Urban Adventures

by Erik Olsen on


Ah, city life. It definitely has its advantages and drawbacks. For me, living in New York City is a boon to one’s cultural experience, but when it comes to the outdoors, well, it’s a pain in the arse, frankly. But there are still places to go and things to do in the big metropolis, and each city has its own sportsy charms. Kayaking on the Hudson is a great thing, as is taking a mini-hike in the wooded parts of Central Park. But you can also bike over the George Washington Bridge and, well, there are things to do to get your heart beating. So that’s what New York is about…what bout other cities?

The Guardian has as fine a list of outdoor adventures in urban zones as I’ve seen in a while. Of course, they cover kayaking, as I mentioned here, and even give some props to our own Manhattan Kayak Company, the folks who probably do the beset job getting you out on the water. But they also talk about some of the more intense urban thrill. For example, how about Hang-gliding in Rio De Janeiro, Bungee-jumping in Vienna or tower scaling in Macao. You’re in luck: all are mentioned here.

So if you’re a city clicker looking for some local adventure give this a look-see.

All Hail Yvon Chouinard

by Erik Olsen on

Yvon Chouinard is one of the great living legends of outdoor sports and activism. A hard-core surfer and environmental activist, he has put his name and sizable fortune (he founded Ventura, California–based Patagonia Inc.) behind efforts to preserve forests and beaches and to generally heighten our awareness of how we are treating the earth.

This piece by Chouinard in Outside Magazine, though a year or so old, really sheds some light on who he is and what he has accomplished. He is a personal hero of mine, and after reading this piece, I suggest he will become one of yours as well.

Ski the Himalyas?

by Erik Olsen on

A very interesting post over at Luxist bout efforts to build a ski area in the Himalayas. Now, being the tallest mountains in the world, you might have thought that there were already gazillions of ski areas in these mountains, but it seems most of the really rich people who go to ski areas are in North America and Europe, so it hasn’t exactly been easy to get there. Also, when I say the Himalayas are high, I mean it. It’s one thing to get a headache when skiing Vail, which is at about 8,000 feet. It’s quite another thing to carve turns at 14,000 feet and above.

But folks are going to try anyway. The Himalayan Ski Village is the project of Alfred Ford, the great grandson of Henry Ford. He’s throwing cash and his name muscle at a $250 million project to create a five-star resort in the Kullu Valley. They got permits and the go ahead from the Himachal Pradesh state government and will begin work on the project by end of this year. They say it should take three years to complete.

Interactive Colorado

by Erik Olsen on

I spent four years of my life in Colorado and still have very fond thoughts about the state. From corner to corner you will find epic scenery and boundless things to do that will satisfy nearly every outdoorsy jones (with the exception, perhaps, of surfing and sailing). Away.com has got a nice little interactive on Colorado that reveals some of Colorado’s treasures. It’s a fine place to check out and might help sway your decision-making process as you plan a summer trip.

Biking the Canyons

by Erik Olsen on

Fans of both superb mountainbiking and the mountains of Utah can rejoice. The resort area of the Canyonlands outside of Salt Lake City kicks off its summer season on June 22nd. The mountain will be open for all sorts of great outdoor activities including gondola rides, fishing. hiking and mountain biking.