscher took second…
Courtesy of Wikimedia The Kızılot municipality in Turkey's Manavgat district of Antalya has just banned fireworks during the summer to protect loggerhead sea turtles in the area, the Anatolia News…
In the climbing world there are a few people who uniquely stand out:Messner, Viesturs, Moro, House, and many more – you know the names. Andthen there are those climbers who have forgotten more climbs than mostpeople have attempted. They may not have been the most difficult orgarnered the fame…
photo: Pavel Novak Historian Tom Holzel may have figured out a way to determine once and for all if George Mallory and Andrew Irvine were the first to summit Everest in 1924,…