Adventure
Archive
The last time the U.S. led the final medal count at a Winter Games, in 1932, only 17 nations took part, dogsled racing was an exhibition sport, and alpine skiing wasn't even on the program. Since then, Norway, Germany, and Russia have controlled the Olympics like an Axis of Snow, while Americans still cling to 1980's Miracle on Ice. But a look at the talent poo
The U.S. men's ski team, once equal to the world's best, has spent a generation falling short of past glories. But the bad boys of alpine racing are back—with a killer gleam in their eyes. Here's how the Yanks rebuilt the beast from the boots up.
BASE jumper Miles Daisher wants to throw himself off a deliriously high bridge in Idaho, crawl his way back to the top, and repeat—50 times in 24 hours. On the way to this fearless destiny, he convinces TIM SOHN to fling himself off the bridge, too. A look inside the death-defying world of BASE jumping, where extremely dumb is vying to be the new smart.
Alpine skiing we can do. Ditto hockey. But bobsledding? Ski jumping? Some winter sports seem about as accessible as Dick Cheney. But getting started in these cold-weather exotics is easier than you think, and you can do it at some of the best facilities in the world.
Partnership will bring Outside's edit to Television
Santa Fe, NM, January 17, 2006 – Lawrence J. Burke, owner of Outside magazine, announced today that Hal Espen, editor of Outside, will leave the magazine in early February. Espen, 50, has been the editor for the past seven years and has been with the award-winning Santa Fe, N.M.-based magazine…
Jay Villemarette has a crazy idea - an entire museum devoted to skeletons, from tiny shrews to boxcar-size whales. Sounds . . . great. When the heck does this thing open?
The worldwide search for expanded consciousness and free cocktails—and a par 11,880
Filmmaker Tristan Bayer brings a new spirit of adventure—and a touch of glam—to the wild kingdom
The best beaches for practicing your moves offer gentle waves and a no-pressure atmosphere. Here, over 20 of the best beginner breaks in the country to get your feet wet.
WHEN AMERICAN CLIMBER Greg Mortenson stumbled into the Pakistani village of Korphe in 1993—lost, starving, and separated from his expedition mates after an unsuccessful attempt to summit K2—he had no idea that the three days he’d spend recuperating there would change his life forever. To thank the locals who nursed…
For Outside Hard Way columnist Mark Jenkins, a recent trip to Tibet was a window into the future of adventure
The Western Limit of the World By David Masiel (Random House, $25) IF CORMAC McCARTHY WROTE about mariners instead of cowboys, he’d come up with a character like David Masiel’s Harold Snow. A jaundiced, middle-aged outcast with a traumatic Vietnam past and a claustrophobic present, Snow is the…
HE’S AN ACCOMPLISHED stage actor in his native England, but Andy Serkis is best known on this side of the pond for playing inhuman characters. The man who loaned his voice and body movements to the computer-generated character Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is aping it up…
Name: INES PAPERT Gig: ICE CLIMBER Height: 5’6″ Weight: 123 Age: 31 WHEN ICE CLIMBER INES PARERT won the women’s division at Colorado’s Ouray Ice Festival last year, the 31-year-old German scampered up the 165-foot wall so fast, she beat the winner of the men’s event, held on the same…
Last summer, the headless corpse of Reinhold Messner's brother Günther emerged out of the snowmelt on Pakistan's Nanga Parbat. After 35 years of nasty arguments and accusations, would the discovery finally reveal who was to blame for his death and solve one of mountaineering's greatest mysteries?
It's every adventurer's dilemma: Nothing's more exciting than the next trip—but nothing's harder than leaving home
They say you have to have a goal. Whether it’s climbing Everest, sailing across the Atlantic, or just raising a happy, healthy family, it’s good to keep life exciting and the synapses firing. Here, see what some of the best and brightest in the world outside have to say about what they’d like to accomplish before it’s all said and done. And
Because every second you’re not living life to the fullest is an opportunity missed—and the clock is ticking. To get you going, we’ve handpicked a no-regrets, full-throttle, see-the-world list of 50 things to do before you die—from climbing an 8,000-meter peak to making the perfect martini. Pro surfer Kelly Slater…
In May, 2005, Ed Viesturs became the first American to summit all of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. Here, read about his epic quest and learn more about the man himself.
Whether you're skating perfect corduroy or blazing backcountry powder, skinny-skiing the wide-open West is the path to cold-weather bliss
What is the best current model of the Motorola Talkabouts to purchase for skiing? I gather the 280SLK and the T-Series are no longer made, but I find today's models confusing so I need some help. The units must be rechargeable. Diane Roslyn, New York
Hurricane Katrina transformed the Gulf Coast into a surreal, swiftly changing landscape of devastation and survival. In the days that followed, a photographer and a Mississippi writer traveled along the coast to New Orleans, documenting the impact of the biggest natural disaster in American history.
A new documentary takes on the snowboarding revolution—and launches one of its own
After beatiing cancer and winning the Tour de France seven times, Lance Armstrong is vowing to fight one more battle. In the face of persistent allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs, Lance says he's had enough - and over the coming months he will confront his shadowy accusers in courtrooms and legal proceedings in the U.S., England, and France. W
The future doesn’t just happen. The next frontiers of adventure, fitness, gear, and sport are crafted by bold visionaries with world-changing dreams—and the minds and muscles to make them real. Behold the 25 all-star innovators leading us beyond tomorrow. 1. Conrad Anker: High-Altitude Altruist 2. Josh Donlan:…
I'm on blood thinners which cause feet and hands to get very cold when I go fly fishing in winter. How can I keep the extremities warm? I have tried sock liners and two pairs of wool socks, to no avail. Sheldon Warren, Ohio
They've done it! Here, view the final entry from the Adventure Philosophy team. They’ve successfully completed the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
With heli-ski tours in the central Alps, the Swiss prove their mastery of perfection�again
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Stop arguing. We surveyed the experts and shall now define, once and for all, a good skier.
Who's that woman screaming about global warming? It's Laurie David�wife of Seinfeld creator Larry David�and she's convinced that what the earth needs now is... Hollywood, baby!
For decades, no one had traversed the entire length of the Wakhan, following the old Silk Road from the northward bend of the Panj River. We had no idea if it could be done.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Name: DANIELLE FISHER Danielle Fisher BASE CAMP: Fisher in her parents’ backyard in Bow, Washington Home: Bow, Washington Gig: Mountaineer Height: 5’7″ Weight: 130 Age: 20 IN JUNE, FISHER became the youngest American to stand atop Mount Everest—and the youngest person ever to complete the Seven Summits, knocking…
As adventure goes mainstream, a new crop of youth teams takes root. Can climbing moms be far behind?
ENOUGH WITH SILLY STUNTS on tropical islands—Survivor is so yesterday. For the real deal in white-knuckle reality TV, check out Survivorman. Each episode of the new Science Channel series—premiering September 16 at 9 p.m. EDT—finds 43-year-old survival expert Les Stroud alone in one of the planet’s harshest environments, from the…
Adventure, big and small, is all about risk. The risk that things may go terribly wrong. That danger will finally cut off your credit and hit you with a hefty bill. That luck will flee the scene as the dark tide rises. In the tales of calamity that follow, our 13 unlucky writers hold forth on their personal odysseys into the land of nightmares.
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's time for a radical reform of high-altitude mountaineering�and a fresh debate over what it means to climb right
The growing mob at surfing's premier big wave has tow-in veterans fearing for their lives
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.
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…
Widen the horizons of adventure by taking the controls and becoming a pilot
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
“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…
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…