Understanding the motivations behind those who partake in extreme sports can be difficult for some. If the popular conception holds that the incentive behind extreme sports participation is entirely to do with risking one's life, then this confusion will continue to exist. However, an in-depth examination of the phenomenology of the extreme sport experience yields a much more complex picture. This book revisits the definition of extreme sports as those activities where a mismanaged mistake or accident would most likely result in death. Extreme sports are not necessarily synonymous with risk and participation may not be about risk-taking. Participants report deep inner transformations that influence world views and meaningfulness, feelings of coming home and authentic integration as well as a freedom beyond the everyday. Phenomenologically, these experiences have been interpreted as transcendent of time, other, space and body. Extreme sport participation therefore points to a more potent, life-enhancing endeavour worthy of further investigation. This book adopts a broad hermeneutic phenomenological approach to critique the assumed relationship to risk-taking, the death wish and the concept of "No Fear" in extreme sports, and repositions the experience in a previously unexplored manner. This is valuable reading for students and academics interested in Sports Psychology, Social Psychology, Health Psychology, Tourism, Leisure Studies and the practical applications of phenomenology.

"Backpacker" magazine-branded and fueled by FalconGuides, this book provides essential mind gear from the two most respected and reliable publishers of outdoor-related information. Perfect for pack or pocket, it breaks down its subject into the essential topics, providing practical and portable information useful in the field. Full-color photos, charts, and illustrations are organized with text by an expert in a brief and accessible manner, introducing readers to basic and intermediate skills needed to safely and successfully get by in the outdoors. Backpacker "Magazine's Outdoor Knots" provides readers step-by-step instructions for tying the most useful knots and hitches, splices and lashings for the outdoors; info on the best type of rope and knot for each task at hand; how to properly prepare, coil, and maintain ropes for durability and reliability. This handy pocket-sized guide is 96 pages and incorporates color photos, charts, and illustrations as needed throughout the interior.

What we eat has a huge impact on our physical and mental health, and on our performance in our chosen sport, whether we're elite-level athletes or enthusiastic amateurs. But, with so much information out there, how do we choose a way of eating that is right for us? More Fuel You is a clear and authoritative guide to making the most of your nutrition. Leading sports dietitian Renee McGregor looks at fuelling needs for sporting participation, training and competition, and analyses some popular diet options, including low-carbohydrate, vegan and intermittent fasting. But this is not just another sports nutrition book. Renee recommends a holistic view: by understanding the human body and being self-aware, you can find the ideal nutritional approach for you personally. Significantly, Renee also discusses areas of sports nutrition in populations that are often overlooked, including women's health and the menopause, healthy ageing, and the inclusion of individuals who don't necessarily conform to the stereotype of an athlete, such as people living with chronic health conditions. Whatever your race, genetics, gender, age, socio-economic status, body type or ability, it's important to be your own athlete, fuel appropriately for your body and enjoy what you do. Whether you're a world-class or real-world athlete, if you're serious about sport and nutrition, you can't afford not to read this book.

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.

This up-to-date guidebook is just the ticket for campers, hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, birdwatchers, nature photographers, and folks who just like to enjoy the outdoors. It offers all the details to every state and national park, recreation area, national forest, and historical park in Texas. Where appropriate, maps are provided to identify specific campsites within the larger parks, and "at a glance" charts provide a quick and easy way to determine the extent of such amenities as showers, flush toilets, electricity, etc. The unique features of each park or campground are described, as well as the recreation available, be it boating or bird watching. Whether it's for a Saturday getaway or a two-week vacation, this handy book is a great guide to outdoor fun in Texas.

101 Things to do on a Walk is a fun, practical, creative book filled with activities to do while on trips out in nature - both locally, and not so locally. Take this book with you on a walk with the family to provide inspiration for nature-themed crafts and activities - from bird-spotting, bark rubbing and macro insect photography to playing Pooh sticks, identifying wildlife and building a den.  Beautifully presented with a mixture of illustrations and photography, this title will help children to unlock their imaginations and get in touch with the natural world all around them. Featured activities include: - Wildlife spotting - Listening to birdsong - Looking for wildflowers - Macro-photography - Building a den - Bark and leaf rubbing - Making a whistle from a blade of grass - Finding amphibian spawn - Playing Pooh sticks - Identifying different stones - Cloud Spotting - Making flower chains - Searching for Butterflies - Rainbow spotting - Flying seed helicopters About Lonely Planet Kids: Lonely Planet Kids - an imprint of the world's leading travel authority Lonely Planet - published its first book in 2011. Over the past 45 years, Lonely Planet has grown a dedicated global community of travellers, many of whom are now sharing a passion for exploration with their children. Lonely Planet Kids educates and encourages young readers at home and in school to learn about the world with engaging books on culture, sociology, geography, nature, history, space and more. We want to inspire the next generation of global citizens and help kids and their parents to approach life in a way that makes every day an adventure. Come explore!

Understanding the motivations behind those who partake in extreme sports can be difficult for some. If the popular conception holds that the incentive behind extreme sports participation is entirely to do with risking one's life, then this confusion will continue to exist. However, an in-depth examination of the phenomenology of the extreme sport experience yields a much more complex picture. This book revisits the definition of extreme sports as those activities where a mismanaged mistake or accident would most likely result in death. Extreme sports are not necessarily synonymous with risk and participation may not be about risk-taking. Participants report deep inner transformations that influence world views and meaningfulness, feelings of coming home and authentic integration as well as a freedom beyond the everyday. Phenomenologically, these experiences have been interpreted as transcendent of time, other, space and body. Extreme sport participation therefore points to a more potent, life-enhancing endeavour worthy of further investigation. This book adopts a broad hermeneutic phenomenological approach to critique the assumed relationship to risk-taking, the death wish and the concept of "No Fear" in extreme sports, and repositions the experience in a previously unexplored manner. This is valuable reading for students and academics interested in Sports Psychology, Social Psychology, Health Psychology, Tourism, Leisure Studies and the practical applications of phenomenology.

After years of expeditions all over the world, adventurer Alastair Humphreys spends a year exploring the detailed local map around his home.

Can this unassuming landscape, marked by the glow of city lights and the hum of busy roads, hold any surprises for the world traveller or satisfy his wanderlust? Could a single map provide a lifetime of exploration? Discovering more about the natural world than in all his years in remote environments, he learns the value of truly getting to know his neighbourhood.

An ode to slowing down, Local is a celebration of curiosity and time spent outdoors, as well as a rallying cry to protect the wild places on our doorstep.

Mark Atkinson is living proof that you don't have to be 'good' at running to make it through a marathon or even further. Packed with insights and tips, pitfalls and joy, Ducking Long Way invites you to join him for a beer at mile thirty as he pushes himself as far as he can while still running for the sheer joy of it.

A Wall Street Journal bestseller. In this groundbreaking book, New York Times bestselling author Steven Kotler decodes the mystery of ultimate human performance. Drawing on over a decade of research and firsthand reporting with dozens of top action and adventure sports athletes like big wave legend Laird Hamilton, big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and skateboarding pioneer Danny Way, Kotler explores the frontier science of "flow," an optimal state of consciousness in which we perform and feel our best. Building a bridge between the extreme and the mainstream, The Rise of Superman explains how these athletes are using flow to do the impossible and how we can use this information to radically accelerate performance in our own lives. At its core, this is a book about profound possibility; about what is actually possible for our species; about where-if anywhere-our limits lie.

22,000 Miles is the distance Richard Seipp has ridden with his 15-year-old son Tom over the past ten years. Starting out on their local trails in the Peak District when Tom was 5, they soon progressed to longer rides. As Tom grew, so did his ambitions - the Coast-to-Coast, the Strathpuffer 24-hour solo mountain bike race, multi-day bikepacking in the Scottish Highlands. Having ridden the 1955 route of the Tour de France during the summer holidays when Tom was 12, they continued to push their limits - Everesting the infamous Kemmelberg cobbles in Belgium and then heading to North America to ride the 2,745-mile Tour Divide, which runs the length of the North American Continental Divide along the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Banff in Canada south to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells. This book is their story in Rich's words alongside his atmospheric photographs of his and Tom's adventures. 22,000 Miles is the story of a father and son bonding over their combined love of adventure.

An inspirational collection of the world's most beautiful scenic runs, selected by the editors of cult independent running magazine Like the Wind. Trail running is as simple as it sounds: just put one foot in front of the other, somewhere unpaved and outdoors. The opportunities it presents are endless, with a wide variety of routes that stretch over mountains, forests and deserts, in hot climates and frigid ones, through some of the most wild and beautiful places on Earth. Targeted at both novice and experienced runners, this book presents the finest trail-running locations around the world. From the heights of the Alps to the snowy expanses of the Arctic to the jungles of Latin America and the outback Down Under, each destination is brought to life by a different trail runner, showcasing exactly what makes each location so spectacular, as well as providing practical information to keep you moving on the ground. Compiled by the editors of Like the Wind, the first independent running magazine, each run offers an unparalleled experience, while the foreword was written by renowned American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes. As trail-running events assume the popularity and buzz of music festivals - tens of thousands of people run in some of the world's toughest endurance races - this book offers a passport to exotic places and experiences, on and off the trail, at a time when getting off-grid and alone with yourself has never been more important. The Trails * The Dolomites, Italy: Davide Grazielli * The Lofoten Islands, Norway: Linda Helland * The Chamonix Valley, France: Simon Freeman * Inverie & The Knoydart Peninsula, Scotland: George Bauer * Corsica, France: Guillaume Peretti * The Pyrenees, France/Spain: Tobias Mews * The Kungsleden, Sweden: Anna Gatta * The Lake District, England: Ricky Lightfoot * Jura, Switzerland: Julie Freeman * British Columbia, Canada: Hilary Matheson * The White Mountains, USA: Stefanie Bishop * Sedona & Flagstaff, USA: Rob Krar * Sierra Norte De Oaxaca, Mexico: Emma Latham Phillips * Patagonia, Chile: Jenna Crawford * Great Himalaya Trail, Nepal: Lizzy Hawker * The West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia: Tom Le Lievre

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.

If you’re a serious shooter and reloader, you’ll find the cartridges you love — and many you never dreamed of — in this newest edition of the most widely read cartridge reference book ever published.

Here are the latest introductions in standard American sporting cartridges and hottest proprietary rounds, plus authoritative feature articles by the gun industry’s heavy hitters spotlighting everything from the esoteric to the state of the art in ammo. Cartridge design, application, selection, tips, and more ... this book is packed with everything shooters, handloaders and cartridge collectors need to know. Now more extensive than ever at 704 pages, you’ll find information and data on old, new and currently manufactured ammo. Heavily illustrated with more than 1,500 photos, this book is your ultimate guide to current and historical ammunition for handguns, rifles and shotguns.

Features:

• Details on more than 1,500 cartridges
• Updated spec and reference charts
• Full-color feature section on shooting and ballistics
• Expert advice on handloads and cartridge selection
• Dozens of new entries, including trendsetting wildcats

From the latest cutting-edge factory loads to wildcats that will set ballistic trends for years to come, plus updated cartridge descriptions and the newly expanded full-color feature article section, Cartridges of the World, 17th Edition is the most comprehensive reference of its kind and a must-have for your library or reloading bench.

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.

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.

'Never have I felt so connected to the natural world than when trailing . . . The direction of the wind is noted almost subconsciously, the alarm calls of birds are obvious and the track and sign of all the other animals, even insects, crossing your trail reveal themselves. It's a strangely peaceful state where every sense seems to be stretched to the limit in a state of extreme concentration, and yet one feels completely relaxed and at peace. The whole of nature is revealed within an animal trail.' John Rhyder explores the world of British mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians through their tracks and other signs, including scat, feeding, damage to trees, dens, beds and nests, providing a fully explained and illustrated guide to the natural world around us. Following years of extensive research from one of the UK's leading wildlife trackers, Track and Sign is illustrated with line drawings and photographs, making identification in the field effective and accurate for both the complete beginner and the expert naturalist.