On Adventure

Stand of coastal redwoods, Boy Scout Stand, Redwoods National Park, California, U.S.A.

Adventure, or at least outdoor adventure, the activity, the concept, the way of life, is complicated, at least to me.  Adventure is a state of being, a merger of mind, body and spirit, with the natural habitats which surround us.  For me, adventure, like true solitude, can only be experienced in nature, in habitats relatively untouched by human hands. True adventure cannot happen in urban or suburban landscapes, you must be exploring the woods and waters, deserts and mountains, oceans and islands of the undeveloped world.  This does not mean that wandering the streets of a foreign city is not adventurous, even almost dangerous, especially if you do not speak the native language, but this is a different kind of experience, not really an outdoor adventure.  There will be times when an adventure passes through developed areas, towns and villages, but these times should be ephemeral, and you should be spending the majority of your time immersed in nature.  Adventure does not have to be experienced alone, and actually, it often works better if it is shared with good friends, or a lover.  Adventure must include at least some element of danger, of risk, though it does not have to rise to the level of being life-threatening.  Fear is good for the mind.  Fear keeps us sharp, alert, and hopefully, more fully aware of our surroundings and the risks inherent in time spent outdoors.  Adventure must be challenging, there must be difficulty involved, otherwise, an activity is not adventurous, it is instead just a vacation.  As they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it, and then, it would not be a true adventure. The challenges involved do not always have to be extreme physical challenges, not many of us are fit or skilled enough to climb the Dawn Wall on El Cap in Yosemite, or sail around the world.  But, it must be a test, adventure must be work, it must be hard, it cannot be easy. Adventure must also involve a level of uncertainty, success should not be guaranteed, though it should not be impossible either.  Adventures can be long, or short, though long adventures are always more challenging, more difficult and possibly more dangerous, and thus more worthy and rewarding. The rewards of adventure have nothing to do with what others think, it is all about the personal experiences that result from the adventure, the personal growth, physically, emotionally, and intellectually.  It is also always rewarding, at least for me, to be more completely connected with and immersed in nature during the adventure.  I want to hear, see, smell, touch all that surrounds me, all that the biological and physical world has to offer.  Again, true adventure can only take place while enveloped by the natural world.  Some of the best adventures possible are nested within beautiful landscapes, filled with a diversity of life, rocks and waters, mountains and valleys, and a sky filled with otherworldly clouds which race overhead.  And, many adventures include the possibility of encounters with animals which can pose a significant risk to us.  There are animals out there who can eat us; this is part of the adventure.  It is always hoped that the weather is good, as this makes an adventure more enjoyable, though often the real adventure is dealing with the variability in the weather experienced which makes a trip a real test of body and will.  And finally, adventure does not have to be life altering, you do not have to come out of an adventure a changed person. But, while an adventure does not have to change who you are, it had better be lots of fun, be an experience not soon forgotten, be something talked about for many years to come, or otherwise, you might as well just stay at home.  So, get out there, and be adventurous, it will definitely be worth it, I promise.  Outdoor adventures are a huge part of what makes me who I am, and without them, I would really question whether life is worth living, they are that important.

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Trout, caught on a fly, 15 m from my campsite, Parque Pumalin, Chile.

Torres, Parque del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.

My tent, our campsite, sea kayaking in the Exumas, The Bahamas.