When we’re not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the web. Here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii with a Cat: Disillusioned with corporate life and facing a medical condition that risked paralysis, 29-year-old Oliver Widger left his job, cashed out his pension, and bought a boat. Now he is sailing from Oregon to Hawaii with his cat, Phoenix. Widger taught himself to sail mainly through YouTube videos and has been documenting his voyage on social media. He quickly amassed over a million followers.
Twenty Years of Beta, Bickering, and Bold Opinions: Mountain Project evolved from a few small climbing information sites, and 20 years later, it is one of the best climbing resources in the world. It has become a spirited forum for climbing debates.
Brian Stevens examines some of the sites’ most interesting debates including: the use of bolts, does a perfect climbing town exist, whether we should allow dogs at crags, and what you do with your poo on a climb.
Rescue services at North Cascades National Park. Photo: Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office
A tragic climbing accident
Three Climbers Die in 120m North Cascades Fall: On May 11, four climbers fell approximately 120m while descending North Early Winters Spire in Washington’s North Cascade Range. An anchor failure reportedly caused the fall.
Three climbers — Vishnu Irigireddy, Tim Nguyen, and Oleksander Martynenko — lost their lives. The sole survivor, 38-year-old Anton Tselykh, sustained serious injuries but managed to hike back to his vehicle and drive 60 miles to call for help. Authorities are investigating the incident.
Mayor Wants Reckless Hikers to Pay Their Rescue Costs: In response to a series of costly off-season accidents on Mount Fuji in Japan, Hidetada Sudo, a local mayor, is calling for off-season climbers to pay for their rescues. He argues that individuals who ignore official warnings and climb during dangerous periods should be held accountable. Similar rules have been implemented in North America.
Mount Fuji. Photo: Shutterstock
Too hot to run
Trail Runner Dies at Southern California Half Marathon: One runner has died during the Boney Mountain Half Marathon on May 10, in southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. Spencer Cabral, 38, collapsed amid soaring temperatures that reached 39.4°C. A helicopter airlifted him to Los Robles Regional Medical Center, where they pronounced him dead. Three more runners were hospitalized with suspected heat-related illnesses.
Glacier Grizzlies Changed How We Thought of Bears: On the night of Aug. 12, 1967, there was an unexpected tragedy in Glacier National Park. Grizzly bears killed two young women, Julie Helgeson and Michele Koons, in separate incidents. These were the first recorded fatal bear attacks in the park’s history.
In response, the National Park Service implemented significant changes, including bear-proof garbage systems and stricter food storage regulations, greatly altering human-bear interactions in national parks.
Photo: Shutterstock
Are we too quick to judge?
When A Paddler Dies, We Are Too Quick to Judge?: The paddling community sometimes blames victims of accidents without understanding the circumstances. Tim Schuff argues that this rush to judge is a coping mechanism, where we try to distance ourselves from the uncomfortable truth that accidents can happen to anyone. It also forces him to reflect on some of his own close calls and whether his survival was skill or luck.
Hawaii Doctor Accused of Trying to Kill Wife on Hike Has Bail Denied: Police in Hawaii have charged Gerhardt Konig, a Maui anaesthesiologist, with attempted murder after he allegedly attacked his wife on a closed hiking trail in Honolulu. During a birthday trip, Konig reportedly pushed his wife toward a cliff, tried to inject her with a syringe, and struck her with a rock. She escaped with serious injuries and alerted other hikers. Police arrested him after he fled the scene. This week, a judge denied his request for bail.
