Guidebook to 35 full and half day mountain biking routes in Slovenia. The graded routes, which range from technically not difficult but requiring a reasonable level of fitness to highly technical, requiring a high level of fitness and confident bike handling skills, vary in length from 12km to 59km. Routes are located in Gorenjska, Soca Valley, the South, as well as Central and North Eastern Slovenia. Full route descriptions are accompanied by gradient profiles and 1:75,000 mapping, together with practical information such as getting to and around Slovenia, travelling with the bike, arranging accommodation and dealing with emergency situations. A handy Slovenian language glossary is also included. Showcasing a remarkably diverse landscape, Slovenia is an idyllic mountain biking destination. From the towering peaks of Gorenjska and the stunning riverside trails of the Soca Valley to the tremendous limestone caves of the Karst region and the forests of the Nanos plateau in the country's south, there is endless opportunity for tough climbs, long descents and technical trails - as well as slow, scenic trips lakeside and through vineyard-laced landscapes - making it a perfect travel destination for the avid mountain biker.

Prepare for future worst-case scenarios while learning to be self-sufficient every day. It's become clear that even in the twenty-first century our comfortable lives can be disrupted at a moment's notice by events far beyond our control. Whether these are global disasters like a pandemic or a continent-spanning war, or local catastrophes like wildfires, floods, power outages or even food-and-essentials supply issues, you need to know how to respond to a wide variety of emergencies. Written by Jim Cobb, an authority on prepping and disaster readiness, The Urban Prepper's Guide will introduce you to techniques and strategies that can prepare your home and loved ones. These simple measures - designed specifically for urban and suburban dwellers who have tight budgets and limited space - include: * Water - how to safely store and purify water * Food - how to store, preserve, and cook food in an emergency * Shelter - how to shield yourself from the elements without power * Medical - how to be prepared for injuries and illnesses * Security - how to protect your house and valuables * Communication - how to stay informed in an emergency * Every Day Carry - how to be ready to handle problems wherever you are * Home Safety - how to protect against fire and other accidents * Financial Preparedness - how to start planning on a tight budget * Soft Skills - how to think clearly and communicate effectively in a crisis * Emergency Evacuation - how to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice * Mindset - how to develop a survivor's mindset, and all that entails * The First 24 Hours - how to handle everything when the worst happens

Deciding what user impacts are natural or unnatural has inspired much debate. Biophysically, moose cause similar kinds of soil and vegetation impacts as hikers. Yet moose are the sign of nature while hikers are the sign of damage. The field of outdoor recreation is beset with paradoxes, and this book presents a unique, alternative framework to address these dilemmas. Examining outdoor recreation through the lens of ecological theory, Ryan draws from theorists such as Foucault, Derrida and Latour. The book explores minimum impact strategies designed to protect and enhance ecological integrity, but that also require a disturbing amount of policing of users, which runs counter to the freedom users seek. Recent ecological theory suggests that outdoor recreation's view of nature as balanced when impacts are removed is outdated and incorrect. What is needed, and indeed Ryan presents, is a paradoxical and ecological view of humans as neither natural nor unnatural, a view that embraces some traces in nature.

STAR OF BBC ONE'S FREEZE THE FEAR 'I've never felt so alive' JOE WICKS 'A fascinating look at Wim's incredible life and method' FEARNE COTTON My hope is to inspire you to retake control of your body and life by unleashing the immense power of the mind. 'The Iceman' Wim Hof shares his remarkable life story and powerful method for supercharging your health and happiness. Refined over forty years and championed by scientists across the globe, you'll learn how to harness three key elements of Cold, Breathing and Mindset to take ownership over your own mind and wellbeing. 'The book will change your life' BEN FOGLE 'Wim is a legend of the power ice has to heal and empower' BEAR GRYLLS

With more and more people heading into the winter backcountry on skis, snowshoes, and snowmobiles, avalanche safety is of paramount importance. Allen & Mike's Really Cool Avalanche Safety Book distills the sometimes overly technical information of snow science into a user-friendly format with helpful illustrations and easy-to-understand text. With years of experience as NOLS instructors to draw on, Allen O'Bannon and Mike Clelland team up to give winter recreationists the information they need to stay safe in the backcountry, including how to prepare for your trip, proper equipment and how to use it, snowpack assessment, choosing safe travel routes, decision making, and rescue scenarios. Written for both aspriring winter backcountry travelers and experts alike, this book is a must-read for anybody who loves to experience the solitude and beauty of the snowy mountains.

True Stories of Outdoor Adventure and Inspiration All fans of whitewater sports have been impacted by the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in one way or another. In 1972, the NOC was the outgrowth of an idea that friends working together to pursue their outdoor passions could change lives for the better. Today, the center is a seminal Southeastern paddling hub. Compiled by Payson Kennedy and edited by Greg Hlavaty, NOC Stories is a collection of 62 entertaining stories by NOC staff veterans-memories that describe the center's first 25 years. It approaches the story of the NOC's inception, a time of exponential growth in whitewater sports and instruction, a time when the NOC's contribution to paddling technique and instruction reverberated around the world. It is both a history of NOC's leading role in the evolution of commercial river running and an overview of when kayaking, as a sport, exploded in the United States. The remembrances presented here blend history with adventure as they document the NOC's singular vision.

Top five Best Books About Running, Runner's World Magazine Top three Best Books About Running, readers of Runner's World Magazine (December 2009) In RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES, writer Chris Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team through an unforgettable NCAA season. Allowed unparalleled access to team practices, private moments, and the mind of Mark Wetmore--one of the country's most renowned and controversial coaches--Lear provides a riveting look inside the triumphs and heartaches of a perennial national contender and the men who will stop at nothing to achieve excellence. The Buffaloes' 1998 season held great promise, with Olympic hopeful Adam Goucher poised for his first-ever NCAA cross-country title, and the University of Colorado shooting for its first-ever national team title. But in the rigorous world of top-level collegiate sports, blind misfortune can sabotage the dreams of individuals and teams alike. In a season plagued by injury and the tragic loss of a teammate, the Buffaloes were tested as never before. What these men managed to achieve in the face of such adversity is the stuff of legend and glory.With passion and suspense, Lear captures the lives of these young men and offers a glimpse of what drives a gifted runner like Adam Goucher and a great coach like Mark Wetmore. Like Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike, RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES is at once a glowing celebration of a sport and an inspiration to anyone who has ever had the courage to beat the odds and follow a dream.

From the bestselling author of THE WALKER'S GUIDE TO OUTDOOR CLUES AND SIGNS A must-have book for walkers, sailors, swimmers, anglers and everyone interested in the natural world, in How To Read Water, Natural Navigator Tristan Gooley shares knowledge, skills, tips and useful observations to help you enjoy the landscape around you and learn about the magic of the outdoors from your living room. Includes over 700 clues, signs and patterns. From wild swimming in Sussex to wayfinding in Oman, via the icy mysteries of the Arctic, Tristan Gooley draws on his own pioneering journeys to reveal the secrets of ponds, puddles, rivers, oceans and more to show us all the skills we need to read the water around us.

Wild Life is an achingly beautiful gift book that introduces the concept of rewilding. No matter whether you live in the mountains, by the coast, along the banks of a river or in the inner-city, this book is your passport to disconnect from one world and reconnect with another; to put down your devices and pick up where your wild self left off. Featuring stunning photography and illustrations that evoke the magic and healing effects of nature, Wild Life offers 50 accessible projects that will bring rewilding into your life. You'll press wildflowers, rewild your garden and create a series of micro adventures in your hometown or city. You'll use the sky to find north and the trees to find your way while out camping and hiking. You'll close your eyes and listen to the birds, kick off your shoes and forage for seaweed. You'll reconnect with your roots, and somewhere along the way, find yourself again.

Walk a llama. Fly a kite. Go star gazing. Ride a steam train. Row a boat. Watch a waterfall. Wonder at life and all its beautiful moments because you only get one chance at it. Discover new ways to broaden your horizons and reach for life-affirming experiences, then record them in these pages. Collect Moments, Not Things will help you break away from a digital existence and create a fulfilled, exciting and happy life.

Packrafts are rugged, portable rafts, small enough to attach under a rucksack, but stable on the water to reassure first time paddlers. Weighing from 1-3 kilos, they open up a whole new world of amphibious adventuring, from navigating easily accessible waterways to discovering more challenging rivers and lochs only reachable on foot or bicycle. Packrafting: A Beginners' Guide is a perfect introduction to the game-changing recreational opportunities opened up by packrafting. It takes you through the different types and features of packrafts to ensure that you buy a boat that is right for you and have the right gear to use with it. It clearly explains the basic paddling skills and how to safely evaluate risks on the water. It also introduces the different types of adventures you can undertake with your packraft, from paddling a local canal or river to lashing a bicycle over the bow or using a packable sail to traverse open water. The book is comprehensively illustrated with over 120 colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.

A guidebook describing 40 trail running routes in the Chamonix Valley and around the Mont Blanc massif, visiting France, Switzerland and Italy. The routes, which range from 3.8km (21/2 miles) to 168km (104 miles), are graded from 1 to 5 and categorised as trail running, fell running or skyrunning. Starting from Chamonix, Les Houches, Servoz, Champex, Courmayeur, Orsieres and Vallorcine among others, and covering classic ultra trail routes as well as shorter day runs, there is something for every runner. Step-by-step route descriptions are accompanied by 1:100,000 mapping and route profiles, with notes on safety and useful tips for runners. Also included is a comprehensive equipment checklist plus information on running at altitude, adapting to the Alps, navigation, maps and mountain safety. GPX files for all routes are available for download after you have purchased the book by logging in to your Cicerone account. Renowned as a mecca for trail runners, the Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc region is home to some of the greatest trail running races in the world, including the Tour des Geants and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. The landscape, with its dramatic mountain scenery and ethereal vistas, offers diverse trail options and true adventure - the perfect playground for this exhilarating sport.

Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) pushes athletes to their limits as they race over, under, and across a variety of challenges. But as popular as these races have become, there are few resources available to help OCR competitors improve their performance. Training for Obstacle Course Racing: A Practical Guide for the Busy Athlete provides elite-level instruction for the non-professional athlete, from beginning to experienced racers. Topics covered in this book include: Selecting and maintaining equipment Techniques for conquering specific obstacles Developing a training plan Strength and conditioning Developing a sound and safe nutrition plan Common injuries and injury prevention Preparing for competitions Most OCR athletes must be able to effectively balance strength and conditioning workouts, obstacle training, family, work, and recovery. This book is designed for just that purpose, helping athletes develop programs for their specific needs, whether training for health and wellness or winning the race.

A collection of some of the most well-known stories by one of America's premier adventure writers.

It's no secret that if you plan to run in the toughest endurance races, you need to physically prepare for the extreme demands you will be subjecting your body to. But successful runners will be quick to note that physical preparation is only part of the equation. You need to be mentally strong to withstand, and overcome, the challenges of this grueling sport. That's where Mental Training for Ultrarunning comes in. Sport psychology consultant Addie Bracy has coached and provided mental performance consulting to elite athletes in many sports, and she herself has been a competitive distance runner for more than two decades. In Mental Training for Ultrarunning, she combines her firsthand coaching and running experience, along with profiles of ultrarunners who've experienced the highs and lows of the sport, to explain what you need to know and practice in order to cross that finish line. In this book, you will learn tools and techniques to help you prepare for and overcome some of the biggest mental and emotional challenges you may encounter in ultrarunning. You'll find more than 35 practical activities that will guide you in taking an introspective look at your own potential roadblocks so you can develop and strengthen the skills you need to run with confidence. Whether you're training for your first ultra or looking to compete at a higher level, Mental Training for Ultrarunning will prepare you for the good, the bad, and the worst experiences you might encounter on the trail, road, or track. With expert guidance from athletes who have seen it all, you'll learn how to train your mind and anticipate all the variables that could keep you from achieving your ultimate running goals.

Plan a weekend of hiking, cycling, climbing, and paddling! Whether you're a novice or an experienced adventurer, you'll find a variety of outdoor pursuits to enjoy in Minnesota-from camping along the North Shore to canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to biking near the Root River. There's no need to spend hours researching the best destinations or go on long, expensive trips. This book is for hikers who love to climb, paddlers who love to pedal, and anyone else whose idea of unwinding is an action-packed weekend in the great outdoors. With a dozen exciting trips to choose from, you'll know where to stay and which adventures are truly weekend-worthy. The full-color guide features trip descriptions to the best destinations for weekend adventure, including opportunities for hiking, cycling, climbing, and paddling. Tips on lodging options, restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops further aid in the planning. Whether your next outing is for individuals, couples, families, or large groups, get maximum adventure out of your weekend with Minnesota Adventure Weekends!

Land Between The Lakes Outdoor Handbook, by Johnny Molloy, is the only comprehensive guide to the magnificent Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. The handbook is divided into two sections water activities and land activities. The water section guides visitors to important fishing spots and lakes, as well as outlines one of the longest paddle trails in the Midwest the 85-mile-long Land Between The Lakes Paddle Route. Descriptions of all lake accesses and swimming beaches are also included. The land section offers detailed descriptions of more than 300 miles of hiking trails (including the 60-mile-long North-South Trail). Finally, the guide offers an extensive reference section, detailing alternate lodging possibilities, outfitters, and conveniences located in nearby towns. This new edition is completely updated and features new trails and new photos.

NOC Stories describes the Nantahala Outdoor Center's first 25 years, a time of explosive growth in whitewater sports and instruction. NOC Stories by Payson Kennedy and Greg Hlavaty presents a history of the Nantahala Outdoor Center as seen through the eyes of early leaders and some of its dedicated staff. This history spans the years 1972-1997 and approaches the story of the NOC's inception and growth in conjunction with the explosive growth of paddlesports and paddle instruction; in a very real sense, the great strides in paddle instruction and the growth of whitewater sports parallels the growth of the NOC. Many people today see the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for what it has become: a seminal Southeastern paddling hub and profitable business. What they don't know is that the NOC started with a semi-utopian vision, the idea that friends could work together at pursuits they were passionate about, and that this endeavor would not only be profitable for the company, but also life-changing for the individual. That's not something many businesses can say, but in the case of NOC, it's turned out to be true. If you asked current culture-makers and business owners in the whitewater industry about their formative years, you'd find many were previous staff members, clinic participants, and visitors at the NOC. You'd likely also hear that the NOC was instrumental in refining their skillset and in inspiring them to become pioneers in their field. From rafting to river rescue, paddling instruction to Olympic competition, the one thing this diverse group has in common is the NOC. These people are the stories that have become the NOC's legacy, and this book is an attempt to collect and make sense of them. But the book also features a very human element, a tinge of adventure that sets it apart from your standard history text. The stories in this book, in addition to their historical value, offer a testament to the experiential aspect of working at the NOC, that ineffable change that has affected so many staff and that forms the basis for outdoor adventure programs. The NOC was, and is, a dream; these are the stories of its dreamers.

This inspirational book from Kew's orchid experts reveals the easiest, most attractive and most popular plants to grow today. Orchids come from the second largest plant family (with 28,000 members) and have a reputation for diversity and trickiness - but expert Philip Seaton chooses 60 of the best species to become permanent and happy members of your home. Through a combination of 12 projects and easy to follow practical advice he shows how to welcome new plants, to revive their flagging spirits as well as their basic care and cultivation. He shows how to produce and train flowers, to collect and sow their seed, and how to plant and display them in a terrarium, or on bark or in a basket. Find out when to water them, how to repot them and the ideal room and conditions that each orchid needs to thrive. The combination of botanical beauty and practical advice will inspire beginners and experienced growers to grow new species in many different ways. This book is from the Kew Experts series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. Other titles include: Companion to Medicinal Plants, Guide to Growing Bulbs, Guide to Growing Fruit, Guide to Growing Herbs, Guide to Growing Roses, Guide to Growing Succulents and Cacti, Guide to Growing Trees, Guide to Growing Vegetables and Guide to Growing House Plants.

"Leisure activities undertaken in nature_are immensely popular. This book examines the new serious leisure concept of nature challenge activity (NCA),_exploring how_NCA_unfolds in an aesthetically appealing natural environment with implications for consumption and environmental sustainability"

What makes the perfect swim? It's all about the most magical locations (and how to protect them), finessing your kitbag, keeping yourself and others safe ... and maybe discovering a nice place for a warm-up cuppa and cake. Whether you're a seasoned dipper or a fledgling, The Art of Wild Swimming is the ultimate guide to becoming an awesome, joyful and responsible swimmer. From the dramatic turquoise bays of Orkney to the peaty lochs of the Cairngorms, the thundering waterfalls of Skye to the calm depths of a reservoir in the Pentlands. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular dookin' spots across Scotland. Now they are yours to explore too.

Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside's true gift is in chronicling misadventure. The Darkest Places chronicles mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders, and deadly disasters, taking us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go.