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.
How Long Will the ‘End of the World’ Stay Wild?: People are flocking to Antarctica, paying up to $18,000 for a ten-day trip. This impacts Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost city, the primary gateway to the icy continent. The tourist boom drives economic growth but puts a huge strain on housing, infrastructure, and the environment.
Cheaters: Inspired by an ExWeb article, Mark Twight questions the use of supplemental oxygen, fixed ladders and ropes, and porters on Everest.
Twight argues that it seems to be cheating disguised as mechanisms to help you achieve. He believes that people need to be honest with themselves and others about their abilities. They need to speak positively about risks and difficult challenges and take the time to learn the skills required to succeed rather than finding a shortcut.
A season in Tahoe City. Photo: Andri Klopfenstein
Memories of a ski bum
A Surfer Looks Back on His Season as a Ski Bum: Brian Sousa reflects on his season as a ski bum. Post-9/11 and after a breakup, Sousa and his friends decide they need a break. Cramming snowboards, skateboards, and camping gear into a car, they headed to Tahoe City. Sousa remembers months of chaos, cramming up to 20 young people into a single house.
The Feds Have Ordered National Parks to Remain “Open and Accessible”: Interior Secretary Douglas Burgum has ordered national parks across the U.S. to remain fully operational despite significant staff reductions. Whilst some think this will lead to re-hiring staff, many question the feasibility of maintaining safety and services with a diminished workforce.
Ryan Chaudhry before his rescue. Photo: ABC News
Left behind at sea
Divers Left Behind: In scenes reminiscent of the 2003 film Open Water (based on a true story), Ian Kensington and Ryan Chaudhry were diving off the coast of Perth with a dive school when they were left behind.
Approximately 35 minutes into their dive, Kensington and Chaudhry heard the boat’s engine start. Quickly surfacing, they saw the boat heading back to shore. Despite their efforts to signal for help by waving, shouting, and inflating a buoy, the boat did not return. Stranded and fearing for their lives, the brothers discarded non-essential equipment and inflated their life jackets to conserve energy. After an hour in the water, a ferry rescued them.
Adam Ondra Attempts The World’s Hardest Boulder Problem: Czech climber Adam Ondra is touring the boulders of France’s Fontainebleau forest. His biggest challenge is Imothep Assis. He believes the problem is “possibly a 9A+ (V18) from the sit start.” Nobody has achieved such a difficult bouldering grade.
A deadly gust of wind
The Balloon That Fell From the Sky: Nick Davidson recounts the harrowing events of the 1995 Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, the world’s oldest and most prestigious gas balloon race. American pilots Mike Wallace and Kevin Brielmann and their friends Alan Fraenckel and John Stuart-Jervis were among the competitors. After launching from Switzerland, winds carried their two balloons into Belarusian airspace. One balloon was forced to land, and Belarus detained its pilots. The other was shot down, killing both pilots.
One Hiker Dead, 33 Rescued at Lake Mead: One hiker died and 33 others required rescue because of extreme heat in Lake Mead National Park. The National Park Service temporarily closed two popular trails in the area.
On April 9, as temperatures soared, helicopters rescued five hikers and one deceased hiker. The following day, rescuers helped a school group of 28 hikers.
