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 Worst National Park Reviews of the Year: Every year, thousands of people flock to national parks across America. TripAdvisor and Google are littered with visitors’ views and opinions, and some are not at all impressed.
Apparently, Yosemite “looks like any place with mountains and trees,” Glacier Bay National Park is “like some ice cubes got scattered on a hill,” and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a “horrible disappointment” because there is not “a single pickleboard court in sight.”
The Rise of Female Mountain Professionals: Anna Fleming writes about the growing number of female guides and instructors. This year, at the Alpine Club Aspirants Meet in Switzerland, all three instructors for the alpinism course were women. This is the same club that didn’t even let women join until 1974.
Elias Isa in Tannourine Tl Tahta, Lebanon. Photo: Climbing
Good news from Lebanon
Building a Climbing Utopia in War-torn Lebanon: Many climbers moan about the commercialization of their sport and overcrowding at their favorite walls. One place still holds the feeling of the good old times. Lebanon has a relatively small number of climbers, but this has created a close-knit community.
This passionate group has developed new bouldering areas and new climbing routes around their troubled country. They want to show that even in difficult times, some good things are happening too.
Bad-tempered moose
Hiker Stumbles Across Cranky Moose: Some “notoriously cranky” moose caught a hiker off guard in Anchorage, Alaska last week. He was walking with his dog when he stumbled across a group of the giant ungulates, known locally for their bad temper. Two of the moose charged at the poor man. They knocked him over and kicked him, and only ran away after his dog started barking at them.
The man limped back to the trailhead and made it to the hospital. Luckily, he only suffered some bruises.
Bridget Canham and Kathy Veel compete in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race two-handed class. Photo: The New York Times
Women Make Their Mark in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Women have competed in the Sydney Hobart Race since 1946, and the first all-female team was in 1975. This year, 10 crews are skippered by women, the highest number ever.
The increase is due to two reasons: a growing women’s sailing network in Sydney that encourages more girls to try sailing, and the introduction of two-person (“two-handed”) races rather than the usual six-man crew or more.
As more women enter, the end goal is clear — a female-skippered team winning the overall race trophy, the Tattersall Cup.
Tough for women in Antarctica
My Sexual Harasser Was Never Caught: Every year, thousands of researchers and support personnel head to Antarctic research stations. The vast majority are not scientists, but the people who keep the stations running. Two-thirds of them are men.
Every season, sexual harassment and assault has been hushed up and overlooked. A survey of female employees showed that 72% think sexual harassment and assault are a problem, 59% have faced this themselves, and 95% know a victim. Elizabeth Endicott worked at McMurdo Station for three years and talks about her experiences as a janitor.
Sally Snowman retires as keeper of the Boston Lighthouse. Photo: Hakai Magazine
Lighthouse Keeper Hangs Up Her Bonnet: Sally Snowman has been the keeper of the Boston Lighthouse for 20 years. She is the only woman keeper in its 307-year history and is now the only lighthouse keeper left in the U.S. Now, at the age of 72, she is finally retiring.
Massachusetts’s Little Brewster Island has been integral to her life. She first visited when she was 10. Her father was in the Coast Guard. She got married there, volunteered there, and finally became its keeper.
The Line: This monthly round-up of the American Alpine Club details different projects recently undertaken by climbers, including some first ascents in Indonesia’s Mt. Arjuna massif.
