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.
Should Yosemite Close the Half Dome Cables?: In early July, Grace Rohloff was descending Half Dome in Yosemite. In wet conditions, the hiker fell from the steep granite section with metal cables.
Rohloff is the seventh hiker since 2006 to die in this area. Should authorities take down the cables (which were first installed in 1920)? Legendary climber Alex Honnold disagrees. He believes that danger lies in the mountains themselves. They are inherently risky and cannot be made 100% safe.
A Cursed Ship and the Fate of its Sunken Gold: In 1746, the Prince de Conty sank off the coast of France, taking a substantial amount of gold into the depths. Almost 300 years later, some of the gold ended up with an elderly Florida couple who were eventually arrested for trafficking a “national treasure belonging to France.”
The Bonhomme William took 30 minutes to sink following an orca attack. Photo: Robert Powell
The orcas strike again
Another Orca Yacht Sinking: Robert Powell was the skipper on his Beneteau 393 Clipper. Before leaving Portugal on July 23, he checked recent orca reports. With no orca sightings in the area, he decided it was a good time to sail to the Greek islands.
Sailing off Punta Camarinal in the straight of Gibraltar, Powell felt something strike the boat. Two young orcas were ramming him. He tried to outrun them, but it was impossible. Three more orcas joined the party. The orcas broke off the rudder and cracked the hull. By the time a rescue boat arrived, the yacht was already half submerged.
Six Images of Gabriel Medina Claiming Everyday Things: The photo of Gabriel Medina hovering over the waters of Tahiti with his surfboard perfectly mirroring him might be the image of the 2024 Olympics. Where else might it fit?
Gabriel Medina fitting in at the football. Photo: Inertia Magazine
Saved by SUP
From Prison to an Eight-Time SUP World Record Holder: Four years ago, Dave Haze was sitting in a prison cell. It was his second stint inside. A broken man, he began to read standup paddle boarding magazines. While inside, he dreamed up a bucket list of SUP challenges.
Since leaving prison, Haze has stuck to his plan and set eight SUP world records. His target list for 2024 is ambitious: He will attempt 33 world records in 33 countries across 66 days.
The Best Climbing Film Trailer Ever?: Asgard Jamming, released in 2009, follows a climbing expedition on Baffin Island. The trailer has the same goofy style and Baffin Island location as Dodo’s Delight, and both films feature Sean O’Driscoll. Fifteen years on, some argue it remains the best-ever climbing film trailer.
Family reunion goes very wrong
Thirteen People Rescued From Arizona Hiking Trail: A family reunion in Arizona almost ended in disaster last week. Despite an excessive heat warning, 13 hikers from one extended family set out on a morning hike. Everyone required rescue, and three children were hospitalized. The group got lost and ran out of water. Local authorities dispatched 65 firefighters to find the family.
Tuva Stavo Makes the First Female Ascent of Arctandria: Tuva Stavo has made the first female ascent of Arctandria on Store Blamann in Norway. It is a 400m trad 8a+ climb up the north face of the granite monolith.
