Back in the 1970s, my aunt and uncle had tired of the era’s standard foreign-vacation fare—Western Europe, the Caribbean—and decided to venture somewhat farther afield. They ended up in Afghanistan, before the Soviets blundered in and, therefore, before most Americans had probably even heard of the place. Enraptured with the terrain and the culture, they made repeated trips to the region, later regaling the family with such tales as flying over the treacherous Khyber Pass in a shoebox of a plane.
In this era of been there, done that, it’s becoming increasingly hard for intrepid travelers to get the jolt of adrenaline and authentic newness they crave. But it’s still out there, as we discovered with this, our adventure issue.
Contributor Mary Holland and staff writer Tori Latham assembled a package of expeditions that could land you the ultimate bragging rights—a place in the record books. Think skydiving to dinner at the North Pole, traversing Antarctica in the dead of winter, heli-skiing in seven countries in seven days. The cold doesn’t do it for you? OK, how about summitting four volcanoes in 24 hours, discovering a lost ruin, or using ropes to reach the top of Tower Butte, a stunning rock formation in the Arizona desert? That last one should be undertaken with not just awe at the spectacular views from over 5,000 feet up but also with reverence: The ancient monolith is sacred to the Navajo Nation; its own members have never climbed it, but it is agreeing to this ascent.
Contributor Jen Murphy is the ideal candidate to set any or all of these records. Equally adept at writing and sports, she has surfed in Tahiti, snowboarded in Alaska and Europe, trekked in the Himalayas, and gone horseback riding in Wyoming, to name just a few of her Robb Report excursions. This time around, she jetted down to Bahía Solano, a remote region of Colombia reachable by only air or sea to experience its under-the-radar but over-the-top fishing. Her report on sardine feeding frenzies and 70-pound tuna, not another fishing boat in sight, will make you go dust off your tackle box.
We were also curious to delve deeper into the very concept of adventure. We tend to write about many things that go fast—cars, boats, planes—but what is it about moving at hypercharged velocities that excites us? Ben Oliver, another frequent contributor, leaned into his extensive experience track-testing cars beyond 200 mph and road cycling to illuminate the physical and mental sensations of speed and why humans thrill at going ever faster, danger be damned.
When one hears the word “adventure,” luxuriating on a private island is not what generally comes to mind. But as our indispensable editor at large, Mark Ellwood, found, transforming an uninhabited rock in the middle of the sea into a personal Eden can be as trying as attempting the seven summits—and a whole lot more expensive. The allure is undeniable, but as with mountaineering, you’d be smart to consider the hazards before committing: Is there fresh water, or will you need to build your own desalination plant? How about electricity? And, since you’ll be transporting construction supplies by boat, you might want to confirm that the surrounding channels are deep enough to handle deliveries.
Ellwood spoke to Betsy Dingman, who built a family compound on Little Pipe Cay in the Exumas with her late husband, Wall Street mogul Michael Dingman. The project took many years—and many more millions of dollars—but it seems to have brought the well-matched couple even closer together. You’ll want assistance from the niche industry of consultants that has sprung up to help you realize your fantasy island, but Dingman has a word of advice: “As an owner, if you think you can detach yourself from the project, you’ll fail.”
Besides, where’s the fun in outsourcing your adventure?