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.
Surfing’s Ancient African Roots: After the classic surfing movie The Endless Summer, many people assumed surfing only came to Africa in the 1960s. But surfing arrived a thousand years earlier. Wade in the Water explores the history of black surfers.
Women Are Reaching New Heights but Still Face Old Obstacles: For decades, women have pushed climbing boundaries. But old issues remain. Kimberly Elliott has made over 30 first female ascents, but news outlets often attribute them to her male partners. Anonymous commenters are more interested in remarking on her looks and weight than her climbing skills.
Curtin on the Colorado Trail. Photo: Kyle Curtin
New FKT on Colorado Trail
This Hiker Bagged 487 Miles in a Week. It Left Him in Hospital: On June 30, Kyle Curtin claimed a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Colorado Trail. He completed the 487-mile route from Denver to Durango in six days, 15 hours, and eight minutes. He slept for just 12 hours.
By day two, Curtin could feel the altitude,. By day four, his ankles were swollen and he couldn’t lift his toes. The final few miles were agonizing, but by then the only way to get help was to get to the finish line. As soon as he finished, he was taken to hospital, where he stayed for 36 hours to recover.
Navigating Orca Alley: Caroline Van Hemert has made a career studying wildlife. She was always excited to spot orcas until she was sailing along the west coast of Portugal with her family.
The Iberian Peninsula has become known as Orca Alley. Killer whales have hit over 600 boats there, sinking five. Every jolt of the boat panicked the family and the orca’s movements dictated their 2,300km, four-week journey.
Allison and Todd Barcelona. Photo: The Atavist Magazine
A brain injury was not enough to stop this runner
How To Run 549Km After a Traumatic Brain Injury: Todd and Allison Barcelona never expected running to become an integral part of their lives. They started because of Todd’s high cholesterol. After a few years, they were running half marathons.
But then Todd had a serious car accident. After several operations, most of his injuries eventually healed, but his traumatic brain injury was another matter. His whole personality changed. It strained their marriage, and he was envious that his wife could still run.
Slowly Todd started running again. At first, just a few hundred meters was a victory. Fast forward to 2023 and “Team Barcelona” is standing at the start of a 549km ultra marathon.
Landslides Smash Through Iconic Swiss Bouldering Area: On June 30, landslides crashed through the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Valais. They destroyed over 100 buildings and killed seven people.
The Bavona valley, famed for its bouldering spots, was badly damaged. Squalo Bianco, home to many famous lines, is almost completely buried. Climate change is leading to heavier rainfall, making landslides more common.
Keisuke Ohkura, Kazumasa Ostubo, and Yudai Suzuki. Photo: Yudai Suzuki
A difficult, dangerous climb
Japanese Establish Cream House on Nevado Quitaraju in Peru: Keisuke Ohkura, Kazumasa Ostubo, and Yadai Suzuki made the first ascent of Dream House (1,240m, M6, AI5+, A2, R/X, VI) on Quitaraju (6,036m) in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. The trio completed the climb over five days. Their line took them up the south face of the mountain, over south spur and the south ridge.
The team thought the south face would be the most technical section of the climb. In fact “the crux of the climb was the whole ridge after that,” they said.
Three Hikers Die in Grand Canyon National Park: Last week, a 50-year-old man was found dead in Grand Canyon National Park. He is the third hiker to perish in the park in less than a month. Authorities have not confirmed a cause of death in any of the three cases.
Rangers think the current heatwave might be to blame. Excessive heat warnings have been in place since the start of July. In recent weeks, there have also been fatalities in Death Valley National Park.
