With thousands of stories in the AJ archive, we occasionally are reminded of an oldie but goodie, put our feet up on the desk, open the computer and chuckle and nod our way through a classic, like this one from Brendan Leonard from way back in 2014. Enjoy. – Ed. Rob at Green Garage in … Read more
We love Alpacka rafts (we have a review forthcoming of their excellent super light backpacking model soon) and their founder, Sheri Tingey is about to realize a project she’s had in mind for decades. A packraft model that can handle Class V rapids. A film about her life, “Sheri” is hitting the film festival circuit. … Read more
I walked into a Subaru dealership this past weekend, the first time in my life I’d ever set foot in one. In retrospect, it’s hard to believe I hadn’t been in one before. As I drove up in my dusty Tacoma with a mountain bike strapped to a hitch rack and surfboards in the bed, … Read more
Many don’t know this but the name Switzerland means “take the train to” (Switzer) “the slopes” (land). Which is great because…hold on (taps earpiece) we’re getting word that Switzerland does not in fact mean that. Well, either way, check out this wonderful ad for the “Ride and Slide” ticket you can buy in Switzerland. No … Read more
A nasal, laughing bird call echoed through the Ortiz Mountains in northern New Mexico this September. A couple of pinyon jays chattered loudly as they flew over the piñon pine and juniper woodlands that sweep across the foothills. “They have really fun calls,” said Peggy Darr, then the resource management specialist with Santa Fe County’s … Read more
Ah, Chamonix. And, ah, Sam Favret’s approach to this off piste line on the flanks of Mount Blanc.
Since 2011, the InReach device has been a trusted safety feature for backcountry adventures. 10,000 times someone carrying one has gotten themselves into trouble (real or imagined) and pressed that glaring red SOS button. Garmin, and presumably DeLorme which Garmin acquired in 2016, the company that created the InReach, has been keeping data about those … Read more
It was a simple mission: Travel farther north than anybody else ever had. In 1881, the record for reaching “Farthest North” was held by the British. America wanted it. So, the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition was launched. The men, led by Lt. A. W. Greely, succeeded in claiming their prize of Farthest North, but then … Read more
The Mediocre Amateur crew does a great job walking you through climbs and scrambles and sketchy hikes. This time, it’s the Matterhorn. Makes it look super doable, but there are some s-k-e-t-c-h-y exposure sections here. Easy climbing but with huge risk.
We haven’t tried Itacate Foods but we are going to after watching this. Itacate means something like “food bundle” in the Aztecan language family, a great name for backpacking food built on Latin recipes and flavors. The joy and love oozing from this short about the brand tells us this food has to be good.