How to feel a sense of accomplishment in one day: Take a nine-and-a-half hour hike via Norways Trolls Tongue, a grueling trek to what has been called The Scariest Instagram Spot On Earth.NORWAY – It was 8:15 a.m., and I was lying in a hostel in Bergen, Norway, five days into a September road trip. It was a tiny room of four, the rain was pounding on the skylight, and unique odors were wafting up from the bunks below. Not just regular pedest

Timing is everything and in this case it lead to a once-in-a-lifetime cycling trip across the United States. University of Southern California student Chris Buonomo tells us about his usual move west. So, what made you take a cross-country biking trip?For the last few years I had been trying to figure out how to make this kind of trip a reality. Then, as I was preparing to move to Los Angeles for grad school, I heard about Search and States

We spent the week buried under an unexpected snowstorm at Fathom HQ, which made it the perfect time to watch videos of surfers crushing it at the Australian Open of Surfing, the annual surf-skate-BMX-music festival that just wrapped up in Manly Beach, Sydney.This makes us wish we had stuck with the surf lessons.The men in action.The women get it done.Highlights from the finals.Keep going! Watch them all.BUT WAIT, THERES MOREEscape to B

Theres Vail, theres Aspen, theres Breckenridge, and then theres Telluride. Fathoms Kim VanderVoort learns why this Colorado ski destination is in a class all its own.TELLURIDE, Colorado – I learned many things about Telluride, a magical place full of magical people. Namely, 1) I am a fair-weather intermediate skier; 2) if you get back up fast enough, no one has to know you fell; 3)  the term powder is not a bro-y euphemism for snow. It

The duo behind Ursa Major, one of our favorite natural skin care lines, works and plays at the foot of Vermonts highest peak, Mt. Mansfield. Emily Doyle and Oliver Sweatman share their favorite places to eat, drink, and hit the slopes during ski season in Stowe. STOWE, Vermont – Over five years ago, we moved to Stowe from New York City to spend more time outdoors and to live in a smaller community where we could launch our natural skincare

Each week were bringing you our favorite videos from the web. This week, take a virtual trip down the worlds most epic slide.Not a skier? Make like a Von Trapp and plan a trip to the Alps in the summertime. Specifically: Kandersteg in Switzerland, where an Alpine slide offers a series of downhill twists and turns sure to produce a ton of adrenaline, and maybe a little nausea.WATCH THE VIDEOBUT WAIT, THERES MOREWhat Are Genderless Danshi, Yo

Central Asia is, for most Americans, a murky and mysterious region on the world map. But the five relatively new states along the old Silk Road deserve further investigation. Start with this primer to the Stans to get your bearings.Central Asia is much more than Borat, yurts, and horses.Since emerging from the shadows of the Soviet Republic in 1991, the five independent Central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkme

A self-professed Central Asia nerd heads to Kyrgyzstan with a one-way ticket and no plans. Her secret weapon? Tinder.BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Its been 24 hours since I arrived alone in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with no plans aside from two nights booked at a youth hostel. Now I find myself with a group of English-speaking 20-somethings and a Kyrgyz family, in a yard on the side of a mountain on the outskirts of the city. After the obligatory what-

The itch to travel often starts with an image. A glimpse of Perus Rainbow Mountains spurred one traveler to make a journey she wont soon forget. VINICUNCA MOUNTAIN, Peru – In the spring of 2015, I discovered a chain of mountains so beautiful it reordered my entire bucket list.In photos, the peaks were striped in a rainbow of colors: maroon, mustard yellow, and soft blue. Fluffy white clouds scraped their soft peaks.Hidden in a remote c

From sleeping in a hotel made of ice in the Arctic Circle, to taking steamy baths in Kyoto, Japan, heading into the cold sounds like more fun than usual.Sweden: Mush Ahead! Dog Sledding in Swedish LaplandGo for a ride in the Arctic Circle with six huskies and a Viking expedition leader. Whiz past trees, under low-hanging branches covered in snow, through endless, shimmering plains. (Dont forget to pack your thermal underwear.)Read more on F

The Great Wall of China is one of the worlds greatest wonders, but its also one of the worlds biggest tourist traps. Traveler and Tokyo expat Kate Bitner shows us how to avoid the crowds and walk the wall like they did 700 years ago. CHINA – As far as ancient architecture goes, it doesnt get any bigger or better than the Great Wall of China. Some sections of the wall in Beijing see 70,000 visitors per day, but it is also possible

Born and bred New Yorker Caitlyn Slivinksi shares a firsthand account from the inside track at one of Kentuckys most prestigious horse races.LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Lexington and Keeneland have telling mottos: Horse capital of the world and Racing as it was meant to be, respectively. My tagline for a weekend trip to Kentucky was ponies before phonies. A weekend at the racetrack was on the horizon, and I was lucky enough to have a Lexingtonian

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, sees millions of tourists in the summer due to its proximity to some of Americas best national parks. In the winter, the landscape is powdered, peaceful, and full of elk. Jean Tang shares her off-piste itinerary.JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming – Like many, my first trip to Jackson Hole was during the summer. I rode bikes, hiked gravel trails, day-tripped to Yellowstone, went fly fishing (or tried to, at least), and took the tra

After youve been through a few bachelor parties,Vegas and Miami start to feel a little cliché. Think outside the box — and inside an active volcano, crushing big wave, or Alaskan forest.Yet another typical bachelor party at yet another typical locale? Let’s guess what that will look like: Cheap thrills. Expensive bills. Raging hangovers. Blah, blah, blah.Why dont you round up the guys for a real adventure? Man up for these six aw

THE HIGH SEAS – Call it an expedition, a boat trip, a hotel on the water. Just dont call it a cruise. Those gargantuan floating mall disasters are making way for small, chic ships with upgraded interiors, thoughtful itineraries, and top-notch amenities.We scoured the Internet, asked experts we trust, and found the sea/ocean/river trips we cant wait to take. From the Arctic to Antarctica, Papua New Guinea to Corsica, the Rhîne to t

A trip to the spa is the ultimate indulgence. Add these tools and products to your beauty arsenal to recreate the experience at home.Every single day, I long for someone to whisk me away in a jet and take me to a spa for the day. I would relax in a feather-soft robe, sip herbal tea, and anticipate the sweet, sweet sound of someone saying, Darlene. On cue, I would rise from my lounge chair and my therapist would escort me down the hall to my

A beach vacation for those averse to beach vacations! Fathom contributer Laura House spent a few days basking in the Bahamanian sun at The Cove Eleuthera.ELEUTHERA, Bahamas – What do mean this isnt your kind of a vacation? This is everyones perfect vacation, said my traveling companion, shooting me the side eye. Her suspicion was warranted. After all, here we were sipping life-extending smoothies made with fruit plucked from the surrounding

Fathom assistant editor Berit Baugher heads to the Caribbean and spends a day exploring the beaches of St. Barts and drinking the worlds best piña colada.ST. BARTS – Despite its reputation as a cheesy party island with oversized yachts and blinged-out bikinis, and being declared over by the media, St. Barts (short for Saint-Barthélemy) has always been on my list of places to visit. I love all things French, and the thought of finding a litt

A trip into the part of the Amazon thats known as the Biodiversity Capital of Peru is about as magical as you would imagine it to be.TAMBOPATA NATIONAL RESERVE, Peru – The adventure began in a garden decorated with rare butterflies, a welcome area close to the small airport where we were to await passage down the Amazon.Butterflies whose wings looked like Art Deco masterpieces fluttered beautifully. Others resting amid the foliage near the

When contributing editor Christina Ohly discovers the Dunmore, she realizes that Harbour Island in the Bahamas is the destination that keeps on giving.HARBOUR ISLAND, Bahamas – Harbour Island is the three-mile long haven of powder-fine pink sand and crystal clear turquoise waters thats remained relatively unchanged over the years. The Landing (which I wrote about on Fathom) serves as the epicenter for delicious meals and local gossip. The R