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.
The Snow Monsters of Mount Zao: Each winter, snow and ice accumulate on the conifer trees of Mount Zao in Japan, at one of the country’s oldest ski resorts. Known as juhyo, the frost-covered trees resemble snow monsters. This selection of photos shows the eerie beauty of the bizarre, monster-laden landscape.
An Ironwoman’s Guide to Finland’s Icy Plunges: Elina Makinen, the first Finnish woman to complete an Ice Mile — a one-mile swim in water that is 5˚C or less — shares her favorite icy bathing spots across Finland. Ice bathing dates back thousands of years in Finnish culture, but it has recently become a growing wellness trend.
Makinen has suggestions for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced ice swimmers. Some plunges are surrounded by reindeer, others are under the Northern Lights, but all are surrounded by breathtaking scenery.
Elina Makinen cuts a hole in the ice. Photo: Taneli Kantanen
Yellowstone Grizzly Deaths Hit an All-Time High: In 2025, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem saw an unprecedented number of grizzly bear deaths. At least 74 grizzlies died in 2025, the highest annual mortality tally since tracking began. More than half of these deaths were caused by humans.
An ExWeb writer on Greenland
The View from Greenland: Greenlander and ExplorersWeb writer Galya Morrell reflects on U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated, and widely criticized, push to acquire Greenland. She believes that Trump’s insistence on “owning” the territory is unnecessary for American security, risks undermining NATO, and disrespects Greenland’s people. She explains that at first, most Greenlanders didn’t take the threat seriously, but that changed after Venezuela. Morrell explains how Trump’s rhetoric has strengthened Greenlandic nationalism.
Galya Morrell stands with a box sled on the Uummannaq Fiord in Northern Greenland. Photo: Galya Morrell
A Harrowing Tale of the First Americans to Summit Everest: Barry Bishop vividly recounts the May 1963 expedition of the first Americans to summit Mount Everest. He details the physical toll of the final push to the summit, coping with exhaustion, and how the lack of oxygen affected him and Lute Jerstad on the Southeast Ridge.
On the morning of the attempt, they were plagued with bad omens, and then had several hair-raising moments as they climbed. Both developed frostbite. While reaching the summit was an extraordinary triumph, the mountain’s hostility taught them that there are no true victors, only survivors.
Teddy Eyob Becomes First Black Climber to Free El Capitan: On November 30, 2025, Teddy Eyob topped out on Yosemite’s legendary Free Rider (5.13a, 1,000m) on El Capitan with Rell Lennox. They spent eight days on the granite wall, and when they reached the top, he became the first Black climber to free El Capitan. When he began the climb, he had no idea that this would be the case. Eyob says the distinction does not change the meaning of his ascent.
Here, he recounts his struggle with the route’s infamous boulder problem, the patience needed to work out the crux pitch, and his summit joy and relief.
Teddy Eyob at the base of El Cap. Photo: Felipe Tapia Nordenflycht
A failure to communicate
Explaining Surfing to Non-Surfers: Brian Sousa reflects on the often futile attempt to convey to non-surfers just how important surfing is in your life — the role it plays in your identity and happiness. To many, it seems like any other hobby, something you should grow out of, certainly not something you should plan your life around.
Sousa argues that while surfing defies easy explanation, for those who love it, riding waves is as essential to life as more conventional pursuits.
The Stacked Rappel: Alik Berg reports on a tragic winter climbing accident on the Stanley Headwall in British Columbia in 2024. Berg was with long-time climbing partner Dave Peabody, an experienced climber, when he died during a complex multi-pitch rappel. The report highlights how easily setup errors can have fatal consequences.
