Adventure is more than just an expedition to an unknown landscape or significant physical challenge—it’s a mindset that shapes how we approach leadership, difficulty, and uncertainty. Reading adventure-oriented books is a window into understanding not only the journeys of others but also the traits and philosophies that define an adventurous life.  Here are my top 5 […]

The Climb Is Yours: Finding Meaning in the Ascent What defines adventure? Why are some adventures massively impactful and others barely move the needle? The most important climb of your life isn’t about the summit, the top is a fleeting moment in the entirety of the experience, but the moments you spend in preparation, on the wall, […]

Life moves fast. Insanely fast. And we all struggle to keep up with the deluge of input and conflicting demands on our time and energy: personally and professionally. An adventure mindset offers an immediate, and directly tangible, solution. The Five Elements of Adventure are the foundational philosophy and the filter through which we can reflect, […]

It is all too easy to let life’s chaos reign and control our time and as a result, sadly, our relationship with our children. Adventure offers a catalyst for change: deepening bonds, creating indelible memories, and developing character. In the heart of every father beats the yearning for connection, a primal drum that calls him […]

“I am exhausted. This is exactly what I needed.” These are the words Andrew said at the end of the second day of our traverse through the Superstition Mountains outside of Phoenix, AZ. As the sunset over the desert, painting the towering Weaver’s Needle in a bath of pink light, over a gentle warm evening […]

This post was originally written for, and published by, Oars and Alps. Matt Walker spends 100 days a year in a tent. As a psychologist and international mountain guide, he spends much of that time leading men on climbing expeditions, helping them reconnect with a sense of adventure. While nearly all of his clients find these […]

Four days in the wilderness. The freedom of taking a long walk. Last October I took a four day walk with a man who was looking for a hard reset in his life. Time to step away from the burdens and demands of his everyday and take stock of where he was headed, realign his […]

I remember with absolute clarity the first time I went on expedition in Alaska.  Arriving in late April, my partner and I drove from Anchorage to the hamlet of Talkeetna, packed our three weeks of food and gear into a small plane with skis for landing gear, took off into Denali National Park and landed […]

The moment you have an idea, you identify a goal, or you encounter a new desire, you have already been set on an adventure. When Joseph Campbell mapped out the Hero’s Journey, he began with the Ordinary World—this is the status quo, the known, the predictable, the life you have lived for many years. This […]

I use two methods every day to boost my mood, engage my mind, and involve my body—just like an actual adventure.