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.
Light lines: Calum Macintyre and Verged Aasen started the Light Lines project in 2020. Aasen is a mountain photographer while Macintyre tries to encourage the outdoor community to become more political about the environment.
Aasen wanted to film a night ski descent of the corridor that divides the north face of the Norwegian mountain Austabotntind. He would be on the opposite peak, capturing the skier's headlamp as she zigzagged down the dark mountain. The project grew into a list of 10 ski descents and a way to bring together the mountains, photography and politics.
My ego led to the hardest crash of my life: Miles Clark led a film group of professional skiers and photographers in Alaska. The mountain they were on had three viable thorns to ski down, and one that wouldn't work.
They all agreed that they shouldn't ski there. When a photographer asked one of the women if that was possible, she said no. But Clark let his ego get the better of him. Against his better judgment, he decided to give it a try. It was his last chance to work with this incredible photographer who was leaving the next day. He hiked without a plan, and it backfired spectacularly.
Miles Clark on the spine before everything went wrong. image: Keoki Flagg
Road trip
The Ultimate American Climbing Road Trip: Converting a van to make life on the road easier is becoming more and more popular. Thanks to him, the number of people declaring they have found the “ultimate road trip” has increased.
Climbers are no different. The problem for many of them is that their “ultimate” road trip focuses on a limited part of the United States close to home. To broaden this limited vision, Escalation The magazine proposed a road trip that explores the best climbing spot in all the contiguous states.
50 Best Trekking and Walking Books of All Time: For many, hiking brings great joy, but unfortunately it cannot be done at all times. In times when you can't follow a trail, you can read about potential destinations or enjoy the well-written experiences of others. Here's a list of the 50 best walking books to inspire and inform your next trip.
On the Piz de Puez in the Dolomites. Photo: Franz Anstein
New ski descent in the Alps
Probable first ski descent on the Piz de Puez: Franz Austin talks about a likely new line as he, Frederico Maremonti and Andreas Tinelli skied Piz de Puez on March 25 in the Dolomites.
The trio followed the summer trail to the saddle between Piz Dulled and Piz Puez then took the ridge towards the west summit of Piz Suez to the corridor. Then they began the descent.
The Queen's Ransom: This year, 30 people participated in the Queen's Ransom, a five-day bike ride through the Sonoran Desert. Everyone cycled at their own pace but had to stop each night at a designated campsite.
This was Julian Urbina's third cycling trip. His group included everyone from beginners to veterans. Urbina writes about his experiences on the technical journey, what he learned, the mistakes he made, and the people he met.
Cycling on the Queen's Ransom. Photo: Julien Urbina
Straddling past and present
Mongolian herders trade camels with cryptocurrencies and microchips: Johan Nylander spent time with Mongolian nomads researching a book. He wanted to see how a society so tied to its nomadic roots was modernizing. He stayed with a shepherd and his family and enjoyed traditional meals, but he also saw them bring out a karaoke machine, microchip their camels and use drones to monitor their herds.
Do the Docharty: When a leg injury from the Second World War forced Willie Docharty to return home and heal, he decided to train in the nearby hills of Ayrshire. He became addicted. He became the 13th person to complete the Munros and began looking for other lists to climb. Eventually he compiled his own list of 1953 peaks across Britain. Docharty published his lists in three relatively unknown books. Ian Thow looks at the Docharty List and the stories behind it.
