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.
Yurt Life: Yurts are fundamental to many nomadic cultures across Central Asia. But in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the ancient dwelling is not just a symbol of the past.
Natural Talent, Unrelenting Effort: Beryl Burton was discouraged from exercise as a child but went on to become Britain’s best time-trial cyclist. Despite her success, she never turned pro, choosing to remain amateur without sponsors or a coach.
Hiking Is For Everyone: In 2019, Rhiane Fatinikun set up Black Girls Hike. She explains that people can be put off both by the language of hiking (endurance, challenging) and by some people’s misguided ideas about “what a traditional walker is”.
Surfing Prescribed by the NHS: In the UK, an estimated one in six children aged between 5 and 16 were identified as having a probable mental health issue. Now, the NHS will trial prescribing activities including dancing, surfing, and gardening for young people suffering from anxiety and depression.
Rinchen Zoe La (5,300m) along Bhutan’s Snowman Trek. Photo: Shutterstock
World’s highest race
Bhutan’s Snowman Race: Bhutan’s Snowman Trek has apparently been completed by fewer people than have summited Everest. If you are fit enough, you can now run the entire 203km. The first-ever Snowman Race took place last month. Of 29 competitors, 17 finished.
Equal Distances: “If women went 15 kilometres, the men skied 30.” Men’s and women’s cross-country ski races have long had a strange asymmetry, but no longer. This winter, the International Ski Federation (FIS) announced that everyone will race equal distances.
Rewilding Argentina: Africa has inspired a wide-reaching conservation effort in Argentina, a country notorious for its beef industry. This has led to the restoration of massive swathes of land into flourishing, biodiverse ecosystems, sustained by tourism.
Getting Back on the e-bike: Three years after a near-fatal crash with a negligent driver, Andrew Bernstein was racing again. E-bikes helped him fall back in love with the sport he lost.
