What really is Adventure?

[mitey-miss]

Adventure = curiousity.

If you are willing to see, smell, taste, touch, try,
something/somewhere you're not familar with, you have an
adventurous spirit. This can include venturing an empty
restaurant that's not in the guidebook, or a back alley on your
way home from work.

This message was edited by mitey-miss on 8-30-04 @ 8:36 PM

[INTJseattle]

While I'm not ready to do a bike tour on my own I have enjoyed many catered tours and found my own sense of adventure in each. The key ingredient is not knowing what to expect not that you have to put your safety at risk. Beginning a Orgeon tour knowing that a major storm was on the way and not being certain how we were going to get through it was one adventure. Traveling in Turkey meeting ordinary people who are curious about you was another. In Slovenia it as trying to get from one part to another when people are trying to help but dont speak English well. Each trip challenges me to push myself a little more to learn and grow.  

[jmcg]

Re: Willy Wier's article What is adventure?  I have a problem with the concept that unless a bicycle tour involves unexpected 1000 foot climbs, chance encounters with possibly hostile tribesmen, getting lost in a foreign country etc. etc.,it really isnt worth taking.

I recently returned from a 2 1/2 wk solo self-supported trip.My most memorable (ie. enjoyable)day was a 80 mile pedel thru the flatland of NW Ohio. I experienced quiet country roads, a view of the Maumee River, small towns and villages with friendly people who all spoke my language, and at the end of the day a quiet campground and an excellent restaurant.Was there risk involved? -Not much  Fear factor? -Zero Adventure? -Just the kind I was looking for.

[Sxphn]

I have felt for some time that an adventure must include the following:
1.  A prodigous physical effort (this also implies significant physical discomfort.)  I do not believe you can have an adventure from an armchair.  "An adventure of the mind" is simply a metaphor.
2.  A goal for which both success and failure are real possibilities.  If either success or failure is assured, then one of the elements of a true adventure is missing.  
3.  There must be a probability that unpredictable or unforseeable events and situations will occur.
4.  An adventure should generate a story that other people would find interesting.  (I guess I am saying an adventure has to be judged as adventurous by more than just the participant.  If no one except you thinks it was an adventure, then it wasn't.  Sorry.)
5.  This last one I am not sure of, but it seems an adventure need to involve some kind of journey or trip as an intergal part of the experience.  

[learnix]

Adventure for me is not knowing what is around the next corner. I have spent a night in jial outside of hanoi because I missed a turn, and that was adventure. I have cycled across the Namibian desert with a real question as to whether I would reach a town before nightfall. That was adventure. I have cycled to known destinations in North America on many occasions and they were great scenic rides, but none of them could ever be called an adventure.
No give me a dusty cartpath in a thirld world country with mystery meats as my nutritional reward and I am as happy as a clam!

Nigel Harris
Ottawa, Canada

[brad]

Adventure is the pursuit of yourself in situations that maximize your potential in the face of adversity. For everyone this watermark is different depending upon their personal circumstances and backgrounds.

Me personally I like long endurance based outdoor events particularly in mountains or deserts that involve lots of problem solving, route finding, and unexpected encounters of any sort!

[scott.laughlin]

Adventure is any activity that is far removed from the daily routine.  The more discomfort that is associated with said adventure, the longer it remains forefront in one's memory.

Scott