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.
Why the Appalachian Trail keeps getting longer and harder: The Appalachian Trail opened in 1937 and runs 3,540km from Georgia to Maine. Originally the route was just 3,300km long, but since 1937, it has changed multiple times. It has become a longer, harder trail — and a very different one. Historians believe that less than half of it lies in its original position.
Tenjen Sherpa Guides 14 8,000’ers in 92 Days: This saucy take on Kristin Harila’s speed record on the world’s 8,000m peaks puts her guide, Tenjen Sherpa, front and center. Many mountaineers say that’s the way it should be.
Seduced by the Nenets’ simple lifestyle. Photo: Gabriele Pedemont
Envying his subjects
A Smile in the Ice: Gabriele Pediment wanted to photograph the Nenets of Arctic Russia, so he immersed himself in their nomadic culture. It proved both more extreme and simpler than the world he was familiar with. By the end of his time with them, he does not want to leave.
Victoria Falls — The Smoke that Thunders: With the threat of a dam that will affect Victoria Falls, one of Africa’s most famous landmarks, Ed Smith heads to the Zambezi River before it changes forever. He wants to both kayak the whitewater and photograph it. Here, he documents his experience.
The Art of Modern Foraging: As a child, Lauren Colella used to search for edible plants in her garden, and it opened her up to the world of foraging. The time-honored practice used to be fairly commonplace. Now there are apps and catalogs that detail all the different edibles in an area. Corella goes through the do’s and don’ts of modern foraging as its popularity rises.
The strange case of the beleaguered parrot
Parrot and Owner Rescued in Wales: This week, the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organization got called out for one of the oddest rescues they can remember. Some parrot enthusiasts were letting their birds fly near the cliffs of Glyder Fawr in Wales when a peregrine falcon tried to attack them. One parrot flew to a ledge for safety, and its owner climbed up to try and rescue it. But now, both owner and parrot were stuck.
Paddling the Inside Passage. Photo: Chris Whittaker
As the World Opened Up: Over 72 days, Nuke de Jonas and Chris Whitaker kayaked the 1,600km Inside Passage from British Columbia to Alaska. After a long COVID delay, they eventually set off in May 2022 and became the first visitors to many indigenous communities after the pandemic.
93-Year-Old Climbs Yosemite’s Half Dome: Everett Kalin became the oldest person to summit Half Dome. The 93-year-old trained for months. Every day, he climbed up and down the stairs of his 17-story building, and he walked for hours five days a week. He climbed up the fixed cables on the mountain with his son and granddaughter.
