The internet's best adventure reads this week span a voyaging canoe without instruments, a vanished runner on the Matterhorn, and a 150-foot ski jump that defined an era.
The standout: ten Hawaiian sailors just finished a 2,574km voyage from the Cook Islands to New Zealand aboard a replica of a traditional double-hulled Polynesian canoe — no compass, GPS, engine or charts. They steered entirely by stars, ocean swells, winds, birds and clouds, the way their ancestors crossed the Pacific. The trip is part of a bigger mission to circumnavigate the Pacific and hand these navigation skills to a new generation.
In the Indian Himalaya, Dr. Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi spent more than two decades chasing snow leopards, but first he had to reach the Lingti Valley, one of the most remote corners of the range. An attempt to cross the 5,670m Shilla Pass in -30°C winter conditions failed just short of the top, so his team followed the frozen Lingti River instead — unstable ice, treacherous crossings — until they found the first signs of snow leopards in the valley.
Climbing's trust culture is fraying. For generations, a climber's word settled the record books; now summits and hard ascents demand witnesses or raw footage. The catalyst this year: Dutch boulderer Simon Boes claimed a V16 ascent of Deep Fake in Switzerland and released a send video, only for viewers to spot a subtle cut and question what had been edited out.
Elsewhere: Katie Kelble, John Ebers and Colin Baker endured freezing cold, illness and a race against storms to complete The American Way, a 950m free climb on Slesova Peak in Kyrgyzstan's remote Karavshin Valley, finishing as a two-person team. Back in 1999, skier Jeff Holden launched a 150-foot cliff in Alaska's Chugach Mountains at over 100kph, then casually skied back to the film crew — producing one of powder skiing's most iconic cover photos.
On a gentler note, writer Neil Schulman found a faded yellow dry bag in a paddling shop's closing sale with two names Sharpied on it: Jim and Jan Bollerman, local canoeists who both died in their 80s. Known to Schulman from the water and the slalom course, they now travel with him on every trip.
There's practical inspiration, too. Rylie Denis and Tristan La Haye rode from Banff to Argentina on a bikepacking-and-surfing route despite being beginners — La Haye had never cycled more than 50km before committing. After more than a year on the road, their verdict: fancy gear doesn't matter, but rest and flexibility do. Hauling a surfboard through two hemispheres adds planning headaches around seasons and weight, but the core lesson is simply to adapt as you go.
Finally, a sombre update: Canadian trail runner Kalie McCrystal, 38, disappeared on 1 September after summiting the Matterhorn by the Lion's Ridge from the Italian side, last seen around 15:45 by Polish climbers during her descent. She had been preparing a women's fastest known time attempt. Italian authorities searched the mountain and surrounding Alps for a week before calling the operation off on 8 September.
Together these stories show why adventure writing still pulls readers in — raw risk, old skills revived, and the occasional reminder that the mountains don't negotiate.