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 2019, African-American mountaineer Rebecca Ross flew halfway across the world to meet her climbing partner for the first time. Together they planned to climb two 16,000ft peaks high in the Georgian Caucuses. Needless to say, things did not go as planned.
Read MoreIn December 2018, African-American mountaineer Rebecca Ross summited 18,500’ Pico de Orizaba in Mexico while leading her first international mountaineering expedition. She writes, “My body went through the wringer and then some. However, I discovered a reserve of strength and tenacity that I didn’t know existed.”
Read MoreIt’s no wonder that sports like mountaineering are perceived as inaccessible and prohibitively expensive to many. I’m sure many People of Color would absolutely love to partake in mountaineering if not for the incredible price tag attached. Ultimately, mountaineering meets the needs of its own demographic: privileged and exclusive White communities.
Read MoreOften times I walk away feeling moderately confident, but still wishing for a male companion on my climbs to put me at ease. Not this time.
Read MoreAnd each time I turned around I felt like a complete failure! Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me to pick another hobby. A safer hobby. A warmer hobby. In fact, each time I fail, I tend to go through the complete stages of grief. Seriously! I go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and the hardest one, acceptance.
Read MoreI feel like I've seen it all, candy wrappers, empty plastic water bottles, hair ties, socks, underwear, dog poop bags that are full and tied up for the poop fairy to pick up (there isn't one), and guess what else? New and used tampons and condoms! Yep, that's right!
Read MoreI can't help but dwell on the idea of where my relentless drive and fiery passion for doing something different, something unusual, despite my race, gender, small stature, and yes, even fear of heights. Although, when I look back, it's easy to realize it was primarily due to my mom and people like her who believed in me, even when I went through phases of not believing in myself.
Read MoreI have always lived in predominately all-white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skinned, tall, skinny, long hair, delicate features, and ladylike—the epitome of Eurocentric standards. Sorry, not sorry, I don't fit those standards...
Read MoreThere are a number of lookout towers throughout the Pacific Northwest: some are fully functioning lookout towers only to be rented during off-seasons, while others are available year-round. Two of the towers I booked were 40 ft towers with incredible views of the mountain ranges above Oregon's popular Douglas Firs.
Read MoreI was asked to join a group of individuals, most of whom I've never met, to spend three days over Christmas break in Red Rocks, near Las Vegas, Nevada. It just so happened that my schedule was open and had planned on staying in Portland this year, so I decided to take the leap. It's not every day I get asked to do some rock climbing in a different state with a group of climbing enthusiasts. I figured it was either going to be an amazing adventure or it would be a Christmas to remember and not in a good way—so I took a gamble.
Read MoreI was struggling to stay warm and keep my food down, I was anxious to start moving again whether it was ascending or descending I didn't care.
Read MoreWe spent the day covering crevasse travel and rescue, kick and plunge stepping, snow anchors, digging an avalanche snow pit, and taking turns sliding down a hill to practice self-arresting, a technique vital for mountaineering if you fall.
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