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.
Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.
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What, no mention of Ran Fiennes? At all?
Nope! Like I said in the article I wrote, there are obviously some omissions. Leaving Ueli Steck off is criminal in my opinion.