Exploration & Survival
Archive
These are athletes' and explorers' most memorable days in the wild and hard-won lessons they learned
It’s like biathlon, but for geeks
With endless and varied landscapes bookended by the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, California is a hotbed for modern adventure
Brooks Laich and his pup Koda are no strangers to adventure
Dolinsjö is Sweden’s longest underwater cave, whose end has yet to be reached
L. Renee Blount is a designer, a photographer, and an outdoor enthusiast. In this new series, she tries a new activity every month.
Whether you’re looking to learn how to spearfish amid Florida’s coral reefs or explore California sand dunes straight out of ‘Star Wars,’ there’s never been a better time to be a modern adventurer
Ten years ago, heli-ski guide Erin Tierney survived a helicopter crash and began a relentless journey of healing and recovery. Battling injuries invisible to the naked eye, she fought to reframe and regain her hold on the life she loved.
What does it take to get through the worst-case scenario? A very special combination of physical and mental strength.
For nearly half a century, legends of a giant cave in the Andes—holding artifacts that could rewrite human history—have beckoned adventurers and tantalized fans of the occult. Now the daughter of a legendary explorer is on a new kind of quest: to tell the truth about the cave in order to save it.
'MeatEater' host Steven Rinella and adventure photographer Krystle Wright on the experiences that changed them
With partner Adrian Ballinger and local guide Mark Synnott, Harrington discovers an untapped climbing zone: Maine's Atlantic coastline
The decade-long hunt captured the world's attention, but when it finally ended in June, everyone still wanted to know: Who had solved the mystery? This week, as legal proceedings threaten his anonymity, a 32-year-old medical student is ready to go on the record.
More often than not, our biggest adventures are nothing like we expect them to be—in the best of ways
These slackliners explore the limits of humankind high above the ground, under the northern lights.
He survived multiple crash landings that should have killed him. But as Corliss sees it, risking everything was the only way to live.
Colorado's mountains get all the glory. But adventures like tubing in downtown Denver are around literally every corner.
BASE-jumping pioneer Jeb Corliss is one of the original madmen, a fiend for the extreme who has miraculously survived multiple crash landings in a sport that rarely allows second chances. Now, at 44, with a self-diagnosed psychological disorder, he's embarking on his most fraught journey yet: into the depths of his own mind.
A quarantine backyard ultramarathon. Thousands of protesters on bikes. This year brought the unexpected in countless forms. Here’s who (and what) had the biggest impact on the outdoor world.
Wilderness pros are trained to deal with physical injuries, but what about the psychological trauma that can result while on an expedition, from fear and stress, or from watching someone die in a fall, an avalanche, or whitewater? Australian psychologist and mountaineer Kate Baecher created a training program to equip guides and athletes with a tool kit to handle the worst mental distress we encounter when we're far from help.
A University of Colorado Boulder skier tells the story of a camping trip gone awry
You don't have to grow up in a hunting family to embark on this life-changing journey. Here's everything you need to get started.
At 59 years old and with a preexisting condition, Paralympic rower Angela Madsen had plenty to worry about as the coronavirus spread across the country. So she dipped the oars of her small rowboat in the Pacific and pointed the bow toward Hawaii. She never returned.
Expert tips and tricks to help keep you comfortable all season long
Kyle Burgess was on a trail run when he came upon a protective mama mountain lion. Using his phone, he filmed her as she escorted him away from her cubs for six terrifying minutes. He had no idea he’d just shot internet gold.
What to do when you're on an outdoor adventure and disaster strikes
Wim Hof's teachings about breath work and the health benefits of cold plunges have attracted millions of followers who swear it has cured everything from depression to diabetes and makes them happier and stronger. Our writer traveled to Iceland (naturally) for a deep dive with the man and his methods.
Many students would rather be outside than stuck on Zoom all day—and most programs can't keep up with the surge in demand
Two friends abandoned promising careers to pursue a bold adventure. It went terribly wrong—but also right.
'Ode to Desolation' introduces us to Jim Henterly, who spends his summers stationed at the historic Desolation Peak Fire Lookout
Why this Ph.D ditched her corporate desk in the city for a tricked-out RV and the open road
Why this PhD ditched her corporate desk in the city for a tricked-out RV and the open road
A new school of social-media influencers are giving hunting a fresh and decidedly female face. Our writer joins two rising stars of “huntstagram” in the Arizona backcountry to chase mule deer for her first time—and see if she can stomach what it takes to be an omnivore.
With the CZU Lightning Complex fire bearing down on them, a rogue group of citizens banded together to stay and defend their homes in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California. Here's how they fought the fire—and won.
It's one of the most astonishing survival stories we’ve ever heard—and it might even be true
The continent has entered its long, dark night, but just over the horizon is the question of how to make sure it stays free of COVID-19 once it reopens in August
For a book project about 16th-century polar explorer William Barents, Andrea Pitzer needed to reach the remote Arctic island where he and his men came to grief. She booked passage on an expeditionary boat out of Murmansk, then headed north on a trip marked by unforgettable scenery, unexpected loss, and wild magic that changed her life.
One wildland firefighter interviews some of the trailblazers who came before her on the fires and shifts they’ll never forget and the policies they changed for the women who came after them
In recent years, the bus once occupied by Christopher McCandless had attracted tourists from all over the world—a growing number of whom had to be rescued in their attempt to reach the remote location. Now, apparently, the authorities have had enough.
In 'First Descent,' legendary canyoneer Scott Swaney reflects on a career of self-taught outdoor skills and a few close calls
A self-proclaimed "soft" writer tries to beef up his end-of-world skills during quarantine
The anonymous finder now has a million-dollar headache
Here's how to use Gaia GPS to save your route so you never get lost again
Filmmaker Eric Hanson describes a harrowing account of how serious flash floods can be
Where to go, what to bring, and---most importantly---how to make it fun
COVID-19 is going to limit and slow relief—and increase the importance of personal preparedness
As most of the world stays indoors for days on end, we're all feeling varying degrees of cabin fever. Here's how to make sure you come out of it OK.
The North Pacific right whale has been spotted only a handful of times in 60 years. A marine biologist from Seattle wants to change that.
A quarantine against the world worked once for the Gunnison Valley. Can it again?
The military's toughest training challenges have a lot in common with outdoor sufferfests like the Barkley Marathons and the Leadville Trail 100: you have to be fit and motivated to make the starting line, but your mind and spirit are what carry you to the end. A Ranger graduate breaks down an ordeal that shapes some of the nation's finest soldiers.
On going back to the mountains after a traumatic accident
A crew of daring twentysomethings had a half-baked plan to canoe through the jungle. Not surprisingly, they ran into all sorts of trouble.
A slab of snow fell and trapped her in a streambed in a place where few skiers dared to go
The National Park Service’s Public Health Department warns of dire consequences to employees and communities if parks don’t close immediately
In Oregon's Clackamas County, a fight between a sheriff and an elite search and rescue unit reveals how local politics can collide with recreational safety for residents and visitors alike
A checklist of essential skills, concepts, and definitions
We all want to go outside right now. But in the midst of a rising number of COVID-19 cases, how do we do so safely and responsibly?
As we confront the reality of COVID-19, the idea of living self-sufficiently in the woods, far from crowds and grocery stores, doesn't sound so bad. Lynx Vilden has been doing just that for decades, while teaching others how to live primitively, too.
My grandpa served in the Army's tough-as-nails Tenth Mountain Division during World War II. After the war, soldiers from the Tenth pioneered the rambling mountain lifestyle I live today. Every year, I ski to remember him.
How to recreate responsibly and safely through the COVID-19 pandemic
A robbery was the last thing anyone ever expected in to the remote outpost of Longyearben, Norway
America's patchwork laws on big-cat ownership create all kinds of problems—like when people let their dangerous kitties go free
Here are the tools Blair Braverman prepared for her time on 'Naked and Afraid'
The hardest thing for Blair Braverman wasn't being naked on national television—it was the fact that people thought it was fake
With his leg stuck and temperatures dropping, one hiker thought he'd never get out of a remote Utah canyon alive
This is one of the most common issues dog owners face
Backpacking food company Mountain House has taken the unusual step of temporarily shutting down its website in order to deal with skyrocketing demand in the wake of pandemic fears
On Labor Day weekend 2019, the 'Conception' left Santa Barbara, California, for a diving trip to the Channel Islands. Six months later, authorities are still trying to determine how what should have been a routine excursion became one of the deadliest maritime disasters in U.S. history.
Here are some tips to prevent your pup from suffering common trail-caused health conditions
The story of how three crewmen lived more than a week in the middle of the Pacific in a wrecked sailboat with almost nothing
What happens if your pup gets hurt on the trail?
Dogs can't tell you if they're hurt, so it's up to you find out if they are
Here's what you need to properly care for your injured pup
The "sunk cost" effect, a false sense of confidence, and fading backcountry skills may all explain why
In January we partnered with Land Rover on 4xFAR, a new breed of festival with live music, gear demos, and adventure workshops
Nikita Ovsyanikov has spent decades studying polar bears on a remote Siberian island to better understand their behaviors
