WOULD YOU CLIMB a 3,000-foot-high wall without ropes or support?
Or take part in a downhill mountain biking race in a vehicle you’ve made yourself?
Or attempt to reach the top of a Papsura, a mountain which is actually called the Peak of Evil?
Nah, us neither.
But they are exactly the tasks that the National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year 2018 took on.
The famous magazine says its annual list honours “extraordinary achievements in the fields of exploration, adventure sports, conservation and humanitarianism within the past year”.
The 2018 class, with the theme of ‘Trailblazers’, includes climbers, ultramarathoners, mountain bikers, photographers and philanthropists. NatGeo says each of the eight has “achieved something unique, groundbreaking and game-changing in his or her field”.
Let us introduce them…
Honnold is considered by many in the adventure world to be the best free-solo climber in the world. That means he scales walls and cliffs without ropes and supports… for fun. In June 2017, he became the first person to free-solo the 3,000-foot granite wall of El Capitan. He also is the founder of the Honnold Foundation, a group that supports global clean energy initiatives.
An ultrarunner and ski mountaineer, Jornet has set speed records on mountains across the globe. Last year, he set a new record for the fastest summit of Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen or ropes. He reached the 11,429-foot summit in just 26 hours.
Koch is a professional surfer and founder of the nonprofit Beyond the Surface International. National Geographic says that with her organisation, “She works to empower environmentally threatened coastal communities by teaching local children to surf and providing workshops on visual storytelling.”
Magar, a downhill mountain biker, competed in his first Nepali national championship race on a Frankenstein-style ride—a low-budget mountain bike he modified himself. Magar has since won national and international races, including the National Downhill Championship in 2017, and is working toward competing in the Enduro World Series.
Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen
Described as wildlife photographers, conservation activists, and founders of the nonprofit Sea Legacy, Mittermeier and Nicklen receive the honour as a pair.
Their organisation works to protect and create healthy and abundant oceans through visual storytelling. In 2017, they sparked a global conversation about polar conservation with their footage of a starving polar bear.
Hilaree Nelson O’Neill
Nelson O’Neill first glimpsed the Papsura mountain in India in 1999. She is a climber and ski mountaineer and had been a professional adventure athlete for more than 10 years at that stage and so it was her great challenge. Called the Peak of Evil, National Geographic said the mountain “seared a place in her mind and inspired years of training with the goal of reaching its peak”. Despite failing to summit in 2013, her obsession with this perfect mountain drew her back for a second attempt, something she’d never done in the past. She finally reached the top and skied the route in 2017.
Valerio is an ultramarathon runner, author and educator. She competes in races around the United States and is dedicated to creating positive messaging around health and fitness. Facing racism, sexism and body shaming, she has dedicated herself to challenging stereotypes around who is and is not an athlete.
Speaking about the winners, Andrea Leitch, senior director for National Geographic Travel and Adventure, described them as adventurers who are “constantly pushing boundaries” and “exemplify National Geographic’s spirit of exploration”.
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