National Geographic searched the globe for eight years just to find Adventurers of the Year, who are selected for their extraordinary achievements in exploration, conservation, humanitarianism, and adventure sports.
In 2013, there were selected people who are adventure innovators, including a surfer riding giant; a skier landing the first sit-ski backflip; a mountain biker pedaling across cultural boundaries; a BASE jumper falling from space; and more.
Explorer Mike Libecki
He is the kind of adventurer who shows no signs of slowing down. Libecki climbed icebergs in east Greenland and experienced the danger of doing so. He is also the first to go kite skiing across the lakes of Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan's first and only national park. Libecki made series of first descent by snowboard in the avalanche-prone Koh-e Baba mountains.
Surfer Ramon Navarro
He got involved with big-wave surfing to a higher level off Tavarua Island, Fiji. Navarro works with the Chilean government and conservation groups to turn the stretch of Punta de Lobos into a national park.
Ultrarunner Lizzy Hawker
This Champion trail ultrarunner can be seen running through the mountains surrounding Chamonix, France. She also charged to the finish line to win her fifth Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, where the competitors ran through the night in rain and snow.
Skier Josh Dueck
He performed the world's first sit-ski backflip at Powder Mountain Catskiing outside of Whistler, British Columbia. In 2011, then rookie Dueck bagged home the gold in the X Games mono ski cross.
Climber David Lama
This Austrian climber had been trying to make history with the first free climb of the iconic Cerro Torre, a mountain steeped in controversy in Argentine Patagonia for three years. "Two years the Patagonian storms whipped us out of the Torre Vally, but patience and commitment paid off in the end," he says.
On the sixth position:
BASE Jumper Felix Baumgartner
Tagged as the Australian daredevil by Outside Online, Felix Baumgartner caught the world's attention when he leapt from a space capsule at nearly 130,000 feet. The People's Choice Adventurer of the Year was also able to break the sound barrier on his way down.
Other adventurers included on the list are Kayaker Steve Fisher, Humanitarian Shannon Galpin, Artist Renan Ozturk, and Snowboarder Jeremy Jones.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
