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Adventure News of the Week: Lael Takes UNBOUND Crown, Everest to Host Volleyball, and More

Lael Wilcox wins UNBOUND Gravel 350-mile bike racePhoto credit: 400 North Creative
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From the inspiring to the tragic, ‘Adventure News of the Week’ presents a wrap-up of top news in the world of exploration and adventure.

RUN: China Bans ‘Extreme’ Sports in Wake of Ultrarunning Event Deaths. Following the recent tragedy in the Gansu province of China where 21 runners died, the country is banning all extreme and “offroad sport” events, including trail races, ultramarathons, and wing-suiting.

RACE: Garmin UNBOUND Gravel Sees Taylor Lideen, Lael Wilcox on Podium. This past weekend, Lael Wilcox was the first female finisher in UNBOUND Gravel XL (a 357-mile gravel race); Taylor Lideen finished first for men, with an overall pace of 15.5 mph. The winners of the Gravel 100 were Stephen Hyde and Lauren Stephens, and the winners of the 200 race were Ian Boswell and Lauren De Crescenzo. Watch the event recap. 

RECORD: Team Plans to Be First to Play Volleyball Game on Mt. Everest. A group of experienced mountaineers led by two-time Everest climber Anish Luitel calls their group “Volleyball on Everest.” Why? They aim to set a world record for the highest volleyball game — the first volleyball game on Everest.

The group plans to play a game in Camp II of Mt. Everest at an altitude of 20,997 feet above sea level in April 2022. Stay tuned for their record-breaking attempt.

FATALITY: Woman dies after fall in Zion. Authorities in Utah recovered the body of a 26-year-old woman from Mystery Canyon in Zion National Park over the weekend, officials said. Following reports from park visitors, search and rescue found the woman on June 6 in the canyon, where she had fallen approximately 50-80 feet.

A rescue helicopter was unable to retrieve the woman because of steep canyon walls. Shortly after park medics finally made it to her, she succumbed to her injuries. The woman’s identity has not been released.

EVENT: Outdoor Research Becomes Official ‘Face Mask Sponsor’ of Big Gear Show. Outdoor Research will be handing out its award-winning Face Mask Kit to every show attendee. The Big Gear Show is an invite-only trade show event scheduled for August 3-5 in Park City, Utah.

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