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 adventure fix, here are some of the best adventure links we’ve discovered this week.
What ethical space exploration will look like: Over the next few decades, space tourism could become a real possibility. Astrophysicist Erika Nesvold argues that future space expeditions will depend on ethical choices made today. Nesvold talks to WIRED about the future of ethics in space.
First winter ascent of Pizzo Badile Corti-Battaglia: On Feb. 14, David Hefti and Marcel Schenk made the first winter ascent of the Corti-Battaglia route on Piz Badile, Switzerland. The duo had climbed together before. They knew that they worked well as a team and wanted to attempt “great alpinism in our backyard.” Schenk had already completed his fourth winter ascent of the British route on the mountain, so he knew that conditions were good.
Piz Badile, Pizzo Cengalo, and Sciora peaks in the Bregaglia range, Switzerland. Photo: Shutterstock
Three years of frustration pay off
Keri Wallace — Winter Tranter Round FKT: Earlier this month, Keri Wallace set a new women’s winter record of 21 hours and five minutes on Tranter’s Round, a 58km-loop in the Scottish Highlands. Wallace has been aiming to do this since 2020 when she had to abort her first attempt.
“I honestly thought that as a local, I’d be able to swan up there any time I wanted,” she said. “I had no idea it would take me three years of frustration to find a window that worked.”
Hardiness in the face of fear: Most polar adventurers seek hardship rather than try to avoid it. Psychologists studying the explorers have concluded that “hardiness” is a key aspect of their personalities. They also have an unwavering belief that they can influence the outcome of a situation.
Staying young thanks to rock climbing: “Aunt Dolly” is 67 years old and only discovered rock climbing at the age of 50. Now, the Singaporean credits it with keeping her young. She was scared of heights, told she was too old, and that her bones were fragile. She persevered. Climbing also helped her bond with her daughter, likewise a keen climber.
A legend passes
Champion marathon swimmer Greta Andersen dies aged 95: Greta Anderson was part of the first modern era of marathon swimmers. She was an Olympic champion turned open-water distance swimmer. The Olympics made her a celebrity but there was no money in it, so she set her sights on marathon swimming.
At the time, many races had prizes up to $3,000 (the equivalent of $33,000 today). In 1958, she became the first person to swim from California’s Catalina Island to Long Beach and back, about 70km. It took 27 hours.
She was the first woman to complete five crossings of the English Channel. Crowds turned out to watch her. One spectator commented, “She’s got just plain guts. She’s a real woman in every sense.” She passed away at her home on Feb. 6, aged 95.
Andersen swims the English Channel in 1965. Photo: ANL/Shutterstock
The price of risk and the reward of joy: Fell runner Rose George discusses the delicate balance between risk and reward in outdoor adventure. In January, an experienced hiker took on Mount Baldy in California. Despite years of experience, he did not make it back down. Authorities still have not found his body. It caused George to reflect on her own passions. Yet she still runs in wild places, adamant that the risk is worth the reward.
Creating space for the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada’s outdoors: Jonny Bierman speaks of his experience as someone who is in both the LGBTQ and outdoor communities. Nature was his second home, but few others in the LGBTQ community felt that way. He has since brought together a list of programs across Canada that are trying to change that on both a local and national level.
