October 2006

FEATURES
What it Takes: Big Dreams '06
Sailing around the world, driving across three continents, walking to the South Pole—11 everyday people prove that your wildest notions are more realistic than you think.

Photo Gallery: Stalking the Spirit Lions
Nature's most efficient predators are hunting the people of Southern Tanzania. The cats are cunning, hungry, and–some believe–not of this world. Paul Kvinta reports from the heart of the lion's den.

TRIPS
Where Next: Life Along the Mekong
Southeast Asia pulses with vibrant cultures—and one river runs through them all.

Adventure Town: San Francisco
Sure, there's plenty of outdoor activity surrounding San Francisco. But have you seen what's inside city limits?

Wild Roads: Nevada
The race is on in the Nevada highlands—pit stops include spanking-new singletrack and singing sand dunes.

WHAT'S NEW
Next Weekend: Miracle Escapes
Walk on water, see a burning tree, and nine other wondrous ways to finish your week. 

COLUMNS
Robert Young Pelton: Q & A
Robert Young Pelton's new book takes an inside look at outsourced war.

SPORTS
Instant Expert: Edible Plants
Hunting may seem a little old-fashioned, but gathering never goes out of style. Here's how to turn your next stroll through the woods into a shopping spree.

Fitness Training: Fighting Fatigue
Fatigue is all in your head—now there's a way to outthink it.

Fitness Trailing: Energy Supplements
Searching the health-food stores for a supplement that actually works can be an enigmatic and costly endeavor. To eliminate experimentation, we asked four ultra-endurance athletes to single out the supplement that works best for them.

September 2006

FEATURES
Where to Live and Play: 31 Amazing Adventure Towns
We searched the country over to find the right towns for you, whether you're looking for a weekend getaway or the perfect place to relocate.

Where to Live and Play: Boise or Bust!
Welcome to Boise, Idaho, the last great place in the American West—where housing remains affordable, Western culture still thrives, and access to the nation's wildest state begins within city limits. 

The Everest Decade: 1996-2006
In 1996, a storm brought tragedy to the world's grandest stage. Ten years later, the spectacle is as bizarre, disturbing, and heroic as ever. 

Video Exclusive: Left Dead on Everest
During a season when Everest climbers seemed more focused on the summit than ever, guide Dan Mazur made headlines by stopping to help abandoned climber Lincoln Hall.

Readers Photos
Presenting the second round of our Action Photography Contest, judged by
National Geographic photographer Bill Hatcher.

TRIPS
Via Alpina Trail Dispatches: The Alps Connection
In mid-July writer Alex Crevar and photographer Carly Calhoun set out to thru-hike 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) along the Via Alpina. Read their dispatches.

Photo Gallery: On the Edge in Slovenia
Alex Crevar and Carly Calhoun weigh in on Slovenian beer, karst caves, stud horses, and bagging Slovenia's highest peak (plus where to stay and what to do).

Travel Directory
Use our essential adventure travel guide, featuring more than 50 outfitters, to plan your next trip.

Hiking the Alps From End to End
Europe's new Via Alpina is a 3,100-mile (4,989-kilometer), high-altitude answer
to the Appalachian Trail.

World Class: Adventure Travel Trips
Adventure-approved excursions for right now.

WHATS NEW
Fall Weekend Getaways: Speed Pass
A fall weekend is a terrible thing to waste—use these out-the-backdoor escapes to make yours count.

GEAR
Trail Running Shoes: Dare to Tread
With new comfort-savvy insoles, an arsenal of assorted weatherproofings, and fresh street styles, these shoes will have you prepped for any condition.

Back in Stride: Road Running Shoes
Jump-start your routine with the latest spring-training gear.

COLUMNS
Travel Advisory: The Pirate Primer
Peg legs and parrots are so passé.  Robert Young Pelton dives into the
dangerous world of modern-day sea wolves.

Your Turn: Taylor Robertson Kayaking Lost Creek
Share your trip photos and experiences. They could be published in the magazine!

SPORTS
Surfing the Perfect Break on California's Lost Coast
Somewhere north of San Francisco, on the longest stretch of wilderness beach in the lower 48, there is a near-mythical surf break—a secret in a sport of secrets.  To say any more could be treason.

Fitness Training: Got Carbs?
A new twist on the carbohydrate conundrum.

Animal Tracking: Hot on the Trail
Cougars and beagles and bears, oh my! Knowing how to interpret the
evidence can help you tell friend from foe.

August 2006

FEATURES
Border Patrol: Along the Devil's Highway
Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge used to be a pristine desert. Now it's the front line in America's immigration battle, rife with garbage, drug runners, and illegal aliens. Welcome to the nation's most troubled wilderness.


Drive Time: The New American Road Trip
An online-only guide to the road with four fuel-smart road trips, pit stop tips from superchef Alton Brown, and lessons from the Trans-Americas Journey drivers.

California Road Trip: The Green Miles
When touring the jackpot of tightly packed parks in and around California's Sierra Nevada, it just feels right to drive a hybrid.

Southern Utah Road Trip: 4x4 Required
Transform a four-by-four into your roving, all-terrain base camp as you hike, bike, and paddle through this string of stashes that locals know best.

Upstate New York Road Trip: Family Values
New York's Adirondack Park—a six-million-acre patchwork of land larger than any state park or preserve—is ideal for a "drive less, play more" family road trip.

Carolina-Tennessee Road Trip: Motorcycle Diaries
Here, backpackers soak beneath gushing waterfalls. Fly fishermen unfurl lines in deep pools. And rafting guides brave roller-coaster rapids in locally made kayaks.

Pit Stops: Alton Brown's Road Trip Eating Tips
The Food Network's host Alton Brown took his expertise to the interstate for his new show, Feasting on Asphalt. Discover how to find good eats off any exit. 

Pump It Up: How to Find the Best Fuel Prices
Writer Karen Catchpole and photographer Eric Mohl quit their jobs to embark on a more than 70,000-mile (112,654-kilometer) drive of a lifetime. Here the couple shares lessons from the road. 

SHOTGUN! How to be a Good Co-pilot
Writer Karen Catchpole and photographer Eric Mohl quit their jobs to embark on a more than  70,000-mile drive of a lifetime. Here the couple shares lessons from the road. 

June/July 2006

FEATURES
The Insider's Guide to the Great Parks
Two countries. Thirty national parks. Fifty adventures of a lifetime. Between the United States and Canada, it's time to gear up for a summer like no other. Here's how to find real adventure in the great parks. 

Action Photo Contest Winner
See our readers' impressive photos. Send in your own!

Mozambique: Africa's New Adventure Travel Hot Spot
After a brutal civil war, Mozambique is back, with a thriving game park, world-class diving, and 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) of perfect coastline.

Video: Sea Kayaking Mexico's Galápagos    
Dolphins, sea lions, and an array of endemic species greet writer Kira Salak as she paddles the Gulf of California surrounding Baja, Mexico.

TRIPS
Where Next: Big-Picture Brazil
Amazon expeditions, floodplain safaris, hang gliding over Rio—in Brazil, wild is a way of life.

AdventureTown: Missoula, Montana
In this cerebral Montana enclave, higher learning begins where the asphalt ends.

Wild Roads: Maine
Long on scenery, short on reststops—Maine's North Woods are still the perfect place to lose your more civilized self. 

World Class: Adventure Travel Trips
Adventure-approved excursions for right now. 

WHAT'S NEW
Weird and Wild in the Parks Map
Between the U.S. and Canada, there are more than 148 million acres (60 million hectares) in the National Park System. Within all that territory, it only goes to figure you'll find everything from mind-bending natural phenomena and plentiful wildlife to sybaritic pleasures. Guess which parks hold the following treasures.

Next Weekend: Summer Strategy
Track mountain lions, paddle deserted islands, and get back home in time for Sunday supper. 

Primal Quest Reinvents Adventure Racing
Once a weekend warrior, now CEO of the world's toughest adventure race, Rich Brazeau is looking to steer his sport back to the big time. 

GEAR
Digital Cameras: The Stuff of Summer
The perfect watches, sunglasses, and digital cameras for any warm-weather escape.

COLUMNS
Your Turn: Sue Nott on India's Mount Kamet
Share your trip photos and experiences. They could be published in the magazine!

Robert Young Pelton: The Good Book
This summer, drop the pulp. The world's most inveterate wanderer lays out his top six travel books of all time.

SPORTS
Sports Injuries: Rapid Rebound
Sports injuries are more devious—and damaging—than you might think. Here's how to bounce back.

Ask Dr. Extreme: Surviving a Shark Attack
Travel-health and trip advice from expedition doctor Ken Kamler. Send in your questions and they could be answered in an upcoming issue.


May 2006

FEATURES
The Whale Warriors: Whaling in the Antarctic Seas
Would you give your life for a whale? For a determined crew on a tiny ship at the bottom of the world, the answer is easy.

Action Photography Contest Winners: Round I
Presenting our first Action Photography Contest winners, selected by National Geographic photographer Bill Hatcher.

Festival Nation: The Adventurous Summer
'Tis the season for microbrew celebrations, barbecue blowouts, and outdoor jams. Get to these adventure outposts when they're at their liveliest.

Sebastian Junger: Welcome Stranger
First impressions are often wrong—and other hard-won lessons from the road.  

TRIPS
Where Next: Seven Days in the Greek Islands
Set sail among the Greek islands on a classic multisport expedition. 

World Class Adventure Travel Trips
Adventure-approved trips just right for right now.  

Wild Roads: Pennsylvania
Four days in pristine Pennsylvania deliver raucous white water, a hang-gliding haunt, and state-protected starry skies. 

WHAT'S NEW
Next Weekend: Two-Day Triumph
Rafting Cali's best white water, biking among bison, and eight other ways to make a weekend less ordinary. 

What It Takes: Lewis Gordon Pugh
How to swim with icebergs while wearing nothing but a Speedo.  

Adventure Sounds
Download MP3 interviews with the magazine's contributors.

GEAR
Mountain Bikes: The Versatility Factor
Four do-it-all rides that eat up the terrain but not your budget. 

Bearproofing
Some things do more than go bump in the night. These tips will help keep backcountry bear prowlers at bay. 


COLUMNS
Your Turn: There + Back
Share your trip photos and experiences. They could be published in the magazine!

Robert Young Pelton's World: The Kidnap Course
Robert Young Pelton knows more than he should about being taken hostage. Here's how to avoid an unexpected homestay on your next trip. 

SPORTS
Photo Gallery: Rafting the Mighty Middle Fork of the Salmon
Photographer Woods Wheatcroft takes us along on a family rafting trip down Idaho's white-water original.

Bug Repellents
Three days, four bug repellents, one very large swamp. 

Carb Craze: Hiking Foods, Fit For the Pros
Long-distance hikers know superfood from fad. We asked four of the best for their trail picks.  

Q+A: Ask Dr. Extreme
Get travel-health and trip advice from an expedition M.D.

April 2006

FEATURES
Alive! Then + Now
Experience the first expedition to retrace the Alive Andes escape route with our survivor audio interviews, 3-D, interactive map, and trek photographs.

New Reader Photo Gallery
See our readers' impressive photos. Send in your own!

Exploring Paris's Underground
The City of Lights sits atop one of the world's largest mazes—home to mysterious vagabonds, renegade artists, and entire chambers filled with human bones.

TRIPS
World Class Adventure Travel
Adventure-approved trips just right for right now.

Secret California
Southern California may be one of the country's most populous regions, but don't let all those people block your view of the perfect landscapes: forgotten islands, untamed deserts, and striking slot canyons.

Where Next: Morocco
In an original land of adventure travel, the more things change the more they stay the same.

WHAT'S NEW
Weekend Getaways
The rivers are high, the trails clear, and the crowds, well, there are no crowds. Spring has officially sprung.

The Legend Roars: Patagonia's Cerro Torre
A landmark ascent of Patagonia's daunting Cerro Torre rekindles one of exploration's greatest controversies.  

What It Takes: Speed Hiker Matthew Hazley
How to hike 7,525 miles (12,110 kilometers) in only 239 days (and 13 pairs of shoes).  

GEAR
Instant Expert: Staying Dry
A downpour can defeat even the best rainproof gear. Keep the cats and dogs (and hypothermia) at bay.

COLUMNS
Robert Young Pelton's Travel Advice
It's one thing to be good at something, but quite another to be good.

Video: Paddling Mexico
Kayaking over Mexico's Agua Azul Falls

SPORTS
Mind + Body: Stretching's New Rules
Your current stretching routine actually may be tightening your muscles.

Power Powders: Energy Drinks
A taste-off reveals which recovery drink goes down easiest, so you bounce back.


March 2006

FEATURES
Southwest Game Plans
From red rock to rolling rivers, here's how to get in on the action.

Video: The Amazon's Shaman Therapy
In the Amazon, writer Kira Salak takes part in ayahuasca ritual ceremonies, a form of Shaman therapy said to cure everything from cancer to depression.

Patagonia's Cerro Torre Climbing Photos
Photos from the ultralight climb that retraced Cesare Maestri's controversial first-ascent route.

TRIPS
Caribbean Adventures
Nine island nations and how to explore them—Adventure-style.

Where Next: Costa Rica
The perfect week: action plans for the trip of a lifetime in Costa Rica.

World Class Adventure Travel
Adventure-approved trips just right for right now.

Wild Roads: Carolina
In South Carolina's lowlands, coastal waterways, lazy rivers, and country cooking welcome you down home.

WHAT'S NEW
11 Weekend Escapes
Sun, rain, or snow—your guide to taking the year's most temperamental month by storm.  

Special Report: Blood on the Nile
In Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park, an unconventional expedition is ambushed by rebels.

GEAR
Running Shoes + Apparel
Jump-start your routine with the latest spring-training gear.

The Buy List
A honeymoon of a tent, a better messenger, and a fresh take on an old jersey.

Instant Expert: Map + Compass
Perfect the art of backcountry navigation.

Recycle Gear on eBay
How easy is it to recycle your old gear using new features from eBay?

COLUMNS
Your Turn: Snowboarder Jeremy Jones
"You can search the world over for a fluted face this perfect and snow this good."

Robert Young Pelton's Travel Advice
Robert Young Pelton has the secure line on staying in touch—no matter how far out there you are.

SPORTS
Recovery Drinks
A taste-off reveals which recovery drink goes down easiest.

Ask Dr. Extreme
Get travel-health and trip advice from an expedition M.D.


February 2006

FEATURES
Hawaii Vacations
Don't be lulled into thinking that white-sand beaches and year-round sunshine are the only reasons to visit this tropical paradise.

 Photo Gallery: Ice Climbing at Ouray Ice Fest
Ouray, Colorado is home to some of the best ice climbing in the U.S. Check it out with photos from Steve Casimiro.

New Reader Photos
Been on a memorable trip? Send us your best photo and travel tips.

Audio: Explorer Børge Ousland
Explorer Børge Ousland talks about trek to the North Pole in complete darkness.

3-D Fly-Through Map
Become a virtual trail scout with National Geographic's new TOPO! Software.

TRIPS
World Class Adventure Travel
Adventure-approved trips just right for right now.

Wild Roads: Texas
The ultimate Texas road trip: head for these hills.

WHAT'S NEW
Eight Below's Paul Walker
Paul Walker is living proof that actors have more fun.

11 Weekend Getaways
Out-the-backdoor snow stashes where winter's worst is the main attraction.

NASA's Mars Man
NASA's resident Martian talks about a new book, a big movie, and what it's like to road trip the Red Planet.

GEAR
Home Gyms
All the advantages of the gym, none of the bad classic rock.

COLUMNS
Your Turn: Mono Lake
Share your trip photos and experiences. They could be published in the magazine!

Robert Young Pelton's Travel Clubs
No secret handshake necessary: Robert Young Pelton infiltrates the world's great travel clubs—and shows how you can, too.

SPORTS
Skiing Japan's Backcountry
At Hakkoda-san, the Japanese show off how they ski: in the backcountry, in chest-deep powder, with a hot spring and sake waiting at the end of the day.

Online Personal Training
Web-based coaches are out to hook everyday athletes with pumped-up new features. Should we take the bait?

Ask Dr. Extreme
Get travel-health and trip advice from an expedition M.D.


December 2005/January 2006

FEATURES
Ed Viesturs and the Adventurers of the Year
Hear legendary alpinist Ed Viesturs explain what it feels like to be the United States' first 8,000-meter man.

Photo Gallery: Modern Mongolia
Get a fresh view of a top-notch adventure destination.

Video: Alan Rabinowitz's Big Cats
Biologist Alan Rabinowitz battles the status quo and the ticking clock of his health to make Myanmar a refuge for tigers.

Climbing: Rescue on Nanga Parbat of Tomaz Humar
Incredible rescue, angry backlash on Pakistan's Nanga Parbat

TRIPS
World Class Adventure Travel
Adventure-approved trips just right for right now.

Wild Roads: Puerto Rico
Take one island, add car, marinate four days, and serve.  

WHAT'S NEW
The ANWR Update
Here's a look at the drilling debate and what's in the forecast for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Winter Weekend Getaways
From architectural masterpiece to log-cabin cozy—11 weekend hideouts near prime outdoor playgrounds.

King Kong in Rwanda
Andy Serkis gets up close and (very) personal with mountain gorillas for the biggest role of his career.

The Outdoor Bible
The Good Book gets tougher.

COLUMNS
Robert Young Pelton's Packing Tips
Though it's tempting to bring the kitchen sink on your trip, don't. For Robert Young Pelton, it all boils down to six fundamentals.

Video: Will Gadd's Iceberg Climbing
Share your trip photos and experiences. They could be published in the magazine! 

Sports
Train Like an Olympian
Three United States Olympians share the training secrets that make them faster, stronger, better (no doping required).

Ski Vacation Almanac
How to ski all year long.

   Current Features

2008  |  2007  |  2006  |  2005  |  2004  |  2003  |  2002  |  2001  |  2000/1999  

    Travel Directory  |  Order Back Issues