When we’re not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the web. To nourish your adventure fix, here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
102 Ironmans in 102 days: Sean Conway has set a new record for the number of consecutive full-length triathlons. He has completed 102 Ironman-distance routes in 102 days. The endurance athlete first attempted the challenge in 2022 but had to stop because of injury.
Every day he started at 4:30 am and completed his 3.8km pool swim. He then went on to do a 180km bike and 42.2km run. As the days went on, he cut hours off of his Ironman time.
The island where Oppenheimer escaped his legacy: Few know that J. Robert Oppenheimer spent his last days in the Caribbean. As he struggled with the consequences of his creation, he found refuge on the island of St John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Locals call the beach closest to his cottage “Oppenheimer Beach.” It was the complete opposite of his earlier life, and he specifically chose it because he could be anonymous there.
Matt Helliker makes first ascent of Anapanasati: Matt Helliker has added a new route to Doyden Point in Cornwall. He has named the E9 6c Anapanasati. He initially found the line last September but successfully made the first ascent this month. He says that the line involves “sustained climbing, with tricky gear but on mainly good rock.”
The first ascent of Anapanasati. Photo: Matt Helliker
Did record heat kill this Death Valley hiker?
Hiker dies in Death Valley as temperatures soar: Earlier this week, a 71-year-old who had been hiking in Death Valley died. The National Park Service thinks that the extreme heat may have caused the fatality. They do not recommend hiking in low-elevation areas after 10 am, and the man was found at 3:40 pm. Temperatures are currently near the highest temperature ever recorded, 56.7°C.
For the love of water: During the pandemic, all pools were closed, and many swimmers turned to the lakes, rivers, and oceans around them. Since then, the demand for swimming vacations has exploded. These swims are not about speed records but about the enjoyment of swimming in the wild.
The everlasting youth of Dale ‘Greybeard’ Sanders: Dale Sanders, 87, first paddled the Mississippi River when he was 80. He became the oldest person to complete the 3,700km route. In 2020, his record was broken, so last year he set out to canoe the river again. He speaks about his journey and his three-ingredient recipe for everlasting youth.
Dale Sanders is the oldest person to canoe the Mississippi River. Photo: The Mississippi
Keeping Polynesian navigation alive
She sails the seas without maps or compasses: Lehua Kamalu talks about her fight to keep Polynesian navigation alive. Paddling traditional canoes, she uses the stars, waves, birds, and natural elements to navigate. She is the first woman to captain a traditional vessel covering 4,828km from Hawaii to Tahiti. She is getting ready for her next challenge: a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific.
Fighting for the survival of our Scottish island: Great Bernera is a tiny Hebridean island in the North Atlantic, with a minuscule population of 225 people. As the number of inhabitants dwindles, those still there try to ensure that their community survives. They need more people to move there, or their life will come to a standstill. They have already lost their post office and school, and now just four fishermen remain on the island.
