Category Archives: Adventure

First copy!

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Posted in Adventure, Africa, Books, Crossing the Heart of Africa, Writing | Leave a comment

Who needs a parachute?

ON A bright day in 1912, an Austrian tailor named Franz Reichelt jumped off the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. This was no suicide attempt. Reichelt was wearing a special overcoat of his own design that was supposed to let … Continue reading

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Expedition: Grand Canyon

Water break! The call goes out every half hour, echoing off the rust-colored sandstone cliffs and across the mocha waters of the Colorado River. Puffs of dust rise as the archaeologists drop shovels and clipboards, sit down in the dirt, … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Archaeology, History, North America, Southwest | Leave a comment

Two words: Lion Drome

When the Wall of Death fails to satisfy, add a giant feline predator in a sidecar. Number five in the list of the most badass things ever done by jungle cats: Somebody back in the 1920s thought to themselves, “I … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, History, Wildlife | 3 Comments

Everest from 36,000 feet

Image (c) Leo Dickinson Mt. Everest, along with Lhotse and Cho Oyu and many others, shot from 36,000 feet during the first-ever balloon overflight of the mountain in 1991. Prints of photographer Leo Dickinson's images are available on his website.

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Posted in Adventure, Asia & Pacific, Photography | Leave a comment

Everett Ruess may still be missing

Turns out the remains found in southeastern Utah last year may not be Everett Ruess, contrary to recent reports. Kevin Jones and Derinna Koop, both archaeologist with the state of Utah, say the shape of the incisors suggest the skeleton … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, History | Leave a comment

Castleton Tower with a car on top, 1964

This commercial for a 1964 Chevy Impala features a car on top of Castleton Tower, one of the classic tower climbs in Castle Valley near Moab, UT. The film crew used a helicopter to hoist a hollowed-out car–just the body … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Climbing, Southwest | Leave a comment

Across the Ocean in a Pedal-Powered Submarine

My latest piece in New Scientist is about inventor Ted Ciamillo's plans to pedal across the Atlantic later this year in a one-man submarine he designed and built. (It even earned an editorial.) The Subhuman project will be both an … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Science | Leave a comment

Mountain climbing kills brain cells

Some people say you have to be soft in the head to want to climb peaks like Everest and K2. But a recent Italian study found it definitely works the other way, too: serious mountaineers who went over 4,000 meters … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Climbing, Health & Medicine | Leave a comment

Finally, a flying car

What do you get when you attach a big fan and a big parafoil to a modified dune buggy? An honest-to-God flying car. (Finally. How long have we been waiting for these?) The car's inventor, the adventurer and engineer Gilo … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Africa, Europe, Technology | Leave a comment