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.
10 Million People Watched The Dru Rescue. The Media Circus That Followed Created Heroes And Villains: In 1966, competing teams raced up the Petit Dru in the French Alps above Chamonix to save climbers stranded on the wall. A stellar account of the classic rescue from Michael Wejchert. If you’re interested in what became of star rescuer Gary Hemming, there’s a good book on his life called The Beatnik of the Alps.
Don’t Look Down: Adventure Journal editor Steve Casimiro remembers a bluebird day skiing on Mt. Hood when conditions were so perfect that he and his buddies made a break for the summit, despite being a little light on equipment and food. Check the comments section for an animated discussion on the sense of their decision.
In the footsteps of Norse mythology
Through The Ragnarok Fires: Norse mythology speaks of the Ragnarök, the battle at the end of the world between the Norse gods and the giants. As with many myths, it was inspired by real stories and natural phenomena. This is the tale of an invisible route through a landscape that seemed deeply hostile, its roots entwined with the old legends of Iceland and the Norse settlers.
Making Molehills of Mountains: UK climbing hotshot Anna Taylor is not like most people. It becomes clear almost immediately in this interview that she is driven by rare levels of determination and ambition.
No Chalk, No Gear, No Problem (If You Don’t Mind Being A Little Afraid): American climber Steve Roper was tired of cold bivouacs, long approaches, and big racks. For a break, he ventured to the sheer sandstone walls outside Dresden, Germany. It wasn’t quite as mellow as he’d imagined. The climbing sounds like madness.
Sani Pakkush (6,953m) and the 2020 route of Welfringer and Fine.
Against The Odds: Simon Welfringer tells the tale of his and Pierrick Fine’s autumn 2020 ascent of Sani Pakkush in the Karakoram. The duo put up a new 2,500m route on the south face of the mountain with some significant technical difficulties (WI4+ M4+ 90°). Theirs was only the second ascent of the peak.
Electric dreams
Taiga Electric Snowmobile
Can Snowmobiling Really Go Electric? I recently spent some time in Swedish Lapland, where I debated the possibility of electric snowmobiles with a local. We both came to wonder how the batteries would fare in the cold. But apparently, Canadian startup Taiga Motors has developed a series of electric snowmobiles, and big manufacturers are getting on board.
Hiking Through Minefields and a Pandemic in Uncharted Lands: Thomas Bouissaguet takes on the Via Adriatic, a challenging 1,100km trail that runs the length of Croatia. What was meant as a straightforward trek during a sleepy Croatian summer revealed itself to be full of unforeseen events.
