Have you ever embraced gravity and free-fallen through the atmosphere, made your way through the barrel of a double-overhead wave, or triumphantly punched the air after scaling the vertical face of an icy mountain? Have you ever felt your stomach drop at the sight of an ‘iron-boomerang’ shaped dorsal fin heading in your direction, or glanced up from 50m underwater, knowing that you only have a single breath of oxygen left to make it back up to the ocean surface?
“The object of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy sh*t, what a ride!”— Mavis Leyrer (age 83)
These activities might seem utterly ‘bonkers’ to casual onlookers—but we humans are not entirely rational creatures. We are endlessly enterprising when it comes to inventing new forms of distilled intensity. We spend years learning complex skills which do not create anything useful, nothing of practical value, only accumulated moments of inarticulate wonder and stories to share.
We seek these momentary states of sublime flow—when the consciousness of a confident skier will merge with the powder mountain, a climber’s with the vertical rock face, a kayaker’s with the rapids and the surfer’s with the unthinking power of the ocean.
Imagine the feeling—endorphins flood through your neural highways like a fire hose, drenching all thoughts of the past and future, freeing you from the tyranny of your own thoughts and knocking you into the present moment. You feel uniquely, magnificently and incontrovertibly alive. As Irish big wave surfer Mickey Smith once said,
“This is where my heart beats the hardest.”— Mickey Smith
Below we have compiled 20 adrenaline-fuelled and heart-pounding tales, all contributed by intrepid members of our community.
1 | Marooned in Mozambique
8 min read · By Jody MacDonald
The sun has set, we have been flying most of a day that none of us wants to end. I want to fly until I cannot see. We are still a long way from where the dinghy should be and I’m hoping it is just the light that robs us of the view. But in my gut I know we are screwed.
Jody MacDonald is an adventure sport, expedition and documentary style photographer searching for adventure in the remote corners of the planet. Find her phenomenal work here or drop her a line on Twitter @jodyphoto.
2 | The Last Great Climb
Our objective—to scale the unclimbed North-East ridge of Ulvetanna Peak in Antarctica, which would involve over a mile of climbing in temperatures as low as minus 30.
Alastair Lee is a professional maker of rock climbing films and mountain photographics. You can find his incredible Award Winning Last Great Climb documentary here or drop him a line @Al_lee.
3 | Beat the Drum & Dance Again
A promised land for adventurous surfers, Haïti is a country rich in spirit, rough, resilient, ironic and brave—a place where people confirm the simple joy of being alive.
Sam Bleakley is the surfEXPLORE travel writer geographer and Senior Lecturer inCultural Tourism Management at Falmouth University. If you enjoyed his Mauritanian story, send your appreciation in 140 characters or less @SamBleakley1.
4 | The Penguin Runner
11 min read · By Morgan Cardiff
October in Namibia, the thermometer pushes 45 degrees, and with no respite more than an overheated tent—a 36-year-old scuba diving instructor is running 2,700km through the oldest desert on earth to raise awareness for a Penguin. I joined him for 4 weeks.
Morgan Cardiff is a photographer, scientist, masters student and lover of adventure. You can find his vivid photography here or say thanks for his story on Twitter @RhysMorgan__.
5 | A Mountain Microadventure
10 min read · By Alastair Humphreys
If you can spare five seconds I’ll tell you the story of my life. Or at least I can sum up this story: there are challenges and adventures at the very limit of your capabilities right here in Britain. You just need to go find them.
Alastair Humphreys was voted National Geographic’s 2012 Adventure of the Year and is currently writing a new book about ‘Microad.ventures’. Read our previousLatitude Series Interview with Al. If you enjoy his stories on Maptia be sure to drop him a line @Al_Humphreys to say thanks.
6 | Freediving with Dolphins
3 min read · By Eusebio & Christina Sáenz de Santamaría
I take a final breath and slip beneath the surface, absolutely focused. I can feel the pressure change, hear the sounds of life around me and concentrate on my movements to ensure a relaxed, yet very aware, state of mind.
Eusebio & Christina Sáenz de Santamaría are based on the small tropical island of Koh Tao in Thailand where they train and coach freediving but also spend 6 months of the year travelling, exploring and creating underwater photography and videos atoneoceanonebreath.com. Ask them a question about free diving on Twitter @1ocean1breath.
7 | Live Urgently. Live Passionately.
From the 4,000 islands stretch of the Mekong, to the technical ‘minus rapids’ on the Zambezi, to the vividly-orange waters of the Betsiboka in Madagascar, I have been lucky enough to kayak on some of the most amazing rivers in the world. These are some of the highlights!
Brad Ludden is a professional athlete and philanthropist intent on inspiring philanthropy through sport by showcasing people doing just that! He founded First Descents, which offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free outdoor adventure experiences. Drop him a line on Twitter if you were inspired by his story @bradludden.
8 | Northern Glory
On a clear day the water here is such a vivid shade of green that you would be forgiven for confusing it with the Maldives. Along with rugged cliffs, empty coastal roads and outstanding natural beauty—Thurso is also home to one of the most perfect right-hand waves in the world.
Jonny Miller is a cofounder at Maptia—when he’s not playing a ukulele (or writing his own bio in the third person) he can probably be found submerged in saltwater somewhere. Feel free to bug him with questions on Twitter @jonnym1ller.
9 | Surfing from a Sinking Ship
The burning blue tubes peel hypnotically between shipwrecks off the coast of the land that is never on the map—a disputed territory of rust and sand, tradition and post-colonial scars.
Sam Bleakley is the surfEXPLORE travel writer geographer and Senior Lecturer in Cultural Tourism Management at Falmouth University. If you enjoyed either of his stories, send your appreciation in 140 characters or less @SamBleakley1.
10 | Cycling the 50 States
In July 2013 I set off to cycle 11,000 miles, alone and unassisted, through each and every state of the USA. This story tells of the people and places that captured my heart along the way—from the vast plains of the Wild West to the hustle and bustle of New York City.
Anna McNuff is an adventurer, writer and is passionate about using adventure as a platform to inspire kids to get outside, and get exploring. Find more of her adventures here or drop her a message @AnnaMcNuff.
11 | Jumping for Yams
4 min read · By Rachel Kristensen
On an island in the South Pacific, boys as young as seven kiss their boar necklaces and free fall 30 metres to the earth. To prove they are a man, and to ensure a good yam harvest.
Rachel is a tea-drinking adventure junkie who set out to experience what the world has to offer and shares her stories over at meander-the-world.com. Follow her adventurous meanderings on Twitter @meandertheworld.
12 | Jumping Out of Airplanes
4 min read · By Matthew Karsten
An adrenaline-fueled account of my last minute decision to go skydiving for the first time high above the islands of Fiji while falling through the Troposphere at 120 mph.
Matthew Karsten is an adventure travel addict and photographer who has been vagabonding around the world since 2010. Sharing his travel experiences onExpertVagabond.com. Drop him a line on Twitter @expertvagabond.
13 | Chasing Whitewater
They rode the waves like cowboys on bucking broncos. I was certain they all have had something broken and healed in them. They were insouciant, breezy mongrels, half-aquatic creatures moving with the swell of the rivers and the seasons.
Cindy is a Canadian writer and photographer living in Laos. Her travels have taken her deep into the Sahara, across the wilds of Patagonia, down (and out) of the Grand Canyon and into kitchens all over Iran. Cindy has a fantastic blog over atsomanymiles.com and you can find her on Twitter @cindyisAWOL.
14 | Paddling the Grand Canyon
Paddling 280 miles along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. It’s so much more than gnarly rapids and water… although they do play a big part.
Hannah Maia is the head honcho of an indie production company that loves making films about outdoor adventures, lifestyle, travel and other fun stuff. Drop her a line on Twitter @maiamedia.
15 | The Great Arctic Adventure
In 2012, I headed to the Arctic circle in Norway. This is the story of my dog sledding adventure.
Jay is an explorer, adventurer and writer. He aims to share his travel stories to inform, entertain and, hopefully, inspire others to explore the world — while also expanding his own horizons. Read a few more of them here.
16 | Swimming with a Whale Shark
When you snorkel behind its tail—a waving “iron boomerang”—there is no mistaking that the largest fish in the world is, indeed, a shark.
Constantly curious, Stephanie is a traveler, teacher and freelance writer. Follow her misadventures at traveloops.com or drop her a line on Twitter @TravelOops.
17 | Flying with my Childhood Hero
Fulfilling what has been a dream for many years, I took a trip to Mojave to see spaceships and airplanes, and to fly with my childhood hero Dick Rutan—the aviator who co-piloted the Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, on its non-stop flight in 1986.
Manu is an aerospace engineer and designer—it’s not rocket science (update: actually it is).
18 | Risk-taking and Rope-jumping
3 min read · By Rebekah Cramerus
It might be the first day of winter, but the snow’s been piling up for a while now. Everything around me is white, as if to make the days brighter to compensate for the lengthening nights.
Rebekah Cramerus is a Texas-raised tea-drinker and mini-linguist who has just left her liberal arts college bubble to see the world. Follow her adventures atwanderjust.me.
19 | Taranaki Solo
The heightened senses and exhilaration of climbing a (small) mountain on your own.
Romain has his head in the cloud and feet firmly in the mud. You can read more of his great stories at rom-ain.tumblr.com.
20 | Kayaking in Antarctica
To say Kayaking in Antarctica was an adventure is an understatement. It is more of a life event you will never forget. From having whales breach at your bow to paddling within feet of Leopard seals. It is and experience that you will be talking about forever.
Dave and Deb of theplanetd.com have explored all seven continents and over 80 countries on a mission to to show that ordinary people can live extraordinary lives. Say hi to them on Twitter @theplanetd.
Finally… A bonus story of adrenaline-infused (mis)adventure:
How to Panic Your Way Across Paris
5 min read · By Mike Sowden · Read this story on Maptia
Adrenaline can lead you to perform superhuman acts of derring-do. Panic can trigger subhuman acts of intellectual prowess—but this is also a story about the good in people and trusting that things usually work out in the end.
Mike Sowden is the Chief Storyteller and Head Bloke at Fevered Mutterings. Ask him for his gems of storytelling advice or tip your hat in his direction @mikeachim on the Twitter.
“20 Adrenaline-Infused Stories from Around the World”—tweet this post here and feel free to @mention any thrill-seeking friends looking for their fix of epic stories.
Our next storytelling theme on Maptia is going to be ‘People of the World’. If you have a story that you’d like to share, email us a 200 word snippet here.
If you found your heart-rate notched up a few beats reading these stories—we’d really appreciate it if you nudged the big green recommend button below!
Email me when Storytelling on Maptia publishes stories