August Adventure Roundup: From the Highest Peaks to the Deepest Oceans<br/>

The outdoor and adventure world is revved up at the moment!

There are so many new records being broken, crazy adventures being undertaken, and huge events taking place all the time that it is hard to choose which ones to highlight.

If you're a fan of trail running, mountain biking, adventure movies, or anything to do with the outdoors then you won't want to miss this update on the latest and greatest.

The Latest Results

1- UCI MTB Cycling World Championships

The UCI Mountain Biking Cycling World Championships in Scotland were on fire this year.

Charlie Hatton (UK) won gold in the men's elite downhill race in 00:04:26.747, while Valentina Höll (AUT) the women's gold in 00:04:58.242. Over in the cross-country marathon section, Henrique da Silva Avancini (BR) took the men's gold in 4:14:42 and Mona Mitterwallner (AUT) the women's in 5:07:50. Tom Pidcock (UK) won the men's elite cross-country olympic in 1:22:09 and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FR) the women's in 1:24:14.

2- Leadville Trail 100 MTB

One of the most prestigious endurance cross-country MTB events in the world, the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, was an epic success. Each rider braved 100 miles of high-altitude in extreme Rocky Mountain terrain, starting at 3,094m and climbing to 3,786m.

Sofia Gomez Villafane (US) was the first woman to cross the finish line with a time of 7:09:48, closely followed by Ruth Winter (US) in 7:11:12 and Alexis Skarda (US) who finished with a time of 7:19:03.

Keegan Swenson (US) was the overall men’s winner with a time of 5:43:31. Alexey Vermeulen (US) came second in the men’s in 6:08:01, and John Gaston (US) came a very close third in 6:08:05.

3- leadville Trail 100 Run

Americans Jacquie Mannhard and JP Gibblin took the spoils at the Leadville Trail 100 on August 19 with two thrilling performances at the 100-mile race in Colorado, USA. The pair were in a class of their own, winning their respective races by a comfortable margin. Mannhard completed the course in 21:24:55, running across the finish line almost two hours ahead of her nearest rival, Lucie Hanes. Giblin, runner-up in 2022, crossed the line first overall in 17:07:25, over 40 minutes ahead of Luke Paulson in second.

Adventure movies for your month

Hungary lags behind its neighbours in the mountain biking scene. One grassroots community, though, in the town of Köszeg is working hard to change that.

Perspective: Köszeg showcases how a local community came together for a shared passion and to create a place where mountain bikers can meet, learn, and grow. Even against strong headwinds regarding the legalisation of the local trails, these guys have built a community that can take pride in its achievements.

The Range of Light is an intimate look into the lives of three hikers as they tackle the high routes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, covering over 643km in around 35 days.

The award-winning documentary looks at the addictive nature of long-distance hiking, the creation of high routes, and the threats these wild places face.

Adventure time

Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila and Nepalese climber Tenjin Sherpa (Lama) set a new joint record on the 8000ers. The duo climbed all 14 of the world's peaks over 8,000 metres in 3 months and 1 day (92 days), finishing their grand effort on K2 on July 27.

The pair had set out in May this year to beat Kristin’s world record of climbing all 14 true peaks above 8,000m in under six months. This puts them ahead of the previous record by three months, which was held by Nirmal "Nims" Purja.

The mountains the duo summited are:

Shishapangma, 8027m, China (Tibet), 26th of April, 2023 (rank 14)
Cho Oyu, 8188m, Nepal-China (Tibet), 3rd of May, 2023 (rank 6)
Makalu I, 8485m, Nepal, 13th of May, 2023 (rank 5)
Kangchenjunga, 8586m, Nepal, 18th of May, 2023 (rank 3)
Everest, 8848m, Nepal, 23rd of May, 2023 (rank 1)
Lhotse, 8516m, Nepal, 23rd of May, 2023 (rank 4)
Dhaulagiri I, 8167m, Nepal, 29th of May, 2023 (rank 7)
Annapurna I, 8091m, Nepal, 5th of June, 2023 (rank 10)
Manaslu , 8163m, Nepal, 10th of June, 2023 (rank 8)
Nanga Parbat, 8125m, Pakistan, 26th June, 2023 (rank 9)
Gasherbrum II, 8034m, Pakistan, 15th of July, 2023 (rank 13)
Gasherbrum I, 8080m, Pakistan, 18th of July, 2023 (rank 11)
Broad Peak, 8051m, Pakistan, 23rd of July, 2023 (rank 12)
K2, 8611m, Pakistan, 27th of July, 2023 (rank 2)

Kristin, a native of Northern Norway, grew up with a passion for the mountains and the outdoors. She has been pushing her own boundaries to achieve phenomenal heights, breaking records and rewriting mountaineering history.

Lama (Tenjin Sherpa) is an esteemed Sherpa and has been Kristin’s trusted companion on this extraordinary journey. “His invaluable expertise and profound connection with the mountains have been integral to their success in navigating treacherous terrains and facing harsh weather conditions. Lama is from Makalu and has been working since he was 16 years old,” as Kristin writes on her website.

Adventure articles

1. Durango Is Building the Largest Municipal Bike Park in the USA… and So Much More - Originally published in Strava Stories

Keep an eye out on the city of Durango in Colorado. It is embarking on a trail and recreation expansion that is massive. It has 1,850 acres of open space to play with that connects two of Durango’s most popular in-town trail systems - Horse Gulch and Telegraph Trails - so the opportunities for expansion are almost endless.

In recent years, Durango lost its lustre in the MTB field. Local trail systems failed to keep up with the modern-day trail building trends that have been sweeping across the US. The hope is that its shine will return in full glory with the new and brilliant trails being built in the Durango Mesa Park.

Be prepared for 80 acres of BMX tracks, pumptracks, a dual slalom course, strider areas, a world-cup-level XC race course, a cyclocross course, and possibly a velodrome. On top of that, there will be a massive recreation area and arts facility to serve not just mountain bikers but also the community.

It’ll take a while until all of these facilities will be up and running, with an initial focus on the bike park, but once they’re established, they will be every outdoors lover’s playground.

2. Hike, Bike, and Raft Through the Great Outdoors in Western Québec - Originally published in Afar

Follow a seven-day itinerary through the Great Outdoors in the Outaouais region of Western Québec by water, land, or air and adventure amid stunning landscapes through these regions filled with rivers, national parks, and mountains.

From family-friendly day trips to intense outdoor challenges, this itinerary has something for everyone to enjoy:

Day 1 - Outdoors in the Outaouais: Rent kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards to explore the Picanoc River.

Day 2 - Cycle the Trans Canada Trail: Spend the day exploring the Véloroute des Draveurs trail, an expansive bike path that’s part of the Trans Canada Trail.

Day 3 - Outaouais water adventures: Enjoy a thrilling whitewater experience in the Outaouais before swimming through rapids.

Day 4 - Road trip to Abitibi-Témiscamingue: From winding rivers to ancient boreal forests, this region is waiting to be explored.

Day 5 - Explore Parc national d’Opémican: Find sandy shores, mountain heights, and clear lake water in Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s newest national park.

Day 6 - Discover Parc national d’Aiguebelle: This protected park is home to magnificent moose and, as this region boasts the highest concentration of these majestic creatures in the entire Abitibi-Témiscamingue area, you might just see one.

Day 7 - Fish and hike in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: Choose from hiking or cycling routes through forests and marshland. There’s also an outdoor gym and a family-friendly obstacle course, plus the option to rollerblade through the woods on a paved path.

3. How FATMAP Helped Me Make Flying History - Originally published in FATMAP

Just how does a climber and wingsuit BASE jumper use FATMAP’s tools to make flying history? “Out of all the uses for FATMAP, mine might be the most niche,” writes Tim Howell. Tim is a professional wingsuit pilot who finds remote and high-altitude jumps around the world. Last Christmas, he opened the first-ever wingsuit flight from Aconcagua, the second highest mountain of the Seven Summits after Everest.

Find out Tim’s tips and tricks on how he uses different FATMAP tools to find the perfect jump-off point from mountains, including the Gradient Tool, the Route-To feature, the Flats Tool, and more.

Events for your calendar

Alpkit Big Shakeout

Get close to nature, learn something new, and step out of your comfort zone. Learn how to make a canoe paddle, get an intro to wild swimming, master outdoor photography, and more at Alpkit Big Shakeout in the Peak District, UK. The packed schedule of courses and activities has something for every outdoor lover and festival goer to find their own challenge.

WHEN: September 22 - 24

WHERE: Peak District, UK

HOW: More info here

UTMB

In the UTMB’s own words: “4 letters. 3 countries crossed. 1 extraordinary adventure, which is now the 100M finals of the UTMB World Series.” The iconic and world-renowned UTMB trail running race in Chamonix is back, where runners will race across 171 kilometres and 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain around the Mont-Blanc through Italy, Switzerland, and France.

WHEN: Starting August 28

WHERE: Chamonix, France

HOW: More info here

European Outdoor Film Tour

Watch unforgettable outdoor adventure movies and documentaries at the European Outdoor Film Tour, Europe’s largest outdoor film festival. Embark on a journey alongside protagonists who are pushing their limits in mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, paragliding, skiing, snowboarding, and much more.

WHEN: Across various countries from October

WHERE: Europe

HOW: More info here