Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet’s Atlas of Adventure

Y ou never forget the first time that you clamber into a sea kayak, fasten the spraydeck over your lap and set off on your maiden voyage on the open water, sensing the implacable power beneath your narrow craft and working with it rather against it. The same is true for embarking on any new activity or adventure in the great outdoors, whether thats clipping into a climbing harness for a first lesson on scaling rock walls, or packing some provisions and pedalling away on a bicycle towards a distant horizon.

There are numerous ways of exploring our awe-inspiring planet via land, sea or air, and the Atlas of Adventure aims to introduce as many of them as possible in more than 150 countries around the world. We tracked down our most adventure-loving experts, wherever they happened to be, and asked them to share their tips for the best places to try all the activities listed overleaf. This book is the result: an alphabetically ordered romp around the globe, highlighting the best outdoor pursuits you can enjoy in each country. Well take you climbing in Thailand, mountain biking in America and sailing along the south coast of Britain. Weve included everywhere its currently feasible to set your intrepid foot, exploring the less trafficked corners of popular spots and venturing to far-flung places you may never have previously considered visiting. A few island regions notably the Caribbean have been tackled collectively.

The pursuits in the Atlas of Adventure range from hiking, biking and snorkelling to more adrenalin-charged experiences that will require some tuition before you try them but our intention is to offer ideas for accessible activities for first-timers. However, we have also included profiles of iconic events and interviews with inspiring personalities from the outdoor sports world to show what might be possible with a bit of practice. Its easy to be intimidated by seemingly extreme feats but even the boldest biker, kayaker or mountaineer began somewhere and often the first step is simply deciding to try a new experience, one that might lie slightly outside your comfort zone, and giving it a go. Although we would urge all fledgling adventurers to seek expert tuition and equipment advice from accredited operators!

A desire for adventure is present in every traveller. And research has shown that learning a new skill or technique whether thats how to make a clean paddle stroke in a kayak or clear a difficult descent on a mountain bike is what helps keep our brains young and our bodies healthy. So pack your passport and your compass for a thrilling and rejuvenating journey around the world.

Tom Robinson / Lonely Planet

Canoeing in La Mauricie National Park, Quebec, Canada

GLOSSARY OF ADVENTURE TERMS

Abseiling Descending a rope using a braking device.

Bikepacking Cycle touring but on a mountain bike.

Bouldering Free solo rockclimbing (without ropes or other equipment) on large boulders rather than a vertical rock face, usually with crash pads to protect the landing.

Canyoneering The US term for canyoning (exploring a gorge or canyon, sometimes with ropes, often tracing a waterway).

Cat skiing Skiing (or boarding) in remote areas made accessible with the use of a snowcat

Coasteering Combination of scrambling, wild swimming and free solo climbing around the tidal zone of a coast.

Freediving Diving without scuba gear.

Glade skiing Off-piste alpine or backcountry skiing through trees.

Crag Rock face for climbing.

Deep-water soloing (DWS) Rockclimbing unroped above water, usually on sea cliffs, but sometimes above rivers or lakes.

Dirt-bagging Living cheap, by any means possible, in order to prolong an adventure experience.

Free soloing Climbing without ropes or other protection.

Freeride A discipline of mountain biking using stunts and obstacles on steep and technical trails. Also applies to snowboarding on off-piste, backcountry terrain, often performing tricks.

Gorge scrambling Canyoning (sometimes without ropes).

Hardtail Mountain bike with front suspension only, as opposed to a dual or full-suspension bike

Heliskiing Skiing or snowboarding after being dropped off by a helicopter.

Kloofing Canyoning in South Africa.

Long-period swells Sets of waves that have travelled great distances and offer good surf.

Long riding Big-distance horse riding.

MTB A common abbreviation for mountain biking.

Parahawking Paragliding combined with falconry.

Rappelling See abseiling.

Singletrack Tight, twisty and often technical section of running, riding or walking trail.

Skyrunning Mountain running on peaks over 2000m in height.

Sport climbing Rock climbing using permanently fixed anchors.

SUP Stand-up paddleboarding, where people use a paddle to propel a large surfboard.

Trad Climbing When rockclimbers place their own protection (anchors) while ascending.

XC Cross-country mountain biking.

GUIDE TO SYMBOLS

Philip Lee Harvey / Lonely Planet

Hiking the Routeburn track in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

Matt Munro | Lonely Planet Don Johnston; Kseniya Ragozina; George Brits | Getty Images, Lena Granefelt | Lonely Planet, Aurora Photos / Alamy Henn Photography; Andrey Danilovich | Getty Images, Chris Ord

AFGHANISTAN

Mountainous Afghanistan is made for adventure, but the ongoing war and resurgent Taliban limit the options for adventurous travellers.

A fghanistan conjures a heady mix of encouraging and discouraging images: dusty mountain ranges, ancient ruins, heavily armed US troops, AK-47toting Taliban. Travelling here is extremely dangerous, and warnings should be regularly checked and taken seriously, but one part of the country has remained relatively safe for the adventurous: the Wakhan Corridor.

Located in northeastern Afghanistan, the Wakhan Corridor is a remnant of The Great Game, the 19th-century contest of power between Britain and Russia. Stretching eastwest for 350km, bordered by Tajikistan to the north, Pakistan to the south and China to the east, it was designed as a buffer between Russias Central Asian possessions and British India. But the areas history goes back far longer the valley has been used as a trade route since antiquity; past visitors include Alexander the Great and Marco Polo.