The BioLite Community Finds Their Frontier
Scott Kranz in Death Valley
Backpacking to secret campsites. Searching for untouched climbing routes. Rafting over waterfalls. Solo-backpacking. Mountaineering to a first ever summit. Building friendships around a post-climb campfire.
Time flies when you’re pushing past your comfort zone.
We kicked summer off with a challenge for our community to push themselves a bit further, confront a fear, or try something new. This was a big ask. Frontiers can be scary, physically exhausting, and even mentally draining. But our community really showed up and proved that finding frontiers is one of the most rewarding ways to experience the great outdoors.
And guess what – a lot of us are after the same thing. After pouring through hundreds of stories, here are some of the common threads we saw among your adventures:
- It’s All About Firsts. Whether it’s trying a new sport for the first time or being the first to accomplish an impressive feat, you’re drawn to the idea of firsts as a way to kick yourself into high gear and make your adventure happen.
- You Crave Opportunities To Grow. When it came to fears and furthers, your stories revealed that these challenges weren’t about being a glutton for punishment, but rather a vehicle for personal growth. Confronting barriers – be they physical or emotional – was an act of determination, discipline, and interestingly enough, self-care.
- Frontiers Are Better With Friends. You prioritize sharing a love for the outdoors with those close to you. We are so inspired to see the BioLite community so full of guides and leaders, eager to introduce others to new sports, environments, and experiences. Whether it was instilling your young kids with a love of the outdoors or convincing your college roommate to sleep under the stars for the first time, you found ways to help everyone find their own frontier.
Thank you to everyone who shared their images, their stories, and their time with us – below is a quick roundup of some highlights from the submissions we received.
10 Images From The Frontier
Scroll through the gallery below to see some of our favorite submissions from the BioLite community.
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Climbing Higher Grades in Wyoming
“Earlier this year Lauren (@lbatcheck) said she wanted to put in some time and commitment to being a better climber... And so her hardest climb to date happened: the FA of Ministry of Magic (5.13a), Ministry Wall.” ~@mattburbach
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Finding Untouched Peaks in Eastern Greenland
“I had a vision: climb the unclimbed in Greenland. The thing was that I had only just learned to climb, and in many ways, that goal seemed so totally out of reach. We finally brought this vision to life. How did we do that? The same way that all new frontiers can be discovered: through education, experience, planning, and adaptation.” ~ Chris Brinlee Jr.
(Follow Chris’s Frontier expedition to the edge of the Earth here). -
Building A Community of Frontier Finders
Xander, a van-lifer and guide living in the Pacific Northwest, spent his summer training 40 other river guides who will lead outdoor trips for teens in Seattle and make it easier for newcomers to the outdoors to experience the magic of the outdoors.
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Mountaineering Up Three Peaks in Mexico
Michael set out to summit 3 peaks in 10 days with no prior mountaineering experience. “It takes outdoorsmanship to a whole new level when you’re doing it in a more extreme climate and conditions.” (Read more about how Michael found his frontier with his Dad, here).
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Chasing Waterfalls in Río Savegre, Costa Rica
@go4theglobe went white water rafting for their first time ever... and they agree that it definitely won’t be their last.
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Alpine Climbing in Rogers Pass
“I can think of about 7 days in my life that I can classify as ‘the best day ever’ and they were all alpine climbs that left me totally exhausted. Climbing Mount Tupper was one of those days and looking into the distance from its summit to giants such as Sir Donald makes the possibilities of days like these seem endless.” -@vvalchev
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Backpacking for the First Time Ever
Amine’s never slept outside, never backpacked, never carried everything he needs to survive. He felt fear when he thought of the wildlife and weather he would encounter on this trip. Getting out of the city and into the wilderness put Amine outside his comfort zone, and as the day approached where he would meet up with the group in Hoboken he nearly dropped from the trip.
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A Summer Full of Family Bouldering Time
“Here's Cyrus focused on a first ascent. Her sister Fionne tried so hard she was shaking... Falling off, she'd jump up wanting another go. Props to trying harder than me ladies! Lil' crushers!” - @thomasinapidgeon
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Spending Every Weekend Outdoors & Somewhere New
@wildandfreerv set off on a 10 day road trip chasing frontiers where ever they presented themselves including hikes around Crater Lake, whale watching at Orca Islands, and relaxing by the Canadian Rockies.
The official Find Your Frontier campaign may be over, but we think that finding frontiers is something we could all use a bit more of year round. If you are still looking to find your next adventure, make sure to catch up on our resources that make it easier to do so.
Read More Stories Here →
