Jim Whittaker, Back on Earth
Forty years ago, Jim Whittaker was selected from a group of elite mountaineers to be the first American atop Everest. After that early twist of fate, he played politics with the Kennedys, organized the first American ascent of K2, and made and lost a fortune. Soaring success and bitter failure, public fame and personal tragedy—he wouldn't trade a day of it for anything. BY MICHAEL SHNAYERSON Read excerpt >>

The Accidental Explorer's Guide to Patagonia
It's hard to find a spot that no one has ever been to before. After all, how can you tell? TIM CAHILL gave it his best shot anyway down in Patagonia, that vast sweep of mountains, steppe, and frozen desert at the bottom of South America. What he stumbled onto was even better—his new favorite place on Earth. Read excerpt >>

My Year With Lewis & Clark
How is this for undaunted courage? To commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, ANTHONY BRANDT abridged the explorers' million-word journals, and rediscovered the wonderful strangeness of the West as seen through 19th-century eyes. He also made a discovery of his own: the creation myth of America. Read excerpt >>

Annual National Parks Special: Wild in the Parks
Here are 20 of America's greatest parks—and 20 unforgettable experiences: rafting the Grand Canyon, trekking virgin Yellowstone backcountry, kayaking Glacier Bay, bagging peaks in Denali, and 16 more. Summer is almost here—what are you waiting for? BY JIM GORMAN Read excerpt >>

Plus: PULLOUT MAP AND TRIP PLANNER—Vital contacts and resources for all 20 National Park adventures.

American Wilds
Hiking Washington's Olympic coast calls for a topo map, a tide table, and a keen appreciation of the Pacific's wild theatrics. BY BYRON RICKS

Sports
Guiding schools where amateurs learn to raft like pros. Plus: The hyper-detailed adventure cartography of John the Mapmaker.

Tip Sheet
When packing for adventure travel, light is right. ROBERT YOUNG PELTON tells how to pare your load to the barest—and safest—minimum.

Fast Breaks
A three-day drive in central Oregon reveals high-desert landscapes, spectacular rock climbing routes, and great Hungarian cooking.

The Essentials
This month: Adventure racing. The lightest gear, the best events, and tips from the pros. Sign up now!

Global Health
Singletrack sterility? JIM THORNTON on the new research into biking-related sexual dysfunction—and how to protect yourself.

World on the Cheap
After a decade of strife, coastal Croatia is back as the Mediterranean's outdoor-paradise bargain.

Bringing It Home
The Panama hat—where to buy summer's most stylish sunscreen. Plus: Hot new Latin music, and more.

Adventure on the Web
How to measure a mountain's height and how much it costs to climb the world's tallest; retracing the Northwest Passage.

Books
Joshua Cooper Ramo's No Visible Horizon gets inside aerobatic flying; Saul Kelly's The Lost Oasis tracks the real-life English Patient. BY ANTHONY BRANDT

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COLUMNS

Letter From Antarctica
The world's hottest new tourist destination is very cold, very wet, and more dangerous than you may think. JON BOWERMASTER reports on the potential and peril of the final frontier.

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GEAR

Mountain Bikes
STEVE CASIMIRO reviews a breakthrough crop of dual-suspension bikes that will change the way you ride off-road.

Trail Runners
This season's best shoes for navigating ruts, ravines, and the occasional pothole.

The Leading Edge
A new generation of surfboards has shortened the world's steepest learning curve. BY STEVE CASIMIRO

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