An adventure is an exciting or unusual experience; it may
also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. Adventures
may be activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving,
mountain climbing or participating in extreme sports. The term also broadly
refers to any enterprise that is potentially fraught with physical, financial
or psychological risk, such as a business venture, a love affair, or other
major life undertakings. Adventurous experiences create psychological and
physiological arousal, which can be interpreted as negative or positive, and
which can be detrimental as stated by the Yerkes-Dodson law.
For some people, adventure becomes a major pursuit in and of
itself. According to adventurer André Malraux, in his La Condition Humaine,
"If a man is not ready to risk his life, where is his dignity?”.
Similarly, Helen Keller stated that "Life is either a daring adventure or
nothing."Outdoor adventurous activities are typically undertaken for the
purposes of recreation or excitement: examples are adventure racing and
adventure tourism. Adventurous activities can also lead to gains in knowledge,
such as those undertaken by explorers and pioneers. Adventure education
intentionally uses challenging experiences for learning.
