Powerful, dominant discourses surrounding neo-Hahnian theory (as discussed by Brookes in 2003) and effectiveness (as discussed by Hargreaves and Fullan in 1998, for example) have influenced both practice and research in outdoor adventure education. This has led to a concentration of research that focuses on the impact of outdoor programmes. It has also led to the objectivization of outcomes and the essentializing of participant responses. An alternative approach, embedded in a discourse of situatedness is proposed. Using examples from research in progress, it is argued that qualitative data represented as fictional narrative can be useful both in aiding the understanding of participant experiences during outdoor programmes, and in engaging participants and readers in the research process.