ADVENTURE AND THE SUBLIME: A Quest for Transformation or Transcendence?

Outdoor adventures have emerged as recreational and educational experiences alongside the development of modern western cultures. Adventures both reflect and challenge societies norms. In this chapter, we suggest that the narratives of adventure experiences fall into two main sets, those that are understood to be transformational and those that are understood to be transcendental. Both versions are, we claim, rooted in the western Romantic idea of the sublime that arose as a counter narrative to the industrial revolution and the consequent objectification of nature. However, we think transformational adventures instrumentalise nature and largely focus on the benefits to humans. We explore in what way transcendental adventures are different and whether this offers any possibilities for better human-nature relations. We conclude that transformational adventures can reproduce the outcomes of modern life that are counter to human wellbeing and contribute little of nothing to nature connection and non-human wellbeing. However, a transcendental approach to adventure can lead to respect for nature and a desire to care that operates at a global level non-specific to place. This can lead to important behaviour changes that help to address the current environmental crises.