Is technology killing adventure?
Mark Banham investigates, from an adventure sport perspective, a key philosophical question of our age: is digital technology necessarily a good thing?
The western edge of Canada’s Victoria Island is a barren, ice-scoured coastline, five hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. With no trees and little topographical protection a bone chilling wind whips across the island unhindered, sucking the life out of any creature not equipped with fur, fat or Gore-Tex. Even on its best days, it isn’t exactly an enticing locale. But for Chris Bray and Clark Carter, in 2008, this chilly vista was without a doubt the sweetest sight they’d ever laid eyes on.
For the two Sydneysiders this day at the beach represented the hard-won conclusion of two epic journeys. After a total of a thousand kilometres and 128 days alone in the wilderness, hauling up to a quarter of a tonne of gear each, they were now officially the first people to cross the largely unexplored island on foot.
The pair returned to Australia from their iiNet Thousand Hour Day Expedition as the toast of the country for their physical and mental endurance – and for the innovation and technological savvy they demonstrated along the way.
You see, Bray and Carter’s expedition wasn’t your average trek. Their PACs (Portable Amphibious Carts) bristled with technology, from Iridium satellite phones, EPIRBS, GPS receivers and trackers to tiny solid-state Netbooks, flexible solar panels, digital SLR cameras and video cameras. Even the PACS themselves were high-tech with purpose-built carbon-fiber wheel rims and Kevlar tyre covers. And all this technology wasn’t just along for the ride – it was an integral part of the trip.
Historically this is nothing new; technology and adventure have always gone hand-in-hand. Captain James Cook used new-fangled marine chronometers and the latest nutritional advice for his voyages in the eighteenth century. Likewise Hillary and Tenzing used early bottled oxygen equipment and down-filled clothing on their ascent of Everest. What is new however is the degree of angst and debate regarding the use of technology in outdoor adventures.
To read the second half of this article, see issue #30 of Outer Edge magazine..
