Rescuers say the man was climbing on a route called “Generic Crack” in the famous Indian Creek climbing area.

The man’s climbing partner called 911 after realizing they could not free the victim from the rock.

After determining the victim was too high for rescuers, they called in a helicopter to shuttle their team members to the top of the climbing route. They then rappelled down to the man to try to remove him from the rock but had little success.

According to media outlets, additional search and rescue teams responded to help. Crews used a mix of different lubricants like soap and other items to try to free the man’s leg. By the time he got out, it had been 12 hours. 

“Thankfully he only suffered minor injuries,” posted the San Juan County Search and Rescue. “A huge thank you to our partners Classic Air Medical and Grand County SAR. Without them this rescue would not have been possible.”

Indian Creek is famous for its crack climbing. The climbing area is in Bears Ears National Monument.

The post This Is Our Nightmare: Rescuers Take 12 Hours to Save a Trapped Rock Climber appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

The clip shows climber Giacomo Mauri working on a pitch when a massive amount of ice gives way. Fortunately, Mauri stays clear of the ice. However, the large chunk does snag his ice axes as it smashes to the ground. In a reply to a comment, Mauri says he did recover one of the axes.

Still interested in ice climbing?

You can find ice climbing routes in places from Pennsylvania to the Pacific Northwest and in some national parks like Rocky Mountain and Glacier.

Here’s a look at all the gear you need to get started.

The post Have You Always Wanted to Give Ice Climbing A Try? This Scary Clip May Change Your Mind appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Molly Carlson is part of Canada’s high dive team and has placed second in the 2022 Red Bull Cliff Dive World Series. The massive falls these athletes take can look painful—and, in reality, they can be. 

Carlson says a high diver can hit 100 KPH during their fall, equal to 60 miles per hour. Doing multiple reps of these dives risks injury. Carlson says instead of repeatedly diving, she mentally prepares by visualizing the dive.

“Many research studies have shown that the more you can visualize yourself doing something in a certain environment successfully, the more you actually train your muscles to know exactly what to do,” wrote Carlson in a recent Instagram post. “Next time you’re scared to try something, try to imagine yourself nailing it first.”

Carlson’s idea isn’t just a theory. There’s plenty of science behind it. A Harvard medical professor says visualizing helps stimulate the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls our movement.

The post Imagine Falling at 60 MPH? High Divers Make That Plunge All the Time appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Practicing for Red Bull Rampage isn’t easy, but according to some in the mountain bike community, a trail known as King Kong is the destination. Mountain biker and popular social media user Christian Peper headed to the Virgin, Utah trail for a ride.

In the video, Peper and others go over their handlebars and dodge rocks after big drops. Peper says the area is known for breaking femurs and other painful collisions between people and the ground. 

The trail is rough enough that even popular mountain bike trail apps avoid mentioning it (we checked but couldn’t find it). However, plenty of details exist online, so this trail is a real destination. 

Would you try riding this trail?

The post Check out This Painfully Scary Trail Used to Practice for Red Bull Rampage appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Kirke made the first jump on April Fool’s Day in 1979 off a bridge in London. Kirke and his adventure buddies founded the “Dangerous Sports Club.”

He discussed the epic moment four years ago with the media. Kirke says after the jump, he had a run-in with law enforcement. The report begins with “someone had to be first, and that honor belongs to David Kirke.”

In the interview, Kirke says police let him and his friends go with a £50 fine.

Today, you can legally bungee jump in locations all over the world.

The post ‘Someone Had to Be First’: The Inventor of Bungee Jumping Dies Peacefully at Home appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Instagram user @jonfromupstairs recently added his video as a reel after seeing others share it without permission.

In the video, a massive avalanche crashes down Crystal Mountain in Washington State. The wall of snow consumes everything in its path.

No one was hurt in this video. However, five people died last year in Oregon and Washington from avalanches.

Whether skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing, anyone going into the backcountry in the winter should have proper avalanche training. The National Avalanche Center has more information on avalanche classes and offers daily forecasts on avalanche risk.

The post This Terrifying Video Captures the True Power of an Avalanche appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Leo loves the forest and ferociously advocates for the preservation of his favorite place. Growing up in the mountains of Andorra, Leo taught himself how to jump and move like the wild animals he loved so much. He started parkour at 12 years old and was a contestant on Ninja Warrior and Ultimate Beastmaster 2.

We caught up with Leo for a Q&A, and here’s what he had to say.

Outdoors.com: Tell me about your outlook on life.
Leopold Hurbin: I spend most of my time in the forest. As soon as there’s a hint of light, I like to be outdoors. Breathing the fresh air and acclimating to the day’s temperature is essential for me before starting any activity. I don’t have any particular rhythm or schedule driving my day, just like wild animals don’t have any and don’t use a watch during the day. I let myself be guided by what the forest has to offer me; what I manage to perceive then becomes the challenges that present themselves to me. I often evolve in the heights. I feel good there, and it allows me to enter a deeper mode of concentration. My sessions vary from one hour to sometimes six or seven hours.

Outdoors.com: Why do you love parkour and climbing?

Leopold Hurbin: I love parkour and climbing because it gives me a feeling of control, freedom, and accomplishment in life. It’s about exploration, and we all carry that in our genes; when I climb a tree I often push myself to go first, experiencing feelings our ancestors might have felt when they set out to explore the vast world. In our society, it’s a privilege to feel this way.

Outdoors.com: What is your most memorable parkour or outdoor experience and why?
Leopold Hurbin: The first time I saw wild chimpanzees, it was a revelation for me. I had studied their movements through a screen for years, and then suddenly, I could see them in real life and climb with them. It was extraordinary.

Outdoors.com: What is your greatest fear?

Leopold Hurbin: To not be free. 

Outdoors.com: What personality traits contributed to you living your dream life?

Leopold Hurbin: I never gave up. For years, I maintained this passion and motivation and launched myself on social networks to increase my chances and opportunities to make a living from it, and it worked.

Outdoors.com: Tell me about being on Ultimate Beastmaster and Ninja Warrior.

Leopold Hurbin: Being on shows was interesting, but it remains a TV show, and despite its interesting obstacle course, it’s not something for me. There is a lot of waiting, the athletes are not respected by the production. In France, they don’t even pay for the meals for participants. For me, this is unacceptable, because without us there would be no entertainment.

Outdoors.com: What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?

Leopold Hurbin: Many bad things have been said about me. Nobody believed in me, and people mocked me for being different. I was always set apart when I was young, but it didn’t bother me, and I didn’t need anyone’s approval.

Outdoors.com: Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Leopold Hurbin: I would love to have dinner with a silverback gorilla.

Outdoors.com: Who inspires you and why?

Leopold Hurbin: Animals and nature. The reality is that they are slowly disappearing from our daily lives, when they should in fact be our reality and our priority.

Outdoors.com: What is your craziest story?

Leopold Hurbin: I have lots of crazy stories! From Chernobyl to some skyscrapers I’ve climbed where I almost died to my adventures in the trees. I share most of my adventures on my socials, but some are secrets, kept only for me.

Outdoors.com: How long do you think it took until you felt you were really able to live the animal life you wanted?

Leopold Hurbin: Some 10 years of research, immersion, motivation, and a lot of passion in the hope of regaining the ease of a primate.

Outdoors.com: What advice would you give someone trying to be their true selves?

Leopold Hurbin: This feeling is unattainable, expecting it without knowing how to disconnect from the city. We need introspection, to be alone. The feeling of freedom cannot be gained in an office or during a weekend party. It is an art that is cultivated up in altitude and in the face of natural forces.

Outdoors.com: What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Leopold Hurbin: The most important lesson that I’m still learning today is patience.

The post Millions of People Follow this Real-Life Tarzan on Social Media, Here’s Why appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

In the video, the snow goes from waist to chest high, and the light powder covers Townsend occasionally as he makes his way downhill. For many, the winter of 2023 was a skier’s dream, and this is a prime example of what a handful of expert-level athletes got to experience.

Responses included:

“A very high bar was set. Fingers crossed for a repeat.”

“No such thing as too much snow.”

“Would someone dare say this is too much pow?”

Last winter brought record snow to places like California, which saw ski resorts open until August. The extended snow season happened despite the record-breaking heat of this past summer.

California experienced its second snowiest winter on record, with more than 56 feet of snow record in the Sierra Nevada. Colorado also experienced an above-average snowfall and recorded the 19th snowiest winter on record.

Weather forecasters believe an El Nino weather effect will bring warmer temperatures for the upcoming year. Places like the Mountain West and West Coast will also see above-average precipitation. However, it’s hard to predict snowfall this far out.

With more snow, there’s always an increased risk of an avalanche. Here’s some expert advice on how to keep yourself safe while backcountry skiing or snowboarding.

The post ‘No Such Thing as Too Much Snow’: This New Video From Cody Townsend Will Get You Psyched for the 2024 Ski Season appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Thousands of people attended to watch BASE jumpers leap off the bridge and parachute to the area below. It’s easily one of the most extreme events in a national park. The park will host the event this year on Saturday, October 21.

BASE jumping is not for the faint of heart. The sport includes leaping off of buildings, bridges, and natural cliffs for a quick drop before deploying a parachute. 

Robert Morgan, aka “Scotty Bob” has BASE jumped at Bridge Day since 2008. This year, he and his wife, Julia Bob, will bring a group of their students for their first experience at the New River Gorge. Here’s what he had to say about the sport and the annual event.

Outdoors.com: How did you get into BASE jumping?

Scotty Bob: I started BASE jumping at Bridge Day 2008. I was a parachute-qualified Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune and an avid sport parachutist at the time, and BASE seemed like the next step. I was in between deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

Outdoors.com: How does the sport differ from parachuting out of a plane?

Scotty Bob: The biggest differences between BASE and skydiving are time and equipment.  Most skydives last at least a minute in freefall and 3-5 minutes under canopy. Most BASE jumps last less than 30 seconds total from exit to landing, sometimes even less than that. Skills need to be honed in skydiving to be able to react fast enough in this environment. We do not have a reserve parachute in BASE jumping, since the time and altitude are usually not enough to make it useful. Our equipment is optimized for reliability, and we pack meticulously.

Outdoors.com: What makes Bridge Day such a popular event?

Scotty Bob: Bridge Day is the only legal object in the eastern U.S. that is permitted for [a BASE jumping] event.  It’s been happening since the 1980s and draws a huge crowd of spectators every year. The New River Gorge Bridge is also a relatively safe object to learn BASE jumping from.

Outdoors.com: What’s it like to BASE jump in the New River Gorge?

Scotty Bob: Bridge Day is quite different from most of the other jumps we regularly jump around the world. It’s more of a festival atmosphere rather than the quiet of nature. Kind of makes us feel like zoo animals, but it’s fun to be a performer sometimes.

Outdoors.com: Any recommendations for someone looking to get into BASE jumping?

Scotty Bob: Take your time, become a ninja canopy pilot in the skydiving environment, and seek out good instruction and mentorship

Scotty and Julia run a BASE jumping school that runs courses worldwide. Learn more here.

Find out how Bear Grylls overcame his fear of parachuting after breaking his back.

The post Get Ready for ‘Bridge Day,’ A Day When You Can Legally BASE Jump in This National Park appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Judges will name the winner of Red Bull Rampage based on riding performance. This year’s champion is 37-year-old Cam Zink. He posted to Instagram about the event, saying, “If I could bottle the emotions from just one Rampage, especially this one, I could have enough for a lifetime.”

Like any other sporting event, not everyone is happy. Many comments question the judge’s decision, with some debating the difficulty of the lines the riders chose to use or how they performed, especially after an intense ride from Bienvenido Aguado.

Comments include, “Rampage is dead after this. There’s no coming back from such horrible judging,” and “How this isn’t the winning run is beyond me.”

Regardless of your view, one thing is for sure, the event captures some of the wildest rides that mountain biking has to offer.

Would you ride any of these routes?

Here’s some gear to get you started.

The post Red Bull Rampage: Watch Drops, Backflips and More Terrifying Highlights From This Year’s Controversial Event appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.