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 Allure and Peril of Riding an Alaskan Wave for Nine Kilometers: Twice a day, a powerful tidal bore surges into Alaska’s Turnagain Arm, creating a wave that can reach three meters high and travel at 16–24 kph. Only a dozen tidal bores in the world are surfable, and this is one of them.
An experienced local known as Mr. Beachy once managed to stay on the wave for almost an hour and cover over nine kilometers. But the ride comes with serious risks. Water temperatures average just 7°C, the currents are strong, the shoreline is made up of glacial silt that behaves like quicksand, and you are so remote that rescuers will struggle to get to you if anything goes wrong.
An Epic 1,000km Bike Ride Around Taiwan: Taiwan’s Huandao is a 1,000km cycling route around the island. It has become a rite of passage for the Taiwanese, with thousands completing the circuit each year, often during their student years.
Now, a growing number of tourists do it. Most start and finish in Taipei; others just complete sections of the route. Andrew Nachemson decided to cycle a 500km stretch from Taipei to Taitung. The sparsely populated eastern coast offers spectacular Pacific Ocean views and is home to numerous indigenous cultures.
Bradford Bartels at Pioneer Park, the Alaska Long Trail’s finishing point. Photo: Bradford Bartels
Hiking the Alaskan Long Trail
The First Person to Thru-Hike the Alaska Long Trail: Bradford “Rafiki” Bartels has become the first person to thru-hike the proposed Alaska Long Trail, completing the roughly 800km route from Seward to Fairbanks in 47 days.
His journey is a significant milestone for a trail that is still a work in progress. Bartels had to piece together established trails, road sections, and ridgelines with ATV tracks, game trails, and some scrambling.
For Bartels, the lack of infrastructure was part of the adventure rather than a reason to wait. He believes early thru-hikers can help map the route, document conditions, and build momentum for a trail that could eventually stretch even farther across Alaska.
Dogs Double Your Danger in Bear Country: A bear attack on a woman hiking with her dogs in Wyoming has highlighted the risks of taking pets into bear country. A recent study suggests that hikers with dogs are more than twice as likely to be involved in a bear conflict than those without dogs. The risk increases significantly if the dog is off-leash.
The Tara Polar Station. Photo: Fondation Tara Ocean
Locked in the ice
Tara Polar Station on its Way to the North Pole: The French Tara Polar Station has started its first scientific expedition into the Arctic Ocean. The 26m-long, 16m-wide platform is designed to become frozen into the Arctic pack ice in the autumn and then drift within the sea ice for months.
Scientists from 12 countries will study Arctic biodiversity, sea ice, the ocean and atmosphere, and pollution and microplastics. This is the first of 10 planned multi-month drift missions between now and 2046.
How to Land the Dirtbag of Your Dreams in a Dating App: A tongue-in-cheek guide to finding a dirtbag climber on dating apps. The article explains what to put on your Hinge (or other) profile to win over the van-living, climbing-obsessed person of your dreams.
Start by pretending not to know too much about climbing, highlight the practical luxuries in your house, such as showers, power outlets, and parking, and don’t forget to mention reading Desert Solitaire.
Sandro Maranetto, Pietro Saggiante and Mattia Sandionigi. Photo: Gruppo Gamma Lecco
New route on Siula Grande
Italians Forge New Route Up East Pillar of Siula Grande in Peru: Mattia Sandionigi, Pietro Saggiante, and Sandro Maranetto have opened a new 700m mixed route on the East Pillar of Siula Grande (6,344m) in Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash. The route combines free climbing on rock, mixed terrain, and steep ice. Its overall difficulty rating is 7b, with obligatory 6c+, AI5, and a commitment grade of RS3+.
The team climbed the line over three days. They initially planned to reach the main summit, but after several storms, they stopped at the top of the East Pillar.
Fall From Ram’s Horn Anchor: In 2024, a climber suffered serious injuries after falling 10m while cleaning an unfamiliar anchor at Mount Diablo State Park, California. She was top-roping a 5.10a route when she reached a ram’s horn anchor.
After securing herself with a personal anchor system, she placed the rope across the hardware, stood up, and unclipped her PAS before sitting back onto the rope. Then she fell.
The American Alpine Club analyzes what it thinks happened and highlights the dangers of unfamiliar or improperly used anchor hardware. The accident is part of a wider warning about lowering, which is now the leading cause of roped climbing accidents.
