ExWeb Examines Humar's Annapurna Route

A month back Tomaz Humar completed a new route on Annapurna, climbing the mountain solo and in alpine style. Since the news broke, there have been many in the climbing community who have wanted to know more about the climb, despite a debrief already being released. To clear up the confusion, ExWeb has taken a closer look at the route that Humar used to go to the top.

Some of the questions circulating around the climb are in regards to whether or not this actually was a new route or if Tomaz used the Polish Route from back in 1987. The article notes that Humar is not known to exaggerate his exploits or lie about his accomplishments, so his reports are being taken on face value, although he is remaining a bit media shy at the moment. They do conclude however, that he took a new route to the top of Annapurna that was almost completely independent of the Polish Route, or the lesser known Trommsdorff route, each of which go up the South Side of the mountain.

The article goes on to discuss the challenges of climbing Annapurna's South Face, and the various approaches to that summit from that direction. The climb is also compared to others in the region, and other 8000m peaks, which saw very few summits this Fall. Because Humar went solo and climbed in alpine style, his accomplishment is seen as one of the better climbs of the year, or perhaps the past few years.

While the article doesn't shed a ton of new light on the specifics of the route, it does help to put in perspective what Tomaz accomplished. Annapurna is not a mountain for the feint of heart, and to go up it alone, carrying all your gear, it a pretty impressive feat.

Take Better Expedition Photos

Jake Norton has updated his MountainWorld Blog with an excellent article on how to take better expedition photos. There are ten tips in all and they come from a position of experience, as Jake has spent plenty of time on Everest and has been a mountain guide for years, all the while building an impressive portfolio of photographs.

Jake makes some excellent suggestions that work well for photography in general, and not just expedition photos. With his "Rule of Thirds" he recommends splitting your shot into thirds and putting the main subject in the left or right third, or the top or bottom. This will make for more interesting photos, with the main subject not necessarily appearing in the middle of the shot.

He also recommends experimenting with your shots, especially on the zooms. Take some close shots, and also pull back. Shoot from different angles. Think about your subject matter and frame it in an interesting way. Don't just use your lens to get a good shot, move your legs and go to a different spot. Use your equipment and your own sense of what looks good to capture the moment.

There are plenty of other great tips and suggestions on the list as well. If you're interested in taking better outdoor photos in general, or are planning an amazing trip somewhere and want some ideas on how to capture the spirit of that place, than I highly recommend reading through Jake's tips and thinking about each of them independently.

Personally, I have an interest in photography, and want to learn to shoot better shots. When I was in Africa earlier this year, I had some excellent photo opportunities, and at first I shot everything in sight. But later, when I slowed down and started thinking about my shots, and composing them, I was much happier with my results. At the time, I was shooting with a Nikon D50, which a few months later I loaned to a friend, who brought it back from Alaska in a non-functional state. (Read: She broke it!) I recently replaced it with a new Nikon D40, which I've just begun to play with. I'll write a full review once I've had more time with it, but one thing I can say at this point, that I LOVE the size. For a DSLR, it's small, and compact, and fits very nicely in a backpack, and the few shots I've taken with it so far have been very nice.

Great photos really capture the moment and the place. With Jake's tips, we can all capture our adventures a bit better, and bring them home to share with our friends and family. Thanks for the help Jake!

Antarctic Update - The Weather Breaks!

ThePoles.com is reporting that the weather at Patriot HIlls has improved allowing for the second wave of Antarctic explorers to arrive on the continent and begin their expeditions. A number of teams had been holed up in Punta Arenas this past week, waiting for their opportunity to hit the ice, which came yesterday at long last. This means we should soon see more reports from various teams as they head to the Pole or Vinson.

The Beyond Endurance Team is still more than 500 miles from the Pole, but are reporting good progress, despite team member Shaun experiencing a "bathroom emergency" yesterday morning, that left his teammates waiting in the cold. Reports like these remind us that even on the most daring of adventures, you have to heed the call of nature. Literally and figuratively. ;)

Meanwhile, Adrian Hayes continues his quest for the "third pole" and reports that he, and his companions, are picking up speed. Yesterday they set a new distance record for the expedition, gaining over 14 nautical miles in their pursuit of the Pole. He discusses the need to stay on pace in his report, saying that they are carrying enough food for 52 days, and while a resupply is an option, they mean to go unsupported to the Pole. In order to achieve that goal though, everyone needs to stay health and focused. He also notes that they are only as fast as their slowest team member.

It looks like now that the weather has improved, the Antarctic season can finally get into full swing. Expect to hear more over the coming weeks as more and more people hit the ice.

Save The Poles Expedition

How's this for an ambitious expedition? Arctic explorer Eric Larsen has announced the Save The Poles Expedition in which he'll attempt to visit the "Three Poles" in one continuous 365 day period. Yep, that's right, he's going to go to the North and South Poles, and the summit of Everest, all in the span of one year's time.

Larsen has laid out some of his plans and the reasons why he wants to attempt this feat on his website, which reads:

• Complete the first-ever expedition to Mt. Everest, the North Pole and South Pole in a continuous 365-day period
• Promote clean energy solutions, advocate strategies for reducing carbon emissions post Kyoto 2012 and collect relevant scientific data
• Produce a documentary film, book and educational CD-ROM that focuses on global warming, teamwork and the spirit of adventure
• Develop a post expedition multi-media lecture series

He explains that while the Poles and Everest are the harshest climates on the planet, they are also the ones that are most effected by global warming and other changing climatic conditions. He discusses the melting polar ice caps and what that means to the Earth as a whole, and hopes this his efforts will promote some discussion and thought on the topic.

Larsen plans to set out in 2009 and will have his work cut out for him as he will like go to the North Pole in the late Winter, then go for Everest in the Spring, followed up with a South Pole expedition in the Fall, all relative to the Northern Hemisphere. Those details have yet to be filled in, so I'm just guessing there, but it's going to be tough doing both the North Pole, and Everest in a short time span.

This comes via The Goat which lists the expedition as "unsupported" although I saw no mention of that on the website. I'm not sure Larsen's skill at mountaineering, but going "unsupported" on Everest is not for inexperienced or unskilled, and the Poles aren't exactly a walk in the park either.

Introduction To Orienteering

GreatOutdoors.com has updated their website with a new article that is a great introduction to Orienteering, a sport that continues to grow in popularity.

As the article explains, Orienteering is an interesting blend of trail running and navigation. Competitors head out on to the course with a map, compass and little else. The goal is to navigate to several locations on the map, called "controls", where you'll find a unique hole-punch that you will use to mark a spot on a card that indicates that you've actually visited the control point. From there, you'll navigate to the next control, collecting that punch, and so on, until you've collected them all. Then it's a dash back to the finish line, with the first one to cross, and successfully demonstrate that they have all the proper punches for each control, wins the race.

Most of the time the courses are between 1 and 5 miles in length, and are plotted out in an outdoor, wooded environment. You'll need wits, backcountry skills, the ability to read the map properly, and good conditioning to compete against the other racers and navigate the course properly. Some of the controls can be well hidden, thus requiring even more detailed map reading skills.

The article does a great job of laying the groundwork for what orienteering is, and what a new competitor can expect. The author, Dougald MacDonald who also writes a blog entitled The Mountain World (different from this MountainWorld by Jake Norton) has more than two decades of experience in these events, and clearly has a lot of insight to offer someone new to the sport.

I haven't ever tried orienteering, but it looks like it would be a lot of fun. I know that adventure racers will often compete in these events, as it helps to hone their navigation skills before a big race. Considering the rising popularity of the activity, it's likely that there are events being held in your area, and you don't even know about it. You can find out more at the U.S. Orienteering Federation website, including local clubs, events, necessary skills, and more.

Another Cool Adventure Cam

A while back I posted a couple of small and light cameras that could be mounted on a helmet for capturing video, hands free, of what ever your next adventure is. Today I have another one that offers something a little different.

I read about the O'Neill H4 Campack over at Gizmodo a few days back, and it certainly looked like an interesting piece of technology. Once again, the camera attaches to your helmet, and records video to secure data cards, getting as much as 160 minutes on a 2 GB card. But what's cool about this cam over the others that I've posted about recently is that all of it's mechanisms are enclosed inside a backpack, including a screen for watching the video you just shot, controls for fast forwarding and rewinding, as well as a large "record" button built right into the shoulder strap.

All of that technology in the backpack is great, and it doesn't take up much room, allowing you to store all of your gear and goodies inside for a day on the mountain. Everyone knows how much I love a great backpack. Combine that with some gadgets, and I'm in heaven. The price tag on this one is a bit steep though, clocking in around $425. Still, it's a pretty cool piece of technology and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to use.

You can learn more about it over at the official O'Neill website.

ExWeb Interviews Simone Moro

Explorersweb has posted an interview with Simone Moro who has recently announced that he'll be returning to Broad Peak, along with his climbing partner Shaheen Baig, to attempt another Winter ascent on the mountain.

You'll recall that the two climbers attempted Broad Peak last Winter, but were turned back by heavy snows, high winds, and generally poor conditions. They felt like they would have had a real shot at the summit had they actually arrived a bit earlier on the mountain, and to that end, this year they'll arrive in Islamabad on December 30th.

In the interview, Simone discusses such topics as how he'll approach this year's climb differently (hint: his gear is already there!), the gear that he uses on the mountain, the route they plan to take, considerations for climbing in the Winter, and much more. It's an excellent interview from a guy who had quite the impressive climbing resume.

Broad Peak, as with all the 8000m peaks in the Karakorum, has never been summitted in the Winter. Simone, who is a very experienced Winter climber, notes that Winter in the Karakorum is much worse than in the Himalaya, which is why all of those peaks remain unclimbed. Clearly he relishes the challenge of these off season climbs though, and he seems poised to make a real run at the top this year, weather permitting.

I'm sure we'll be hearing much more about this climb in the weeks ahead. For now, both Simone and Shaheen are training hard, preparing for the expedition, and looking forward to another crack at Broad Peak.

Thoughts on After The Climb

The second half of Discovery Channel's Everest double feature began tonight as well. The show entitled After The Climb is hosted by Phil Keoghan of Amazing Race fame. Phil hosted a round table discussion about the climb that included Russell Brice, David Tait, Tim Medvetz, Betsy Huelskamp , and Mogens Jensen. There were also joined by a couple of high altitude doctors, as well as Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary. Late in the show Pete Athans makes an appearance as well.

The discussion was fairly straight forward, with out too many surprises, although they did give away a bit of what is yet to come on Beyond The Limit. When speaking to Tim and Mogens, the questions stayed pretty basic, talking about their experiences and why they wanted to climb the mountain.

When Betsy joined the crew, she admitted that she never felt like she was going to make the summit. She bought her gear just a few days before leaving, didn't have the skills she needed, but wanted to go anyway. Her moment on the show was very brief, and her attitude was very different than the on that portrayed in her blog upon her return this past Summer. After seeing her on this show, I can't help but wonder what all the ruckus was just a few months ago, as she certainly didn't confront Brice about her purported mistreatment while on the mountain, nor did she make any attempt to disagree with Brice's decision to keep her off the team. It all seems like a non-story now, several months later.

For me, the best part of the show was listening to David Tait talk about his attempt at the Double Traverse. He once again explained why he abandoned his efforts, and you can't help but respect the guy for giving up on his goal because he personally knew it would be a tarnished record, if only in his own mind, because Phurba was so obviously a much stronger climber. It was an honorable thing that he did and it's amazing that he passed on the attempt in deference to Phurba. Everest, and mountaineering in general, could use more men like David Tait.

Part of the show focused on the Sherpas and their role in the climb, and it's great that they have taken such efforts to highlight the efforts of these amazing men and women. Listening to Peter Hillary talk about how climbing has changed since his father first topped out on Everest, along with Tenzing Norgay, was also very cool.

All in all, the show made for an interesting hour, although I have a hard time seeing how they're going to stretch this discussion out over the next several weeks. It seems like it should have been a two hour special after the original show is finally done. I wasn't completely pulled into the conversation, although it was interesting. Personally, they could have left Tim, Betsy, and Mogens out of the roundtable all together and had more discussion with Brice, Peter Hilary, and Pete Athans. Maybe through Ed Veisturs into the mix and you've got some compelling stuff.

I'll continue to watch just to see how it relates back to Beyond The Limit, but for the most part, I wasn't overly impressed with this first episode.

Everest: Beyond The Limit Season 2 - Episode 5

It's Tuesday which means it's time for another episode of Everest: Beyond The Limit on The Discovery Channel. We're up to Episode 5 and the show if finally fully focused on the good stuff, namely the climbing.

Much of this episode was focused on David Tait and his attempt at the Double Traverse. When the show ended last week, he and Sherpa guide Phurba Tashi were on the Summit, having climbed the North Side, and this time out we got to watch them go down the South Side, which is new territory for the show. The show did a good job of describing the descent on the South Side and how it differed from the North, and Phurba was wearing a Sherpa Cam, which captured some great footage of their descent, while the narrator droned on about how dangerous the route down could be.

Eventually, David and Phurba reach Camp 2, their goal for the climb. The intent was for them to rest at C2 for a few days, then turn around and head back up to complete the Double Traverse, but upon reaching that goal David decided that he didn't want to attempt the second leg of the traverse. The show made it seem like it was a pretty abrupt change, and expedition leader Russell Brice appeared disappointed, but David is an experienced mountaineer and he didn't make the decision lightly. Later, David explained why he gave up on his goal, and I respected his candor. Essentially, he said that while he may have been able to complete the Double Traverse, Phurba was so far and away superior at climbing, that everyone would know that he was the better man on the mountain, and David would only be "first" to complete the feat because Phurba allowed him to go first. And with that, David is gone, and on his way back to Kathmandu and home.

The episode doesn't end there however, as the first summit team finally begins their assault on the mountain. Before the head up though, Brice gives them a bit of a pep talk and turns his sights squarely on Tim Medvetz, who struggled at times last year and was very slow in reaching the higher camps. It was interesting to listen to Brice, who didn't pull any punches in telling Tim that he could die on the mountain, and he wouldn't care if he did, as the safety of the rest of the team had to come first.

Before lone, the team sets out, and just like last year, Tim is soon lagging behind the rest. He reaches Camp 2, but well after the allotted time had expired and clearly he was spent when he achieved that goal. Understandably, Brice was not happy, and the scene with he and Tim talking on the radio was compelling to watch. Brice digging into Tim was long overdue and wasn't something we saw last year, even though he needed it. Meanwhile, despite the tough talk, Tim doesn't seem to understand why Brice is riding him so hard, nor just how dangerous things are on the mountain, despite the issues he had last year, just below the summit.

All in all a good episode, with a focus on the actual climb, which is, as I've said before, the best part. I did miss the good doctor Monica this week, so hopefully we'll see more of her soon. Betsy was also MIA, with no real explanation of where she was. I guess once you're off the summit teams you're off the show.

Solar Powered Kayak Takes the Effort and Fun Out of Kayaking

I saw this post earlier today on Gizmodo and just shook my head. Personally, I love taking the kayak out and hitting the water, and part of the fun for me is the physical exercise involved with paddling my boat around. It's fun and it's a great workout.

Of course, not everyone feels that way, which is why we now have this solar powered kayak that uses three solar panels to power a near silent electric trolling motor, which puts out 36 pounds of thrust to motor your kayak around what ever body of water you decide to drop it in.

The entire unit costs $1100, not including a kayak. It attaches to your existing boat and turns into a catamaran it would seem. Not sure why you would spend that kind of cash on something like this when you could just have a small fishing boat and accomplish the same thing, but what ever floats your boat. Pun fully intended. ;)

Antarctic Update - Bad Weather Continues

While we're on the topic of all things Antarctic today, ThePoles.com has posted another one of their Antarctic Updates with word that bad weather at Patriot Hills has kept a number of teams in Punta Arenas. There was hope today that conditions would improve however, and teams could finally head out onto the ice.

One of the teams already on their way is the Beyond Endurance Team, an Irish team that hopes to make a traverse of the continent via the South Pole. They've been out for nearly two weeks, and have had to deal with the poor conditions and frostbite early on, but things have begun to look up, with the weather improving. They will likely receive a supply drop of gloves and other warm weather gear, but aside from that, they are none the worse for wear and are proceeding as planned.

Adrian Hayes continues his quest for the "Third Pole", having already summitted Everest and gone to the North Pole, he's got his sights firmly set on the South now. He's traveling with several other explorers and all of them have a few nagging injuries, such as tendentious and Achilles strains. He also notes that while the storms rage at Patriot Hills, where his team is at, it's calm and clear, with a stillness that brings a sense of peace and isolation. I would imagine there is no place on Earth that can deliver that same sense like Antarctica.

Hopefully the weather will clear soon and more teams will arrive. There are a number of teams hoping to head to Vinson and still others who are planning their expeditions to the Pole, but for now they must wait.

More on the Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinking

Yesterday I posted a story on an Antarctic cruise ship that sunk over the weekend after striking ice in the South Polar Seas. The ship was on a 19 day whale and penguin watching cruise near the Falkland Islands and Antarctica itself when it hit an iceberg and 90 minutes later began to take on water. The passengers and crew were forced to abandon ship by climbing aboard the life rafts. Six hours later, all 154 people were rescued.

As it turns out, the first ship on the scene was the National Geographic Endeavour, which was also cruising the South Polar Seas at the time. Jon Bowermaster, a National Geographic Society Expeditions Council grantee was aboard the Endeavour when it came to the end of the Explorer. Jon provides his first hand account of what happened for NationalGeographic.com today.

Jon not only tells the story of how the passengers and crew were rescued from the frigid Antarctic waters, but how he felt seeing the Explorer, a ship not unlike the one he was on, slowly sinking into the sea. He also talks about the survivors, wrapped in thermal blankets, but some lacking gloves, who looked stunned, but relieved to see two ships (the Norwegian cruise ship the Nordnorge arrived at the same time) steaming to their rescue.

This is a very interesting story to me. It brings back tales of the Titanic striking an iceberg and going down on it's maiden voyage. As I said yesterday, it's still hard to comprehend that this still happens in our day and age. It's also a testament to the crews of all the ships involved that no one was seriously hurt in the whole affair. This could have been a lot more tragic, and those involved should be commended for their actions.

Last Desert Ultramarathon Update

The Last Desert ultramarathon, which got underway last week, continues today with the sixth and final stage yet to be run. The event is part of the Racing The Planet series of endurance events, and is held in Antarctica. This year, there are 15 competitors, each of whom have successfully completed the other three events in the "4 Deserts" series.

The results page doesn't contain a lot of information at the moment, so I can only guess that they have had issues updating the official times. As of now, all 15 competitors are still active, although it sounds like they have faced some brutally cold conditions during the various stages of the race.

The most recent update in the Breaking News section indicates that Stage 5 was completed yesterday, with this leg being shortened due to a massive ice shelf blocking part of the course. Racers ran in "frigid and full blizzard" conditions, with American Joe Holland taking first place, with Italian Francesco Galanzino coming in second, and Korean Byeung Sik Ahn taking third place. It is also noted that Galanzino has claimed the overall 4 Deserts crown as well, having placed high in each of the events this year.

I'm not sure which would be worse, running an ultra in the cold of Antarctica, or facing the heat of the Sahara. Then again, the other two legs of the series, the Gobi March and the Atacama Crossing wouldn't be a walk in the park either. Something tells me that I would run the fastes in Antarctica though, as I'd want to get back to the warm ship as soon as possible. All for of these races are crazy events. Can't wait for next year's versions! :)

Gear Storm Incoming!!

Just a heads-up for my fellow gear hounds (or maybe gear sluts) that tomorrow one of my favorite sites for deals on gear, Steep and Cheap will be having a "Gear Storm" with over 100 deals over the course of 24 hours.

For those that haven't used Steep and Cheap before, it's a site that puts up one great deal at a time and it stays up until it's gone. Sometimes that's just a few minutes, and sometimes it can be up for an hour or more. Earlier this year when I was preparing for my trip to Africa I bought several items from the site including a $120 pair of trekking poles that I picked up for $48, just as an example of what you can expect.

So, if you're looking for some great deals on gear for yourself for for your favorite blogger (Christmas is just around the corner after all! ;) ) then be sure to refresh Steep and Cheap early and often tomorrow. Alternatively, you can also use their RSS Feed, or if your on a Windows PC, there are some other options as well such as plug-ins for Internet Explorer and Firefox and a desktop icon that alerts you when ever there are new deals. Hey guys?!? How about a little love for the Mac here?

Reminder: After The Climb Begins Tomorrow Night

The Discovery Channel has been airing the second season of Everest: Beyond The Limit for a month now, and we're still in the midst of following the team up the mountain, but starting tomorrow night, they'll start broadcasting After The Climb a new show that will take a look at how Everest changed impacted those who were on the mountain this past Spring.

The Discovery website explains the show like this:

Host Phil Keoghan has a fireside chat with five climbers from "Everest: Beyond the Limit 2" and several renowned Everest veterans to discuss their personal duel with the tallest mountain on earth. What does it take? Sequences from "Everest" illustrate.

No word yet on who the five climbers are, but I can guess that we'll see Betsy Huelskamp, and Tim Medvetz and possibly Russell Brice as well. What exactly we'll seen and what is talked about remains to be seen. Considering that the show begins airing before we even know who summits, and that there are five or six episodes planned, I have to expect that we'll mix in some of the drama from Base Camp as much as we'll see more talk on the climbing itself. I'll reserve judgement on this until after I've seen it, but I'm going in with low expectations at this point. I'd be happy to be proved wrong though. The episode guide that I posted a link to above does say that Brice and several doctors will appear in the second episode to discuss the medical factors of climbing at high altitudes and how to combat those effects. From there, we'll have to wait to see where things go.

Phil Keoghan is better know as the host of The Amazing Race, although he has had his fair share of adventures in his lifetime as well. He's quite an interesting guy.

Update: I've received word that the climbers for the first show may not necessarily be the same people who are currently on Beyond The Limit but instead are more experienced climbers with a broader perspective on Everest itself and mountaineering in general. This makes sense in a number of ways. First, they won't have to discuss the season of Beyond The Limit that is currently running for a couple of weeks yet, allowing us to finish watching their climb before we start discussing it.

If this is true, it greatly changes my perspective on the show, and automatically makes it more interesting to me. Guess we'll find out more tomorrow night.

Winter Adventures For Everyone!

Winter doesn't even officially set in for another 25 days, but it's never too early to start planning your own Winter adventures. The travel guru's over at USAToday.com are here to help with a list of seven Winter escapes for everyone.

There is a little bit of everything on this list to appeal to those who are looking for a big snowy adventure or those who just want to sip their hot chocolate while they taking in the scenery. Each trip is broken down nicely with information the destination, duration, cost, and a bit of what you can expect when you head out into the Winter Wonderlands that they suggest. They even have a section on "trip planning" to get you thinking ahead.

Amongst the seven suggested adventures are wolf watching in Yellowstone, which is practically empty during the Winter months. If that seems a little tame, you may want to try the Inn-to-Inn excursion offered by REI. Over the course of three nights, you'll hike, ski, and snowshoe your way to cozy inns located in Vermont's backcountry. Still not enough? How about dogsledding in Minnesota? You don't have to go to Alaska to give mushing a try. Just go to update Minnesota where there is plenty of isolation, and it's probably already Winter.

As for my favorite, I think the Mont Blanc Winter sports extravaganza sounds great. Not only would you get to fly off to Europe for your getaway, you'll get to go dogsledding, skiing, skating, and more in Chamonix, France, which is pretty much the center of mountain culture in Europe. (Think Boulder with a French accent.) I have to admit that the three Winter mountaineering course offered by Eastern Mountain Sports, which takes place on Mt. Washington sounds great too.

Update On Tasman Sea Kayak Crossing

I mentioned a week or so back that two kayakers were attempting to cross the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand less than a year after Andrew McAuley lost his life attempting the same thing.

Today we have an update from Australia's The Age newspaper with word that the two men have struggled in their endeavor. Australians Justin Jones, 24, and James Castrission, 25, set off on their journey on November 9th in attempt to become the first to successfully kayak those open waters, however they have encountered rough seas, with 5 to 6 meter swells, that had them seeking shelter inside their kayak's specially designed cabin. The confinement to that small space, the poor weather, and the lack of progress has made things difficult on the them, although they are still determined to reach Auckland and the finish line. The past few days have seen improved weather and better paddling conditions.

You can read more about their historic kayak crossing on their official website which includes a GPS tracking of their progress as well as photos, news, and more information on the expedition itself.

Cruise Ship Goes Down In Antarctic Waters

Over the weekend, a cruise ship operating near Antarctica stuck ice and went down in the cold waters of the South Polar Seas. The ship began taking on water and 90 minutes after striking the iceberg, the captain ordered an evacuation, forcing the 154 passengers and crew into life rafts, where they were later picked up by a Norwegian cruise liner in the area. They spent six hours in the rafts before rescue.

The tour was operated by GAP Adventures, one of the most well known, and trusted names in adventure travel. The company has already promised it's clients a full refund on the trip and obviously this will put future trips to the area in doubt for awhile.

You can read more about the incident in this story at ThePoles.com with a follow up with pictures being posted today.

This is actually a trip I would enjoy. Much of the time was to be spent watching whales and penguins in and around Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. It's kind of crazy in this day and age to think about passenger liners going down due to hitting ice. With modern technology you would think that it wouldn't be much of an issue, but clearly it's still a dangerous situation at times. I'm sure somewhere James Cameron is already preparing a script.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the United States. Enjoy the holiday, relax with friends and family. Watch some football, and don't eat too much turkey! ;)

Mike Libecki On Nightline

The Hardwear Sessions Blog brings word that climber and Mountain Hardwear athlete, Mike Libecki recently appeared on ABC's Nightline. The segment profiles the big wall climber and his perpetual quest to visit remote places on the planet to find new challenges to climb. Libecki prefers traveling to places remote, and untouched, and climbing walls that few have ever seen, let alone attempted a route on.

You can catch the video itself by clicking here and you can read all about Mike as well. The video is over 11 minutes in length, which is considerably longer than most mainstream coverage of climbing, and the written article is actually several pages in length as well.

I really like Mike's approach to climbing. He really is putting a sense of adventure into his expeditions by traveling to distant places and going up new rock faces. The journey to the wall is part of the adventure, and it's cool that he looks to get off the beaten path and far away from the crowded climbing scene that is so common elsewhere.

Can You Hear Me Now? - Cell Service Comes To Everest!

In preparation for the Olympic Torch going to the summit of Everest, China has successfully tested a cell tower at 21,325 feet on the mountain. The tower will be used by the team taking the torch to the summit to make calls and stay in touch at every stage of the climb.

Traditionally, the host country of the Olympic games organizes a Torch relay that sees the flame taken around the World as a celebration of the games themselves. The flame generally arrives at the opening ceremony to the games at about the same time as the athletes themselves. China, who hosts the 2008 Summer Games, intends to make the event it's coming out party to the World, and is hoping to make an impressive splash. Their torch will go on the longest relay of all time, covering 85,000 miles over 130 days, including the trip to the top of the highest mountain on Earth.

After their successful test, engineers disassembled the cell tower and stored it for the Winter, with the plan to return in the Sprig to rebuild it in time for the 2008 climbing season.

The question is, will China Mobile have the iPhone by then?

Thanks GoBlog!

The Best of Adventure 2008

Last week I mentioned that Andrew Skurka was named National Geographic Adventure Magazine's Adventurer of the Year. A huge honor for the long distance hiker who recently completed the Great Western Loop.

At the time, I only had a link to a press release, that also named 14 other adventurers who left their mark in this past year, as well as awarding lifetime achievement awards to Richard Branson and Will Steger. Since that posting, Adventure has updated their website with links to the stories.

To find out why Branson and Steger were honored (as if there is a lot of question), you can click here. The article discusses their impressive resumes, but also focuses on the Global Warming 101 expedition that both men took part in this year.

After that, click here to read about Skurka and the other adventurers of the year. The list is a distinguished one, with a number of names that will be familiar to regular readers of my blog, such as Børge Ousland and Thomas Ulrichand Tim Cope.

Finally, check out their list of Audacious Acts of 2007 for some of the biggest and boldest adventures of the year. There are familiar names all over that list too, including Tyler Bradt, Jason Lewis, Adventure Blog favorite Hannah McKeand.

Heeding the Call of the Alaskan Wild

My friend Colm sent me a very interesting article that appeared on the Guardian Website recently. It's the story of a man who spent a year living in the Alaskan backcountry.

The author, Guy Grieve, tells his own tale. Like many of us, he was living a life that revolved around work, the daily grind, and a focus on material things. A tale that is all too common in modern life. At one point though, it dawned on him and his family that they weren't actually living life and that a change needed to happen. Something drastic. Guy needed an "escape". I think he needed a little adventure.

With that realization, in August of 2004, he set off for the desolate, harsh, and unforgiving landscape of the Alaskan wilderness. He settled near the town of Galena, and by "near", I mean 7 hours by dogsled, and began to make friends who helped him in those early days of getting acquainted with the area, learning to survive off the land, and adjusting to a life of solitude in the wilderness. Guy admits that he had good days and bad, and that the first three months in particular were a struggle, but over the course of the year, his life changed, as he was reminded of what was really important.

He also touches on the Chris McCandless story as told in Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild. Guy knew Chris' story, and how it was similar to his on, and while the two shared a kindred spirit, he was also taken aback at how unprepared Chris was for living in the backcountry, although he is quick to point out that he wasn't as prepared as he should have been as well.

The article is a very interesting read. It's as much about survival in a modern age as it is about survival in the wilderness. Living out there for a year clearly changed the author's life, and there is plenty for all of us to think about when it comes to gaining perspective and considering the things that are most important to us.

Wanna Go On A Treasure Hunt?

Have you ever wanted to compete in an intense competition similar to NBC's Treasure Hunters or CBS's more popular The Amazing Race? Well, now you can have your chance.

Check out The Great America Race scheduled to be held next Summer, August 9 -16 to be exact. Organized and run by Ravenchase Adventures, the race will wind through seven states in eight days as competitors go on a treasure hunt that will require skill, wits, and athleticism to win. Much like Treasure Hunters, teams will discover "brilliant clues, adversaries, codes, ciphers, actors planted around every corner" in their quest to find the treasure. (What said treasure is, has yet to be determined apparently)

The race is open to the general public, although each player does have to pay an entry fee of $300 to join the mayhem. Teams can range in size from 2 to 8 people, who must all travel, together throughout the event. The race will begin in Lexington, VA and end in Martha's Vineyard, MA, with the times for each daily stage being tabulated together to determine the winner. Top three places get prizes.

This sounds like a fun way to spend a family vacation actually. The potential is there for a lot of fun and a great, unique adventure. However, be warned, it seems that the clues are not all that easy. You can check out some samples by clicking here.

Everest: Beyond The Limit Season 2 - Episode 4

The Discovery Channel aired the fourth episode of Everest: Beyond The Limit tonight, resuming right where we left off last week.

When we ended the third episode, Betsy Huelskamp had just been told by expedition leader Russell Brice that she wouldn't be allowed to go up the mountain, and this episode opened with Betsy saying that she's never given up at anything, and that perhaps it's a good thing that the decision was taken out of her hands. Rather interesting and quite telling in my opinion considering what she wrote in her blog upon her return. We also get a quick update on David Tait, who is already at the top of the North Col as he begins his attempt at the Double Traverse. Mr. Overly Dramatic Narrator fills us in on the attempt, mostly replaying what we saw last week.

Next, Russell separates the climbers into two teams, one fast, one slow. The fast one includes Rod Baber, who we've seen a few times already, and Tim Medvetz, who we've seen far too much. There are two other men on the fast team as well, but we haven't seen them at all, and I couldn't help but wonder "Who are these guys"? The fast team sets out to make their summit bid, and the slow team will follow one day behind. Of course, Tim lags behind again, giving Discovery the opportunity to show us the animation of his rebuilt body once more.

This episode sees the climb begin in ernest, with the focus shifting on the climbers starting to their ascent. David is well out in front, being the strongest of them all and going for the double traverse. But we get to see the main teams making their preparations and working their way up to ABC to get into position to begin their assault on Everest in a traditional siege style climb.

The camera work tends to be top notch as usual, and the use of helmet cams allows for some very interesting shots as well Some of the great footage that has already been shown includes Phurba changing David's oxygen bottle just a few hundred feet below the summit, and then later both men standing on the summit itself and weighing their options for going down the South Side, which at that point didn't even have fixed robes in place yet. Watching David and Phurba together can give you a true appreciation for high altitude mountaineering and watching the intricacies of the climb, such as switching out the bottles, is excellent stuff.

The show is most compelling when it gets to the action of the climb itself and skips most of the other drama. Everest is compelling enough, without any kind of soap opera at Advanced Base Camp, and it seems that at this point of the show, they've realized that. I suspect the rest of the shows will be more tightly focused on the ascent, and will be more interesting to watch.

While at times this season, the show feels a lot like a retread of last year, with similar stories and repeated animations. However one of the bright spots for me this year has been the inclusion of Monica Piris Chavarri, the team doctor for this attempt on Everest. She's witty, candid, and intelligent, and her personality shows through in each episode. She's a welcome addition to the show, and Discovery would do well to highlight her more regularly.

The show ends with David and Phurba beginning their descent on the South Side. The two will have to rope themselves together and rely on their climbing skills to get down, since conditions on the South Face are not anything like the North, to the point of not even having any ropes in place yet. Meanwhile, in ABC, the "fast" team prepares to being their assault. We'll have to tune in next week to see how things go.

As a side note, there was a lot of speculation and accusations as to what went on in Base Camp between Betsy and Russell earlier this year. There was also speculation as to how much Discovery would show. In tonight's episode, Betsy was barely to be seen, just appearing at the beginning of the show, and there was no controversial elements shown in the episode. Which leads one to believe that it either didn't happen or Discovery decided to edit the show in a way that would keep the alleged actions by Brice out of the public eye. I'll let you decide which might be the case.

The Last Desert Ultramarathon Begins Tomorrow

The Last Desert, the final leg of Racing The Planet's 4 Deserts series of ultramarathons gets underway tomorrow (Nov. 21st), and will run through Dec. 1st.

The Last Desert is an invitation only, ultra stage race held in Antarctica. Unlike the other 4 Desert events, this one is only open to those who have completed the other "3 Deserts". Those events include The Atacama Crossing, The Gobi March, and The Sahara Race. Competitors have already met in Ushuaia, Argentina, and have now begun the crossing of Drake Passage, making their way to Antarctica itself. There, the competition will get underway.

The race itself consists of a number of stages, ranging in length from 10 to 100 miles depending on conditions and terrain. Unlike the other 4 Desert events, the fourteen competitors will return each night to a ship, where they will rest in a warm cabin and be treated to morning and evening meals. The daily courses will wander across a variety of islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula itself over the next week and a half.

The Breaking News section of the official website will be a good place to get updates as they occur. Right now, race officials have informed the racers that conditions in the area are extremely cold and icy, and they should be prepared for the worst elements.

I'll post updates as they occur over the next week or so.

Outdoorzy Interviews Andrew Skurka

The Outdoorzy blog at Outdoorzy.com has conducted a brief, but informative interview with Andrew Skurka, who recently completed the Great Western Loop and was then promptly named National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year.

The interview consists of just a few questions, but still manages to cover some good ground. Skurka talks about "going light" on the trail, what his experience was like on the 6,875 mile Western Loop trail, and what he plans on doing next. He also gives some good advice for someone considering getting into long distance hiking, which he describes as being "incredibly romantic" when you consider the escape aspects and getting back to immersing yourself in the backcountry.

Skurka's an interesting guy and I admire his approach to long distance trekking. I just keep waiting for the day when he announces he's "Going Trekking" with the intention of never stopping. Seriously, he'll just wander around and live off the land, and wonder if he remembered to turn off his stove before he left. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Antarctic Update - Bitterly Cold Down South!

More news from ThePoles.com today regarding the barely underway Antarctic season. The word is that it's bitterly cold out on the ice with powerful winds making it tough going at the moment.

While Peter Valusiak has canceled his attempt at an antarctic traverse for this year, the Irish Beyond Endurance team is already off, with the intention of crossing the continent. The team has been out of Patriot Hills for six days now, and have cracked the 100 mile mark, with just 1000 yet to go. They report high winds making it difficult to pitch their tents, and temperatures so cold they are already causing "frost nip" just six days into the expedition.

Meanwhile, both Adrian Hayes and the Hvitserk team. report the same thing. It's cold! Damn cold! The headwinds, reaching as high as 45 miles per hour, combined with a mostly uphill climb, and difficult sastrugi, has made the first degree extremely hard.

Finally, the Teachers On Ice have gone to work in earnest. When they first arrived, they were more concerned with acclimatizing, getting their gear in order, and taking in the amazing sites to see near their camp. Now however, they've begun searching for lichens and other simple plants that might be able to grow in the harsh antarctic conditions.

More teams will be arriving on the ice soon, such as the Beyond Shackleton Team who set out from the U.K. today and will be heading to Cape Town, where they'll launch their bid to follow in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton by taking his 1915 route, but hopefully continuing on to the Pole itself.

Updates From Alan Arnette!

Alan Arnette has posted some great new updates to his website regarding his ongoing efforts to return to Everest in the Spring of 2008 as he continues to raise awareness for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

First up, Alan has posted a recap of his recent Shisha Pangma climb. Shisha is the 14th highest mountain in the World, and the "shortest" of the 8000m peaks, but as Alan states in his post climb notes, that doesn't mean it's not one amazing challenge. Anyone who followed the Fall season on Shisha already knows that the mountain, and the Himalaya in general, were plagued with bad weather this year, with unusually high amounts of snow. Only two climbers managed to summit the mountain, but Alan considers his trip a success none the less, with some great training and preparation for Everest.

Next up for Alan on his Road Back To Everest: Memories Are Everything tour is Mt. Orizaba is Mexico. At 18,800 feet, Orizaba is the third highest mountain in North America, and he'll go there in January with friends for another training climb. However, that won't be the last climb he'll make before returning to Everest, as Alan has announced that he'll be climbing Aconcagua again in January as well. He summitted back in 2005, but will return to Argentina again to further his preparations for the Spring. Aconcagua is 22,841 feet tall and is the tallest mountain in the World outside of the Himalaya.

Finally, Alan is also on the verge of announcing a joint project with the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, himself, and several schools that will allow teachers to use his Everest climb as a tool in the classroom. The official details haven't been released just yet, but if you're an educator looking for the opportunity to have your students interact with an Everest climber, you may want to contact Alan ASAP.

The Shisha recap is an excellent read, and Alan always does a good job of describing his adventures. I'm looking forward to reading about the Orizaba and Aconcagua climbs in a few months as well. Keep up the great work Alan. We'll be with you all the way to the summit of Everest.

Everest Rocks Podcasts

I've mentioned the Everest Rocks charity trek a number of times in the blog over the past month or so. It was the event that saw 40+ musicians trekking up the Khumbu Valley to Everest Base Camp to play the highest (in altitude) concert ever. The whole event was designed to raise money and awareness of the Love Hope Strength Foundation.

Over the weekend, Jon Miller from The Rest of Everest dropped me a note to let me know that there is an Everest Rocks podcast now available in iTunes. If you have the software already installed click here to checkout the podcasts.

I've downloaded a few of them already and have only had a chance to preview a portion of one of the shows, but it looks like a very nice look at the trek. Interesting and fun stuff.

Tomaz Humar On His Solo Annapurna Summit

ExWeb is running a pair of articles on Tomaz Humar, who recently made a solo summit of Annapurna's South Face. The summit came along a new route and was done completely in Alpine style.

The first article is a report on the official debrief of the climb, with information on the route itself. There is also a day by day breakdown of Humar's climb, with a bit of information on what he was experiencing as he went up the mountain.

The second article is a brief interview with Artur Hajzer, who was part of the Polish team that put up the first Winter route along the South Face of Annapurna back in 1987. Hajzer confirms that Humar's new route is completely unique, and only crosses his route at 5800m where Tomaz made his first bivy.

It's great to get more information on this climb. We first heard about it a few weeks back, but this is the first details we've gotten. To go up Annapurna, on a new route no less, in Alpine style, is truly amazing.

Adventure Racing Coming To Bhutan?

Earlier today I saw this post over at Check Point Zero indicating that DragonQuest Adventures may be planning an adventure Race in Bhutan, one of the most remote and mountainous countries in the World.

According to this survey that DragonQuest is conducting, the race would take place in 2009. They note that conducting a race in Bhutan would be an expensive endeavor, and an anonymous comment in the CPZ hints that they expect the entry fee to be $47,000, which would be far and away the most expensive race that I've ever heard of. In comparison, Primal Quest, the premiere adventure race in North America, if not the World, will cost teams $12,500 in 2008, which includes 4 racers and 2 support crew.

Personally, I love the idea of a race in Bhutan. It's one country that I would love to visit, and it's remote, mountainous terrain would be an amazing, and beautiful challenge. But I also think that if these rumors on the entry fee end up being true, than the race will likely be DOA, unfortunately.

Outdoorzy Hits 1000 Members!

A hearty congratulations to my friends over at Outdoorzy.com where they have just announced that their 1000th member has joined the site. The lucky 1000th member is DoubleA who won himself a stylish Outdoorzy T-shirt.

Want one of those t-shirts for yourself? Then check out another new feature of the site -Groups! The first ten Outdoorzy members to create a group, and then get five people to join it, will win t-shirts for the whole gang. The newly added Groups feature allows to create a one stop place for your friends to drop in and share info, send messages, and plan events. It's just one more reason that Outdoorzy is quickly becoming the hotspot on the web for adventurous outdoor people of all types.

If you're not familiar with Outdoorzy, it's been described as "MySpace for the outdoor crowd". Personally, I hate that comparison, as I pretty much think that MySpace is the rotten underbelly of the Internet. However, the social networking aspects are similar and it is a great place to meet like minded people. Besides their daily blog, you'll find active forums on practically every outdoor pursuit, as well as gear reviews, trip reports, and more. Members even get some pretty cool benefits, like a 15% discount for MooseJaw, a free night's stay at Jake's in Jamaica, or $3 off a subscription to Wend Magazine, amongst other things.

So, if you're reading this blog, and actually like the things I write about, than what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Andrew Skurka Named Adventurer of the Year!

According to this story over at TrailSpace.com, National Geographic Adventure Magazine has named long distance hiker Andrew Skurka as it's 2007 Adventurer of the Year.

Skurka, you may recall, recently finished his trek of the Great Western Loop, a 6,875 mile long trail in the Western United States, that passes through 12 national parks and 75 wilderness areas as it winds it's way through Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Skurka began the hike last April and finished in early November, in an effort to raise awareness of ecological and environmental issues facing the delicate wilderness areas in which he traveled.

Others winning awards include Sir Richard Branson and polar explorer Will Steger who both took home lifetime achievement honors, while Albania, Colombia, India, Mongolia, Norway and Senegal were each named as the best adventure destinations for 2008 as well.

Adventure doesn't mention any of this on their website yet, but I'll be sure to post a link when they do. They also don't seem to be returning my calls when I asked for confirmation as well. Something about a restraining order, and me having to stay more than 500 yards away from the Adventure headquarters at all times.

Update: Rick over at the Best Hike Blog was kind enough to post a link to the National Geographic Pressroom which has more details on this story. It seems that 15 adventurers in all are honored, with the following all being recognized: teve Bogaerts, Angelika Brandt, Tim Cope, Mike Fay, Colleen Hardy, Trip Jennings, Gabor Rakonczai, Eric McNair-Landry, Sarah McNair-Landry, Sam Meacham, Borge Ousland, Andrea Palos, Robbie Schmittner and Thomas Ulrich.

For regular readers of my blog, there are a number of names on that list that should be familiar. I'm a bit surprised that Meagan McGrath didn't make the list, but I suppose they can't put everyone on there.

Teva Games To Host 2008 Climbing World Cup

The 2008 Teva Mountain Games held in Vail, Colorado will also be the host of next years Climbing World Cup. The first such event held in the United States in more than 20 years.

According to this story over at The Denver Post, the Vail event will be one of eight held around the world in the Bouldering World Cup. The event will see climbers from 30 countries competing for the crown.

In the past, the Teva Mountain Games have held other bouldering competitions, but they were usually smaller events, with more amateurs competing. The 2008 version will see some of the top climbers in the World staking their claim to the prize money. Needless to say, it will be a significant increase in the level of competition.

Kayakers Challenge The Tasman Sea Again

Earlier this year Andrew Mcauley attempted to paddle the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, but ended up disappearing just hours from completing his goal. Now, James Castrission and Justin Jones, both Aussies, have set off to attempt the same feat.

According to their official website they are five days into their journey and making good time. In fact the weather has been great, and although they've had to fight some nasty currents at times, they've also been able to catch a few to use to their favor, allowing them to paddle as much as 10km/hour.

You can read updates to their progress in their forum with dispatches posted several times per day. You can also read more about their journey, the gear they are using, the custom kayak, and much more on the expedition page.

Good luck guys. Be safe!

The Ultrarunner's Diet

Ever wonder how those amazingly fit ultrarunners feed the machine? Want some tips on how to approach your own nutritional needs when training? Than check out today's entry on The Ultra Distance Athlete's Diet over at Matt Hart's Coaching Endurance blog.

Matt offers up some great tips on diet and eating habits, some of which you've probably heard before, but they can't be stressed enough. For instance, he reminds us to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water. He also notes that you should be eating six small meals a day, having something every two to three hours. Even better yet, he does a great job in explaining why we should do these things to not only aid in performance, but also in recovery.

I've mentioned Matt's blog before, but if you haven't read it in the past, it's a great source of insight into training for endurance events and performing well in ultra distance races. Matt mixes in some of his own experiences, including his recent experience with a double hernia. Yeah. Double. Ouch!

Pop Quiz: Explorers & Adventurers

It's pop quiz time here at The Adventure Blog. Take out your number 2 pencils and a fresh sheet of paper, then head over to InfoPlease.com to take their Explorers & Adventurers quiz. It's just a short little ten question test to see if you're up on your adventure knowledge. I took it and scored a 9 out of 10. I failed to know which explorer went to the North Pole and then returned to start a frozen food company. He was my second choice. I swear. ;) Post your scores in the comments section!

Thanks to The Outdoor Weblog for this one.

Simone and Shaheen Back To Broad Peak

Simone Moro and climbing partner Shaheen Baig attempted a Winter summit on Broad Peak earlier this year, but thanks to extremely harsh conditions, they were forced back. The pair haven't given up on their challenge though, as MountEverest.net is reporting that the two plan to head back for a Winter 2008 attempt on the mountain.

The duo feel that the were more than ready for the challenge last year, but missed their opportunity because they were too late in reaching the mountain. That is something they hope to change this year. Simone will fly to Islamabad, where he will join Shaheen, on December 30th. From there, they will set out for Skardu and begin the trek to Broad Peak BC.

If successful, this will be the first Winter ascent on Broad Peak, and the only Karakorum 8000m peak to see a Winter summit. While Makalu remains the lone 8-thousander in Nepal to be unclimbed in Winter, K2, Nanga Parbat, and the Gasherbrums join BP in that category in the Karakorum.

If you followed the climb last year, you'll remember how hard these two worked on the mountain. In the end, they just couldn't beat mother nature. Simone in particular has a number of Winter summits under his belt though, so with any luck he'll be able to add this one in a few months time.

Everest Rocks Slideshow!

Jake Norton has recently returned from Nepal, where he took part in the Everest Rocks Trek in which 40 musicians turned into wandering minstrels, playing their music all the way up the Khumbu Valley before performing a concert at Everest Base Camp. It was, in fact, the highest concert ever, and was conducted to raise awareness of the Love Hope Strength Foundation. The concert was a success it would seem, as Jake reports that nearly $500,000 was raised for the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu. The funds will go a long way to making it a world class cancer treatment center.

Jake has also sorted through the 5200+ photos he took on the trip to put together a great video that helps capture the spirit of the entire event. The video starts off with the Everest Rocks group visiting the oncology ward of a children's hospital in Kathmandu, with some really amazing shots of the children there. From there, the trek begins, and the group makes it's way up the valley to Everest itself, where the performance takes place. The photos offer some stunning imagery of the beautiful Himalaya mountains, mixed in with shots of the musicians and other hikers who came along for the trek. They all look like they're having a great time. You can see the slide show at read Jake's thoughts no Everest Rocks, in his latest blog post over at his MountainWorld Blog.

Personally, I wish I could have taken part in this event. My musical abilities are limited to putting a CD in the player or ripping the CD to my iPod, but it looks like it was an incredibly fun time and all for a great cause. Thanks for sharing Jake!

Everest Thai Team Turns Back At 8500m

EverestNews.com is reporting that the team from Thailand attempting a Fall summit, has turned back at 8500m, and is now on their way back to Kathmandu.

The team was climbing in celebration of the 80th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a much beloved figure in Thailand. They were climbing via the South Col route, and there is very little information as to why the team turned back.

It's a bit odd that we haven't heard more about this climb. Fall summit attempts are a bit on the rare side, and they were the only team on the mountain for the season. I remember hearing about the expedition when it was announced back in September, but there have been few, if any updates since that time. Hopefully we'll get a post climb dispatch in the near future to update us on how the climb went, and why they decided to turn back with the summit in sight.

ExWeb Interviews Jannu Summitteer

On October 21st, Valery Babanov and Sergey Kofanov summitted Jannu along it's West Ridge, putting up the first ascent by that route. Jannu is a 7710m peak located near the border of Nepal and Sikkim, and not far from Kangchenjunga. ExWeb not only followed the climb closely at the time, but has now conducted a post-climb interview with Valery to get his thoughts on the mountain itself.

The interview is a good read with lots of information directly from the climbers themselves. The two went alpine style up the mountain, using no fixed ropes, carrying all their gear as they went, and making camp where they could. In total, their backpacks weighed a mere 40 pounds each, with all the gear they needed for an eight day climb to the summit.

The route had only been attempted once before, and when asked why, Valery responded:

I believe it's because this route is difficult and very long. Its vertical drop is around 3,000 m and my estimation is that the route is at least 4,500 m long.

Nothing like a 3000m drop to get your heart going. That's a mere 9843 feet.

In the interview they also discuss why they chose the route, what it was like to spend the night at 7600m without sleeping bags, and what might be possibly next on the list of climbs.

Everest: Beyond The Limit Season 2 - Episode 3

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another episode of Everest: Beyond The Limit on The Discovery Channel. This episode is titled Judgement Day as the climbers are on their way to Camp 2, trying to beat a deadline, and prove that they are capable of going for the Summit.

The episode opens with the climbers halfway up to C2 and struggling with the lack of oxygen and the unusual heat on the mountain. Typically at that point on the mountain temperatures can be quite cold, but on the day of the climb it was 85 degrees and everyone suffered from dehydration and over heating.

The one climber who did make it to Camp 2 on time, and in great shape, was David Tait. This episode finally clued viewers in on his epic attempt at the double traverse. The plan is to start on the North Side summit, then proceed down the South Face of Everest where he would rest for a few days before climbing back up the mountain from the South side and then continue down the North Face, returning to where he started. The double traverse has never been done before, and we see David set off to make an attempt at his goal. As the strongest climber on the team, he is sent on his way well ahead of everyone else.

One of the more interesting elements of this episode was watching team leader Russell Brice and his guides discussing which of the climbers would be given the opportunity to go for the summit and which would be sent down the mountain. Hearing them talk candidly about each of the team members and who had the best chances of reaching the summit was one of the better moments of the season thus far, in my opinion.

The last portions of the show showed Brice meeting with the different climbers to discuss their abilities to go up the mountain. Mogens makes the team, although it's clear Brice is concerned that he has struggled on the mountain and is going up without oxygen. The meeting with Tim was candid and to the point. Brice tells him he's going up, but he needs to be prepared to go on time and move at a good pace.

Finally, Brice sits down with Betsy Huelskamp, who struggled the most on the way to C2, and at one point collapsed in the snow, laying there for quite some time, and ultimately being sent back down to ABC without ever reaching the goal of Camp 2. On top of that, her in experience has shown through, as it's been mentioned on more than one occasion that she put her crampons on both upside down AND backwards. Brice tells here he doesn't think she is strong enough to go up, and her attempt ends there. The show ends with the various team members weighing in on Betsy being left off the team.

Obviously Betsy has been a source of controversy on the Internet for several months. I wrote this article back when her story broke, and then wrote this counter point after seeing the first episode of Beyond The Limit. Clearly, back when the story broke, and I wrote that first piece, we didn't have the full story, and it's hard to argue with the visual evidence on display. Betsy collapsed in the snow, looked exhausted, and admitted that she didn't feel strong enough to go up. We also didn't see any indications of Brice treating her unfairly, and by all accounts, it seemed the other team members felt like she didn't belong.

Now that I have seen the show, clearly I jumped to unfair conclusions from the early reports and for that I'm terribly sorry. I don't think Russell Brice reads this blog, nor gives two craps what I write, but I apologize none the less for believing one side of the story without seeing the complete picture. Clearly, leaving Betsy off the summit team was the right call, and I'm happy to admit it.

PQ Profiles Adventure Racer Bob Miller

The Primal Quest website has been updated with an excellent profile of adventure racer Bob Miller. Bob is one of the members of the team formerly known as Supplierpipeline, a Canadian team that has really made a name for itself over the past few years.

The profile takes a look at Bob's experience, both as a racer and race director of for the Adventure Racing Canada Series and the Keen Adventure Sports Games. He joined Supplierpipeline back in 2003 and has had quite a run since then. The team finished tenth in PQ back in 2003, only to return the following year to move up a spot to ninth. Last year, the team moved up to fourth place, coming from back in the pack, and finishing neck and neck with Team Merrell Wigwam, just missing out on the podium. In 2008, they hope to push Nike for the top spot.

I mentioned that the team was formerly known as Supplierpipeline. They've recently split with their sponsor and are now looking for a new sponsor. Considering the success of the team, I would think someone would be eager to sign them up. The team is strong, experienced, and ready to make an even bigger splash on the AR scene. So, someone sign them up while you can.

Great profile. Lots of great info on a racer I didn't know much about. Hopefully we'll continue to see these profiles on the PQ site leading up to the race.

Expedition Amazonas Puts Whitewater Behind Them

The Expedition Amazonas Team continue their epic expedition to paddle the length of the might Amazon River, and TheOceans.net has news from the team today.

The expedition has reached an important point on their journey by making it to the remote town of San Francisco in Peru. Upon reaching that small village, they have put the whitewater portions of their journey behind them, and now it's nothing but flat water all the way to the Atlantic. That doesn't mean the trip has gotten any less dangerous however, as they have now entered an area that was once ruled by the Shining Path guerillas and is the major point of cocoa production in the region. That means it's also a point of cocaine production as well, and it can be quite dangerous. The team reports that they have already been fired upon once. They will proceed with caution for now.

As I've mentioned before, the team set off back in September to paddle the entire 4350 miles of the Amazon. They began at Mt. Mismi, in Peru, the source of the might river. The whitewater proved to be more difficult and challenging than they thought however, and at one point the had to abandon the river to resupply and make repairs on their rafts. They returned to the spot where they left off however, and have continued the journey, which is expected to take seven months when it's all done.

At the moment, they are spending some time in San Francisco while they once more await some supplies to make repairs to their raft, which was nearly swept away from them recently by the rushing waters. Now, with nothing but flat water ahead of them, they'll be going at a much slower, yet safer pace. Provided they don't get shot by drug runners of course.

Antarctic Update: And They're Off!

ThePoles.com posted another update today from Antarctica, where the word is that the winds have died down, and the first unsupported teams have set off for the Pole.

Adrian Hayes has gotten underway as he begins his quest for his "third pole" having already reached the North Pole and the summit of Everest. His first day was a five hour trek, uphill, but in nearly perfect conditions. If everything goes according to plan, he'll be the fastest ever to achieve all three poles.

Meanwhile, the Fuchs Foundation Team, which consists of four teachers gathering scientific data, took advantage of the poor weather conditions from the last few days to practice their cross country skiing and acclimate to the cold weather. They practiced some of their data collecting skills as well, before they set off together for the Pole too.

Meanwhile, ALE continues to shuttle teams from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, the starting point for most of the expeditions to the Pole. Over the next few days and weeks, activity in the area should increase, as more teams head out onto the snow and ice. For those that don't know, ALE is the leading provider of support and logistics for teams heading to Antarctica to climb Vinson or head to the Pole. You can read about all of their expeditions for this year by clicking here. It's going to be a busy season down South.