I was 50 kilometres south of Coldfoot, Alaska when a government truck U-turned in the road ahead, sending a muddy shrapnel of gravel rocks and shale blocks skidding into my spokes with metallic chime. It groaned to a rigid stop right in front of me, engine idling into a sombre whine. A middle-aged woman stepped out from behind the wheel, brushing her gloves off against the sides of her work pants. I pulled down my winter facemask and stole a glance at the license plate while she approached. ‘For federal use only’, it read.
The sky was impenetrably grey, temperature buried below freezing for days on end. She wanted to warn me about a wolf a few miles ahead exhibiting ‘strange’ behaviour. I wondered what constitutes strange behaviour for a wolf this close to the North Pole. “I don’t know what your deal is,” she said, emphasising the ‘deal’ while pointing at my bike mistrustingly, “or what you want to do with this information, but judging by the way it lunged at my truck and lashed out against passing semis, it suggests rabies and will come for you, too.”
Just days before, I’d flown 400 kilometres into the Arctic Circle, rebuilt my bicycle on an airstrip at the Arctic Ocean, and begun a two-year trek south for the bottom of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego Archipelago. I’d been warned about bears, of course, expected them en masse and planned accordingly. But this was something else.
Call of the wild
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Men's Fitness UK.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Men's Fitness UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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DRESS TO IMPRESS
In the latest campaign from Charles Tyrwhitt, rugby player Marcus Smith and cricketer Joe Root are taking the lead and stepping up their offduty game with some sharp summer outfits. From tailored linen to comfy chinos and lightweight blazers, summer just got stylish
Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance
How well, and how long, did you sleep last night? It’s an important question, because in its Sleep Manifesto 2024, The Sleep Charity notes that a whopping 43% of adults sleep less than the NHS-recommended seven to nine hours.
CARDIO SWEAT
Elevate your aerobic fitness and fast-track fat loss with this cardio workout from the Movement Blueprint founder Harvey Lawton
THE LEARN ROPES
Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it offers a number of serious health benefits in Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it off ers a number of serious health benefi ts in a budget-friendly and convenient formula that can be done virtually anywhere
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MF meets mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner
BUDGET BEATS
Apple’s new low-price buds punch well above their price tag
FITNESS GOALS
Teddy Sheringham’s playbook for staying in shape in your fifties
Summer SIZZLERS
Fuel your summer with these fresh, high-protein recipes
THE MONT BLANC MONSTER
The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) is among the most challenging and prestigious trail running events in the world. Typically held annually in the last week of August, it circumnavigates the iconic Mont Blanc massif. Covering approximately 106 miles, with a gruelling elevation gain of around 32,800 feet, the race demands exceptional endurance, technical skill, and mental fortitude – as Dominic Bliss witnessed for himself at last year’s event…
FEEL THE BURN
Training for HYROX? This lung-busting workout from HYROX master trainer and Represent 247 athlete Jake Dearden will get you race ready