What is Adventure

Fossil Hunting in Republic, WA

This week I was reading another blog called Whittaker Writes, the author, Leif Whittaker, is the son of a famous Mt Everest climber, Lou Whittaker, and an Everest climber himself.  He made an interesting and I think well thought out point about what adventure is.  Adventure is an exploration of anything new to you, whether it is a walk down a new street on your way to the grocery store, the building of a new boat, or the exploration of a trail you have never been on.  Adventure does not require seeking the extremes of outdoor exploration, places yet unknown and untamed.  Yes that can be an aspect of adventure and men still seek to find fulfillment this way, like the man who just completed a two and a half year walking journey from the head waters of the Amazon to the sea, how we do love to read about and fantasize maybe even romanticize those adventures, but for most of us life and limb is not worth sacrificing for a footnote in the annuls of the Geographical Societies Library.  

I once read the book, "Voices From The Summit: The Worlds Great Mountaineers on The Future of Climbing".  It is a collection of interviews of some of the worlds greatest climbers, such as Sir Edmund Hillary, Reinhold Messner, and Yvon Chouinard.  The conclusion to the book, though, is that adventure requires the exploration of parts yet unknown at the risk of ones life.  However, for those of us without the desire to risk our lives in the pursuit of adventure, trying new things and seeing new places is an excellent alternative.