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Three Kiwis are readying to kayak almost 400 miles around the South Atlantic Ocean island made famous by Sir Ernest Shackleton's fated Endurance expedition
We’ve gathered 20 of the world’s hottest athletes for an insider’s look at the lives behind adventure’s most amazing feats. From ski-film maker Steve Winter’s near-fatal helicopter crash to surfer Laird Hamilton’s wave heard round the world, we take you backstage to witness all of the human drama, euphoric success,…
It seemed like a good idea: Two war correspondents escape reality into far Mongolia, stalking an otherworldly fish called a taimen. But in the process of cleansing their souls with icy water and Johnnie Walker Black, they realize it's possible to stray too far from home.
Japanland A Year in Search of Wa By Karin Muller (Rodale, $24) Finding George Orwell in Burma By Emma Larkin (The Penguin Press, $23) EVER SINCE MARCO POLO admired Kublai Khan’s horses in the 13th century, Westerners have sought to understand the romance, mysticism, and…
America's multiplatinum surf troubadour rides his dreams like a North Shore break. His secret? If you love what you do, life and work can both be a rip.
The growing mob at surfing's premier big wave has tow-in veterans fearing for their lives
Who's got the time and energy to make a living, chase their dreams, and leave the world a better place? You do. Sure, it ain't easy. But we've found the tools, ideas, and inspiring examples to help you evolve into the fully balanced life-explorer you were meant to be.
Read "Airborn Again" about the return of Christian Hosoi, in the September issue of Outside, now on stands, then check out some skateboarding legends and new faces from the annals of Outside below.
Read “Let the Bad Times Roll” in the October issue of Outside, now on stands, then dig in to our chamber of horror below for more hair-raising tales of paralyzing fear, backcountry mysteries, and bizarre creatures. Unsolved Mysteries Scary Stuff The O Files: Outside’s Unsolved Mysteries…
It's time for a radical reform of high-altitude mountaineering�and a fresh debate over what it means to climb right
Pioneering climber, explorer, and mapmaker Bradford Washburn has shot some of the most epic mountain photography of all time�much of which has never seen the light of day. Kurt Markus delves into a cache of unforgettable images and reports on the long, full life of an alpine icon.
A team of Japanese scientists has observed and photographed the giant squid in the wild for the first time. Read their story and see photos of the squid here.
Widen the horizons of adventure by taking the controls and becoming a pilot
I see a variety of different kayak clothing on the market (i.e., drytops versus wetsuits). I have always been confused about the different weather conditions and types of kayaking in which each type of clothing would be appropriate. Can you help? Philip Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Fifty years ago this August, Sir Hugh Beaver, of the Guinness brewing company, commissioned a London fact-finding agency to compile a book of records so British pub-goers could discuss something besides their aching livers. The resulting Guinness Book of World Records, which issues a new edition each October, has since…
Seven years after his last book, Cormac McCarthy is back—and the old cuss is leaner, meaner, and bloodier than ever. In his new novel, the famously reclusive New Mexican pens a furious tale of Southwestern noir with a body count approaching Tarantino-esque proportions. cormac mccarthy McCarthy is so famous for…
“Never say never, but I have no desire to climb over 8,000 meters again,” says mountaineering superstar Ed Viesturs. Well, you can’t blame him. Over the past 16 years, Steady Eddie has spent an estimated 25 days above 8K (26,240 feet) en route to becoming the first American to climb…
At the bottom of the biggest underwater cave in the world, diving deeper than almost anyone had ever gone, Dave Shaw found the body of a young man who had disappeared ten years earlier. What happened after Shaw promised to go back is nearly unbelievable—unless you believe in ghosts.
It’s over. Seven Tours de France in seven years. Eighty-three yellow jerseys. Twenty-one stage victories. Discovery team portrait Discovery team portrait With a smile the size of Texas, Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line in Paris after 86 hours, 15 minutes, and two seconds of riding over…
Riding through a storm to finish in the sunlight was a fitting way for Lance Armstrong to end his cycling career. He's already weathered a lot of storms during his life, and today not only marked the end of his cycling career, but hopefully also the end of struggle.
In a head to head battle with every other rider in the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong won his first stage victory this year, proving he is the fastest cyclist on the French roads and the man who will cruise to victory tomorrow on the fabled Champs-Elysees. lance armstrong…
Over the past seven years, Lance Armstrong has won 58 percent of the time trials in the Tour de France. He’s competed in 19 (including prologues) and won 11. His record for the final time trial is even better. Lance Armstrong believes it’s important for the yellow jersey to win…
When you’re a professional cyclist, you often race over the same course several times in your career. There aren’t that many roads in the mountains, so riders get very well acquainted with passes like the Col du Galibier and the Col d’Aubisque. They race over them in the Tour de…
With a perfectly timed attack in the final mile, T-Mobile’s Giuseppe Guerini surprised a group of three riders to take Stage 19, the last long day of riding before the Tour de France rolls into Paris Sunday. Giuseppe Guerini winning in Le Puy-en-Velay The Italian had been…
Spaniard Marcos Serrano took advantage of an uphill finish to break away from two other riders, winning team Liberty Seguros its first victory over the 117-mile Stage 18. Six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong maintained what looks to be an insurmountable lead of 2:46 with four days to go.
There are a few common aspects to the Tour de France every year. You know the race is going to be reasonably flat for the first week to ten days, that you'll go through the Alps and Pyrenees, and then you'll ride toward Paris after that. The region the Tour goes through after the second mountain is one of the variables that can make the Tour de France harder or easier, and in 2005, the final route to Paris is difficult.
Paolo Savoldelli put another feather in team Discovery Channel’s cap with a win today in the longest day of the Tour—the marathon, 148-mile Stage 17 from Pau to Revel. Peloton racing by sunflowers Peloton racing by sunflowers The 32-year-old Italian joined a 17-rider breakaway at 19 miles…
For the first time since Stage 3, the team classification in the Tour de France became an issue today. With two riders in a breakaway group more than 20 minutes ahead of the peloton, Discovery Channel forced T-Mobile to consider whether it was worth chasing to defend their team classification lead.
My girlfriend and I are heading down the West Coast for a multi-week bike tour this summer. I'm trying to get some good information about the best tires for my touring bike (700c size). We want to be efficient and not get any flats. Can you help me, Gear Guy? David Seattle, Washington
The day after a rest day is always unpredictable, but for Lance Armstrong it was unpredictably good. He felt really good all day today, saying after the stage that it was one of those days when it feels like there’s no chain on the bike. Every rider looks forward…
Spain’s Oscar Pereiro overcame a punctured tire in the final miles of Stage 16 to catch a breakaway group of three riders, then out-sprint them in the home stretch to capture his first-ever stage victory. Pereiro atop Col d'Aubisque en route to winning the stage today in Pau Pereiro…
Welcome to the Tour FAQ—find out how the riders go to the bathroom, what all those cycling terms actually mean, what Lance hopes to do after the race, what kind of bikes you can buy to live out your own Tour aspirations, and more...
I've been thinking a lot about Fabio Casartelli over the past few days. I didn't actually know the young man while he was alive, but his life and untimely death ten years ago during the 1995 Tour de France had such an impact on the people close to me that he's left an indelible mark on my life as well.
It’s not normal to see a six-foot, three-inch, 180-pound cyclist win the hardest mountain stage in the Tour de France. But then, George Hincapie isn’t a normal cyclist. He started his career as a road sprinter. He and Freddy Rodriguez used to duke it out for city-limit signs and USPRO…
After selflessly pacing teammate Lance Armstrong through six Tour de France victories, George Hincapie got the chance to raise his arms across the finish line for the first time, winning his first-ever Tour de France stage victory on the 127-mile Stage 15, through the worst of the Pyrenees. George…
Austrian Georg Totschnig (Gerolsteiner) was the last cyclist to survive a 15-man breakaway group in Stage 14 Saturday, crossing the finish line first almost a minute ahead of six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong on a hot, grueling first day in the Pyrenees. Georg Totschnig wins Stage 14…
On the first of two critical and difficult days in the Pyrenees, Lance Armstrong’s rivals threw down the gauntlet and provided fans with the most exciting racing we’ve seen in years. Tomorrow is even harder than today, and Armstrong will again come under serious attack. Today he had the firepower…
Chris Horner is making the most of his first appearance in the Tour de France. Some riders use their first Tour experience as a learning process because they are young and hoping to develop into yellow jersey contenders. At 33 years old, Horner’s arrival at the Tour came a little…
On a hot, flat day of racing tailor-made for sprinters, Australian Robbie McEwen bided his time and then unleashed a furious dash for the win in Stage 13 Friday, passing two riders who had set the pace for most of the day on the 108-mile road from Miramas to Montpellier,…
Outside has partnered with Teton Gravity Research to bring you the latest and greatest in the world of ski films. “The Tangerine Dream,” the latest from Teton Gravity Research (TGR), is a film that represents ten years of broken down trucks, wanderlust and some down and dirty skiing and snowboarding.
Santa Fe, NM, July 7, 2005 –Outside magazine announces that Dennis Lewon will join its editorial staff as senior editor beginning August 3. Renowned for his gear coverage at Backpacker magazine, Lewon will contribute his vast knowledge and experience to Outside’s gear reviews and will head Outside’s annual Buyer’s Guide.
The French waited for Bastille Day to capture their first victory in the 92nd Tour de France, with David Moncoutie of Cofidis breaking away with 24 miles to go, holding on to a 57-second lead until he crossed the line in Digne-les-Bains. Three of the four top finishers of the…
The Discovery Team was dealt a bit of bad luck early in Stage 12 when Manuel “Triki” Beltran crashed and was later forced to abandon the race. It is the first time since 2001 that the team has lost a single rider to abandonment, and while they are strong enough…
Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile) proved he can still be a threat to Lance Armstrong’s Tour hopes today with a big win in Stage 11. Alexandre Vinokourov Alexandre Vinokourov Riding several minutes ahead of the peloton over a pair of major climbs in the Tour’s second day in the…
Containment and conservation were the names of the game today for Lance Armstrong, as he rode within himself and marshaled his teammates to another successful day in the Alps. True, Alexandre Vinokourov won the stage but he has quite a way to go to erase the entire 6:32 deficit he had at the beginning of Stage 11.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) out-sprinted Lance Armstrong to the finish line at the end of the Tour’s grueling first Alpine stage Tuesday, but it was Armstrong and team Discovery Channel’s furious tempo over the day’s two mountains that withered the field and returned the reigning champ to the overall…
Sometimes opportunities present themselves where you least expect them to. Lance Armstrong and the Discovery Channel team expected Stage 10 of the Tour de France to be hard, but not decisive. However, when that lead group started to splinter, Lance seized the opportunity and gained more than a minute over his chief rivals.
A rest day at the Tour de France provides a brief opportunity to catch your breath, but the riders and the team staffs really only experience a modest reduction in activity. There is still food to be prepared, three hours spent on the bikes, massages, laundry, and a long list…
Lance Armstrong lost his grip on the yellow jersey in the ninth stage of the Tour de France Sunday, slipping into third place behind team CSC rival Jens Voigt—while Danish rider Mickael Rasmussen won the day after leading for over 100 miles. Jens Voight, who now has the yellow…
The yellow jersey is a hard garment to let go of, but sometimes it is best to let someone else carry it for a while. Lance Armstrong handed the yellow jersey to Jens Voigt (CSC) this afternoon after the German spent most of the day riding a few minutes behind…
It was team Rabobank’s day to shine in Stage 8 of the Tour de France Saturday, with the team’s riders taking four of the five summits and the finish line, as the Tour got its first taste of the mountains. Weening and Klöden on the top of the Col…
Over the past six years, one of Lance Armstrong's greatest assets has been the collective strength of his team. About half way up the first substantial climb of the 2005 Tour de France, the Discovery Channel team struggled to support their leader, leaving him isolated to fight off attacks from rival teams all by himself.
In another day for the sprinters, Australian Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) took the seventh stage of the Tour de France in a dash to the finish line to win another pair of kisses on the podium. The peloton races to the finish line in Friday’s Stage 7. Robbie McEwen snagged…
You can always tell when the Tour de France nears the German border. The number of fans lining the roads, and the amount of noise they generate, increases with every kilometer. Once you actually cross the border, it’s complete pandemonium at the roadside. Fortunately, the German fans were treated to…
There are no rain delays in bike racing. This isn’t baseball, golf, or NASCAR. In cycling, you have to be prepared to race in all kinds of weather conditions, and accept all of the associated risks. You also have to be willing to take certain risks, like the ones Alexandre…
A massive pileup crippled the leaders in the rain-slicked final turn of Thursday’s Stage 6, handing the day’s victory to a relatively unknown Italian rider, Lorenzo Bernucci, from team Fassa-Bortolo. Bernucci stage win in Nancy Bernucci stage win in Nancy After leading for the last 84 miles…
In a day for the sprinters, Davitamon-Lotto’s Robbie McEwen edged out his green jersey rival Tom Boonen by half a wheel in a dramatic dash to the finish line to capture stage 5 of the Tour de France Wednesday. Robbie McEwen Robbie McEwen The win was a…
Respect is the cornerstone of professional cycling, and it was out of respect to Dave Zabriskie that Lance Armstrong initially refused to wear the yellow jersey at the start of Stage 5. Although Lance eventually relented to the demands of the race organization and donned the jersey, the peloton and…
I'm headed out to do some big-wall climbs in Yosemite this summer. I was wondering if you could recommend a sturdy shoe that will suffice on my trad routes out here in the Northeast, but hold its own on a big-wall climb out West? I'd rather sink my loot into protection than different shoes for all occasions. Con Boston, Massachusetts
Team Discovery Channel has won Stage 4 in the fastest team time-trial in Tour de France history with a time of one hour, ten minutes, and 39 seconds, finishing just two seconds ahead of Team CSC, showcasing the depth of talent in the riders surrounding Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong,…
Think about what two seconds means over a distance of 42 miles. It’s a tap of the brakes in one corner, a moment’s hesitation, one missed shift, or the difference between riding in the middle of the road and hugging the curb going around a bend. It’s nothing, and yet…
The Tour de France has something for everyone. There are competitions for the best sprinter, climber, young rider, and of course, overall leader. It’s the sprinters who get most of the glory in the first week, as evidenced by today’s high-speed battle on the streets of Tours. Tom Boonen (Quick-Step)…
At the last possible second, Belgian Quick-Step sprinter Tom Boonen found the open door from inside the peloton and ignited his turbos, clinching first place in Stage 3 and the race’s green jersey for the second consecutive day. With his finishing burst timed to perfection, sprinter-of-the-moment Boonen even had time…
It’s good to have the first road stage of the Tour de France in the bag. These opening days are always chaotic, and the risk of crashing is much greater than the chance of seizing an opportunity to gain time. For Lance Armstrong and the other primary yellow jersey contenders,…
Despite suffering from a severe toothache that nearly caused him to withdraw from the 2005 Tour de France before it even started, Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen (Quick-Step) won Stage 2 today with clinical precision, earning himself the green jersey and his third Tour stage win in two years. Tom…
In an unparalleled display of athletic prowess and determination, six-time champion Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) overtook long-time rival Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) at the nine-mile mark in Stage 1 of the 2005 Tour de France, earning himself the green jersey and a second-place finish, two seconds behind first-time Tour rider, David…
The first stage of the 2005 Tour de France could not have gone any better. Lance Armstrong has always liked to use the opening time trial to send a message to his rivals, and there was no mistaking the message this year. He’s strong, possibly stronger than he’s ever been,…
Garbage Land From Our Pages Correspondent Peter Stark takes on uncharted whitewater and roiling 30-foot drops—along with Hummer-size hippos and riled-up crocodiles—in At the Mercy of the River (Random House, ), a harrowing account of the first descent of Mozambique’s 400-mile Lugenda River. Stark first wrote…
Nowhere near it, in fact. For his latest televised ramble, Monty Python alum Michael Palin takes his flying circus to the roof of the world.
As he rolls for number seven, wrap your mind around the life and legacy and farewell Tour de France of Lance Armstrong—hero, dad, six-time King of the World, rock-star arm candy, and (sometime after '06) the next! governor! of Texas!
U.S. Postal redefined how a Tour de France team should be built. But with new riders, new sponsorship, and new demands within the sport, can Lance and his teammates live up to their pedigree and grab a seventh yellow jersey?
From 1996 to 2004, the U.S. Postal Service pro cycling squad, a.k.a. Lance's team, was a veritable Harvard Business School for ascendant cyclists. As lieutenants and workhorses for Armstrong during his six straight Tour victories, these tenacious students learned the tactics, training, and focus it takes to win cycling's biggest competitions. Here's the lowdown
Aside from T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich and CSC's Ivan Basso, few of the riders on the 22 teams lining up for the Tour de France have a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing. But there is still the glory of stage wins and the races within the race—for the green sprinter's jersey and the polka-dot climber's jersey, among others. Whether shadowing Discovery o
If you’re the grandson of legendary aquaman Jacques Cousteau, swimming with sharks is almost blasé. But becoming one—now that’s honoring your pedigree. This past winter, Fabien Cousteau, 37, climbed inside Troy, a 14.5-foot submarine/shark decoy, to film the great whites around Guadalupe Island, off Mexico’s Pacific coast. Created by Hollywood-stuntman-cum-inventor…