Jaco Swart was guiding a group of clients on a trip down a river gorge in South Africa when a storm flooded the river and sent the group scrambling for higher ground. Swart hung on to the cliff side for 27 hours; 13 of his clients did not. At the time Swart made some [...]
Go to Barefoot Hiker Keeps His PromisesAuthor Archive
March 12th, 2010
Wolves Blamed in Teacher’s Death
A 32-year-old schoolteacher was running along an isolated road when something attacked her. The woman’s body was found in a pool of blood by some locals on snowmobiles. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but the local villagers have already assigned the blame to pack of extremely bold wolves. Wolf tracks [...]
Go to Wolves Blamed in Teacher’s DeathMarch 12th, 2010
Telemark Champs Travel by Train
Chris Erickson and Will Cardamone boarded a train to head to the Telemark Championships in Alpine Meadows. Both guys are Stoic athletes, which means we’ll forever be debating whether they took first and second in the comp because of their good karma from the train ride or their killer jackets.
Go to Telemark Champs Travel by TrainMarch 12th, 2010
Anti-Energy Drinks
The energy drink industry is a multi-billion dollar behemoth, and several new manufacturers are looking to take their chunk out of it in a different way. These Anti-Energy drinks are meant to calm you and put you to sleep instead of making you consume twice as much alcohol as you normally would. Pretty soon [...]
Go to Anti-Energy DrinksMarch 11th, 2010
This Fat Ski Thing is Getting Out of Hand
K2 built these massive skis and installed in Vancouver a few weeks before the Olympics. They’re 16 feet long and made from colored glass, so you’re going to have to be careful not to hit any rocks if you ever ski them. Soon they’re be moved to K2’s headquarters down the road in Washington. [...]
Go to This Fat Ski Thing is Getting Out of HandMarch 11th, 2010
No Honor Among Thieves: Injured Out-of-Bounds Skier Left Behind
A local 16-year-old skier was ripping down a mountain-bike-only run at Whistler on his skis. He knew the spot was closed to skiers, but had become a fan of hitting a specific drop. When he approached the top of the feature, he made eye contact with a guy standing next to it, and assumed [...]
Go to No Honor Among Thieves: Injured Out-of-Bounds Skier Left BehindMarch 11th, 2010
Fishing Kayaker Hauled 11 Miles Out to Sea by Marlin
Pro Kayak Fisherman (it’s a real job) Howard McKim hooked a marlin estimated at 300lb. He was armed only with 20lb test on a Muskie rod, but he stuck with the animal anyway. It dragged him miles into the Sea of Cortez over the courses of about 5 hours. Since it’s a fishing video, [...]
Go to Fishing Kayaker Hauled 11 Miles Out to Sea by MarlinMarch 11th, 2010
Zamboni Gets Wet at Keystone
Zambonis look heavy. I think they’re filled with water. I also have to wonder if that Thin Ice! sign was hung after the Zamboni took the plunge. No one was hurt in the accident, and the rink will reopen for skating tomorrow, but I wouldn’t recommend going unless the temps drop significantly overnight.
Go to Zamboni Gets Wet at KeystoneMarch 10th, 2010
Rock Climbing Game in Development for Nintendo Wii
Oh man, now I’ll never have a reason to go outside. A San Diego software firm has announced that it’s in development of a rock climbing video game that somehow uses the Wii-mote to simulate hanging off a cliff. I have my doubts, and they’re not placated by this press release:
With no harnesses or [...]
March 10th, 2010
Rock Slide in Colorado on I-70
People who work at Vail and need to commute on I-70 are choosing between a five-hour drive each way or sleeping at their office. A massive rockslide has closed I-70 for at least a few days while they sweep the pebbles off the road. That’s one helluva pebble.
Go to Rock Slide in Colorado on I-70March 10th, 2010
Praying Mantis vs Hummingbird
Boing Boing pointed their readers towards a couple slow-motion videos of tiny animals at war, including this shot of a praying mantis taking down a hummingbird. They also have this Venus Flytrap eating a frog, which is pretty rad. I never even knew these rivalries existed. The juicy bits of the Mantis video are [...]
Go to Praying Mantis vs HummingbirdMarch 10th, 2010
Solo Female Hiker Missing in Washington
Friends are searching for 24-year-old female hiker Kate Heuther, who’s been missing since Thursday on the Pacific Crest Trail. They have her dog in tow while searching along the PCT, where she told her landlord via text message she’d be hiking last week. It’s especially troubling because another lone female hiker in the area [...]
Go to Solo Female Hiker Missing in WashingtonMarch 9th, 2010
Porn Mag Denied Crime Scene Photos of Decapitated Hiker
I feel a little bad once in awhile when I make fun of small mom-and-pop companies on The Goat, but now I’m just glad I don’t work for Hustler. Georgia authorities said on Monday that they would deny the porn magazine’s request for public records of crime scene photos of the 24-year-old female backpacker [...]
Go to Porn Mag Denied Crime Scene Photos of Decapitated HikerMarch 9th, 2010
Yvon Chouinard and American Express?
This is a credit card commercial. And as much as I hate credit cards companies for preying on college kids and generally fueling the debt-run society we currently live in, I have to admire this Yvon Chouinard credit card commercial. It ran during the Academy Awards of which I didn’t watch one minute, but [...]
Go to Yvon Chouinard and American Express?March 9th, 2010
West Point Cadets Earning Ski Patrol Certificates
I know nothing about the military, but officer training must not be all bad if you can get your ski patrol certificate. West Point Military Academy has been sending young officers to a small Vermonter resort called Okemo for 30 years. The place shuts down runs for them and lets the crew practice medical [...]
Go to West Point Cadets Earning Ski Patrol CertificatesMarch 9th, 2010
Hardest Boulder Problems in the Midwest
Nic Oklobzija pulled down an FA of The Raven (V12) in Minnesota over the weekend. It’s among the hardest problems across the flatland states. The Raven is on a 30-degree roof in Sandstone, MN, a place I’ve never heard of in spite of living in the state for several years. Ahh, Minnesota. It’s nice [...]
Go to Hardest Boulder Problems in the MidwestMarch 8th, 2010
Heavyweight Ski Championship
The Mountain World pointed me toward this photo of John Truden, who they said was the multi-time Heavyweight Ski Champion from the early 1970s. I’ve seen the shot here and there on the internet, usually alongside that one of the fat guy in the Lampre kit at the Tour de France. I always thought [...]
Go to Heavyweight Ski ChampionshipMarch 8th, 2010
Drug Gangs Taking Over National Park Pot Growing Operations
You’d think that a remote national parks getaway would be a good way to escape gang violence. Turns out that Mexican drug gangs have taken over the fledging domestic illegal pot cultivation that used to be run by Americans on national park and forest lands. What used to be 100-200 stands of marijuana are [...]
Go to Drug Gangs Taking Over National Park Pot Growing OperationsMarch 8th, 2010
New Zealand National Park Workers Showered with Herbicide
Being a sub-contractor for the New Zealand National Park system sounds rough. A crew of 12 was working on the grounds when a helicopter flew overheard and dumped chemicals all over them. Apparently the NZ government told them a couple days ago that it might happen.
Spokesman Phil Fleury said they had been told two [...]
March 8th, 2010
Washington Skiers Hike 26 Miles in Wrong Direction
A pair of East Coast skiers became in the backcountry around Crystal Mountain in Washington, but they managed to reach a road and hail a passing motorist. The guy told them it was about five miles back to Crystal, so the two decided hiking was their only option, despite being in ski boots and [...]
Go to Washington Skiers Hike 26 Miles in Wrong DirectionMarch 6th, 2010
Sugarloaf Will Charge Lost Snowboarders for Rescue
Last weekend two groups of snowboarders got lost once they headed out of bounds at Sugarloaf Resort. The good news is the both groups were found by Sugarloaf Ski Patrol and the local fire department after lengthy searches; the bad news is that Sugarloaf will be sending them a bill for the rescue.
The cost [...]
March 5th, 2010
Mountain Lion vs Pack of Tiny Dogs
A mountain lion chased a Colorado family’s tiny dog into their home yesterday while looking for an easy meal. Once it got inside, a pack of guard dogs-a Jack Russell Terrier and four Shih-Tzus-fought back. The mountain lion won, killing one of the dogs and trapping the three human members of the family in [...]
Go to Mountain Lion vs Pack of Tiny DogsMarch 5th, 2010
Survivorman Enthusiast Dies in Wilderness
A 41-year-old Ontario man died in the Canadian wilderness with his multi-tool, axe, matches, lighter, emergency blanket, fishing gear, compass, survival book, maps, and money. He lacked a tent or sleeping bag, and Canadian authorities suspect he died of hypothermia. The man left GPS coordinates with his landlord who contacted police when he didn’t [...]
Go to Survivorman Enthusiast Dies in WildernessMarch 5th, 2010
Blood Waterfall in Antarctica
At what point will the seas boil and the dead rise from the grave? The only reason I know that Bible reference is because I have the movie Ghostbusters memorized. The good news is that we can attribute this particular blood waterfall to science and not the End of Days. The bloody color of [...]
Go to Blood Waterfall in AntarcticaMarch 4th, 2010
Fish Falling From the Sky
Things are getting biblical in an Australian town hoping to get its name on the map. Last week Thursday and Friday afternoon, locals reported that fish were falling from the sky. Similar events have been reported around the world for years, and everyone has theories from evaporated fish eggs to tornados. I wonder what [...]
Go to Fish Falling From the SkyMarch 4th, 2010
New York to Close Donald Trump State Park
The New York Times ran an article about the impending closure of 48 parks across the state, including one created on land donated by Don Trump back in 2006. It’s called Donald J. Trump State Park; man that guy might have a lot of cash, but one thing he doesn’t have is taste. He [...]
Go to New York to Close Donald Trump State ParkMarch 4th, 2010
Captivating Images for new Stoic Underwear on Backcountry.com
I recommend not using the ‘zoom in’ option if you’re shopping for the new Stoic Merino Boxer Brief on Backcountry.com. Reviewers have already chimed in: “Hi. I’m an 11 year old girl and have never seen boys in underwear before, but I don’t think I need to register for the puberty class this year. [...]
Go to Captivating Images for new Stoic Underwear on Backcountry.comMarch 4th, 2010
Man Mistakes PLB for Avalanche Beacon
It was a frustrating two months for the Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue Group. Over the course of two months, someone had set off a Personal Locator Beacon 11 times, meaning they had to scramble to find the lost and near-dead person, only to have the beacon shut off shortly later.
“He felt terrible. He [...]
March 3rd, 2010
Inventing the Avalanche Airbag
I actually had wondered how they came up with the idea for an avalanche airbag. I thought maybe it was from the Bond film where he skis with that inflatable jacket that he blows up to keep him and a lovely Bond girl alive in an avalanche. Turns out I wasn’t far off.
Snow-safety experts [...]
March 3rd, 2010
CORE Trailer: First Climbing Movie Released on Blu-Ray
Chuck Fryberger’s upcoming climbing movie Core will have the distinction of being the first rock climbing film released to Blu-Ray. Not many dirtbag climbers have their camper cars outfitted with BluRay players, but I suppose there’s someone out there willing to drop $40 on the movie. Either way, the trailer looks rad.
via Climbing Narc