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.
CLIMB: Emily Harrington Free Climbs El Cap in Under a Day. Emily Harrington has accomplished an incredible feat — climbing Yosemite’s 3,000-foot El Capitan in under a day.
She is the first woman to free climb the granite wall via the Golden Gate route, and only the fourth woman to reach the top in under 24 hours. Her total time was 21 hours 13 minutes. Harrington’s accomplishment comes less than a year after she took a nasty fall on the route.
TRI: 21-Year-Old Chris Nikic Becomes First With Down Syndrome to Complete IRONMAN. This past weekend, 21-year-old Chris Nikic from Florida finished his first IRONMAN. He is the first athlete with Down syndrome to attempt to do so — and the first to finish.
Nikic completed the tri — which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile marathon — in 16:46:09. “Goal set and achieved,” he wrote on Instagram. “Time to set a new and bigger goal for 2021.”
SAFETY: Meier Skis Partners With Bondi Outdoors to Offer Virtual Avi Training. Avalanche educators and expert skiers from Bondi Outdoor Leadership will lead this 1- to 1.5-hour program online on November 18. The free, virtual clinic will cover basic skills, how to assess and decrease risk, and more.
The Denver-based Meier Ski Shop will also host smaller-group, in-person Avi 1 courses this winter with Bondi Outdoors. The in-person courses are scheduled to take place in Rocky Mountain National Park. Registration is open now.
