Men's Journal Presents the 25 Most Adventurous Men of the Past 25 Years

Men's Journal has released another interesting article that is sure to spur some heated conversation. This time out, the magazine has posted its selection for the 25 most adventurous men of the past 25 years, making their picks based not only on the amazing feats that these men managed to pull off, but also their "consistency and commitment" for taking on big adventures. Also, as the name of the article implies, these gentleman have been mostly active over the past two-and-a-half decades, which has led to some big names potentially being left of the list. Even still, while those that made the cut are obviously deserving of some serious recognition, I can think of at least one or two names that didn't make the cut that would certainly have been on my own personal list.

As usual, I'll leave the bulk of the list for you to discover on your own, but will mention a few of the more familiar names that you'll find there. Not only did Conrad Anker earn a place amongst the top 25, his buddy Jimmy Chin is on the list too. Their joined by the likes of Alex Honnold, Eric Larsen, and Erik Weihenmayer as well. 

All of the entries on the list include a profile of the individual with a few paragraphs explaining why they deserved a mention. In some cases there is a break down of their defining expeditions and moments, while for others it is an overview of their entire career. All told, the article serves as a good introduction for these men, most of whom are still very active today. 

It is obviously very difficult to break down a list such as this one and select just 25 people to put on it. I'm sure there was a group of explorers and adventurers who didn't make the cut that are impressive in their own right. But, I was surprised to not find Ueli Steck on the list, as he redefined what was possible in the mountains over the length of his career. Kilian Jornet didn't make the cut either, nor did Simone Moro, who has four first winter ascents of 8000-meter peaks on his resume. Of course there isn't room for everyone in the top 25, but Ueli's omission is puzzling in particular. 

Still, it is hard to argue with the guys who are on MJ's list. They are all inspirational men who have pushed boundaries in their respective areas. To find out who did earn a spot in the rundown, click here. 

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All-Star American Climbing Team Putting Up New Routes in the Antarctic

Yesterday I noted the success of an international team of climbers in the Antarctic who completed the second ascent of a rock spire called the Spectre. Not to be outdone by their European counterparts, a group of all-start climbers from the U.S. is also down south and has been putting up some impressive routes as well.

The very strong team of climbers includes the likes of Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, Cedar Wright, Savannah Cumins, and Anna Pfaff. The group is also joined by cameraman Pablo Durana, who is documenting the expedition to Queen Maud Land, where they are focused on opening new routes in an area rich with possibilities.

According to this story from Planet Mountain, Honnold and Wright have been exploring different routes near the famous Ulvetanna cathedral. The entire team arrived on the frozen continent on December 1, and immediately started scouting out six different peaks that surround their base camp, which includes Holtanna, Hollstind, Kinntanna, Stetind, Hel and, obviously, Ulvetanna itself.

Reportedly, Honnold and Wright first joined forces with Cumins and Pfaff to climb the 2650 meter (8694 ft) Holtanna, before they moved on to establish three new routes in the region, including a 400 meter (1312 ft) line up Mount Fenris. Meanwhile, Anker and Chin have been focused on a project of their own which involves a new route up Ulvetanna.

As you can imagine, we'll be keeping an eye on their progress for the rest of the season. It should be interesting to see what this incredibly talented group can do. Hopefully we'll get some awesome video footage out of it.

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Video: Getting Up Getu with Alex Honnold and Felipe Camargo

In this video, you'll travel to Getu, China with Alex Honnold and Felipe Camargo as they attempt to climb Corazon de Ensueno, an 8-pitch, 14b rated roof route that has only been completed successfully once in the past. The short film takes us through their efforts to repeat that climb, with fantastic imagery shot by none other than Jimmy Chin himself. Check it out below. It is definitely one of the better climbing videos we've seen in some time.

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Actor Jared Leto Joins Alex Honnold on El Cap in Yosemite

Academy Award winning actor Jared Leto seems to have added yet another skill to his resume that already includes musician, songwriter, director and author. It seems the celeb is also an accomplished rock climber, as was evidenced last weekend when he went climbing in Yosemite with Alex Honnold.

On Friday Leto and Honnold scaled the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral, which is ranked amongst the 50 classic climbs of North America. Then on Saturday, the two men climbed three shorter, easier routes on the 600-foot Manure Pile Buttress, before moving onto the East Buttress of El Capitan on Sunday.

Later, Leto posted a photo of The Nose on El Cap – perhaps the most iconic climb in the world – hinting that he might like to try that at some point. Later, he shared the photo below on his Instagram account of he and Honnold. They're joined by Jimmy Chin, who dropped by for a photo bomb apparently.

Me @alexhonnold + @jimmy_chin #Yosemite

A photo posted by JARED LETO (@jaredleto) on May 14, 2016 at 9:28am PDT

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Video: Jimmy Chin's 2013 Director & Cinematographer Reel

There is little question that Jimmy Chin is one of the top two or three adventure photographers in the business today. He work is always fantastic and he goes to great lengths to catch the perfect shot. No where is this hammered home more completely than in the video below, which is a demo reel of his work, both in still photography and video. Many of the images are simply breathtaking and a great example of why Jimmy is so respected in his field.

JIMMY CHIN // DIRECTOR + CINEMATOGRAPHER REEL // 2013 from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

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