Adventure
ArchiveMy racing partner, Mario Correa, and I did the 24 Hours of Moab Championship Race. This venue is always full of surprises. Being so late in the year had its effects on me, no doubt, and I remembered the few times I did Moab previously: think beers and s'mores. This…
Two years ago at Kitzbuhel, American downhiller Scott Macartney survived a high-speed crash (“FLAT,” Outside Magazine, November 2009) that would've ended most skiing careers. He immediately began plotting a comeback, drawing on deep stores of willpower and courage to overcome a unique kind of terror that every racer knows.
Exclusive photos from the new book by Beverly and Dereck Joubert.
I’m convinced Audi’s Q7 TDI was designed by German powder junkies. What else could explain the combination of features only a ski addict would appreciate? The all-wheel drive that lets you beat the snowplows up the hill on icy mornings. The heated leather seats for you and four buddies, plus…
For those of you who have been following the battle over Nestle's water rights in Sacramento, CA, be first in line to see the documentary “Tapped,” directed by Stephanie Schoetig and created by the same people who made “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “I.O.U.S.A.” …
By Mary Catherine O'Connor This Saturday, October 24th, will be action-packed.Normally, this would not be news for Outside readers, for whom most weekendsare packed with biking, skiing, boating, etc. But this year, it's news. October24th is the much-anticipated international day of action, designed to…
This past weekend, a group of six people attempted to push a disabled man who was in a wheelchair up to the summit of Snowdon, in Wales, but left him behind when they found the terrain too rough, reports UKClimbing.com. On their way down,…
It's been a while since we had an update on those crazy sailing kids, but this past Sunday, October 18th, Jessica Watson began her try at becoming the youngest to solo sail, nonstop, around the world. If she…
Raymond Edward Hillsman, who we wrote about in our October 1999 story, 'The Hunting of the Poacher King,' was sentenced last week to ten months in jail, reports The Oregonian (via OregonLive.com). One of his charges was…
Nearly 9,000 rowers descended on Boston this past weekend for the largest crewrace in the world, the annual Head of the Charles Regatta. The three-mileupstream race is considered to be one of the highlights of the fall rowingseason, with almost 300,000…
Alberto Contador and his team, Astana, are now ranked number one in the UCI world standings, VeloNews reports. Contador has 527 points, followed by Alejandro Valverde with 483 points and Samuel Sánchez with 357 points. Astana has 1,100 points,…
The Rip Curl Pro Search will take place in Peniche, Portugal. It was supposed to start today, but the waves weren't big enough, so a lay day was declared. This is the ninth event out of 10 in the…
The pilot of a small plane that crashed in Denali National Park Wednesday, October 14, has been found alive after walking 20 miles through the back country, according to KTUU. After receiving severe burns from the wreck, Daniel McGregor, 35, made his way from the crash…
On Thursday October 8th, French climber Alain Robert scaled Paris's 499-foot Tour Ariana with nothing more than two chalk bags, some climbing shoes, and the clothes on his back, according to Rock and Ice Magazine. Luckily, someone at the scene got video of…
Sam Wench, an unsponsored Australian junior pro surfer, has won Oakely's Pro Jr Global Challenge at Bali's Keramas. After his sponsorship was dropped last year, Wench qualified for the Challenge as an alternate on his own, winning the first place of $20,000. “It's the first and obviously the biggest win…
Coal Country, a documentary about the battle fought over coal mining in Appalachia, exposes the environmental tragedy and social conflicts that have arisen from mining coal. The Sierra Club is heavily promoting the film by sending out…
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme unveiled the route for next year's Tour in Paris today. The 2,237-mile race will start in the dutch city of Rotterdam and wind through Belgium before taking a clockwise loop around Paris. The route includes six mountain stages, with three of those…
Organizers of the Tour de France unveiled the course for 2010 today, revealing that cyclists will be crossing the Pyrenees Mountains in next year's race, according to the Associated Press. Both Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador were present at the ceremony. The route planned for…
A recent study on cycling injuries presented at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons found that injuries at one trauma center had increased significantly over the past 11 years, reports Medical News Today. Even…
Todd Carmichael, who planned to cross Death Valley in a move that would challenge three world records, called off the expedition yesterday after much deliberation. Carmichael had hoped to complete the longest open desert self-supported manhaul solo in history, with no outside help. That's…
There's nothing better than an innovation that helps the plane and adventure junkies alike. TreeHugger talks about how ASR Limited, a company that recreates coral reef ecosystems, has created a new reef system that prevents…
The Savage Rapids Dam prior to removal. By Mary Catherine O'Connor In our August issue, Grayson Schafferargued that whitewater kayak industry is drying up. But thankfully, a number of the most important waterways in the US are…
Prosecutors in Paris have launched a preliminary investigation into several teams who raced in the 2009 Tour de France after finding suspicious medical material, according to the BBC. The teams involved have not been named. The preliminary investigation, which is required by French law to determine…
The cultivation of genetically modified crops in Ireland was voted to be banned by the Irish government on Saturday, according to the Environmental News Network. The new policy specifies that the Government will “Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all…
Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke, whose once promising career was repeatedly derailed by doping scandal, drug and alcohol problems, and depression, was found dead today. AFP has the story here. John BradleyTwitter: johnwbradley…
According to the New York Times, the United States Forest Service is pushing to pass new rules that would keep mountain bikers off of hundreds of miles of trails across the nation. Lighter mountain bikes built over recent years have allowed…
The International Air Transport Association announced their commitment on Saturday to stabilize carbon emissions by 2020 as well as reduce airplane carbon emissions by 50% by 2050. Treehugger writes that the IATA is also pushing for further support from the government concerning…
For all of you coastal naysayers who scoff at the idea of lake surfing, Transworld Surf has a first-person account of one man's experience surfing at Stony Point, Minnesota, on Lake Superior. More than the story, it's the photo slideshow of huge waves and the…
The president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, will hold a cabinet meeting on October 17th — 20 feet underwater, reports Globalwarmingisreal.com. In preparation for the underwater meeting, he has asked members of his cabinet to take scuba lessons and learn…
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated 5,855 square miles of nearshore waters in Alaska as critical habitats for the threatened sea otter, writes ENN.com. The areas along the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and…
The world's largest tensegrity cycle and pedestrian bridge is now open in Brisbane, Queensland. The tensegrity bridge, referring to the synergy between the bridge's tension and compression components, will provide access for…
According to Backpacker.com, the two year battle over lifetime passes at Keystone has finally come to an end after pass holders agreed to drop the lawsuit and settle for court costs. Lifetime pass owners at Keystone had sued for the rights to continue…
USA Cycling reports that the 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships as well as 24 Hours of Moab are expected to draw more than 4,000 athletes, support crew and spectators to Utah this coming weekend (Oct. 10-11). Beyond the $24,000…
What may be one of the 20 largest diamonds ever found was recently discovered in the Cullian mine in South Africa, according to National Geographic. The 507.55 carat gem weighs just over 100 grams, and is estimated to be worth close to $20 million. The Cullian mine…
Loveland Ski Area opened one run at 9am this morning, making it the first ski resort in North America to open its slopes to skiing this year. The run has about 1000 feet of vertical. Lift tickets are $44. –Dave Costello…
The winners of the 2009 Banff Mountain Photography Competition have been announced. The judges in this year's competition received over 4000 images from 600 photographers from 41 different countries. You can check out the best in this years mountain photography here, at The Banff…
By Mary Catherine O'Connor Last month, we sang the praises of ski swaps as a great way to give new life to old skis and snowboards. But events such as swaps will never divert all old ski sticks and boots from…
Lance Armstrong has signed a three-year agreement with Michelob ULTRA to become the beer's new spokesperson, according to VeloNews. Armstrong will appear in two new commercials for the company that are scheduled to air in 2010, and will also be a part of their new product packaging.
Carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. should be down by 5.9 percent in 2009, Reuters reports. The reason: lowered demand for electricity and transportation fuel because of the recession. The Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy says that emissions should increase…
If you thought the battle over the slopes was bad, wait until snowboarders hit the trails en masse. Will that ever happen? Watch some pioneers in the video above and decide for yourself. –Aileen Torres…
“Race Across the Sky,” a documentary about this year's Leadville Trail 100, will premiere October 22. The event will feature a panel discussion with Lance Armstrong, his coach Chris Carmichael, and Dave Wiens, among others. Click…
Maybe. Denver will be the first city in the U.S. to launch a Paris-style bike-sharing program. A $50 annual membership gets you free use of bikes at drop-off stations around the city. Minneapolis, Boston, and Miami to follow. Huffington Post has the full story here. —John Bradley…
Tommy Caldwell and Jeremy Collins have won the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell in Arkansas, ClimbingNarc.com reports. This grueling comp pits paired off climbers against the clock, with the goal of finishing as many clean climbs as possible during 24 hours. There are…
Yesterday, crowds at the 2009 Earthwave beach festival in Cape Town attempted to break the world record for the most people surfing on a single wave. The current record is 100 people, and was set in Brazil last year. Representatives of the festival say that…
By Stephen Regenold Beginning in the 1940s, the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Mapping Program was tasked with the immense cartographical feat of surveying the entire country to create a series of more than 50,000 topographical maps. Widely-available and mostly accurate, the 1:24,000-scale government maps canvas…
On October 24, millions around the planet will demonstrate in hopes of persuading world leaders to sign a new climate-change treaty at a UN summit in Copenhagen this December. The organization behind the actions is author and environmentalist Bill McKibben’s latest grassroots campaign, 350.org. What’s 350? It’s…
A green motorsport event? Yup, in this case a historic race on the Isle of Man. Gentlemen, start your (battery-powered, zero-carbon, no-decibel) engines!
That urban legend about Tokyo vending machines selling used schoolgirl underwear? True. Quiksilver’s new poolside boardshort dispensers, at Standard Hotels in Miami Beach, New York, and L.A., may sound like the same idea, but the trunks haven’t been worn. Promise. $75; shopthestandard.com…
How a carpentry-challenged nonsurfer built a classic wooden longboard with his own kook hands.
This is the start of the third day since we came off the mountain. I’m finally starting to feel semi-normal. The first two days, I had trouble getting out of bed. I hadn’t really slept in two weeks, and getting out of the shower–well, I finally exited when…
Our boy Kevin Fedarko has a video segment on Playboy.com that examines his job as a latrine boat operator for river tour groups in the Grand Canyon. Fedarko spent the spring of 2009 manning the Jackass, a river raft that he used to haul “poo boxes” and “pee buckets,” and…
Two students who were visiting Samoa when the tsunami hit claim that they survived by surfing it. The Daily Mail writes that Tom Gogola, a student on holiday from Britain, was surfing when the tsunami hit, and survived by…
Police in Polk County, Florida, are on the lookout for five raccoons who attacked and injured an elderly woman who tried to shoo them away from her door. USA Today's blog reports that the woman was so severely bitten and scratched that she…
According to The Ski Blog, the Municipality of Whistler has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2010, just in time to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This will include cutting down on direct emission as well as purchasing carbon credits. Whistler…
On September 30th Chris Waddell became the first paraplegic to summit Mount Killimanjaro. Videos of Waddell and the One Revolution Team will be made available on the One Revolution blog. Waddell is the most decorated paralympic skier in history. Read more about Waddell's…
Last week, Outside's John McCauley and Will Palmer (based in Santa Fe) and Jeremy Spencer (based in Portland) participated in the third annual Portland Oyster Race, part of Merrell's 2009 urban-adventure-race series, which moved on from Portland to San Francisco last weekend and concludes in Austin (Oct.
The kayaking community is gearing up to participate in the international day of climate action on Oct. 24. Kayakers will form the number 350 in the water in Portland to show their support for the UN Climate Change Conference in December. Watch…
The easiest way to build fun and adventure into every day? Lose the car keys and ride your bike to work—and everywhere else. Herein you’ll find the knowledge, tips, bicycles, duds, and gear to pull it off in style. Saddle up!
Ottawa has a troubling air pollution problem, but it's not caused by the normal suspects. A crematorium from Hope Cemetery is blanketing the air daily with fumes from the cremation of dead bodies, the CBC reports. “We've all smelt it, we've…
Congratulations to Laurin Weisenthal of Huntington Beach, CA, who just swam the English Channel in one of the fastest times in history. Weisenthal, 25, made the swim from England to France in just 8 hours and 33 minutes; many of the 1,000 people who have completed the swim take well…
In our October issue, we mention 350.org and their mission to make October 24, 2009 a day of activism to promote the signing of a new climate-change treaty at the UN Summit in Copenhagen this December. All over the world, people plan to make the message…
I want to upgrade my 1994 Kona Hei Hei 1994 (Titanium fre). I would like to convert to disc brakes on the front with new suspension forks and upgrade the canti to v-brake on the rear. Is this possible? What make/model would you recommend buying groupset wise, wheels, forks, etc., to keep the bike light but the cost of the upgrade low? Catherine Macclesfield, UK
When feet started floating into the dark, coastal bays of British Columbia, it wasn’t hard to imagine the worst, especially when the Mounties went silent. Even paradise has an underbelly.
First Descents, founded by kayaker Brad Ludden, sponsors whitewater kayaking camps for young adults with cancer. Since it's start about 10 years ago, it has sent more than 600 cancer patients to these adventure camps, with this year proving to be the most…
Alex Puccio has won the first event in the Spot Series Bouldering Competitions, Rock and Ice reports. Adam Markert won the men's comp for this event, called “The Gun Show.” The series is held at The Spot, a…
Charlie Houston, who was part of the first ascent team at 25,643-foot Nanda Devi in 1936, has died, Climbing reports. He was 96. Houston was a pioneer in altitude research. He wrote influential works on the process of acclimatization for climbers and the health…
This is very cool. The video needs to be edited down to about 25 percent of its current length. But the contest and the result are great. (Found via Lance Armstrong's Twitter feed) —John Bradley Twitter: johnwbradley…
I'm writing from 18,000 feet on what promises to be a pretty chilly evening. Left at 6 A.M. with a variety of expectations. Consensus had us staying at Hans-Meyer, and that looked optimistic after our first adventure on the winch. The first quarter mile took about…
You can enter to win a chance to climb Mt. Rainier with Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker on a five-day expedition. First Ascent is sponsoring the contest and will outfit the winner with gear. See details here, and check out Viesturs's Outside…
In honor of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, Google and the Danish government are presenting interactive maps that will show what the Earth will look like in various stages of global warming. Check out the first climate tour…
The Klamath River in California, which was dammed up between 1908 and 1962, will have four dams removed beginning in 2020. The dams were erected by PacifiCorp, and their removal will supposedly allow for the revival of salmon and steelhead spawning and bolster fishing, tribal, and farming communities along the…
Bode Miller announced this past Thursday that he will be rejoining the US Ski Team this coming season with the goal of reaching the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. The former Olympic and World Cup Champ has been skiing independently…
Ouch. Long day: 10.5 hours. Technical from start to finish, and unrelenting. I did a series of about 1,000 three-to-four-second sprints at 12,000 feet and 3,300 vertical. I didn't use the winch. We're saving it for the upper mountain. The Harken winch is a great mechanism. We're still…
When you're crossing to Florida the hard way–across 800 miles of water, with six people and no motor, in a 21-foot handmade open boat–it's a long, long way from Haiti to Miami.
Asperger’s turns social interaction into a source of suffering. “It’s like everyone else has a bucket for dealing with people,” says Clay, “and I only got a cup.”
But beneath his foul language and outrageous antics, the Czech photographer is the greatest living observer of human suffering and spirit.
I'm going into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for a ten-day trip. On previous excursions I've taken too many clothes and too few clothes, but never found the perfect mix. How do you pack clothing for a long trip? Greg Flower Mound, TX
Is an expedition or burly mountaineering tent (such as The North Face Mountain 25 or Mountain Hardwear's Trango) needed for Aconcagua? Will a sturdy four-season tent suffice? Azad Los Angeles, CA