Polish Expedition Heads to Nanda Devi East

To commemorate the first ascent of Nanda Devi East, which occurred 70 years ago this year, a team of young Polish climbers is headed to the mountain, focused on reaching the summit along the same route that was first used back in 1939.

The ten man team is already in India, and according to the latest news on their website, they have set out from Delhi and are now en route to base camp. If everything has gone according to plan, they should have hired the 50 porters they'll need to carry their gear, and are now moving up to 4300m where they will establish BC. They should be settling in there sometime this weekend.

Nanda Devi is the tallest mountain in the Garhwal Himalaya, and the second tallest peak in all of India. It consists of two distinct summits, with the main peak reaching 7816m with the secondary summit, known as Nanda Devi East, topping out 7434m. The entire massif is surrounded by a ring of challenging and tall Himalayan peaks, which helps to make the region, known as the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, almost inaccessible. The mountain is also viewed as sacred to the Hindi people, as it is named after one of their goddesses. Many consider it to be the one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

The climbing team hopes to top out sometime in early June, using the time between now and then to establish their camps, fix their lines, and acclimatize on the mountain. This should be another excellent expedition to follow and watch. Nanda Devi is far from the crowds and commotion of Everest and some of the other 8000m peaks. In fact, it is one of the more remote mountains on the planet, and it isn't climbed all that often. Good luck to the team.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: News From All Over!

As we sit on the edge of May, you can feel that we're also on the edge of lots of activity in the Himalaya. Teams are moving up and down Everest, making their last acclimatization runs, and the Sherpas are busy working on the final fixed lines, laying the ground work for plenty of action to come in just a few short weeks.

ExWeb starts the updates off today with the news that the Lhotse-Everest Traverse Team are on the move and expect to spend the night in C3 today before carrying the last of their supplies to C4 tomorrow. They'll spend the night there, then descend one final time. From there, they'll make a go at it on the next weather window, with the plan that they'll summit Lhotse, then trek across the ridge to Everest, where they'll top out one final time, before descending back down the mountain. This one should be fun to watch.

On Everest's South Side there is poor weather in the forecast, with snow expected tomorrow, which may strand a few teams in BC before making their next rotation up the mountain. Most are on their way to Camp 3 for the acclimatization process, where they'll spend the night before one final hike back down the South Col. From there, it'll just be a matter of resting up, and watching the weather.

The North Side is facing it's own set of issues, as more teams are arriving on the mountain, but suffering from acclimatization issues of their own. Thanks to the fancy new road that was built to base camp for the Olympic Torch Team last year, teams are arriving faster than ever, but are also finding themselves ill equipped to deal with the altitude and finding themselves out of breath when they do get there. At least one team has gone back down the mountain to regroup already as well.

In other parts of the Himalaya, teams are preparing to make their bids. On Kangchenjunga for instance, Edurne Pasaban has gone up to Camp 3 and cached supplies, while other teams have moved up as well. On Makalu, a large Korean team is building the high camps and fixing the lines, while a lone female team member stays in BC, and awaits her shot at going up. Over on Dhaulagiri there have been rumors of a summit push going on now, but there have been no confirmations of this or word of successful summits just yet, while the word from Cho Oyu is that BC is quiet with relatively few teams there this season.

Finally, our friends on Baruntse, who are attempting to climb a new route, then make the first descent on skis checked in with CNN again yesterday. Check out the video below.

Everett Ruess Found! NG Adventure Solves the Mystery!

In 1934, Everett Ruess was a wandering artist, writer, and explorer who had an undeniable love for the outdoors and adventure. He was twenty years old when he set off with two burros, into the American South West around the Escalante area of Utah, where he simply vanished, creating one of the greatest mysteries in the history of that region, and beyond.

Now, National Geographic Adventure has solved the 75 year old mystery with the discovery and positive identification of Ruess' remains, which were discovered buried in a rock crevasse. Forensic and DNA testing were conducted on those remains, with the results proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they belonged to Ruess.

Writer David Roberts wrote about this story in the very first issue of Adventure, ten years ago, and his original story can still be found online here. A new, updated article, can now be found in the tenth anniversary issue, which is on newsstands now. That article details the latest findings, which include a story of an eye witness account of Ruess being chased, and killed by Ute indians. That witness is the grandfather of Daisy Johnson, who was instrumental in finding the grave.

Daisy's grandfather claimed that he saw the murder, then retrieved the body and performed the burial. The body remained there for decades, although the family heard the story over the years. Daisy passed the story along to others, and even attempted to call the television show Unsolved Mysteries on more than one occasion, but it wasn't until her brother took an interest in it and went looking for the grave, that the story broke wide open.

To read more about this story, check out this blog post at the NG Adventure blog and this story over at The Adventure Life.

Interesting story and a long mystery solved. The Ruess family can find some peace at last, and they intend to cremate the remains and spread the ashes in the Pacific Ocean.

Record Setting Kayaker Interviewed

The Seattle Times has posted an interview with Tyler Bradt, the crazy kayaker who recently went over Palouse Falls in Washington, dropping 180 feet, and setting a new world's record in the process.

Bradt says that he scouted the falls four times before making his epic drop, and admits that his first thought upon seeing Palouse was "It looks pretty runnable." And while no photos or video of the event have been released yet, the daredevil says that his production crew did indeed catch the drop on camera, and they are negotiating with several publications to release the photos. He says he expects them to be out in the next few weeks.

In the article, Bradt says that the drop was challenging, as he could have severely injured himself from that height, and upon impact he went more than 20 feet under water before bobbing up to the surface with a mildly sprained wrist, and two lungs gasping for air. Other than that, he suffered no real issues from the big drop.

Next up, Bradt will head to Norway in May and Iceland in June in an effort to continue the search for big waterfalls to go over. He says Iceland has the greatest concentration of waterfalls in the world, and he'll be exploring it for some great filming opportunities for his production crew. One of their future videos will of course include the Palouse Falls drop, which should be amazing to see. Hopefully we'll get a sneak preview soon.

More Details Emerge on K2 Accident

I read about this several days back, but haven't seen it picked up in a lot place yet. Men's Journal has posted an update to their story on "The Killing Peak", which they first published last Fall, in which they took an in depth look at the events that occurred last year on K2 in which 11 climbers died.

It seems that some new information has recently come to light regarding Gerard McDonnell and Marco Confortola. Marco had stated on more than one occasion that he and Gerard were descending together and came across three Korean climbers tangled in the lines. Marco went on to say that they tried their best to untangle them, but they were tired, cold, and suffering from hypoxia, making the task a difficult one at best.

Eventually they decided to head down the mountain, leaving the Koreans where they were. But Marco said that Gerard turned around and went back up to try to continue to help. Confortola thought that he was not thinking straight and thought that his friend was suffering from Altitude Sickness, causing him to wander off in the wrong direction.

According to Men's Journal however, there is new evidence that suggests that not only did McDonnell go back up to help the stranded climbers, he also managed to free them, and all four had begun the trek down the mountain. Unfortunately, Gerard was killed in an ice fall, and an avalanched claimed the lives of the Koreans and several Sherpas.

The indications are that McDonnell died because he selflessly stayed to try to help the others, and nearly managed to pull off the rescue. The level of resect for Gerard in the mountaineering community was already large, but this just moves him up off the chart. He is still missed amongst his peers, but this is the kind of spirit that everyone says he had. I'm sure the news doesn't console his family, but it does underscore what an amazing man he was.

Chocolate Sherpas Approaching Base Camp

The Chocolate Sherpa Team is making their way up the Khumbu Valley as they continue to pursue their goal of delivering at least 100kg (220 pounds) of chocolate to the teams in Everest Base Camp. You may recall that this project is the latest adventure for Louis-Philippe Loncke, who, along with his two companions Joseph de Mahieu and Norbert Eggermont, plans to have the world's highest chocolate tasting, as the trio continue to raise money and awareness for a mobile hospital, that is needed badly in remote regions of Nepal.

According to their latest blog post, the boys reached Namche Bazaar over the weekend, and are now in Tengboche, where they took in some of the sights, including a beautiful monastery. They also received word from a fellow trekker that many of the climbers are still in base camp, which means they are likely to have a captive and happy audience when they arrive with all the Belgian Chocolate in a few days time.

It seems that the legend of the Chocolate Sherpa proceeds the team, as word has spread up the Khumbu about the three Belgians who are trekking through the region, and giving out chocolate wherever they go. At the end of each day's trek, it seems that some of their goodies are passed out to the locals, much to the delight of which ever village they are calling home at the time. I'm sure they are enjoying the attention, and the opportunity to share the chocolate.

The Chocolate Sherpa Blog is being updated fairly regularly with news on their progress, and it is an enjoyable read. They are doing this for a great cause, so I wish them the best of luck and success in their expedition. I can't wait to read about their arrival at Base Camp!

Men's Journal Interviews Polar Explorer Todd Carmichael

Men's Journal magazine has an excellent interview with Todd Carmichael, who discusses his solo, unsupported, and record setting, journey to the South Pole this past season.

Some of the details of his ordeal are told for the first time in this story. For instance, it is revealed that for the last ten day of the journey, Todd was coughing up blood, even while he slept. One morning, he even awoke to find pieces of frostbitten lung in his spit. At that point in the expedition, both of his satellite phones were non-functional, and his stove was refusing to light. As anyone who follows polar explorers knows, the stove is perhaps their most important piece of equipment, allowing them to melt snow for water, as well as cooking meals, and warming the tent. Without it, it is one lonely, miserable experience.

Things didn't exactly improve from there. In his fatigue, Todd packed a leaky fuel canister with the last of his food and his GPS, all of which ended up ruined. Without food or a GPS to find his way, things definitely looked bleak, and the usual suffering associated with a 700 mile solo journey to the South Pole were amplified many times over.

But of course, we know now that Todd survived, and arrived at the South Pole in record time, besting the old record by just a few hours. This article tells us the rest of the story in regards to that journey, and you'll come away with an even greater respect for Todd. Seriously amazing stuff.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Summits on Manaslu!!

As predicted yesterday, teams on Manaslu were able to make successful summits today. ExWeb is reporting that Joao Garcia and the Korean team on the mountain have reached the top after nine hours of difficult climbing. Even better news, is that the climbers are already down from the summit and back in BC. For Garcia, this is his 12 8000m peak, all with out oxygen. He has just Nanga Parbat and Annapurna left on the list. Congrats to Joao and the Koreans for a job well done. Great work under difficult conditions.

Over on Everest, Billi Bierling updates her blog on the Himex expedition. The team is back from Lobuje Peak, where they made a second acclimatization climb, and are now settled into BC once again. In the case of Himex, BC is actually a bit of a hike down the Khumbu Valley from traditional base camp. Billi also reports that all of their Sherpas have returned from C2, where they've been stashing gear and setting up the high camps.

The Eight Summits team is releasing daily audio dispatches on their website, which always contain interesting information about what they are doing, and where they are at on the mountain. Today, one of the Sherpas lays out the plan for the days ahead, with the team moving up and down the mountain to finish their acclimatization process before the summit bid in a few weeks time.

Most of the news from Everest today has been on the quiet side. The Sherpas are moving up and down the South Col, setting up camps, while the teams are mostly staying put in BC, working on skills, and resting before making their way up to C3 soon. Just another day on the mountain at this point of the climb, and by the middle of the month, they'll be looking back fondly on these rest days.

Finally, sad news from Annapurna, where, Outside Online is reporting that Czech climber Martin Minarik has gone missing. Minarik, was originally climbing with Dodo Kopold, and Elizabeth Revol, but Kopold left to make his solo climb on Annapurna South that I mentioned earlier today, while Minarik and Revol made a second attempt on Annapurna I. According to the report, the pair made it as high as 8016 meters before turning back, and on the descent they split up, as Minarik was suffering from frostbite and exhaustion. Revol made it down from the mountain, but Martin hasn't been seen sense. Lets hope for the best, but it has already been two days, and things are not looking good. My thoughts are with Martin's family at the moment.

Dodo Kopold Opens New Route on Annapurna South

Slovakian climber Dodo Kopold has climbed Annapurna South along a new route, and in solo Alpine style, according to this article over at Climbing.com. He topped out following 40 straight hours of climbing, reaching the summit of the 7219m mountain alone.

Dodo has come to Annapurna to climb with Martin Minarik and Elisabeth Revol along the South Face of Annapurna I, but as we've heard a few times already, the weather conditions on that mountain were just too treacherous for safe climbing. With that mountain off the menu, Kopold elected to make his solo attempt on Annapurna South, by going up a 7100m route to a western ridge, which he then traversed to reach the summit itself. His descent took him back to the saddle and down the face there amidst deep snow.

The article indicates that the Slovak climber carried just 40 meters of rope, 8 pitons, 8 ice screws, and 10 quickdraws. He also had three energy bars, some dried meat, and a light stove, which he used to melt snow for drinking water.

Expect to hear more details on this story in the near future. This appears to be another impressive, and dramatic, climb out of a guy who already has a full resume. Great work Dodo! Congrats!

Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten Claim 2009 Piolet d'Or

The Hardwear Sessions, official blog of Mountain Hardwear, is reporting that that Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten have won one of three 2009 Piolet d'Or awards, given out annually for outstanding accomplishments in mountaineering. The amazing duo took home their prize for their first ascent, in Alpine Style, of the North Face of Tengkampoche, a 6500m peak in the Khumbu Valley.

Upon winning the award, Ueli released the following statement:

I

t is a great honour for me to receive the "Piolets d'Or 2009" award. This award is given away by mountaineers who know what alpinism is all about. This prize should also be trendsetting. Therefore it is a great confirmation that Simon and I are on the right track. Alpinism is not comparable. First of all it is a matter of personal experience and personal challenge. That's why it is important to be able to follow some rules. With today's modern technique everything is achievable. Every mountain can be climbed. But the mountain is no longer the determining link between success and failure. Personally this is exactly what most matters: that the alpinist is the most important element between success and failure and not primarily the technical means. Thanks to all my sponsors, which have been supporting me during all these years and who give me the opportunity to realise such idealistic goals.

Thank you also to Simon: this was one of the most beautiful expeditions I could experience.

Although this prize was for 2009 I am proud of all my ascents. And we do not have to forget: it's not over yet, it will go on. I am totally consumed by my projects. And the next one is closer than we might think."

Ueli and Simon are a class act both on the mountain and off, and everyone already knows their part in the Inaki Ochoa incident last year on Annapurna. Obviously this award is well deserved, as they exemplify everything that the spirit of mountaineering is all about.

The other two winners of the Piolet d'Or include Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi completing the first ascent of the South-West face of Kamet and Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano, also of Japan, opening a new route on the North Face of Kalanka. Both climbs were completed in Alpine Style.

Congrats to all the winners.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Manaslu Summits Tomorrow?

It's been another busy couple of days in the Himalaya, where things continue to progress on mountains all over the region.

Probably the biggest news out of the Himalaya is that it looks like the summit of Manaslu could well be a busy place tomorrow, with potentially 20 people topping out. ExWeb is reporting that summit bids were turned back yesterday when climbers reached a 300 foot vertical ice wall at 7100m. The wall is described as very technical and demanding, requiring teams to put up new fixed ropes, which slowed down the progress. It was too late in the day yesterday for that to happen, so the ropes were installed today, and everyone will take their shot at the summit tomorrow. Good luck everyone! Climb safe!

ExWeb is also reporting that Joe Puryear and David Gottlieb have reached the summit of Lunag Ri, and have also safely returned to base cam, completely the first ascent of that mountain. The 6907m mountain was the highest unclimbed peak in the Himalaya that was also permissible to climb. There are other, taller, unclimbed mountains, but no permits are issued for them due to cultural or religious restrictions. Congrats to Joe and David for the for reaching the top and getting back down in one piece.

Switching focus over to the Big Show, Alan Arnette is reporting that weather conditions have changed on Everest, with high winds shifting to the area, blowing things all over the mountain. On his Everest 2009 page, Alan talks to Michael Fagin of EverestWeather.com, who tells us to expect the warmer than normal temperatures on Everest to continue into May, but that it is far too early to say if the mid-month weather window will open up as expected.

The Peak Freaks posted a new blog update, and they weigh in on the windstorm hitting the area. The whole team is currently back in BC, and there is a real fear that the high winds will blow C2 off the mountain. For now though, they'll have to sit and wait and see what happens. They also report that their weather sources are telling them to expect heavy precipitation beginning around the first of May.

Meanwhile, the IMG team, who updated their dispatches this morning, with the news that their Sherpa team is now up at C3, where they are caching supplies, including three more tents. They also note that winds have died down some today, making it a bit more comfortable on the mountain.

Finally, Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Jonathan Miller, the team that has targeted the 23,390 foot Baruntse in their attempt to Ski The Himalayas reached base camp on Friday. Ben calls it the most spectacular BC he's been in since first coming to the Himalaya seven years earlier, with great views of Lhotse, Everest, and Makalu. Ben also reports that everyone is feeling great, and are ready to go, but that they are taking a little down time to rest and acclimatize before they start scouting the mountain. If all goes well, in a few weeks time, they'll be making their way up to the summit, and then making the first descent by skis as well. Sounds like fun!

The Spring Buying Guide from National Geographic Adventure

Each spring, just like clockwork, a young man's (and woman's!) heart turns to thoughts of sunshine, blooming flowers, and of course new gear! We're all heading outside to take in the great weather, many of us for the first time in months, and nothing gets you excited about playing outside more than new outdoor equipment. Thankfully, National Geographic Adventure is here to help us spend some of that hard earned cash on the best new products for spring. (Economic crisis? What economic crisis?!?)

As usual, you'll find an interesting mix of gadgets and outdoor equipment to keep us busy in the months ahead. Adventure starts the list off with a pair of speakers from iHome Audio, that when paired with an mp3 player, will have base camp rockin'. From there, they move into the serious stuff, including four great packs, like the ACT Trail 32 from Deuter, which is a great daypack with easy access and the ability to carry a solid load. There are plenty of other great items on the list as well, including some suggestions for a new bike, road or mountain, a waterproof camera phone from Casio, and a cool new tent that includes a garage for your bike from Mountain Hardwear.

Obviously Adventure has a few suggestions for all of us, no matter what our outdoor passion is. Whether camping, hiking, paddling, cycling, or just relaxing, they have new items that you'll want to add to your gear closet. Be warned before clicking on over, "Gear Lust" is a vary real phenomenon, and I'm not responsible for increased credit card bills or angry spouses.

North Pole 2009: Two Teams At 90ºN!

It was a big weekend at the top of the world, with two teams accomplishing their goal of reaching the North Pole, while the Barneo Ice Station closes for another season.

We'll start with the Victorinox North Pole 09 Team, consisting of John Huston and Tyler Fish. The two Americans found themselves in a race against time this weekend in order to reach the North Pole and still catch the last plane out to Barneo Station, and then home. The deteriorating ice conditions at Barneo forced the closure of the Russian Base, which meant John and Tyler had to arrive at the Pole by yesterday morning. They worked overtime to get there, and made it, becoming the first American team to go unsupported to the Pole. Congrats guys!

The Peary Centennial Expedition also lists their current position as 90ºN, with team members Lonnie Dupre, Max Chaya, and Stuart Smith all arriving safely after 53 days on the ice, covering 650 miles in the process. The trio arrived on Saturday morning, giving themselves plenty of time to enjoy the view and reflect on their achievement before they too caught the plane to Barneo on Sunday. Congrats to the team for a job well done as well, and a second round of congratulations to Max, who has now reached the "Three Poles", having been to both the North and South Pole and the summit of Everest. Well done Max!

The latest updates on Christina Franco's page indicate that she is heading home as well. There aren't a lot of details to be gathered from her posts just yet , but Christina was making a Last Degree journey to the Pole as a training exercise for next year's attempt at a solo journey from the Canadian side of the ice. I'm sure we'll hear more once she's back in civilization, but it seems she accomplished her goal as well.

Meanwhile, the Catlin Arctic Survey Team seem unconcerned with how they plan to get off the ice. They've now been out for 57 days, and covered more than 230 miles, with another 340 to go before the get to the Pole. But they're carrying sensitive scientific equipment along with them, including ground penetrating radar, and their goal has always been to gauge the healthy of the Polar ice, and determine the effects of global climate change on the region. From all accounts, that mission is going well, but they will be out there for awhile yet.

Finally, the Baffin Babes continue to struggle with illness on their journey across Baffin Island. After a brief respite on Saturday, in which they stayed in a "luxury camp", they thought that they had recovered, but upon hitting the trail yesterday, two of the girls began to feel ill again. Their latest dispatch says that each of them has taken turns with this bout of illness, which includes vomiting and diarrhea, none of which sounds like very much fun when you're also trekking across inhospitable terrain, dragging a heavy load, and it's -30º outside. Good luck girls. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Adventure World Magazine Launches New Website

Adventure World Magazine has launched a revamped website, offering up an easier to navigate, and read format, and expanding their coverage of adventure activities from around the globe.

Adventure World has been a top resource on the web for outdoor endurance athletes and adventure racers for some time. They always have top notch updates on major adventure sport races, such as the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge, Costa Rica's Coast To Coast Challenge, or even the Iditarod. They've even partnered with Sleep Monsters to get the latest race reports from events as they happen, further making them a hub of adventure racing news.

But beyond their coverage of adventure sports, there is a lot more great content in general. For instance, there is a nice feature story on the site right now that reminds us how we can make every day Earth Day, and the articles further down the page spotlight some on going expeditions, gear reviews, and other general adventure news.

Adventure World has also embraced this whole "social media" thing that is all the rage with the kids these days. There are icons on the front page which offer easy access to their RSS feed, Facebook Group, and Twitter feed as well. The end result, even more ways to find their great content, and get updates.

Drop on by and checkout the new site. Then bookmark the page, join the Facebook group, and tweet about how much you love all the changes. :)

Swazi Xtreme Adventure Race Underway

Does South Africa have some kind of monopoly on cool races? Yesterday we had word of a cool new extreme trail race, and today marks the beginning of the 9th annual Royal Experience Swazi Xtreme Adventure Race.

Now, to be fair, Swaziland is an independent kingdom within South Africa. They have their own currency and everything. The remote and rugged terrain that covers much of the region is perfect for testing adventure athletes, and the Swazi Xtreme will do just that.

The race comes in two flavors, Pro and Sport. The Pro event runs non-stop, day and night, with teams going as much as 60 hours straight, while the Sport version offers three distinct stages, with a start and finish line each day. Both versions of the race feature teams of 2 or 4, which can be either coed or same gender. Those teams will be hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and bouldering their way across some of the most demanding terrain in the region.

To follow the event as it unfolds, a blog has been set up and updates are already beginning to make their way in. Race organizer Darron Raw has already begun filling us in on the details, with insights into the first stages of the race. Read his updates at the Swazi Xtreme Blog.

Thanks to Lisa from AR.co.za for giving me the heads up on the race.

Top Ten Adventure Twitterers

The Outside Blog, the official blog of Outside Magazine, has released their Top Ten list of Adventure Twitterers, and there are a few names that make the list that you might recognize.

The list is certainly diverse and interesting, with companies like Backcountry.com and REI earning a spot in the Top Ten, as well as individual adventurers like Roz Savage, who is busy preparing for a return to the sea, and climber Steph Davis, who is busy scaling rock faces, and then jumping off them.

The Gear Junkie earns a much deserved spot on the list as well, and our friend Alan Arnette tops the list as the number one adventure twitterer, with is amazing updates on Everest and his own on going climbs.

Look closer on the list, and you might even recognize a certain adventure blogger. Yep, Outside named me the #5 adventure twitterer, and I have to say I'm surprised and honored to be listed with everyone else. My friends will get a great chuckle out of this thanks to my reluctance to try Twitter in the first place. But, I have to admit, I'm a convert, and think it is pretty cool to make this list, despite the fact that my Twitter name makes an obvious reference to how big of a geek I am. ;)

Thanks Outside!

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Issues in the Icefall, Summit Push on Manaslu

Time for a late week round up on what is happening in the Himalaya, where throughout the week we've been hearing that there are issues in the Khumbu Icefall near Everest. It was widely reported throughout the week that the route through the icefall, often called the most dangerous part of the mountain, had collapsed, preventing teams from making their way up to the high camps. The route was down for portions of three days in a row, but of course, it was repaired fairly quickly, Ice Doctors doing their usual bang-up job, and access was restored to the mountain once again. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the icefall, where the ice shifts constantly, and seracs collapse with regularity. It can obviously be quite dangerous, but the Docs are consummate professionals, and usually have things repaired ASAP.

For most of the teams, it was another acclimatization week on Everest, with many making their way up to C2 for the first time, where they generally spend the night, and sometimes all the next day as well. The process of getting your body use to that altitude is a slow one, so it is important to spend time there before returning once again to base camp. Alan Arnette conintues to update his Everest 2009 page with some great info of where everyone is at on the mountain, plus his own personal insights into what is going on.

ExWeb is also reporting that the Sherpas have fixed the lines as high as Camp 3, opening the door for the climbers to head on up to that point soon, and continue the acclimatization process. They are also reporting that the Kazakh team working the Lhotse-Everest Traverse, are already at 7300m as they make their alpine style go both summits.

The Himex Team has split into several groups, and are heading back to Lobuje Peak for another acclimatization climb according to Billi Bierling, who will be going for her second successful summit there. Of course, Russell Brice know what he is doing in get his clients ready for the big hill, but not all clients are treated the same, as David Tait, who has climbed with Brice in the past, will skip a second trip up Lobuje, and instead climb to C2 on Everest instead. David already has a successful North to South traverse to his name, and is quite experienced on the mountain.

Meanwhile, other teams are weighing in, with the Peak Freaks updating their blog to indicate that they have team members stretching from BC all the way up to C3 where the Sherpa are fixing ropes. IMG is in a similar position with climbers in BC, C1, and C2. They are also helping to coordinate with other teams on fixing the ropes, making sure everyone is contributing something to the cause. The Adventure Consultants are back in BC on the other hand, having already spent four nights on the mountain, including one night in both C1 and C3. The team is well ahead of the game when it comes to acclimatization and are feeling good at the moment.

On the North Side of Everest, things are still gearing up. The Summit Climb Team reached ABC this week, and there are several other teams strung out between base camp and advanced base camp, with an interim camp in between. ExWeb is also reporting that the Canadian team led by Manuel Pizarro have elected to go for a permit to climb from the Tibetan side of the mountain, rather than their planned South Col route. They are en route to North Base Camp, and hope to be there early next week.

Moving away from Everest and to some of the other peaks, it looks like it is go time on Manaslu, where teams are in the midst of a summit push at this very moment. There is reportedly a lot of snow on the mountain, and that is making things treacherous, but despite those conditions, teams hope to top out on Monday.

Meanwhile, over on Annapurna, the weather conditions are forcing teams to abandon the mountain altogether. There is a lot of snow on the upper slopes, and Annapurna is notoriously dangerous when it is prone to avalanches. Base camp is reportedly nearly empty already.

On Dhaulagiri, the Polish Tatra Rescuers Expedition has already made a run up to C3 and are currently back in base camp, resting, and waiting for a weather window to make a go at the summit. ExWeb also reports that sadly, Peter Hamor has returned to Kathmandu and is filling out reports on climbing partner and friend Piotr Morawski, who died on the mountain a few weeks back.

Finally, Ben Clark posts a dispatch on the Ski The Himalayas website with an update on their progress. He, along with friends Josh Butson and Jonathan Miller, have their hopes set on as summit, and ski descent of 23,390 foot Baruntse. The team is still two days away from BC, but it has already been quite an adventure, with plenty of rain and snow so far. Ben notes that yesterday alone they had to traverse three 14,000 foot passes, in whiteout conditions no less. The best part is that all of that hasn't dampened Ben's enthusiasm for the adventure at all, and just reading his words you can tell how excited he is to be back in the Himilaya. We should all be so lucky.

Ski The Himalayas Update: Ben on CNN!

Speaking of Ben Clark and Josh Butson, there was an update to their Ski The Himalaya website today that included a video from CNN interviewing Ben from Nepal. Ben updates us on progress so far. The guys have been trekking through the jungle, and are on the approach to Baruntse, the 23,390 foot peak the intend to summit and then ski back down.

Ben indicates that they are hoping to climb above the tree line tomorrow, and put the humid and hot jungle behind them. They hope to establish base camp at 17,600, and once that is done, they'll begin the climb in earnest. Ben also talks about the personality of a mountaineer, and what it takes to go on these expedition. Check out the footage below, then head over to the website for more updates.

The Rest of Everest Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up

It may be old news to fans of The Rest of Everest, but since I was trying to catch up on episodes last week, I completely missed a new one that snuck out under my nose. In my defense, I thought the show might be taking a brief hiatus while climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson snuck off to Ski The Himalayas and podcast creator Jon Miller prepared to trek to Everest BC.

Turns out Episode 107: Going Up, And Blowing Up, was recorded before the boys flew off to Kathmandu. Ah... the wonders of modern technology. Who knew?

Anyway, in this episode, Ben and Josh, set off to make another attempt on the summit of Annapurna IV. The plan is to go up in alpine style, and as this episode opens, they are back in Camp 1, and reflecting on their climb to that point and how much they are looking forward to continuing up the mountain. As usual, Ben and Josh offer some great insights into what it takes to climb in the Himalaya.

Soon, they're back on the trail and making their way to where they'll eventually establish an intermediary camp before reaching C2. Along the way, we get some great footage of the climbers working the route, skis strapped to their back. Soon they are at their next campsite, and we get to watch the process of creating the camp, this time greatly accelerated. We also see Josh wrestling with his "self inflating" Thermarest sleeping matt. I'm not positive, but I think the matt won. Back in the tent, they reflect again on their ongoing climb. Approaching the summit in alpine style is different than on most Himalayan peaks, and it is fun to watch that process unfold.

At the end of this episode, it is announced that the show will be gong on hiatus for a bit now, while everyone involved with the show will be off on their spring adventures. Stay tuned for new episodes soon.

New Trail Run Pits Man vs. Nature, Perhaps Literally!

A new endurance trail race is gearing up to take place later this year in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The 50km (31 mile) race will cover some very remote, demanding terrain, as top adventure athletes challenge each other across the course. But that may be the least of their worries, as they'll be running through territory that is inhabited by dangerous game animals, including Black Rhino, Cape Buffalo, and Cape Cobra!

The inaugural Baviaanskloof Trail Run is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, Sept. 12 of this year. Each of the runners expected to be self sufficient while out on the course, and very little support will be provided. The race promises to be an event like any other, with beautiful landscapes, demanding trails, and the potential to pass a wide variety of wildlife on the course.

The Baviaanskloof National Reserve is a World Heritage Site that is well known for the diverse wildlife that exists inside its boundaries, which are accented by colorful cliffs and rock formations. In addition to the animals mentioned above, racers can expect to encounter Baboon, Bushbuck, Tortoise, Kudu, Bush Pig, Caracal, Mountain Zebra, and even possibly Leopards.

The event is now taking entries, with the majority of them being on a "first-come, first-served" basis, although there will be some sponsor exemptions to allow for event organizers to invite special guests. The entry form can be found here, just in case you would like to participate yourself. They'll continue to take entries up until the end of June.

Looks like a great event, and it really plays well to the old joke "I don't have to out run the rhino, I just need to outrun one of the other racers"! :)

Thanks to Darrell Raubenheimer for sending this my way! Much appreciated Darrell.

Dixie Dansercoer Interviewed at CheapTents.com

When it comes to polar explorers, few measure up to Dixie Dansercoer. The 47-year old Belgian has crossed both Poles, and spent more time in arctic conditions than just about anyone else, and he is also an avid mountaineer and endurance sport athlete. He is also well known for his photography, and has been commissioned by scientific research teams to measure the health and thickness of the polar ice. In short, the guy really gets around.

CheapTents.com, an online resource for inexpensive gear, has a nice blog, which features an interview with Dixie, in which he discusses his inspiration for polar exploration, his greatest achievements out on the ice, and what he finds most rewarding while traveling to the Poles.

The exclusive interview is quite extensive, and very well done, covering a lot of ground. Dixie is a true legend when it comes to modern day explorers, and if you're not familiar with him, this is a great place to start. The article lists his impressive adventure resume following the interview. Some of the highlights include: two round the world trips (one east to west, the other west to east), ascents on such peaks as Vinson, Mt. Blanc, and Mt. Fuji, the last two in winter, as well as a number of endurance events such as Ironman Triathlons, as well as mountain biking and wind surfing events, and of course, crossing Antarctica on foot using skis and kites.

Good interview, definitely worth a read.

Summit Up! Project Off and Running

I first mentioned the Summit Up project back in February, when Mark Zimmer first announced his intentions of climbing to the highest point in every state in the U.S. Now that April has arrived, he's off and running, bagging these "peaks" as quickly as he can.

You can read all about Mark's progress on his blog, where you'll learn that he has already claimed the high points in Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. He's now off Colorado, where he'll go after the 14,433 foot Mount Elbert, which is likely to be one of his more challenging climbs until Denali or Rainier.

The Summit Up project is not only a cool adventure though, it also an attempt to raise funds, and awareness, for Alzheimer's research with the Alzheimer's Association. Mark is working with some very good sponsors, such as North Face and Cloudveil, to help supply his climbs, and is accepting donations as well. Obviously, this is a very worthy cause, and a great way to bring awareness to it.

Be sure to drop on by the Summit Up website in the weeks ahead, as Mark continues to go after his goal.

Man Lost in Arctic Survives 3 Days Alone

The details are still bit sketchy on this one, but it is a cool story none the less. According to this story, on Yahoo News, an American man working in Greenland became lost, and survived for three days, in arctic conditions.

At the moment the man's name has not been revealed, but we do know that he is a heavy equipment operator at a research station in Greenland's Arctic region. He first went missing sometime in the evening last Wednesday, but the details on how he got lost are not quite explained. He was later found, alone, in good health, and completely coherent, on Saturday morning, following an extensive search and rescue operation.

The remote base, known as the Summit Station, at which the 38-year old is employed, is said to be located in central Greenland, atop more than two mile thick ice. The closest "point of land", according to the article, is some 260 miles away. It is also reported that the average temperature in the overnight hours this time of year ranges from -10ºF on clear nights to 10º when it is overcast.

The man is said to have used some basic survival techniques taught to everyone at the station. He reportedly dug holes in the snow to get out of the wind and would move around regularly to keep his blood pumping and circulating. He is being treated in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Anyone else sense a movie of the week from this story?

PlanetFear Brings Us The Most Extreme Races

Adventure website PlanetFear has a cool list of the World's Most Extreme Races, naming off some of the top endurance event on the planet, or as they call the list, "the thigh quivering guide to some of the world’s most outrageous races…"

The author of the article, Ben Winston, determined the "extremeness" of each race by giving them a label, such as "The Most Northerly" or "The Highest", and then follows up with a photo from the event, and a brief description of what you can expect to endure while competing.

For instance, they name the legendary Marathon des Sables as "The Hottest". The race takes place annually in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, with competitors racing 150 miles over six days in a stage event format. Average temperatures tend to hover around 120ºF.

But if the heat isn't that rough on you, perhaps you'd rather face the humidity. Yep, they have a winner in the "Most Humid" category, with the prize going to The Jungle Marathon, a seven day event that covers 120 miles across Brazil's dense jungles. Competitors have to carry everything with them, with the exception of their water, which is replenished each day, and hammock to crash in when they reach the nightly camps. And if that humid jungle wasn't enough of a challenge, they'll have to deal with poisonous snakes and insects, not to mention an array of fungal infections and disease.

Great list of top races from around the planet. Still no love for Primal Quest though. I'm starting to feel a bit disrespected. We seriously need to make PQ more challenging.

World Record for Kayak Drop Shattered! (Yeah, again!)

Remember awhile back when I posted about Pedro Oliva's big kayak drop of 127 feet? I even followed up with some video of the crazy feat. Well, it seems that that huge drop may now be a distant memory, as it supposedly wasn't just beaten, it was completely destroyed.

A new blog post over at the Tribe website indicates that extreme kayaker Tyler Bradt has set a new record by making a 186 foot drop! The post doesn't offer a whole lot more information than that, but the Outside blog is reporting that the record was achieved on Palouse Falls in Washington State. Apparently, Bradt is alive and well, with Outside saying, "He rolled up at the bottom with the wind knocked out of him, a broken paddle and an uncontested new record for the highest waterfall kayaked."

As of now, there are no pictures or video released, but expect some soon. There were cameramen and photographers on hand to witness the event.

One-hundred-eighty-six feet! All I can say is WOW!

The Hitchhiking Movie: Hitching Across the U.S.

I'm still cleaning out my mailbox after being gone, and trying to catch up on a few things, and here is one that I thought might be of interest. It is a bit of a different adventure, but certainly one none the less. 11Visions has put together an interesting film called The Hitchhiking Movie, in which two men set out to see if they could cross the United States without a car of their own or any money. Oh yeah, and they wanted to do it in under a week.

There was a time when hitchhiking was fairly popular in the U.S. and you would often see men and women stand alongside the road with their thumb out. But times have changed fairly dramatically since that era, and now you see hitchhikers much more infrequently. As drivers, it has been ingrained in our brains that we shouldn't pick them up, and that that it could be very dangerous. It is in that climate that filmmakers Ryan Jeanes and Phillip Hullquist set out on their cross country odyssey.

The two men set out from New York, with Los Angeles as their ultimate goal. 3000 miles to cover in seven days. It would require the kindness of strangers to complete the trip, and it is questionable if that kindness actually exists any more. Did they make it? You'll have to watch the movie to find out for sure, but you can view a bunch of clips on the films website, and you can pick it up on DVD or watch it online as well.

Pretty cool concept, and proof that adventure travel doesn't necessarily have to include flying off to some far flung location. This seemed like a great adventure too. Setting off on a long distance trek, without ever knowing if you'd make it, and relying completely on others. Crazy! :)

Check out the trailer below.

Gear Box: Eureka Spitfire 2 Tent

When it comes to your basic gear for backpacking or camping, I personally think that the most important items are your pack, sleeping bag, and tent. In each case, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from, varying greatly in design, features, and so on, and picking the right one can greatly impact the enjoyment you get from the experience.

Personally, I think selecting the right tent may be the most challenging of all of those pieces of gear. You have to weigh a number of factors, such as 3 vs. 4 season, number of people it can sleep comfortably, pack weight, and so on. And often times it is a real challenge to know if the tent will suit your needs until you're actually out in backcountry, using it for the first time.

Of course, it helps if you go with a proven name in tents, and Eureka is certainly that. The company has been designing tents for more than 100 years, and once offered covers for horse drawn wagons as well. Back then, the products were mostly made of canvas, and they were heavy, bulky items.

We've come a long way since then however, as their Spitfire 2 backpacking tent is the epitome of high tech gear. The two-person, three season tent, is made of lightweight, but tough synthetic materials designed to wear well in a variety of conditions, and keep you dry in the heaviest of downpours. Its equally lightweight frame is constructed of aluminum, and when paired with the clip attachment system, it's a breeze to set-up, and you'll be lounging inside in no time.

Once inside, you'll find plenty of room for two, as the Spitfire is surprisingly spacious. I"m rather tall, topping out over 6'2", and I was still able to not only sleep comfortably, but also sit-up without fear. The sides of the tent are completely mesh, which allows for great airflow on warm nights, like those that I get here in Texas. It is also great for clear nights, when you can lie back and enjoy the stars overhead. And when the fowl weather does set in, the included rain fly can be added easily. I also appreciated that there were doors on both sides of the tent, offering easy access to both occupants.

The MSRP for the Spitfire 2 is $169, and I can honestly say that it is well worth the money. It competes quite well with much more expensive tents, and the entire package weighs just over four pounds. It also is easy to take apart, and return to it's handy carrying case to drop back into your pack when returning to the trail. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of when buying this tent.

First off, this is not a free standing tent. You'll need to stake it down to use it properly. That, in and of itself, is not a knock against the Spitfire 2, as I prefer a tent that is staked, but you'll want to be aware of it so that you provide a bit more time for set-up. Once you have set it up however, it is rock steady and holds up to winds without any issues. You may also want to consider replacing the stakes with something a bit more heavy duty though, depending on the terrain you'll be using it in.

The other thing to consider is that there really isn't much of a vestibule on the tent, which could become an issue in heavy rains or snows, when it's nice to keep your wet, muddy boots on the outside. That may sound like a small nit to pick, but it is definitely something to be aware of.

Those issues aside however, you could do a lot worse than the Spitfire 2. It is a great backpacking tent that is lightweight, easy to assemble, offers plenty of room, and is of high quality construction. For a surprisingly low price, you get a lot of bang for your buck, and a piece of gear that will last you for a long time. As long as you can live with the few limitations I mentioned above, you'll have a home away from home on many adventures.

Backpacker 2009 Gear Guide Online!

It's like Christmas came in April! The 2009 Backpacker Magazine Gear Guide is now available online. As usual, the guide has some great reviews and insights into the best gear available for outdoor pursuits.

The best of the best is compiled into the Backpacker Editor's Choice Awards, which in addition to their category winners, include two special awards as well, the "Editor's Choice Green Award", which went to the Big Agnes Salt Creek recycled tent. The other separate award is the "Editor's Choice Gold Award", which was given to the MSR MugMate Coffee Maker and the North Face Base Camp duffel bag.

Other great gear that won Editor's Choice honors include the Garmin Oregon 400t gps unit, the New Balance 1500 Rainier Boot, and the Osprey Sprint Series of packs.

And if that wasn't already enough gear to get you salivating, and your wallet crying, checkout the Backpacker Gear Guides for Backpacks, Tents, Boots, Sleeping Bags, and other Essentials. Be warned though, reading through this may cause an unexplained urge to head out to your nearest gear shop.

North Pole 2009: Teams Closing In, More Open Water

While the general attention of the adventure community has shifted over to Everest and the events going on in the Himalaya, the lonely polar explorers continue their long march to the top of the world, with their eyes clearly focused on the price, namely 90ºN!

Two teams are closing in on that mark, with both the Victorinox North Pole Team and the Peary Centennial Expedition both past 89º. The last update from Victorinox is three days old and has them at 88.48ºN, with 72 nautical miles to go until the reach the Pole. The team was knocking off chunks of mileage in the mid teens, so we can guesstimate that they'll reach their destination as early as this weekend, as long as the weather holds and they don't have to deal with too much open water.

Likewise, the Peary Expedition last reported in on the 19th, and they were past 89.11ºN. Their next update may very well be from the Pole itself, as they have also been making good time and should be very close now as well. It seems the next few days will be very exciting for everyone that has been following the North Pole Season this year.

The Catlin Arctic Survey Team has now been out on the ice for 52 days, and have already traveled more than 340 miles. The bad news is that they are estimated to still be more than 550 miles from the Pole. Remember, this team is not heading due North like some, but is instead taking ice samples to measure the healthy of the ice cap. While the teams mentioned above are nearing 90º, Pen, Martin, and Ann are still at 84º and taking their sweet time to enjoy the view. They are also reporting much more open water as spring begins to arrive at the North Pole, which makes things more treacherous and slows them down further.

Meanwhile, the Baffin Babes are continuing their expedition across Baffin Island. It has been a few days since we heard from them as well, and it sounds like it has been a challenging experience in a number of weighs. Their heavy sled is weighing in at about 120kg (roughly 265 pounds), and it sometimes takes all of their efforts, plus their two dogs, to keep it moving through the deep snow. To make matters worse, two of the girls have gotten ill while out on the trail, which has to make them feel absolutely miserable under these conditions. They have, however, reached Clyde River, and resupplied, and enjoyed some down time in town. They report great weather and absolutely stunning scenery on Baffin as well.

Finally, there have been no new dispatches from Christina Franco, who had set out from Barneo a few weeks back on a last degree journey to the North Pole. She was hoping to go solo from the Canadian side, but once her stove suffered a double failure, she was forced to give up that dream for this year, and instead elected to use this journey as a training session. She'll attempt to go solo again next year. Without dispatches, it is difficult to know where she is at, at the Google Map on her website isn't plotting the course either. Perhaps she's still suffering equipment failures.

Outside's Best Adventures For 2009

We're a few months into 2009, but that doesn't mean it's too late to select the best travel destinations for the year ahead. That is exactly what Outside Magazine did with their Best Adventures for 2009 list. The list is broken down by region, with the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, New Zealand and Australia, Asia, and Africa all represented. Sorry Europe, there aren't any adventures left on your boring continent. ;)

As you would expect, the list is filled with some really great trips, provided you have the time and money. Staying close to home, here in the States, Outside suggests paddling the Upper Owyhee in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada, or heading to Alaska for a couple of unique adventures. Canadians can stay in country, and go paddling on Hudson Bay or biking in the Rockies, for plenty of outdoor, active adventure.

And if staying in North America isn't exciting enough, there are some great suggestions on the other continents as well. For instance, head to Guyana for unspoiled wilderness like no where else on Earth, or trek the Larapinta Trail in Australia. Want something a bit more demanding? How about climbing volcanoes in Indonesia? Or taking any number of amazing safaris across Africa.

2009 is going to be the best year for travel deals that we've seen in some time. With the economy still in the doldrums, and many people watching their pennies, the opportunities to save on adventure travel are about is good as they'll ever get. If you have the money and the urge to travel, then I suggest taking advantage of it while you can.

Images From The Amazon

I haven't written too much about my trip to the Amazon yet. I'm still working out the details on the book deal. ;) Just kidding! But expect stories on the trip to be appearing on Gadling in the very near future, and I'll post links here when they go online.

I did, however, want to share some of my photos, and my first video from the Amazon. You can checkout 100 or so images from the trip in my Amazon 2009 Gallery. Overall, I'm fairly happy with the way the photos turned out, although I battled a number of issues with my camera while on the trip. First, the humidity made it difficult to keep the lenses dry and clear at times, and on top of that, I had a failure of the autofocus engine on my telephoto lens, rendering it in manual focus mode only. That isn't necessarily a terrible thing, unless you're trying to capture shots of wildlife on the move. Still, all in all, the photos aren't half bad.

One thing I did learn on the trip is that I think I'm beginning to outgrow my DSLR. It is a consumer level model, and when I bought it a few years back, I was aware of the limitations of the model, but didn't think they would matter much to me. As I've learned more about photography however, those limitations have become a bit more evident, and I'm considering moving up to a more capable camera for future trips.

One piece of equipment that I did enjoy however was my handheld HD video camera. This was the first trip I took it on and it worked wonderfully, and captured some great footage. You can see an example of that below in my first video on YouTube. And if you want to watch it in HD, click here.

I hope you enjoy the photos and video. I'll post more in the near future, and stories on my Amazon adventure will be coming soon. :)

From Beijing to London... On Horseback!

We've seen some long distance journeys on horseback before. Remember Bernice Ende, who rode 5000 miles through the Western United States back in 2007? Or how about Tim Cope, who rode from Mongolia to Hungry over the course of three years, covering more than 6000 miles in the process? Well now we have another epic ride to join those two.

This past Saturday, a British woman named Megan Lewis set off, along with Li Jing and Peng Wenchao, both Chinese, set out from Beijing, China, with the intention of riding all the way to London. The trio will cross China, ride into Inner Mongolia, ride into Central Asia, before moving into Europe. The plan is to arrive in the U.K. in time for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, to be held in London.

Each of the riders is an experienced adventurer, and have plenty of time in the saddle. Lewis is riding to raise money for the Schoolchildren for Children charity as well, and you can read her blog of the expedition by clicking here. Also, be sure to checkout the official website of the journey at the appropriately named TheLongHorseRide.com.

Himalaya Spring 2009 Update: Up and Down the Cwm

Lots of action on Everest, and around the Himalaya, as teams acclimatize, build camps, and get to know their mountains.

Starting off on Everest, teams have now gone as high as C3, caching gear as they go, and getting all too familiar with the Western Cwm. They'll make that journey a number of times before they head up to the summit in a few weeks. According to the Peak Freaks Blog, their whole team is in Base Camp right now, with the exception of one climber in C1. Tomorrow they'll begin their climb up to C2, where they'll spend the night acclimatizing. THe PF team also notes that the remarkably calm weather thus far this season has made it easy for teams to spend time at C1 and C2 this early in the season. Whether or not this calm weather holds is yet to be seen.

The Adventure Consultants are already up in C1, where they are comfortably resting. The team were up at 1 AM and off at 2 AM, and after a successful scramble through the Icefall, they were up the hill and in C1 before the crowd, beating the heat of the day.

The Himex team takes a different approach to the acclimatization process. Russell Brice likes to have the team scale other peaks in the area to gain experience and acclimatize. And to that end, both David Tait and Billi Bierling are reporting that they have been climbing Lobuje Peak the past few days. After a successful summit, they are back in Gorak Shep, and will be proceeding to BC from there.

Speaking of Russell Brice, Alan Arnette is reporting that he crashed the Cricket Game held in Gorak Shep, and being billed as the highest ever played, to announce that he'll hold his own match at C2, beating the "old" record by 1235 meters. Of course it was all one big joke and Russell was just having a little fun with the teams playing in Gorak Shep. Who says this guy doesn't have a sense of humor?

ExWeb is reporting in one of their Himalaya wrap-ups that the Lhotse-Everest Traverse team is off and running at a good pace, having already stashed their tents at C2 and moved further up the mountain to scout not only Everest's West Ridge, but also the Lhotse Wall as well.

On the North Side of Everest, teams finally reached Base Camp over the weekend, and they were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the yaks to help them carry their gear up to ABC. They'll soon be joined by Norwegian Jarle Traa, who told ExWeb he would be climbing from the North completely independently, without using oxygen or Sherpa support.

Moving away from Everest now, the report is that a team of Czechs reached the Eastern Summit of Annapurna, which stands at 8021 meters. Harsh winds prevented them from reaching the main summit however, and they are now returning to BC. Bad weather has been a problem on Annapurna so far this year, and has prevented most teams from making any kind of headway at all.

Teams are also locked in at C1 on Manaslu thanks to poor weather conditions. Heavy winds and snow fall has prevented them from going up the mountain to establish Camp 2, but the weather report indicates that things may be improving. The snows are expected to stop, although the winds may continue for a few more days.

Our friends on the Ski The Himalayas team, which includes Ben Clark and Josh Butson of Rest of Everest fame, are still trekking to their mountain of choice, the 23,390 foot Baruntse, where they intend to make an alpine style climb, and then ski off the summit. They are joined by a third climber, named Jonathan Miller, who is not to be confused with the other Jonathan Miller, also from the Rest of Everest, who prefers to make films about the mountains.

Finally, the latest update from the team climbing Lunag Ri, a 6907m peak in Nepal, is that they are now on the mountain, and have scouted a line that they think will work for them. Described as hard, but safe, the route will have them going up some 6777 meters before making a traverse along a narrow ridge to the summit proper.

Good luck to all the climbers at the various stages of their climb. Climb safe everyone, and enjoy the view!

Book Review: Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time

As I noted last week, traveling is a perfect time for catching up on your reading. Long flights and layovers in spartan airports with little to do, makes you appreciate a good book all the more. And when heading to South America, I just had to take along a book I had received a few days before departing. I mean, it's called Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time by Richard Conniff. How could I possibly leave that behind when I was headed to the Amazon?

Much like Jon Bowermaster's new book, Wildebeest in a Rainstorm, which I reviewed last week, this book is a collection of articles that the author has written over a number of years. Conniff has extensive experiencing traveling the globe and writing about its creatures, both great and small.

The stories in the book range from trailing wild dogs on Botswana's Okavango Delta to the title adventure, in which Conniff decides to take a dip in a tank full of Piranhas at the Dallas aquarium. In between, you'll learn a lot about bugs, including the level of pain they inflict when they bit or sting, as well as far more than you'd ever wanted to know about their sex lives. There are stories about elusive leopards, cheetahs, humming birds, monkeys, and more.

The books is a fast read, as each of the chapters is a self contained story, and Conniff's writing style is not only interesting, but often humorous as well. I often found myself wrapping up one of the stories and plunging headlong into the next, just to see what new topic he would explore next. And while I was fascinated reading about his adventures tracking leopards in Namibia with the !Kung San, perhaps the greatest trackers in the world, I was equally enthralled with his report on Lemurs in Madagascar and his profile of Justin Schmidt, an entomologist who has devised a scale for measure the pain of an insect bit or sting. The scale ranges from one, described as "a tiny spark", to four, which is "absolutely debilitating".

Through it all, it's clear that Conniff loves what he does, and has enjoyed a long, and stored career covering amazing wildlife in every corner of the planet. He has a passion for all of these creatures, not just the big cats and intelligent primates, but the little creepy crawlies as well, and it shows through in his articles, which are fun to read, but also very informative as well. I learned a lot from each of these articles, sometimes to my dismay. For instance, in the chapter on Schmidt's pain scale, I learned that bullet ants, native to South America, get their name from the fact that when they bite you, it feels like you've been shot. As I lay in my bunk that night, aboard the river boat that was my home on the Amazon for my trip, I recalled how many of those ants I had seen that morning, while trekking in the jungle. I double checked my boots to make sure none came home with me.

Anyone who loves, or is even curious about, the animals and insects that we share this planet with will enjoy this book. It'll make you laugh, but it'll also make you marvel at the incredible diversity of life and its amazing resiliency. So many stories to be told, and Conniff is one of the best at telling them.

Cycling: Disgusting Conduct in the Tour of Turkey

We all know that cycling is sport that has battled many black eyes over the past few years. Top racers have been banned from the sport, and stripped of major wins, due to the use of performance enhancing drugs. But I think that what occurred in yesterday's Presidential Tour of Turkey may be the most disgusting thing I've seen in cycling ever, and possibly all of sports. Check out the YouTube clip below to see what I'm talking about.

The clip is rather long, but sets up the intensity of the race. If you want to see the specific incident to which I'm referring, then jump to the 3:40 point to see a rider for Team Rabobank reach out and grab race leader Daryl Impey of South Africa, and literally hurl him off his bike and into the barricades that line the course.

International sports site SuperSport.com is reporting that Impey suffered "a fracture of the third disk of his lumbar vertebra, a micro-fracture of his neck, a facial trauma, a few broken teeth and a deep cut in his lips." He is reportedly being held for observation. Because the crash occurred so close to the finish line, by rule, Impey was awarded the same time as the stage winner, Sebastian Siedler, so he ended up still winning the race. A bittersweet victory if I've ever seen one.

I haven't heard yet who the rider was that grabbed Impey, but a lifetime ban should be in order, in my opinion. Big thanks to Lisa over at AR.co.za for the video and follow-up report on this story. Crazy!

Everest 2009: Insights on Rope Fixing

Alan Arnette is always a great source of information, and his Everest 2009 page is being updated daily with news from the mountain. Not only does he know many of the guides and climbers personally, Alan has also been on Everest three times, and has first hand knowledge of how things get done there, which is why today's update is so interesting.

Yesterday, I mentioned that a major logistical meeting went down on the mountain. This yearly pow-wow is where the teams hash out how the fixing of ropes is going to occur on the South Side of Everest. This meeting can be a bit frustrating for those involved, as not all the teams contribute the same level of supplies or manpower, with some trying to avoid helping as much as possible.

Alan offers up a great explanation of the process, saying that the Ice Doctors, who are payed out of the permit fees by the Nepal Ministry of Tourism's Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, take care of the route through the Khumbu Icefall and fixing the lines up to Camp 2. They won't go any higher than that however, which leaves the rest of the mountain, from the Lhotse Face to the summit, to be fixed by the teams.

From there on up, the teams work together in a loose union to fix lines all the way up the South Col to C4, where Alan says that the first team to make summit bid starts putting down the ropes. The climbers that follow use them too as they make their bids. He also makes a few points about climbers who go "solo and unassisted" and their use of the lines as well, saying that in this day and age, it is almost impossible to go "unassisted" on Everest.

Of course the situation is completely different on the North Side, where Russell Brice and his Himex team have taken care of the fixed lines for year. Brice would have his Sherpa teams, amongst the best in the world, fix the lines all the way up the mountain, and charge each climber $100 to use the lines. Most thought that was an excellent bargain, and were happy to comply. This year, Himex is on the South Side, and the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association is taking care of those duties.

An interesting read to be sure, and a nice look at the politics of the mountain.

Cycling: Tyler Hamilton Tests Positive, Retires!

A surprising story from the world of cycling today, as American Tyler Hamilton has tested positive for a banned substance for the second time, and has announced his retirement from the sport. VeloNews is reporting that the national road champion was using an herbal supplement to treat his clinically diagnosed depression, and the banned substance was found in that over the counter supplement.

The 38-year old Hamilton says that he was first diagnosed with depression back in 2003, and that other members of his family suffer with the same affliction. He had been using clinically prescribed drugs to treat the depression, but switch to herbal remedies, one of which contained DHEA, a banned steroid. The cyclist indicated that he knew he was taking a banned substance, but was desperate for relief.

Rather than deal with another suspension, his second for a banned substance, or face a lifetime ban, Hamilton has decided to retire from the sport so that he can deal with his health issues more directly. Personally, I wish him the best of luck in working on these issues. It's a shame his career has to end with this shadow over his head, but it is more important for him to get healthy at this point. Good luck Tyler!

Thanks to the Outside Blog for the heads up on this one.