When we’re not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the web. Sometimes we’re a little too plugged in and browsing adventure reads can turn from minutes to hours. To nourish your own adventure fix, here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
Cocaine, Cannabis and Whisky: Not the backstage fare for Guns N’ Roses, but these were apparently some of the staples in Ernest Shackleton’s medical kit during the 1907 Nimrod expedition to Antarctica. They dripped cocaine into the eye as a cure for snowblindness, and not to relieve the boredom of skiing in an infernal whiteout.
Two Years, 22 Rivers, 7,500 Miles. Crossing America by Canoe: We broke the story of Neal Moore’s long paddle across the United States earlier in the week, but this New York Times interview with Moore expands on some key details of his mammoth journey.
Exposed – Two Weeks Alone in the Winter Mountains: Last week, I spent a week just inside the Arctic Circle in beautiful Swedish Lapland, planning a future ski tour. During my research on the region, I came across Magnus Lindbom and his stunning photography of Sarek National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In this short film, Lindbom spends two weeks skiing across and photographing some of the iconic peaks of Sarek.
Adventure photo contest winners
When the Whole World Is a Playground: The Red Bull Ilume photo contest brings together some of the world’s best adventure and action sports photographers for the chance to slug it out for some high-profile exposure. This year’s finalists are superb.
This Study Predicts Who Is Most Likely to Get Hurt in the Wilderness: Not quite, but a survey-based study of 700+ long-distance thru-hikers explores what may make a hiker more likely to get injured or ill while backpacking. The 2018 study reported that “Heavy packs and higher BMIs were associated with undesirable outcomes, while older hikers fared better.”
Photo: Sibusiso Vilane
The First Black African on the Roof of the World: UK Climbing talks to Sibusiso Vilane, who in 2003 became the first black African to summit Everest. This might not sound like such a big deal, but consider that Vilane came from very impoverished roots, with no background in mountaineering. His successful climb earned him the attention and praise of Nelson Mandela and the wider world.
Colorado Rafting Businesses Hire Right-Wing Law Firm to Keep Guide Pay Low: A law firm that is fighting clean water restrictions across the U.S. has teamed up with several companies in Colorado to file a lawsuit against President Biden and the Department of Labor. Their sneaky aim is to block an upcoming executive order which raises the minimum wage for raft guides and other workers on federal land to $15 an hour.
The North Faces of the Tre Cime. Comici made the first ascent of the North Face of Cima Grande (middle) in 1933 with Angelo and Giuseppe Dimai. Photo: Shutterstock
Boardman Tasker book winner
Emilio Comici: Angel of the Dolomites: Mountain writer Ed Douglas pens a masterclass review of the 2021 Boardman Tasker-winning Emilio Comici: Angel of the Dolomites, by David Smart. Anyone familiar with the history of mountaineering will have heard of Comici and his pioneering new routes in the Dolomites, but I was surprised to read that he was also “a man whose identity was bound up in the muscularity of Italian nationalism”.
