Here at ExWeb, when we’re not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the wider interweb. Sometimes we’re a little too plugged in, and browsing interesting stories turn from minutes into hours. To nourish your own adventure fix, here are some of the best links we’ve discovered this week.
The Professor of Adventure: UK Climbing tells the story of Millican Dalton, a self-styled Professor of Adventure who lived in a cave in the Lake District, England, and led camping and climbing trips on the local crags and mountains.
Why Do Climbers Really Die on Everest? The latest of Everest deaths raised questions about the role of COVID, but a number of statistical analyses of nearly a century’s worth of climbing records break down the overall deadliest factors.
The Frontier Couple Who Chose Death Over Life Apart: Artist Eric Bealer was living the remote, rugged, good life in coastal Alaska with his wife, Pam, an MS sufferer, when they made a dramatic decision: to exit this world together, leaving behind precise instructions for whoever entered their cabin first. Outside investigates the mysteries and meaning of an adventurous couple who charted their own way out.
The Manic Mountain: News of the controversial (and just a little shady) handling of the COVID-19 situation by some guiding companies on Everest, brings back memories of this violent clash on the mountain in 2013. This season’s obfuscation and lack of transparency seem to be par for the course on Everest.
A haunted arctic town
Glimpses of a Soviet Ghost Town: On the remote arctic archipelago of Svalbard, a decaying Russian settlement offers visitors an intimate look at the not-so-distant past. Shades of Chernobyl, although very different reasons for its decline.
The Forgotten Scots of the first Everest expedition: Scotland has produced some fine high-altitude climbers, from Dougal Haston to Rab Carrington. But few remember the Scots who took part in the first expedition to reconnoiter Everest exactly a century ago.
Last Exit From The Secret Sea: In a remote part of Georgia’s West Caucusus, over 2,000m below the Earth’s surface, a team of top international cavers suddenly confront a life-or-death situation. With no more than a few minutes to decide the right course of action, in the deepest part of the world’s deepest cave, they must choose the only option that guarantees their survival.
Dear Mountain Guests: Canadian ice climber extraordinaire Will Gadd pens an open letter about some hard mountain truths — avalanches, lightning, rockfall, bears, falling trees, and much more.
Amundsen vs Scott
How Amundsen Beat Scott: An interesting article from The Guardian credits Amundsen’s earlier arrival at the South Pole with avoiding scurvy, rather than differences in skiing ability, use of dogs, etc.
No Sleep Till Zermatt: The Haute Route in the Alps undulates for 125km across glaciers, gullies, and national borders, from Chamonix to the Matterhorn. Aaron Rolph attempts to complete the route on skis, in a single push.
First After First After First: Adventure Journal gives a further take on the late outdoor renaissance man, Ned Gillette. In his 53 years, Gillette became an icon of modern adventure and ticked off a mind-boggling list of exploits spanning climbing, skiing, and rowing.
