National Geographics: September 2014

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Free Climbing the Totem Pole, Tasmania, Australia

Photograph by Simon Carter

Australian climbers Doug McConnell (leading) and Dean Rollins (belaying) are seen on the Totem Pole, a slender 215-foot-high dolerite column that has long fascinated rock climbers. Located at Cape Hauy on the Tasman

Ice Climbing Fearful Symmetry, Canadian Rockies, Alberta

Photograph by Forest Woodward

Getting the Shot
"When we arrived at the base of the pillar, there was another group with us who took one look and decided, 'No thanks, that's above our pay grade,' " recalls photographer Forest Woodward, who took this shot of ice climber Graham Zimmerman in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. "I

Kayaking the Mekong River, Laos

“The moment that I savor most in kayaking in extreme places is the one that is captured here. We're well beyond the point of no return, where the anticipation, excitement, and anxiety of the outcome meld into a singular focus and you become totally absorbed in the moment,” says kayaker and

Deepwater Soloing the Musandam Peninsula, Oman

Photograph by Jimmy Chin

Getting the Shot
“In some ways, shooting someplace new is great because you see everything fresh and with new eyes,” says photographer Jimmy Chin. Chin, on assignment for National Geographic magazine, photographed

Stand-up Paddleboarding Jaws, Hawaii

Photograph by Richard Hallman

Getting the Shot
“Things at Jaws happen so fast, I wasn't sure it was even Kai taking off on the wave until my Skidoo driver pointed and said, ‘Kai Lenny,’ ” recalls surf photographer Richard Hallman. “I focused my attention on the wave because I knew he was riding stand-up and even though the wave was

Climbing Superfortress, Near Vail, Colorado

Photograph by Celin Serbo

"I was completely engaged in the climbing, not thinking, not doing, just being," says climber Will Mayo of his second ascent of Superfortress, a very difficult mixed ice and rock climbing route near Vail, Colorado. "Yet when the partially formed icicle of the Fang collapsed beneath my feet,

Climbing Hallucinogen Wall, Black Canyon, Colorado

Photograph by John Dickey

Getting the Shot
“I had never even seen the Black Canyon before this climb. Turns out the Black is infamous for a reason,” says photographer John Dickey, who joined climber Josh Wharton on Hallucinogen Wall in Colorado's Black Canyon. “I've been shooting on big walls for over a decade and when I

Snowboarding the Pemberton Ice Cap, British Columbia

Photograph by Mark Gribbon

“Being in the backcountry is where I belong and am the most happy,” says snowboarder Joel Loverin, seen here on the Pemberton Ice Cap in British Columbia, Canada, during a three-day backcountry camping and riding excursion.

Mountain Biking Book Cliffs Near Green River, Utah

Photograph by Jay Beyer

"I was grinning ear to ear from the amount of fun I was having and just starting to plan where I would need to get on the brakes before hitting the steep trench left by runoff at the bottom of this line," recalls pro skier Carston Oliver of this moment at sunset in Book Cliffs, Utah, an

Winter Surfing in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Photograph by Scott Dickerson

"I would say that surfing up here is not very popular," says Homer, Alaska, local Gart Curtis, seen here rushing back to the truck, with his friend Mike in the distance, after a winter surf session 30 minutes outside of town.

Ice Climbing in Hyalite Canyon, Montana

Photograph by Jason Thompson

“Winter Dance does not form every year, and it's extremely difficult. For those reasons it's seen very few ascents,” says climber Whit Magro, seen here on the third pitch of the challenging route in the main fork of Hyalite
Canyon, a classic ice-climbing destination outside of Bozeman. “I had just

Ice Climbing in Zirknitzgrotte, Austria

Photograph by Martin Lugger

Getting the Shot
“At the time it was very questionable to climb this ice rock because of the danger that it would break and crash—along with the climber,” says photographer and climber Martin Lugger. After climber Peter Ortner
(pictured) told Lugger about the location in Zirknitzgrotte, Austria, the

Kayaking the Rio Santo Domingo, Chiapas, Mexico

Photograph by Marcos Ferro, Red Bull Content Pool

"This is a shot of the last drop off in the big canyon of the Rio Santo Domingo," recalls kayaker Rafael Ortiz of this moment on the steepest known kayakable whitewater sequence in the world, found in Chiapas,
Mexico. "I was feeling totally stoked and high-energy when dropping the

Skiing at Dusk at Brighton, Utah

Photograph by Scott Markewitz

"I was just enjoying the hang time," recalls skier Dash Longe of this moment launching off a 45-foot cliff at dusk in Brighton Ski Resort, Utah. This was the first time Longe had skied off this particular cliff, but he had hucked others in the area. Brighton has a wide variety of cliff bands that

Mountain Biking in Virgin, Utah

Photograph by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool

"I was thinking about a lot of things at this moment, but most important, where and how I was going to land," recalls mountain biker Brandon Semenuk of the moment captured in this photo. He's seen catching some big air in a canyon gap during the three-day Red Bull Rampage

Climbing in Kootenay National Park, Canada

Photograph by Paul Bride

“They are magical and lovely,” says ice climber Jen Olson of the ice stalactites and stalagmites seen here in Caveman cave located a half-hour hike from Upper Haffner Creek in Kootenay National Park,

Surfing Namotu Island, Fiji

Photograph by Stuart Gibson, Red Bull Illume

"I hope I get under this," was the thought going through surfer Sean Woolnough's mind as he rose on this wave, named Love Shacks, off Namotu Island, Fiji. Woolnough had just paddled out for the first wave,

Climbing El Chorro Gorge, Spain

Photograph by Forest Woodward

"It was very cold and windy and damp, but we were in a really memorable location," recalls climber Blake Herrington (in green) seen here with Scott Bennett at 150 feet above the water in the El Chorro Gorge, Spain. The 400-foot, fully-bolted sport-climbing route is on the limestone Africa Wall.

Surfing Monument Beach, Australia

Photograph by Andrew Shield

“This moment was pure joy,” says surfer Dion Atkinson of getting in the barrel of the popular Monument wave break located along the Great Australian Bight in South Australia. “This wave is a very dangerous,

Kayaking the Stikine, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph by Barny Young

“I was glad I made it through without getting beat down by this monster,” says kayaker Gerd Serrasolses on paddling these rapids, known as the Hole That Ate Chicago, in the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River in British

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