May 31st, 2009 by admin

Note: This Is A Press Release by NISSAN Outdoor Games

A sports film competition attracting world-class sportsmen, athletes turned film-makers and actors in a race against the clock – they have one week. This is the original concept of the NISSAN OUTDOOR GAMES at Interlaken.

This “Extreme Games” is the only event of its kind and brings together the best kayakers, climbers, mountain bikers, paragliders and BASE jumpers in the world for a show that can be watched by the public on the big screen in the centre of town on Saturday 30^th May.

The NISSAN OUTDOOR GAMES event will be held at the foot of the mythic mountains of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Oberland, an area full of natural treasures. It’s no coincidence that the amazing destination of Interlaken will welcome the best outdoor sports athletes in the world for the 5^th consecutive year!

Five teams competiting against each other, have one week to direct, edit and deliver a killer five-minute movie.

They are free to come up with their own script; the only constraint being that they need to include the the following five sports: Kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, paragliding, hang-gliding and BASE jumping with or without wingsuit.

The action is condensed and each day is filled with achievemnets. Besides making a short film within the time allowed, the sportsmen and women undertake unusual feats   They are there to demonstrate their talents in front of the camera, far from the stopwatches and competition vests, judges and other pressures that they are faced with in the traditional sense of their sport. At the Nissan Outdoor Games they will be judged against: beauty, creativity, commitment and team spirit.

The athletes and the film crew get together at the end of each day in the impressive building of the Mattenhof Resort to share the accomplishments of each day which might include sporting ‘firsts’ of death defying jumps or turns that have never been filmed before.

The atmosphere in Interlaken is electric with the athletes challenging themselves each day to exceed even their own expectations. The athletes are happy doing what they do best and the timer is still ticking. The show will be open to the public on Saturday evening. The day will begin with BASE Jumpers and acrobatic paragliders giving aerial demonstrations over the town. Then the music kicks off with a live concert “The Blue Van” group followed by official projections of the team’s films in the competition from 10:15pm.

To end the evening, the lucky winners of the “Best Film 2009”, the “Special Judge’s Prize”, the “Best sequence” and the “Best Photograph” will be announced at the prize-giving ceremony. The prize money is 70,000 Swiss Francs and will be shared amongst the winning team making this event the biggest of its kind in Europe.

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Introduction of the official jury for the film and photo competition:

The organisers of the event have selected a jury of professionals to judge and make an official selection of the short films. After viewing the films they give their verdict on Saturday 30^th May after the public projection.

The jury 2009 comprises of:

- Glen Plake (USA) – President of the jury, professional skier and actor

- Serge-Alain Simasotchi (SUI) – Film-maker and TV producer, former high-level athlete

- Eric Themel (AUT) – Professional snowboarder

- Dino Raffault (FRA) – Journalist and extreme sports event organiser

- Simon Hirter (SUI) – Professional kayaker

- Cyril Neri (SUI) – Professional snowboarder, worked on the mountain film festival in les Diablerets

- Tero repo (FIN) –Professional photographer, outdoor sports specialist

- Christophe Margot (FIN) – Professional photographer, outdoor sports specialist

May 29th, 2009 by admin

So, having been back from the Amazon a nearly unbearable six weeks (yeah! I know!) I simply have to head out on another adventure. I’m off to Australia this time, where I’ll be exploring the Great Barrier Reef, hiking a rainforest (Yes, another one!), and taking in the local culture and activities in Queensland.

All kidding aside, I’ve been lucky enough to be asked to join a press tour heading Down Under for a week and a half, and I’m excited to visit another place I’ve never been. Internet access will be spotty for most of the trip, so I likely won’t be updating much until after I return on June 5th. At that time, I’ll resume regular postings and fill you in on more details on the trip as well.

Before I go, I want to thank V Australia for hooking me, and my fellow travelers, up with our airline tickets and Backpacking Queensland for showing us, what I’m sure will be, a great time while we’re visiting. I’d also like to thank Julie over at Jam PR for hooking me up with some great gear to test out on the trip. When I get back, I’ll be writing some reviews on new footwear from Keen as well as some other stuff from Outdoor Research. And finally, a big thanks to Cortney from REI for sending me a cool Traverse backpack to test out as well. I can already tell that it’s going to fit my needs nicely, and I’ll post some thoughts on it when I return as well.

Chat with you soon!

May 29th, 2009 by admin

As part of the many events that will be taking place at Adventure Sports Week 2009, World champions Melanie McQuaid and Conrad Stoltz will be hosting a free triathlon clinic called the “Paul Mitchell XTERRA University”.

ASW begins June 5th, a week from this Friday in Farragut State Park near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Over the course of the next ten days, the event will be host to a number of great races from trail runs, mountain bike rides, and several adventure races, with top endurance athletes such as Mike Kloser, Robyn Benincasa, and Danelle Ballengee on hand to share in the fun.

XTERRA University is being offered for beginners and experienced triathletes alike, as we can all learn something from Melanie and Conrad. Mel has won the XTERRA World Championship three times, and has been a consistent performer in athletic events for the past several years. She competes not only in running events, but mountain biking and road cycling as well.

Conrad is a two time Olympian who has also won the Xterra three times, and has won the All Africa Triathlon five times as well. A native of Africa, he competes in many events there, and has also been the South African Triathlon Champion five times too. He is widely considered one of the top triathletes in the world, both on or off the pavement.

This is just one of many great events that will be taking place at Adventure Sports Week. If you haven’t seen something to draw you in by now, you probably never will. But it’s not too late to register to race in one of the many events. Join the fun and have a blast in the process. Sounds like it’s going to be quite the party!

May 29th, 2009 by admin

The storm is still raging around Everest, with more than a meter of snow hitting South Side BC yesterday. Most of the teams on that side of the mountain have already evacuated, and are returning to Kathmandu, but in other parts of the Himalaya, there are still some on going climbs.

Last week I reported that the Polish Nanda Devi Team was preparing to make their summit bid, but unfortunately poor weather over the weekend put a premature halt to that attempt. But the team waited out the storm, and the weather window opened up on Monday, allowing them to begin their final push at last. According to the team’s website, Jarek Woćko and Daniel Cieszyński are in the midst of their summit bid now, having set off from 6900m two nights ago. That means, that we could have news of a successful summit at any time. What a way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first ascent on this beautiful mountain.

On the North Side of Everest it is being reported by both ExWeb and Alan Arnette that teams that were stranded in C1 yesterday are now back in base camp, and waiting to see if they’ll get another crack at the summit. One team isn’t waiting around though, as the Serbian team is already heading up, with an eye on topping out tomorrow. They figure it’s better to battle the snow than the crowds I guess.

Finally, sad news from the Lhotse-Everest Traverse team, who were trying to make one last valiant attempt at achieving their very ambitious goals when the storm hit the region. The weather was too much, and the elected to give up on their bid to make the first successful traverse from the summit of Lhotse to Everest. On their descent, tragedy struck however, as Kazakh climber Sergei Samoilov was lost. Details are still a bit sketchy at this point, and I’m sure we’ll hear more about this in the days ahead, but for now, my thoughts are with Sergei’s friends and family.

May 29th, 2009 by admin

British newspaper the Telegraph has published an interesting list of the top 20 greatest British adventurers, making the bold statement that “When it comes to adventure, Britain really does rule.” Of course, looking at the U.K.’s long history of exploration and adventure, it is hard to argue with that statement, but just to be fair, they limited the names on this particular list to the living.

It is difficult to argue with the names at the top of the list, that much is certain. Coming in at number one, is none other than Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who was given the moniker of “Greatest Living Explorer” by the Guinness Book of World Records, and has recently successfully topped out on Everest, on his third attempt, at the age of 65.

Close behind Sir Ran is another knight by the name of Chris Bonington, who is personally responsible for some of the most ambitious climbs in the history of mountaineering. At the age of 74, he’s still exploring the mountains. The nod for third place goes to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world.

As if starting your list of top 20 adventurers with three men who have been knighted wasn’t enough, the rest of the list reads like a “Who’s Who” in the adventure world as well. You’ll recognize plenty of names, like climbers Kenton Cool and Leo Houlding, as well as polar explorers from Ann Daniels to Pen Hadow, amongst plenty of others. Our friend Roz Savage makes the list as well, but someone will have to give her the news by radio, as she just set out on the second stage of her Trans-Pacific row.

All in all, a very impressive list. Any other single country would be hard pressed to put something together to match the likes of this group. Anyone want to give it a shot?

May 29th, 2009 by admin

The History Channel is debuting a new show this coming weekend, called Expedition Africa which promises to be exciting summer time television for fans of adventure.

The show, which begins airing Sunday night, May 31st, at 10 PM Eastern/9 Central, will drop four explorers into the African bush, and challenge them to cover 970 miles, through some of the toughest terrain on the planet, following in the footsteps of famous adventurers Henry Morton Stanley and Dr. David Livingstone. Their journey begins on the island of Zanzibar and will continue, mostly on foot, deep into the heart of Tanzania. Along the way, they’ll face wild animals, miles of uncharted territory, and plenty of other dangers.

The team of explorers on this expedition are not just four people who were hand picked from applications by a producer looking to fill slots on a reality TV show. These are experienced adventurers who have been on expeditions all over the world. They include Pasquale Scaturro, who led the first descent of the Nile from it’s source. He is joined by Mireya Mayor, a wildlife expert and former host of “Ultimate Explorer”, who has years of experience in the backcountry. Explorer Benedict Allen has survived in the jungles of the Amazon, and visited some of the most remote places on the planet. He’s a bit of a survivalist, and his bio says that he has been left for dead on two occasions by former expeditions. Finally, the last member of the team is Kevin Sites, a journalist who has extensive experience covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I’ve got the DVR set to record the first show, where I’m told that conflicts for these four “Type A” personalities start to come out right away. I obviously haven’t seen it yet, but judging from the previews, it seems as though the team is going to suffer mightily on this journey, and we get to come along for the ride. I’m looking forward to the amazing landscapes in Africa to play a role as well. This one should be a lot of fun!

May 29th, 2009 by admin

Another post on my journey to the Amazon has been published over at Gadling. Today I talk about the night I spent camping in the jungle, which was a unique experience to say the least.

The guide service I traveled with had a permanent camp established inside the rainforest, which included tents set-up on wooden platforms to keep them off the jungle floor. As you can imagine, the jungle was extremely damp and humid, and the ground was generally muddy, so in order to keep the tents in place, and keep them dry, the platforms were built. This also helps to establish a more permanent campsite in the sense that the jungle wouldn’t be able to reclaim it so easily as well, and with the speed at which things grow there, that is an important consideration.

On my night in the jungle, we had a thunderstorm crashing overhead, and steady rain falling well into the early morning hours. That rain did little to effect the creatures that live in the jungle however, as the continued to make noises throughout the night, which meant that I fell asleep to the sounds of the rainforest while the storm continued over head. It was a surprisingly tranquil and soothing way to drift off, and made for a very pleasant night from my perspective, although some of my traveling companions were a bit more put off by the sounds.

In order to reach the camp, we had to trek for several miles into the jungle. This area of the Amazon was different from some of the other places we had hiked, and it offered more clearly defined “high ground”. As a result, we came across trees that reached 70 feet in the air, and created a dense canopy overhead that let little light in, and prevented much of the rain from reaching the jungle floor. The size and scope of the place really hit home, and it was hard not feel very small.

May 27th, 2009 by admin

Every once in a while we get to share advice from real experts.  This time, Andrew Youderian from Right Channel CB Radios helped to explain some of the basic components that make up a complete CB package for off road communication.  So give this a read and don’t hesitate to let Andrew know you appreciate [...]

This story was brought to you viaAdventure Road Trip blog where you will find 4×4 adventure stories, rig mods, pictures and videos.

CB Talk For Your Off Road Adventure

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May 27th, 2009 by admin

Not content with having adventure racing legends like Robyn Benincasa, Mike Kloser, Ian Adamson on hand for Adventure Sports Week, event organizers have added Danelle Ballengee to the mix as well, as the event draws nearer to its June 5th kickoff at Farragut State Park in Idaho.

Ballengee is one of the top adventure athletes, male or female, in the world having competed, and won, such events as Primal Quest, The Raid, and the Adventure Racing World Championships. She has also competed and won numerous individual athletic events as well, and holds the woman’s record for scaling all 55 of Colorado’s “14ers” in an astonishing 14 days, 14 hours, and 49 minutes.

Danelle has been, for the most part, out of competitive endurance events for the past couple of years due to a terrible injury she sustained while training back in 2006. She slipped on ice, and went over a cliff, falling 60 feet to the ground below, breaking her pelvis and leaving her stranded there for 50 hours until her dog Taz went for help and led rescuers back. Since that time, she’s undergone a number of surgeries, and had worked hard to return to action, taking pitstops to get married and have a baby. But in 2009, she’s ready to start competing again and she’ll do just that at ASW, where she’ll also be teaching an adventure racing clinic along with Mike Kloser. ASW may mark her return to the sport, but I can assure you you’ll be seeing Danelle competing again on the highest level soon.

Danelle is coming to Adventure Sport Week as part of Project Athena, an organization dedicated to helping woman achieve their athletic goals after dealing with breast cancer and other severe injuries and illnesses. It is a wonderful organization that was co-founded by Robyn Benincasa.

With just ten days until the start of Adventure Sports Week, it looks like the event is still on track to be an amazing experience for outdoor athletes. There are plenty of races for all levels of athlete and something that will appeal to everyone, and better yet, the early bird deadline of June 1st has not yet passed, so head on over to AdventureSportsWeek.com and sign up for a great event.

May 27th, 2009 by admin

Mark Beaumont, the “Round The World Cyclist” who I wrote about last week, has set off on his next adventure, a long distance cycling expedition that will begin in Alaska and end when he reaches Tierra del Fuego sometime next February.

According to Mark’s Twitter feed, he has set off from Edinburgh on a 20 hour flight to Anchorage, but not before he ran into some issues. It seems his flight was cancelled, and he ended up having to reroute from London to Seattle, but he is now on his way to the start of his ride.

In the months ahead, Mark will not only be covering more than 15,000 miles along the Trans-American Highway, but he’ll also stop long enough to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the tallest mountains on both North and South America. His entire adventure is being filmed by the BBC for an upcoming television show and you can read about his progress in the Cycling The Americas Blog as well.

I’m sure it’ll be a few days before we hear anything about his start, and he may be headed directly to Denali before he even hops on the bike, but I expect that he’ll be more than looking forward to hitting the open road soon. Should be a fun ride to follow.