February 25th, 2010 by admin

Travel website Wild Junket has put together their picks for the Top 8 Natural Wonders of the World, listing the very best that Mother Earth has to offer us.

These eight locations are pretty much on every adventure traveler’s short list of “must see” places. (If they’re not, they ought to be!) Each of the entries includes a brief description of why it’s earned a spot in the Top 8, with a few photos to help support the cause. Amongst the places that make the list are Igauzu Falls along the Argentinian-Brazillian border, Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, and the Grand Canyon in the U.S. As you can imagine, the other five spots, which I’ll leave for you to discover for yourself, are equally interesting and beautiful.

I’ve been personally fortunate enough to witness five of these locations myself, and it’s hard to argue with any of them. I might add the Serengeti to my list of favorite natural wonders, as it is simply amazing not only for the size and scope of the place, but also for the amazing wildlife that is at every turn. Of all the places I’ve visited, it is probably the one that I miss the most, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in going.

Big thanks to the Wend Blog for give me the heads up on this story.

February 21st, 2010 by admin

Occasionally I get great articles, reports, and links sent my way from readers who are aware of some great adventures that I haven’t come across before. At any given time, there are always some amazing things going on, and it’s difficult to keep track of them all, although I do my best. One such reader is Darrell Raubenheimer, who drops me a note from time to time about one amazing endurance event or another that is taking place in and around South Africa, which he calls home. Earlier today, I received just such a note telling me about endurance athlete Jesper Olsen and his World Run II.

Back in 2005, Jesper completed the first ever fully documented run around the world. Dubbed the World Run, the event saw him begin and end in London, crossing Europe, and Asia, before ending up in Tokyo, Japan From there, the Danish runner hopped a flight to Sydney, ran across Australia to Perth, then grabbed another flight to Los Angeles, where he proceed to run north to Vancouver, then across Canada and the U.S., before taking a flight back to the U.K., returning to where he started. When he was done, Jesper had run more than 16,000 miles.

But like any good adventurer, the ultrarunner couldn’t stay home for long, and thus the plan was hatched for World Run II, which like all good sequels, is bigger, and more impressive than the first. This time, Jesper is running a course that is roughly 25,000 miles in length and going from north-to-south, and back again. In the process, he’ll cross four continents, numerous countries, and through nearly every time of environment imaginable.

The run got underway from Nordkapp, Norway, the northernmost point in Europe, and will continue south to Cape Town in South Africa. From there, Jesper will hop a flight to Punta Arenas, Chile, in South America, and turn is way north, heading up through that continent, and into North America, through Mexico, the U.S., and into Canada, eventually ending at Mt. Pearl, a small town in Newfoundland.

Jesper’s latest blog report, which can be found on the World Run II website, indicates that he is now closing in on Cape Town, which is a major milestone for his expedition. As of two days ago, he had completed nearly 12,800 miles, so he’s roughly halfway done. As of that posting, he was still about 500 miles away from Cape Town, but mentioned that he was looking forward to a break, some time to heal, and recover, before moving on to South America. Considering he’s just about finished up a complete run across the African continent, north to south, I’d say he’s earned some rest.

Personally, I’m in awe of this undertaking. I’ve taken the last two days off from running to try to heal a bit of a nagging injury, and now I feel just completely lazy after reading about some of the things that Jesper has been dealing with along the way. I may have missed the first half of this very cool adventure, but you can bet I’ll be following along with the second half. Thanks for the tip Darrell, it is highly appreciated as always!

February 19th, 2010 by admin

It has been a long, challenging, and adventurous journey for cyclist Mark Beaumont, but he has, at last, reached the “End of the World”, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Mark set off from Alaska last spring, 268 days ago in fact, and has ridden his trusty bicycle all the way to the tip of South America. In the process, he rode 13,080 miles and crossed through 12 countires. Oh yeah, and along the way, he managed to summit the 20,320 foot Denali and the 22,841 foot Aconcagua, the tallest mountains in North and South America respectively.

The news of his arrival has just been posted on his blog where Mark says:

I’m ecstatic to be here, it has been my dream and focus for so long - but also a small part of me is sad that the simple but tough life of bike and camera has come to an end, again, at least for now!

I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Mark. He’ll enjoy a bit of down time now, work on his BBC documentary of the ride, rest up, and plot his next adventure. Lets not forget, this is a guy who once rode around the world in just 194 days. I doubt he’ll stay home for long!

Congrats on a job well done Mark. It has been a joy to follow along on your journey. You showed a real enthusiasm for travel and the cultures you were experiencing at every step. I’m going to miss your updates, but I look forward to your next adventure.

January 20th, 2010 by admin

The Around the Americas Expedition has been continuing these past few months, mostly crossing through smooth, calm waters as they made their way down the Eastern Coast of the United States, across the Caribbean, and continuing down along the coast of South America as well. But things are about to get more interesting for the crew of the Ocean Watch, who have made their way to the Falkland Islands, and will soon be braving the tempestuous weather of Cape Horn, and the Beagle Passage.

You may recall that this is the sailing expedition that is attempting to become the first to make a complete circumnavigation of North and South America. The ship set sail from Seattle last May, and promptly turned north. During the summer months, the ship made its way through the Northwest passage, then broke into the Atlantic Ocean, where it has been sailing ever since.

But soon, the Ocean Watch and her crew will be returning to the Pacific, but first they’ll face some of the most dreaded waters that any sailor has ever have to face. The region is marked by high winds, strong ocean currents, and powerful waves. Throw in some of the craziest storms on the planet, and the possibilities for icebergs, and you begin to see the challenges of sailing around the Horn.

Once the ship clears the area however, they’ll begin their long voyage back north. They hope to return to Seattle later this year, most likely in the summer. Upon their return, they’ll begin analyzing the data that they’ve collected over the course of the journey, in which they’ve been exploring the health of the oceans, and taking a number of readings about conditions along the coasts of the two continents.

January 14th, 2010 by admin

I’ve mentioned the Riding the Spine expedition several times in the past, but it has been quite a long time since I posted an update. It is the epic journey by mountain bike from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, that was undertaken by Jacob Thompson, Sean Monterastelli and a man named Goat (I kid you not!). After three and a half years on the trail, covering more than 21,000 miles, passing through 14 countries in the process, the boys have finally arrived at their destination, reaching Ushuaia this past Sunday. Their online journal declares: “We Did It!”

Riding the Spine derives its name from the fact that they made most of the journey by peddling through mountain trails and over passes, rather than on established roads and highways. Jacob, Sean, and Goat spent more time in the Rockies and Andes, the mountain spines of their respective continents, then they did on paved roads and in civilization. They also managed to work in a couple of paddling trips, kayaking some whitewater along the way, and even used kayaks to transport their bikes through a remote section along the Panama and Colombian border.

Needless to say, the past three years have been quite an adventure for this trio, who were occasionally joined out on the road by some guest riders too. I want to extend a hearty congratulations to the entire crew on reaching their goal. What an amazing journey this has been, and I’m sure they’re having a lot of bittersweet emotions at the moment. Three and a half years is a long time to devote to a project, and to see it end has to be both very rewarding and kind of sad at the same time.

Thanks to Adventure World Magazine for the tip on this story.

January 6th, 2010 by admin

It has been some time since we checked in on Mark Beaumont, the Scottish cyclist who is in the process of riding his bike from Alaska to the tip of South America. Dubbed the Cycling The Americas expedition, the entire journey has been well chronicled on the BBC website through blog postings and Twitter updates.

Mark had several goals he wanted to accomplish throughout his journey, including summitting the highest mountains in both North and South America. He started the expedition by successfully climbing the 20,320 foot Denali back in June, and now he has turned his sights on Aconcagua, which at 22,841 feet, is the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya, in the world.

According to the expedition website, on December 30th, Mark has gone from cycling mode to climbing mode, after spending more than 180 days on his bike. His Twitter feed has more up-to-date information, with the news that he has joined his climbing team, and is now en route to base camp on Aconcagua. Over the next couple of weeks, we should be able to follow along as he makes his bid on another one of the Seven Summits.

After he finishes up on the mountain, Mark will return to the bike and finish the last leg of his journey. He hopes to reach Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America, sometime in February, which will close out his latest adventure.

November 5th, 2009 by admin

With a relatively slow day on the adventure front, I wanted to post a few updates on three of my favorite expeditions that I’ve been following in recent months.

First up, the Around The Americas Expedition continues, with the news that the Ocean Watch has now reached Puerto Rico. You may recall that this is the crew that attempting the first ever circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, and after successfully navigating the Northwest Passage earlier this summer, they have been enjoying a mostly leisurely cruise down the East Coast of the United States. The warm sun of the Caribbean is no doubt a welcome respite from the cold they endure while sailing above Alaska and Canada, but they have a long way to go yet before they reach the safety of home in Seattle, and the perilous waters of the Beagle Channel and the treacherous navigation of Cape Horn still lie ahead.

Moving on to a completely different kind of long distance expedition, it’s good to see Mark Beaumont is making good progress on his Cycling The Americas journey. The British cyclist is riding his bike from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, stopping off long enough to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the tallest mountain on North and South America respectively. Mark reached a milestone of sorts within the past few days as well, having ridden all the way to Panama, he now prepares to leave North America behind, and cross the Canal into South America, where he’ll continue is epic ride. He expects to complete his journey sometime in the spring of next year.

Finally, Ed Stafford and his partner Cho, have now spent 580 days Walking the Amazon. The two have suffered mightily in their expedition in recent days, as they struggle with the challenges of continuing to make progress, lowered energy levels, and failing equipment. But they do continue to move ahead, and have now left Peru behind and are trekking through Brazil, as they strive to become the first men to walk the length of the Amazon River. If everything goes according to plan, they’ll finish off their expedition next spring as well, although they still have a long way to go and lots of hardships to overcome.

These are just a taste of the expeditions that like to follow. Each of them exhibits a spirit of adventure and exploration that is inspiring to say the least. I’m glad to see that they are each continuing to make progress with their goals in site, even if they are still a ways off in the distance.

October 4th, 2009 by admin

Forbes Traveler has an interesting article on their site listing off ten destinations where the animals eat you. The list is designed to give adventurer travelers some new ideas for places to get up close and personal with wildlife and encounter some of the planet’s top predators in their natural environments.

Some of the places making the list include Manu National Park in the Peruvian Amazon, which is home to a healthy population of jaguars which silently stalk the jungle. For a completely different experience, head to South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, where the hippos rule the roost. As the story notes, the hippo is generally a plant eater, but are extremely aggressive and kill a number of people each year in Africa. Head to Lake Baikal in Russia for a face-to-face showdown with wolves, which prowl the region in sizable numbers. Just don’t stray too far from camp or get out of the vehicle. You can be lunch fairly quickly there as well.

Of course, my personal favorite is the Serengeti in Tanzania, which just might be my favorite place in the world. There are plenty of amazing animals to see there of course, but nothing gets the heart pumping faster than spotting a lion in the grass. These giant cats are fun to watch, and amazingly graceful as well. It is the one place that I highly recommend anyone who enjoys wildlife visits.

September 24th, 2009 by admin

Having successfully navigated the Northwest Passage, the Around the Americas Expedition has turned its way south. Having left Nova Scotia, Canada behind the next scheduled port of call set for the Ocean Watch and her crew is Boston, where they are expected to arrive on Friday.

It has been a pretty good few weeks for the crew, who have now gone from icy waters and heavy cold weather gear, to shorts and flip-flops under warm skies and lovely autumn days. The journey south, for now, remains mostly uneventful, although a new crew member has joined the team, at least for now. Ed Stern is a fisheries expert from the Marine Institute in St. John’s and he gives us a rundown on his background as well as the general health of fisheries in North America in today’s blog post.

Ed has joined the crew in support of the expedition’s environmental efforts. As the Ocean Watch navigates its way around North and South America, something that has never been done before, the team is recording data on the health of the oceans, and that healthy will have a direct impact on our fisheries, and vice versa, as over fishing can cause its own set of issues.

In the weeks ahead, the crew will continue to head south towards the tip of South America, where they will make the treacherous crossing of the Beagle Channel before turning north and home. The expedition began in Seattle back in June and will end there again sometime in 2010, but in between, the ship will have crossed more than 24,000 miles of ocean, completing the first ever circumnavigation of the two continents.

September 18th, 2009 by admin

It has been awhile since I posted an update on Mark Beaumont, who is in the process of riding his bicycle from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America. Mark continues to blog his entire expedition for the BBC, and has been making great progress, although the easy part, if there is such a thing, is now behind him.

When I last posted about Mark he was cycling through the western United States and taking in the beautiful scenery there. The Scottish cyclist has since moved south of the border and is now making his way through Mexico, where he joined in the Independence Day celebration yesterday. If you’ve been following Mark’s Twitter feed, you know that riding in Mexico has been more difficult for him, as the roads are much more challenging, the weather has been hotter, and overall level of danger is higher.

He has now spent a little more than a week in Mexico, and in Mark’s own words he has this to say:

“Never have I seen such a distinct culture change over a single border. They say a change is as good as a rest and I have relished the new experience after a seemingly never ending cycle down the USA!”

So far, it seems like he is enjoying his the ride, and his comment on the culture change is interesting considering he have visited plenty of countries, particularly on his around the world bike ride, in which he circled the globe in less than 195 days.

For now, Mark will continue is ride south, and obviously he has plenty of miles ahead of him before he crosses into South America. But looming ahead is Aconcagua, the second mountain he’ll climb on this expedition, having already successfully topped out on Denali a few months back. When it’s all said and done, the Scotsman hopes to finish the ride in early 2010, having logged more than 15,000 miles in the saddle when he is done.