Hey {{first_name | Explorer}},

This is Adventure Fix, the newsletter that helps you discover extraordinary journeys and experiences across the globe.

Here’s what we've got for you today:

Every winter, something pretty magical happens down in Baja California—the gray whales arrive. They’ve just finished an epic journey from the Arctic, thousands of miles south, and suddenly these quiet desert lagoons come alive with spouts, splashes, and giant tails lifting out of the water.

What makes Baja so special is how close you can actually get to them. In places like San Ignacio Lagoon or Magdalena Bay, the whales don’t just tolerate people, they often swim right up to the boats. Sometimes a mother will even nudge her calf toward you, almost like she’s showing off her baby. Reaching out and touching a whale’s barnacled skin while it looks right back at you is one of those moments that stays with you forever.

Even if you’re not inches away, just sitting on the water and hearing the deep whoosh of their breath, or watching a calf practice breaching while the sun sets over cactus dotted hills, feels unreal. It’s wild, raw, and yet strangely peaceful.

Seeing the gray whale migration in Baja isn’t just another wildlife sighting, it feels like being let in on one of nature’s greatest secrets.

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Ol Doinyo Lengai, the “Mountain of God” to the Maasai, is one of the wildest climbs you can do in Tanzania. It’s not as tall as Kilimanjaro or Meru, but it feels more raw and dramatic.

The volcano rises almost 10,000 feet (2,962 m) out of the Rift Valley, and instead of ice and forests, you get bare slopes, strange rock, and lava flows.

What makes it really different is the type of lava—it’s the only place on Earth where you’ll find carbonatite lava. When it erupts, it pours out looking almost like black oil, then turns into a pale, chalky crust.

Most people start the climb at night. You set off around midnight or a little later, hiking by headlamp and starlight. The trail is steep and slippery, with lots of loose rock, and it just keeps going up.

It’s tough—no shade, not many places to rest—but when you finally get to the top for sunrise, it’s all worth it. The view is insane. You can see Lake Natron shining below, the Rift Valley stretching forever, and if the weather’s clear, even Kilimanjaro and Meru in the distance.

Standing on the rim of an active volcano is something else. Sometimes you’ll see little vents steaming or fresh lava that’s still warm. It’s the kind of place that makes you stop and really take it in—you’re literally standing on a living, breathing mountain.

Between the climb itself, the crazy summit, and the deep connection the Maasai people have with it, Ol Doinyo Lengai isn’t just another hike. It feels like an adventure straight into the Earth’s core.

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The Pillars of Ulakhan-Sis are one of those places that stop you in your tracks.

Out in northeastern Siberia, these towering stone formations rise out of the tundra like a forest made of rock. Shaped by wind and ice over millions of years, some look like castle walls, others like giant statues, many stretching more than a hundred feet tall.

Reaching them isn’t easy—you’re deep in Yakutia, one of the coldest, most remote regions of Russia. That’s part of what makes them so special.

Few people ever see them, so when you do, it feels like stepping into another world. In summer, flowers bloom at their base; in winter, they’re dusted with snow, glowing under the Arctic sky.

For the Yakut people, these pillars have long been sacred, tied to legends and spirits of the land. They’re often compared to the more famous Lena Pillars, but Ulakhan-Sis is wilder and far less visited.

Standing there in the silence, surrounded by stone, you feel the raw scale and mystery of Siberia all around you.

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Landscape Photo: Desert Frost

Wildlife: Markhor Documentary

Just for Laughs: Nature’s greatest dancers

Travel: Entering the world's strangest country

Unique Experiences: Finding a unique tribe in Pakistan

Wanna flex your adventure geography skills? Guess where this pic was snapped!

Stumped? No worries. The answer is at the end of this email.

I’d love to hear what you think of this issue, scroll down to the poll to let us know.

Until next time…

Keep exploring,

-Amanda

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help you plan truly unique adventure trips:

ANSWER: The Lake Castrovalva area in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, United States