Planning your first weekend hike or a backpacking trip? Want to know what it's like to experience free fall from 13,000ft? Interested in swapping beta on some of the best bouldering locations across the US? Check out our Trip Reports for recent articles from our Featured Bloggers. Whether you’re venturing outdoors alone or with your family or friends, you’ll find something that matches your interests! We also tackle complex topics like racism, colorism, transphobia and queerphobia in outdoor recreation.
In 2021, I became the first female Kurdish sport climber in Bashur, Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). Everything I climbed was a first female ascent. This at first felt exciting! But with time, I realized it was a testament to the hardship Kurds have faced over the years.
Read MoreWe’re bringing attention to three Black nature stewards who are out there doing the work, while protecting natural areas, improving access and getting more Black people outside.
Read MoreWhat keeps you from taking a chance and moving to a new place to start again? A few years ago, I was asking myself this same question. I started to search for a change in scenery, and it led me to Alaska.
Read MoreWith over 200,000 problems on the kilter app, it can be overwhelming to pick a fun problem. So I made a list of climbs that I thought would be enjoyable for the new steep climber and put it to the test.
Read MoreAt thirty years old, I had never held a fishing rod. Never tied a fly, never cast a line, never felt the tug of a fish fighting on the other end. But I'd always been drawn to the idea of fly fishing.
Read MoreI’m likely the world’s biggest Kilterboard fan! It’s great at multiple angles and for all levels of climbers. Although I jokingly call this angle “slab climbing” , 55 degrees is truly steep climbing. For climbers not familiar with climbing at steep angles, the change in technique and strength required can be quite jolting. Here are some of my favorite well-rounded setters at 55 degrees to make your transition to steep climbing easier!
Read MoreI enjoy how climbing is just as much mental as physical. You rely on body tension and technique, instead of attempting to brutishly muscle my way up the wall. When I can’t figure out a route, I often think about the moves when I’m away from the gym.
Read MoreAfter a spinal cord injury in 2019, I was unable to weight my feet while climbing. With muscle weakness and no feeling, I couldn’t tell the difference between rock and air. Nearly every workout I’ve done for the past two years has been focused on being able to maintain body tension, and I’m finally starting to see results. Here are the top four climbing exercises that have helped me avoid cutting feet.
Read MoreMario founded the nonprofit Un Mar de Colores to bring global majority kids in San Diego County to the beach and teach them to surf, be safe in the ocean, and be stewards of the environment. This is where the magic happens.
Read MoreThe outdoors can be a dangerous place and fear might initially keep you from trying new things. So here are four reasons why you should do it scared.
Read MoreAfter climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro this year, I started wondering, What’s next? Moving my body makes me happy, but sometimes training feels boring without a goal to work toward. I wanted something that felt just outside my comfort zone.
Read MoreI also know that hunger disproportionately impacts Black Americans who make up nearly 30% of SNAP recipients. So why would I celebrate cuts to a program that is a lifeline for so many people?
Read MoreBuilding a home gym is a monumental task! Once the climbing wall is built, you’d think the biggest hurdle is over. But a safe landing area is just as important, and can be just as overwhelming. There are many options for foam and foam coverings, making it difficult to know which is right for a climbing wall. I spent weeks reading about foam, cold-calling foam companies, and driving around to different fabric stores learning about vinyl coverings. Here is my journey of building a safe landing!
Read MoreI can either enjoy my life doing what I love, or sit at home worried about getting assaulted or worse. I choose to take common sense precautions, trust my gut, and hope for the best. But that doesn’t mean I’m never afraid.
Read MoreThe climbing stories you hear at base camp or around a campfire just might save your life. That’s why it matters who gets to tell stories of danger, joy, and survival. Too often the loudest voices don’t look like us. But for Sachi Koide, Sof Petros, and Theresa Silveyra—three accomplished women and genderqueer climbers of color—mountaineering is more than technical knowledge. It’s about community, power and courage.
Read MoreOn the morning of August 8, 2023, Noelle Bali and Marina Riker received routine alerts of nearby fires. It was another dry summer and 60 mph winds rattled Lahaina, a coastal beach town in Maui.
Downed power lines sparked a small fire which soon engulfed the town, leaving 102 residents dead and thousands forced to evacuate — including Noelle and Marina. What started as a relatively normal day became one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, leaving a beloved community searching for a way forward.
Read MoreWorking full time with a toddler, five cats and a dog didn’t leave me much time to learn a new skill. So I hired a painter, but when he didn’t show up and the welders were starting in three days. I quickly took a crash course on painting. This is what I learned.
Read More“Self-doubt is common,” said the certified ski instructor who sits on several state-wide and national committees for snow sports. “We often question our ability levels. We wonder, ‘Do I belong here?’ Black people haven’t historically been in these spaces. We’ve all experienced feeling like the ‘other’ in certain places.” By teaching technical skills, EDGE gives women the tools to say, “Yes, I belong here. I know what I’m doing. I deserve this space.”
Read MoreI was recently lucky enough to make my first voyage to one of the top climbing destinations in the world: Fontainebleau—or Font. For most of my climbing career, I’d heard stories about the beautiful sandstone boulders and the flat, sandy landings. I knew I had to experience it for myself one day.
But planning a climbing trip to a foreign country can feel overwhelming and even a little scary, especially if it’s your first time. To help make your experience smoother and more enjoyable, here are some tips I picked up along the way.
Read MoreEsther Park is on a mission to help women in skydiving fit in–literally.
She left a comfortable job in scientific sales after a life-changing skydiving accident. Since then, she founded a company, Girls in Sky Places, to help women find correctly-sized gear.
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