Your adventure went too far
Bicycling.com—an entertaining and informative web site—has an article about Al Newman, a hard-driving, semi-retired, 73-year-old entrepreneur who just rode his bike around Antarctica and thereby completed his quest to cycle on all seven continents. Reaction one: Whoa. Atta boy. Reaction two: I wish the article had been a little less evasive about how long he...
Ladies: eat, pray and stretch that check
They’re homebodies. And they’re affiliative, depending on social and emotional bonds to get through daily life…or so we assume, because when they travel they like to travel with others. And by they, we mean men. Editors for International Living—the on-line and print publication that encourages retirees to find new adventures and, crucially, save money by...
Tramps: how travel is like sex
The desire to travel is like the desire for sex. When you aren’t doing it, it seems like the most attractive thing imaginable. If you can’t fulfill your desire for travel—because, let’s say, you are working—it can grow into a mild obsession. Like sex. You start buying travel magazines. You visit travel websites then wipe...
Trips your children won’t recommend
Runestone checked in yesterday with a link to Greenland’s official web site (which just won a Webby Award, which is considered the Oscar of the internet). As a travel destination, we had slotted Greenland pretty far down the list, between Somalia and Cancun. Now we’re less sure. We thought of the island as a frozen...
Does Alaska hate old people?
We were saddened to hear that 50-year-old polar adventurer Lonnie Dupre has abandoned his attempt to be the first person to climb Denali, solo, in the dark frigid Alaskan winter. He’d used up quite a bit of food and fuel being pinned down in his 4×4 snow cave for a week,...
AARP-eligible adventurer currently attempting first winter solo attempt of Denali
It’s probably too soon to be talking about Lonnie Dupre’s epic/insane attempt to be the first person to climb the highest peak in North America…in the winter…by himself. He’s still in the early stages of the ascent, at 12,300 feet, so it’s like talking about a no-hitter in the seventh...
Our vote for the Nat Geo adventurer of the year
The Age of Exploration—at least geographic exploration—is pretty much over. The white spaces have been filled in, by footprints or by Google Earth. But there is still plenty of adventure out there, and every year National Geographic lets us vote on who has done the best job of firing up...
Welcome to the democratization of adventure
For many years, older adventure travelers all seemed to come from the same slice of humanity: they were all from developed nations that had given them the life savings and pensions that can fund an excursion to New Guinea or Cameroon. (Obviously, they weren’t all...
The year of the microadventure
By rights, we should hate Alastair Humphreys. He is pretty clearly having more fun than we are, in more exotic locations, with better gear. But it’s very hard to take issue with a person who has such infectious enthusiasm. And we especially like his campaign to make 2011...
Assisted biking
Ever biked a road that you frequently drive? Yes, you have, and on one of those rides, the first time, in a totally nondescript stretch, you grunted, “Where did this soul-sucking hill come from?” Nothing connects you to topography like a bicycle....
Adventure racers love the thrill of plodding through the wilderness for four days
First, let’s establish that only a small percentage of young people should try this. Second, let’s clarify that it is kind of awesome. If you’ve got the stamina…and some fifty-plus racers do…there are still openings for the Mother Lode 4 Day Expedition Race (September...
