When we're not outdoors, we get our adventure fix by exploring social media and the web. Here are some of the best adventure links we discovered this week.
Above the storm: In July, Bronwyn Hodgins, her husband and four friends arrived in Greenland for 65 days of kayaking and climbing big walls.
The first 35 days were extremely demanding. After rowing for up to 15 hours a day, they attacked the granite wall of Qaersorsuaq. The group was trying to establish a new route. But as they were ascending, a storm struck. The storm trapped them for days in their portals.
The arguments in favor of Explorers Day: The second Monday in October can be a polarizing day in America. It is historically known as Columbus Day, celebrating the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World. Since the 1970s, some have organized a counter-celebration: Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
This author suggests replacing both with Explorers Day. He thinks it would be a unifying holiday and points out that everyone is in one way or another a descendant and beneficiary of the explorers.
Drones equipped with new image analysis software. Photo: Tom McNally
Homemade drones
Homemade search and rescue drones: In 2023, experienced hiker Charlie Kelly sets out to climb Creise, a Munro in the Scottish Highlands. He later texted his partner to say he wouldn't be coming back that night, but don't panic, he had extra diapers and food.
Kelly never returned home. At first, mountain rescue teams found nothing. But Lake District emergency workers Dan Roach and David Binks thought they could help. They were working on new software to help drones identify missing people. Two drones and an hour later, they found Kelly's body.
The impacts of climate change on mountaineering in the Ecrins massif: Mont Blanc and the Valais Alps are important study areas for the impact of climate change on mountaineering. Today, researchers are applying the same techniques to the Écrins massif.
Using a 1974 topo guide as background information, researchers used GIS, statistical analysis and interviews to assess the area. On average, each route is affected by nine climate-related processes, and almost 25% of routes are now inaccessible in summer.
Temple pilot stoned (5.12a). Photo: AAC
Dealing with negativity
Learn the power of low expectations: Ryan DeLena has always considered himself a traditional climber. Then he went to Rumney's Northwest Crags, more precisely Stoned Temple Pilot. It was his first 5.12a, a grade that has always eluded him. Despite his early success on the rock, he was unable to recreate it.
Day after day he returned, becoming more and more negative after each failed attempt. How had he gotten to the top before? Why couldn't he reproduce it? His expectations were so low that he expected to fall. With that in mind, he decided he might as well modify it to see what would happen.
Stupid Things Hikers Do: Some things in life only make sense when you're on a hill. When has a single carabiner ever proven useful? Certainly not when attached to the strap of a backpack with no other climbing gear within reach. Other common sights include cards floating around people's necks and middle-aged men striking the same conquering pose, one leg raised on a rock.
Photo: Ales Cesen
Guiding in Antarctica
The perfect job in Antarctica: Slovenian mountaineer Ales Cesen begins his sixth season in Antarctica. A former competitive climber, mountain guide and double Piolet d'Or, Cesan was always looking for new experiences. Then he landed in Antarctica. He had never seen anything like it, and guiding tourists on the coldest continent was a steady job, slightly better paying than his job in the Alps or the Himalayas. His only advice to those considering it: be prepared to work in sometimes miserable conditions.
Climbing after a brain injury: In 2019, Astra Lincoln had a bicycle accident. Years later, she still suffers from post-concussion syndrome. In 2023, there was a glimmer of hope as the endless pain began to dissipate. She booked a rock climbing trip with a friend. Before the accident, his life revolved around climbing. Now, years later, she has been forced to confront the shame she felt about her condition.
