When we’re not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the web. Sometimes we’re a little too plugged in and browsing adventure reads can turn from minutes to hours. To nourish your own adventure fix, here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
Sarah McNair-Landry: Journey from Polar to Paddler: An unknown river riddled with 60-foot waterfalls is no place for a novice paddler. But Sarah McNair-Landry is no ordinary outdoor athlete, and she’d fallen hard for extreme kayaker Erik Boomer. So when he asked, she said yes, even though her kayaking experience at the time was half a notch above zero.
What Feminism Looks Like In The Rural West: The ranching women of the rural West are the most feminist of feminists. But don’t call them that. They tend to be uninterested in gender politics, unversed in “assertive communication” and “self-advocacy.” They might be soft-spoken, but they are not soft. They are active, but not activists. In this era of anger and outrage, we could all learn something from them.
“I’m Still Alive but Sh*t Is Getting Wild”: Inside the Siege of the Amarula: When vast gas reserves were discovered off the idyllic coast of northern Mozambique, a crew of roughnecks flew in from around the world to make their fortunes. But in March 2021, Islamist rebels attacked, and the foreigners and thousands of Mozambicans were abandoned. Two hundred holed up at the Amarula Lodge, where the expats faced a choice: save themselves or risk it all to save everyone. As oil and gas fuel a new war in Europe, Alex Perry pieces together, shot by shot, a stunning morality tale for the global economy.
A Classic Polar Tale
The giant Peter Freuchen looms over his wife Dagmar in Irving Penn’s legendary 1947 portrait. Photo: Irving Penn
Peter Freuchen’s Escape From Death: Peter Freuchen was a giant of a man. Standing close to two metres tall, he towered over the other members of the Fifth Thule Expedition. The Inuit called him Piitarjuaq — big Peter (Piitarsuaq in Greenlandic). On this Fifth Thule Expedition, Freuchen went down in polar folklore after a close shave that involved fashioning a tool from his own frozen excrement. Believe it if you will.
Why Are So Many Climbers in Trouble on Mount Hood This Year? Mount Hood has had natural hazards since long before it was first climbed on August 8, 1854, by Oregonian editor Thomas Dryer and his friends. Chunks of ice, rime, and andesite peel off cliff bands and pelt climbers, especially in warm conditions. Crowds, inexperience, and social media are leading to a surge in rescue calls on one of the most climbed peaks in America.
Colin Fletcher, a key figure in modern backpacking
Colin Fletcher, the Father of Modern Backpacking: Fletcher was a D-Day veteran who emigrated from the UK to America. From the late 1950s, he began walking huge routes, such as the length of California. This was years before established trails such as the PCT came into existence. As well as being a prolific backpacker, Fletcher wrote 10 books on long-distance walking. Many of them became classics in the backpacking community. They established Fletcher as a key figure in modern backpacking.
This Woman Navigated A 3,000-mile Pacific Voyage Without Maps Or Technology: Polynesian wayfinding has long been a patriarchal tradition. Lehua Kamalu is breaking the mold — and helping to lead a revival of the ancient skill.
