November 27th, 2009 by admin

Remember the Kamchatka Project? It’s the kayaking expedition to the Kamchatka Peninsula, located in Siberia, Russia that I wrote about a few weeks back. In the summer of 2010, seven paddlers will explore that region, making several first descents of rivers there, while researching the impact of salmon fishing on the region.

In an effort to raise funds for the expedition, the team is running a raffle over the next few days. For every $5 that you donate to the cause, between now and Friday, you’ll receive one entry into the raffle, and if you donate $35, you’ll not only receive a bonus raffle ticket, you’ll get a sweet Kamchatka t-shirt too. The winner, who will be announced on Monday, Nov. 30th, will receive a Kamchatka Survival Kit, which includes a Nau Motil Commuter bag, a Primus EtaPackLight Stove, footwear from END, and a Kamchatka Project T-shirt. Two second place winners will also receive shoes from END. To help contribute to this very exciting project, simply go to this page and fill out the entry form.

So tomorrow, while lounging around, fighting off a tryptophan induced nap, hop on over to the Kamchatka Project website, donate to the cause, and give yourself a chance to get some great gear.

November 25th, 2009 by admin

Alan Arnette, whose Everest coverage I mentioned yesterday, has big plans for 2010. The mountaineer has turned his sights on the Seven Summits, and perhaps an even bigger goal, in raising $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Association, a cause that is very near and dear to Alan’s heart.

As he prepares for the first of his Seven Summit climbs, Alan has also started blogging for Outside Online, offering up his first entry yesterday. In this initial post, Alan introduces himself to a new audience over at Outside, while outlining his plans for what he’ll be writing about, which will include his own climbs, analysis of the Everest climbing season, and mountaineering news in general. Personally, I can’t think of a better person to make these contributions to the Outside Blog, and Alan’s writing will make an already great source of news and information even better.

Alan’s Seven Summit bid will begin next July, when he’ll start with Kilimanjaro and then move on to Elbrus the following month. From there, he’ll climb Vinson in the fall of 2010 and Aconcagua, which he’s already summitted, in early 2011. He’ll tackle Everest in the spring of that year, before returning to Denali that summer. He’ll finish up on the technical Carstensz Pyramid sometime in 2011 as well, and while in the neighborhood, he’ll head to Australia and stroll up Kosciuszko too. The best part of this adventure is that we can all be a part of it. You can help Alan reach that $1 million goal by clicking here, and you can join him on one of the climbs by clicking here.

Congratulations on the new gig at Outside Alan, it is much deserved, and good luck on the Seven Summits. You know I’m behind you on that endeavor as well.

November 25th, 2009 by admin

According to this story from the Japan Times, the Guinness Book of World Records has proclaimed Min Bahadur Sherchan of Nepal the oldest person to ever reach the summit of Everest, knocking Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura from the literal and figurative lofty spot.

Both men climbed the mountain back in 2008, with Sherchan being the first to go up on May 25th of that year. Miura followed two days later. At the time, Sherchan was 76 years, 340 days old, while his rival was a mere 75 years of age. Miura was given the recognition from Guinness because Sherchan failed to produce the proper documentation. That has since been rectified, and Guinness has updated their listings to acknowledge his accomplishment.

If and when I ever hit the age of 75, I sure hope I still have the kind of energy these two men do. I’d like to still be traveling the world and exploring amazing places. I can’t imagine reaching the summit of Everest at the age of 40, let alone 75 or 76 (+340 days!) Both stories are amazing, and glad to see Sherchan getting his just recognition outside of the regular climbing circles.

Thanks to Alan Arnette for sharing this story. As many of you already know, year in and year out, Alan offers the best coverage of the spring climbing season on Everest, and the Himalaya as a whole. in preparation for the 2010 season, he’d like to know a little bit about how we use the site and the kind of information we seek when we visit. To help Alan out, take this brief survey, and perhaps we can make the already great coverage even better. Thanks Alan!

November 25th, 2009 by admin

There was lots of activity down in Antarctica over the weekend, as steady progress was made by the teams. Weather conditions fluctuated wildly though, but that is to be expected this time of year, and the explorers seem to be settling into their routines as they begin their long journey to the pole.

The Kaspersky Commonwealth Team officially got that journey underway, as they finished up their shake down run, and officially turned south today, with their skis pointed towards the Pole. In their first day out from Patriot Hills, they knocked off a solid 8.1 miles over six hours of travel, in great weather and over all ice conditions. The seven women are all in good spirits, despite the fact that most of them have never done anything remotely like this before.

Meanwhile, Eric Larsen is now a week into his expedition, and continues to make good time as well, covering 13.1 miles yesterday, bringing their total 121 miles so far. Over the weekend he reported whiteout conditions at times, but it doesn’t seem to have dampened the team’s spirits in any way. Be sure to check out Eric’s most recent dispatch, which provides us with some great definitions of terms you’ll be hearing from the explorers in the days ahead. Simple things like what a sastrugi is and what “TIAB” means. Good stuff!

Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skog are continuing on their unsupported journey to the Pole as well, but took a half day today in order to stay fresh and rested. They still managed to complete 7.3 miles in that time, and are now skiing on the Antarctic ice shelf, which is an important milestone for this duo, who began their journey on Berkner Island.

Finally, it seems that Meagan McGrath will depart for Patriot Hills today, weather permitting. Her most recent audio dispatch is from Friday, when she let us all know that she made it to Punta Arenas, despite having some issues with her bags, but was soon on her way, and joined by family and friends, who are there to see her off. Expect updates from the ice to begin soon, as she begins her journey to the South Pole as well.

November 21st, 2009 by admin

Not only is there a new episode of the Rest of Everest this week, as there typically is, I actually remembered to download it and watch it for my usual Thursday write-up!

We’re up to Episode 118 of the series, and it continues to just get better each week. Most fans of the show probably already know that the most recent episodes revolve around a trek that was conducted last spring to Everest Base Camp, with ROE creator Jon Miller joining forces with photographer Chris Marquardt to conduct photography and videography workshops along the way.

In last week’s episode, the trek really got underway, with the group flying to Lukla and hitting the trail for the first time. This week, we rejoin the group as they continue the hike, giving us a great look at life on this type of trek, not to mention some stunning views of the Himalaya. Highlights of the episode for me include the shots from the trail, especially when the team came across a group of children on their way to school that morning, and the glimpses of the mountain villages that regularly dot the route. The entrance to Sagamatha National Park is also shown, which is an area of Nepal that includes a good chunk of the Himalaya and the South Side of Everest, which is a protected space.

As always, you can grab the episode from the Rest of Everest website, or subscribe to it directly in iTunes. If you haven’t been watching the series, I can’t recommend it highly enough, and suggest that you start with the first episode and work your way forward from there.

November 21st, 2009 by admin

Long distance hiking legend Andrew Skurka is preparing for another epic hike for 2010 and has begun to discuss the details on his website. Tentatively called “The Great Alaskan-Yukon Loop”, this adventure will see Andrew trekking through 4500 miles of wilderness, around the border of Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory.

The journey will begin in March of 2010, when Andrew will set out from the village of Kotzebue, in the northwest corner of Alaska, along the Chukchi Sea. From there, the plan is to ski south, sharing part of the Iditarod trail, and passing through the Alaska Range. As spring draws near, Andrew will take to the water, packrafting the Copper River to the ocean, then following the Lost Coast. With that stage behind him, he’ll go back on foot to hike the Chilkoot Pass Trail from the Inside Passage to the Yukon River, where he’ll once again take to the water, before trekking the length of the Brooks Range to finish up the hike.

Andrew expects the trip to take roughly seven months, in what he calls “a race against winter”. He hopes to complete the entire loop before the notoriously brutal Alaskan winter returns, but make no mistake, traveling on foot in Alaska in March is going to be plenty cold and challenging still. Of course, this is Andrew we’re talking about here. The man who has practically defined the long distance hike, covering more than 7700 miles trekking across North America back in 2004 and another 6875 miles on a grand loop of the western United States. If anyone can pull of this type of hike, it is him. I mean seriously, 4500 miles is like a walk in the park, right Andrew?

While plans for the hike are coming together Andrew is still looking for a sponsor and even a new name for the trek. So if you think you can come up with something better than The Great Alaskan-Yukon Loop, click here to offer a suggestion. Hmm… I think I’ll submit something like “The Great Alaskan Death March” or maybe “Skurka’s Folly”. (Aww…come on, that last one isn’t terrible considering the history of the state!)

November 21st, 2009 by admin

With weather improving and momentum in their favor, the adventurous men and women already in the Antarctic have started to make real progress in their expeditions, while others leave home for Punta Arenas, as they make the final preparation for their polar adventures as well.

Updates from Eric Larsen and the Save The Poles Expedition indicates that they are off to a good start, covering more than 8 nautical miles in five hours time yesterday, their first real day out on the ice. An update to his blog also offers up some interesting information on how he approaches a journey such as this one, in which there are so many ways that you can fail, including gear issues, slow moving, injury, and more. But to make things easier and to stay focused, Eric takes a systematic approach to organization and staying focused on the goal. Interesting stuff to say the least, and probably applicable to any long distance trek in just about any environment.

Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skogs are also making good time in their unsupported trek to the South Pole. From what I can tell, they were the first team out from Patriot HIlls, and have been very focused thus far. Their latest dispatch, from two days ago now, says that they covered 18.2km (11.3 miles) on that day alone, with the weather conditions working together to provide the perfect skiing conditions. They ended the day with a hot chocolate in the tent, which, for my money, is a perfect way to end any cold day!

The Kaspersky Commonwealth Team have set off on their training run after repairing their tents that were damaged in high winds last weekend in Patriot HIlls. In their latest dispatch, they note that the high winds remain, but they have become a part of everyday life in Antarctica, and moral remains high amongst the group. They’ll continue their training run for another day or two, testing out their equipment and getting a feel for life on the ice, before they finally turn their skis south, and their eventual destination at the Pole.

Meagan McGrath has left Canada at long last and is now on her way to Chile, where she’ll get her gear organized before ALE takes her to Patriot Hills as well. Meagan posted new audio dispatches to her page before setting out from Ottawa, and she says she should arrive in Punta Arenas tonight. From there, she’ll spend the next few days buying last minute gear and food, organizing her coms plan, and posting a few more updates to the website. With any luck, she’ll be off to Antarctica by early next week.

Finally, catching up with Børge Ousland and his crew in Patagonia, where they continue their expedition across the icecap there. In his most recent update, Børge notes that the team was hit with more than 50 cm (19 inches!) of snow over night, which they thought would lead to slow going. Despite that however, they managed to knock off 16.5km (10.25 miles), although conditions deteriorated later in the day, and they made camp in white out conditions after 9 hours on the trail. So far, the team is content with their progress, but are worried about their fuel supply, amongst other things, if the current weather pattern persists.

November 19th, 2009 by admin

After mentioning the Captain Khlebnikov yesterday , I thought an update was due today. The ship, an Antarctic icebraker converted to a tourist vessel, was stranded in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, with more than 100 passengers on board, just as the 2009 tourism season is getting underway.

The Examiner is reporting today that the ship sailed free of the ice this afternoon, heading out into open waters and navigating back along its intended course. The story goes on to say that the vessel was never in any danger, and was only trapped by the ice, not actually on the ice. Yesterday, winds prevented the ice from moving aside for the ship, but those winds changed today, shifting the ice out of the way, and allowing safe passage for passengers and crew. Apparently the ship will now continue its usual cruise, but will be delayed roughly 3 to 4 days in returning to port. As the article notes, these kinds of conditions are not unusual for this time of the year, but they don’t expect any further delays to the schedule.

It’s good to see the Captain Khlebnikov managed to get free without any kind of real incident. There have been too many close calls in the Antarctic waters the past few years that another one wasn’t going to be good for the industry. Hopefully this is as close as we get to a major problem all season.

November 19th, 2009 by admin

I’ve mentioned Ripley Davenport on more than one occasion on the blog. He’s the British adventurer that is preparing to trek across Mongolia on foot next year, solo and unsupported. He’ll be crossing more than 1700 miles of some of the harshest terrain on the planet, including the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe, while pulling all of his supplies in a cart behind him. He expects to complete the journey in just three months time.

Today, ExWeb has posted an excellent interview with Ripley, who with just five months to go, is hurriedly putting the finishing touches on his expedition. In the interview, Ripley talks about the logistics of his preparation, what he’s done to prepare and what else needs to be done before he goes. He’s been working hard on his physical conditioning, testing and modifying the gear he’ll use, and arranging for his travel in Monoglia as well. He also talks about the design and construction of the trailer he’ll use along the way, his biggest challenges to date, and plenty more.

All in all, this is a good read, with some nice insights into what it takes to put together an epic solo expedition such as this one. There are so man behind the scenes things that go on that you never think about, that it is fascinating to get a peek behind the curtain sometimes.

I’ve been fortunate enough to chat with a number of amazing adventurers in recent months. People who are climbing big mountains, going to the Poles, or on expeditions like Ripley’s, and there has been a common theme amongst many of them, which is “how do I get a sponsor?” With the economy still sluggish, sponsors are being very careful about how they spend their money, and Ripley talks about that a bit at the beginning of the story too, mentioning how time consuming it can be just to make contacts and have the opportunity to present to potential sponsors.

Let’s hope the economy improves in 2010 so that more great expeditions like this one can get underway.

November 19th, 2009 by admin

Mid-November is upon us, the cooler weather has set in, and the mountain states have already been hit with plenty of snow this year. Winter is still officially a month away, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t time to hit the slopes and get some skiing, or in my case, snowboarding in. The problem is, where is the best place to go? What if you live somewhere that doesn’t offer much in the way of snow sports? (Say… Texas for instance!) Well, never fear, because The Adventure Life is here to save the day.

Adventure Live editor Steve Casimiro has undertaken the herculean task of listing, and linking, each and every ski resort in the United States. That’s 481 resorts in total, listed in alphabetical order by state. The links generally go to the resorts main webpage, but any time it was possible, a link was provided to the current snow conditions as well.

Basically, you have the best resource on the web for finding places to hit the slopes right on one page. The big resorts are obvious of course, but this list is great for finding lesser known places as well, or perhaps a place close to where you live that you didn’t even know was there.

And for those interested in the incredible amount of work that went into making this list, Adventure Life has included a “Making of” article as well. Well done Steve! Now go visit some of these places! You’ve earned a break!