Weekly Adventure Picks

Exploring Adventure Through Digital Lenses

When we’re not outside, we often find our adventure fix by diving into the world of social media and the web. Here are some of the most compelling adventure-related content we've come across this week.

A Conversation with Tamara Lunger

Tamara Lunger, an Italian alpinist, began her journey in the mountains through ski mountaineering before discovering her true passion for high-altitude climbing. She made history as the youngest woman to summit Lhotse and later reached the top of K2 without the use of supplemental oxygen. However, her path was not without challenges. After losing close climbing partners, she struggled with grief and sought a new direction. This led her to focus on regeneration, realizing she had never taken the time to recover from her intense experiences.

Trekking to Everest Base Camp: A Call to the Summit?

Ben Ayers, the basecamp correspondent for Outside, delves into whether trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp inspires hikers to attempt the summit. Drawing on his extensive experience living in Nepal for over two decades, he reflects on how many guided Base Camp hikers feel motivated to climb. He also explores how guiding outfits capitalize on this connection by offering both trekking services and summit expeditions.

New Trails Reshaping Lebanese Tourism

Lebanon is developing a 400km network of hiking trails through the Anti-Lebanon and Mount Lebanon ranges to boost rural tourism and support local communities. Led by guide Gilbert Moukheiber, the Boukaat Loubnan Trails project connects around 50 villages, offering hikers cultural experiences, homestays, and local food. Despite challenges posed by regional instability, the trails aim to revive economies and promote sustainable tourism.

Safety Tips for Hikers

Backpacker reports that using fuel transfer devices like FlipFuel to consolidate partially used isobutane canisters can save space. However, mishandling these devices, especially overheating or overfilling, can lead to catastrophic explosions. Users share stories of canisters bursting after being heated in boiling water or on stoves, causing severe property damage and injury. It's crucial to handle such equipment with care to avoid dangerous situations.

A Nostalgic Legend in Antarctica

This podcast episode pays tribute to "Ivan," the iconic Terra Bus that has ferried researchers and workers between McMurdo Station’s airfield and base for over three decades in Antarctica. Hosts Dylan Thuras and Allegra Rosenberg explore its origins, as well as its distinctive physical presence: massive tires, a wood-paneled interior loaded with stickers, and bright orange-red paint. Drivers recount its quirks, such as the lengthy 30–60 minute engine warm-up, fogged windows, and leisurely 15–20mph pace.

As McMurdo modernized, Ivan symbolized a nostalgic link to Antarctica’s past, complete with songs and fond memories. Facing retirement due to parts shortages and cost, the bus was saved from the scrap heap by a grassroots campaign that relocated it to Christchurch for preservation.

The Salt Path Controversy

The Guardian article examines the controversy surrounding Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir The Salt Path, which chronicles a 1,000km walk along England’s coast. While recent investigative journalism questions elements of Winn’s story, this piece broadens its focus to explore how memoirs, especially those centered on transformative journeys like long-distance walking, often blur fact and narrative. It highlights the genre’s long history of embellishment and the lack of rigorous fact-checking, raising questions about truth, trust, and the responsibility of both writers and publishers.