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.

February 13th, 2010 by admin

American climber Chad Kellogg has completed a new route on Aconcagua, going up solo and in alpine style, up the South Face. According to this story, courtesy of ExWeb, the new route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of new terrain in the process.

According to ExWeb Chad went to Argentina, along with a good friend, back in December with an eye on climbing Aconcagua, which is the tallest peak in South America at 22,841 feet. The pair acclimatized on the normal route along the Northwest Ridge, taking a week to complete that climb, but in the process, Chad’s friend picked up a lung infection that sent him off the mountain.

Not content with just reaching the summit along the usual route, Chat was looking for something more challenging and interesting. Before making their summit bid, he and his friend did a recon of the South Face, where he spotted a potential new route that he felt he could do. On Dec. 22nd, he received word of a three-day weather window, and he set off to take advantage of it. ExWeb reports that he carried just a down jacket, synthetic insulated pants, a pair of mittens and gear including a 30m rope, 4 screws, 4 pins, and 4 cams. 20 bars, a 300-calorie freeze dried meal, and a stove with one canister.

Kellogg says that he initially thought he could complete the route in just 24 hours time, provided conditions were right higher on the mountain. Obviously it ended up taking longer than that, as he had to deal with a number of issues, including very technical sections, avalanches, and the usual issues that come with route finding along a new line. In the end, he stood on top, but not before dealing with quite a few challenges including running out of all of his supplies. ExWeb’s story comes mostly from Chad himself, and it is a great read all around.

The Aconcagua climb was meant to be a warm-up for Everest, where Chad will be going this Spring. From the sounds of thins, he’s more than ready.

Note: To all the Chad Kellogg bashers out there, I don’t want to hear any comments or e-mails regarding his claims at speed records. The story has been beat to death, and I don’t want any part of it. Any comments will be deleted. Please move along to a different blog/forum.

February 9th, 2010 by admin

I’ve mentioned Diane Van Deren’s speed run attempt on Aconcagua a couple of times already, and there was an update on their progress over the weekend. According to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, the team retreated back to base camp following four consecutive nights stuck at 18,000 feet amidst high winds and -20º temperatures. Reportedly, the winds were holding steady at 50-60 miles per hour. Fortunately, not all has been lost however, as the weather forecasts for the next few days indicate that the winds will drop off, and although temperatures are set to remain cool, they’ll be moving back up the mountain today to make another summit bid.

Diane, along with mountain guide Willie Benegas, both climbed up to 20,000 feet as part of their training and acclimatization process. And they both seem strong and ready to go for the 22,841 foot summit. Once they’ve completed that, they’ll descend back to BC once again, then hike an additional 20 miles down the trail, where they’ll begin their endurance run to the top of the mountain once again. Van Deren, who is an accomplished endurance athlete, is being monitored for a study by the Mayo Clinic that is examining the effects of altitude on climbers, with updates being posted to their blog as well.

Last week when I posted on this a couple of readers left comments, rightly pointing out that they weren’t sure what the Mayo Clinic was hoping to accomplish from this study, considering the sample size is just one person. In those discussions we decided that this wasn’t so much a study of the effects of altitude on climbers, but instead the effects on Diane Van Deren. What they hope to learn from following just her is a bit vague, and since she’s already a freak of nature when it comes to endurance events, their findings are likely to not have much of a reflection on the rest of us. I guess we’ll wait and see.

If the current weather window holds, as planned, we should hear more about the summit bid within the next few days.

February 3rd, 2010 by admin

A few weeks back I posted a story about North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she was preparing to head off to South America to take on Argentina’s Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the continent. But unlike most climbers making a bid on the mountain, Diane’s goal was to complete the initial climb as a warm-up, then make a speed attempt on the mountain, running to the summit for a second time.

The latest update on the expedition, posted to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, indicates that as of two days ago, the team was finished with their acclimatization process and would begin their actual assault on the summit yesterday, with an eye on reaching the top on Friday, provided the weather holds. They don’t expect to make any more dispatches until after they’ve returned to BC, which could be late on Friday night or Saturday morning.

After that, the second phase of the expedition will get underway, in which Diane, along with guide Willie Benegas, will move 20 miles down the road from base camp, and begin a long run back to BC, and all the way back up the mountain. They expect the journey to take roughly 95 hours to complete, and they’re doing it as part of a medical study, conducted by the Mayo Clinic, on how altitude effects performance. The Clinic is also posting updates on the expedition on their blog as well.

Most people would come off of Aconcagua, which stands 22,841 feet in height, and be exhausted. These ultra-fit athletes are using it as a warm-up for a bigger test. Crazy.

January 30th, 2010 by admin

It’s been far too long since we checked in on the Walking the Amazon expedition. You may recall, this is the unbelievably ambitious project in which British adventurer Ed Stafford, along with his companion Cho Sanchez Rivera, are attempting to walk the entire length of the Amazon River, something that has never been accomplished before. When they’ve finished this herculean task, they’ll have covered more than 4000 miles through thick, oppressive jungle, often referred to as The Green Hell.

Ed and Cho have recently reached the Brazilian city of Manaus, which is the largest city along the Amazon. With more than 1.8 million people, this is a town where they can rest, recuperate, and resupply before returning to the wild. Considering the long days and weeks the pair have spent slogging through the rainforest, it had to have been quite a shock to see an actual large, thriving metropolis for the first time in months. Most of the other settlements they’ve come across while trekking have been mostly very small villages, although there are occasionally towns of decent size along the river.

According to their most recent blog post, Manaus was indeed a bit overwhelming. Ed writes:

Cho and I wanted a place to recover and rest before our last push to the Atlantic - but Manaus isn’t that place for us. The prices are over double that outside the city limits and the industrial sprawl (now electronics assembly) is dirty and hectic.

Because of this, he and Cho have hopped a bus to another near by town, which is smaller and much slower paced. They’ll spend some time there repairing their rubber boats, used to ford streams and rivers, while they regain their strength and prepare to make the final push towards the Atlantic Ocean, which is roughly 900 miles away yet.

At this point, Ed has spent 667 days on this journey, having begun on April 2nd, 2008. I know that the original plan was to end sometime early this year, but the boys have been running a bit behind schedule, and the journey ahead of them will not be an easy one. I suspect they’ll be out on the trail for awhile yet.

As I’ve said before, this expedition continually boggles my mind. It’s such a massive undertaking, it’s hard to not be impressed with the sense of exploration and adventure. I hope the last long leg of the journey goes well for both Ed and Cho.

January 26th, 2010 by admin

Last week I noted that the Around The Americas crew was clearing Cape Horn on their attempt to circumnavigate North and South America, but it turns out they weren’t alone in sailing those treacherous waters. Jessica Watson, who is in the midst of her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, has also recently cleared the Horn, and is currently facing storm waters off the Falklands.

The 16-year old Australian girl cleared the cape back on January 14th, and then proceeded on to the Falkland Islands as she heads out onto the open waters of the Atlantic. In her recent posts to her blog, she noted that winds have been light, but steady, for the most part, and she has been happy with her progress since rounding the southern most tip of South America, which required four very long days without much sleep.

Things got even more interesting over the weekend when a storm moved into the area, tossing Jessica and her ship, the Ella’s Pink Lady, around like a model. In fact, in her blog post from yesterday, the teenager says that her ship has experienced four “knockdowns”, which essentially means the winds and waves have knocked the boat on to it’s side, including one that she describes as “the mast being pushed 180 degrees in to the water.” Scary stuff!

The winds were so bad at one point that Jessica recorded them at 65 knots (roughly 75 mph!) That was before losing her wind instruments in one of the knockdowns. As a result of these conditions, Jessica battened down the hatches and stayed below decks, allowing her electric autopilot to keep her on course, downwind from the storm.

The post is quite the harrowing read and a bit of an insight into what it is like out there on the open waters. This girl has even more respect form me than she did before, as I’m sure I’d be limping into the nearest port, and booking the next plane ticket home. Jessica seems nonplussed by the activities though, and will continue on as planned.

In related new, Adventure World Magazine is reporting that Abby Sunderland has set sail on her attempt to sail solo around the world as well. Abby, who is also just 16 years old, set out on Saturday. You can read her thoughts and updates on her blog as well. Good lucky Abby!

January 20th, 2010 by admin

Long distance cycler Mark Beaumont completed another milestone in his ride from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America this weekend when he reached the summit of Aconcagua. The mountain, which is the tallest in South America at 22,841 feet, is his second successful summit since beginning the journey last year. He also topped out on Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet, last June.

Mark set aside his bike about two weeks ago, when he joined the climbing team in Argentina. At the time, he mentioned how he needed to get his legs use to trekking a mountain again, as they has spent many consecutive weeks on a bike. It seems he found his legs though, as he and the rest of his climbing group, reached the summit on Friday afternoon. While the Scottish cyclist hasn’t posted anything about the climb on his blog yet, there are some photos from summit day that you can check out now.

After a bit of a rest, Mark will now return to his bike and resume his journey southward. If he stays on schedule, he’s expected to finish up the ride in February, and the BBC has been filming the expedition for an upcoming documentary as well. Congrats to Mark on the successful climb of Aconcagua. Enjoy the rest of the ride and stay safe.

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.