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 adventure fix, here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
The Battle for Women’s Climbing: Anna Fleming explores the life of Wanda Rutiewicz and the impact the Polish climber had on women’s climbing. Born in a time when climbing was a man’s world, she was a trailblazer. “How can we ever hope to distinguish the good climbers from the not-so-good, regardless of gender, until we have a solid representation of independent and self-sufficient women climbers on the mountains?”
No More Spring Training: John Jason was a first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2017, his two-year contract was coming to an end and he knew he wanted to retire. Drawn to the water, he bought a sailboat and learned how to sail. A year later, as he was working on the boat, he had a sudden thought: “Something feels really weird right now. And then it hit me: I should have been in spring training. I started laughing because I realized: I didn’t miss it at all.”
The Lionel Messi of cliff diving: In 2009, Gary Hunt was one of 12 men competing in the cliff diving world series. He was the new guy, fairly inexperienced, wearing two pairs of Speedos for extra protection. One dive proved he was a natural at the sport. Just over a decade later, he is the undisputed champion. He has won 42 out of 82 Red Bull cliff diving events and nine out of 11 world series titles. Now he has set himself a new goal, to be Olympic champion.
Gary Hunt wins the 2022 Red Bull cliff diving world series at Polignano a Mare, Italy. Photo: Romina Amato/Red Bull
Backpacking’s biggest myths
Debunking the 58 Biggest Falsehoods in Hiking: The world of hiking is full of myths, old wives’ tales, and questionable tips. Though these are not necessarily lies, it does mean the information is accurate or safe. Here are 58 myths that surround hiking, survival, wilderness medicine, wildlife, and nutrition.
Backcountry Adventurers Know They’re Taking Chances: On average, 27 people in the U.S. die in avalanches each year. So far, this year’s toll stands at six. To some, the few minutes of fun don’t seem worth the risk. Yet for most who venture into the backcountry, the risk seems minimal. In the U.S., the risk of dying in an avalanche is 0.5 per 100,000. The risk of dying in a car crash is one in 107.
The Art of Swimming with Sharks: Miriam Settler studied the memoirs of Hebridean shark hunters. Then she set off to the Scottish islands of Mull and Coll, hoping to encounter basking sharks and create art about them. Settler did not just want to see them, she wanted to swim with them.
The Monashees. Photo: Shutterstock
A 37-day expedition in the Monashee Mountains: When Isobel Phoebus agreed to join two friends skiing 600km across the Monashee range in southeastern British Columbia, she had never done a ski tour before.
Life Lessons from a 22-month Canoe Trip: In 2020, Neal Moore set off on a marathon canoe trip across America. Over the next 22 months, he paddled 12,000km along 22 rivers, through 22 states. Here, he reflects on the life lessons he learned during his long-distance paddle.
