Roz Savage Update

It's been awhile since I posted an update on Roz Savage, who is in the middle of the first leg of her solo, unsupported row across the Pacific. We've now reached day 67 of her journey, and she continues to make slow, but steady progress towards Hawaii, her destination for this first leg of the trip. Looking at her latest tracking data, she appears to be roughly a little more than halfway to her first stop.

Roz's daily blog gives some insight into what it's like on a journey of this length. Her blog entries range from discussing the mundane aspects of day to day life on her relatively small boat, to things she misses (and likes) while being away from home. Today's entry is a bit about her mum, and the support she has shown Roz over the past few years, as she prepared for this row (including one failed attempt last year) and her solo row across the Atlantic.

Once she reaches Hawaii, which looks to be sometime in the next month or so, Roz will come home and take a bit of a break before beginning her next leg, which will get underway in 2009, resuming from Hawaii and ending in Tuvalu, a remote Pacific island. That stage will cover approximately 2620 miles. Finally, in 2010, she'll hit the water one final time, leaving from Tuvalu and making way her way to Australia, for an additional 2324 miles of rowing.

So far it seems like things are going well for Roz for the most part. She's coping with being alone on the water, something that has been troublesome for her in the past, and her iPod full of audio books seems to have been good company thus far. Hopefully everything will continue to run smoothly and she'll reach Hawaii on schedule, with herself, and her boat intact.

Photo courtesy of Roz herself.

Canoe & Kayak Launches Beginner Kayaking Site

Canoe & Kayak Magazine has launched a cool new site to introduce beginners to paddling sports. The site can be found at StartPaddling.com where you'll find a host of resources designed for the beginner, but good for the experienced as well.

The site is broken down into categories, so it's easy to quickly find what you're looking for. For example, there is a section on Canoeing that offers up advice on gear, paddling techniques, and destinations for those interested in learning how to canoe. LIkewise, there are sections on sea kayaking, whitewater, paddle fishing and more. There are even links to Paddle Schools and clubs as well.

All in all this looks like a great site for anyone looking to get into the sport. There is a wealth of information here that is well written, as you'd expect from Canoe & Kayak, and easy for a beginner to understand. So, if you've ever wanted to get into kayaking, or one of the other paddling sports, definitely give it a look. On the other hand, if you're already out there on the water regularly, perhaps you'll find some new destinations or gear.

More Primal Quest Coverage and Photos

Craig Stein, a professional photographer and writer that I met last month in Montana at Primal Quest, has put together an excellent page of stories from the event, some of which were published on the PQ site during the race, and a great slideshow of some of his photos as well. You can check everything out at his website found here..

The main part of his page on PQ has blog style stories about the race and an interview wit Don Mann conducted shortly there after that discusses possible locations for next year. Craig also has an interview up with Tim Powell, who was directing the television coverage for Primal Quest, in which they talk about the complexities of shooting such an event, as well as Tim and his crew's experiences covering adventure sports. That article can be found on the main page, or by clicking here.

The highlight for me however, was Craig's awesome "Best of Primal Quest Montan" slideshow. Not only does he show off his great work as a photographer, he managed to catch the essence of the race so well too. If you like what you see there, be sure to head over to his home page to check out even more of his work.

Luxury Wilderness Lodges of South America

Ever wanted to escape to South America, explore it's amazing wilderness areas, but still enjoy a luxury lodge at the end of the day? Well, you're in luck, as the latest article from Forbes Traveler has some great recommendations for you.

The article lists the top wilderness lodges of South America with some amazing places to stay in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and more. They even list the prices, which range from "not bad" to "how much??".

Some of the locations include the Caiman Ecological Refuge in Pantanal, Brazil, which sits in the regions wetlands allowing visitors to take in the Amazon (River and Rainforest) while relaxing comfortably. Looking for something with a bit more to offer in terms of activities? Head to the Hotel Machu Picchu Pueblo Inn, located in Cusco, Peru. The Inn offers 12 acres of hiking trails, the worlds largest collection of orchids, and easy access to the fabled mountain top city. For something really unique, check out the M/V Aqua, on the Northern Amazon in Peru. This "inn" is actually a boat that travels the Peruvian Amazon, stopping at local villages along the way and offering visitors the chance to fish for piranha.

These options sound like perfectly wonderful, if a bit pricey, ways to visit South America and enjoy it's natural wonders. Personally, I'd probably still prefer a nice trek, sleeping in a tent along the way, with a night at the beginning or end in a nice hotel, but some of these look really enticing. An Amazon cruise could be really cool, provided I'm allowed off the boat to explore some as well. If I had to pick one of these though, I'd want the Machu Picchu lodge I think.

Appalachian Assault: 5 Days Until Lift Off!

We're just five days away from Karl Meltzer's Appalachian Assault getting underway. According to the latest post at WheresKarl.com, Karl is en route to Maine, as prepares to embark on his journey.

The Appalachian Assault is a speed attempt on the Appalachian Trail. Karl is an endurance athlete and trail runner who hopes to cover the entire 2,174 miles of the AT in just 47 days, averaging over 46 miles per day. You'll be able to track his progress on the front page of the website, as he'll be carrying a SPOT Messenger, which I had first hand experience with at Primal Quest, and should allow for very accurate updates on exactly where Karl is located at all times.

Once the Assault gets underway next week, the team promises to have regular blog posts, updates to their Flickr stream and more, including Twitter updates for those so inclined.

This should be a great event to follow and I wish Karl the best of luck. Hopefully he'll be safe and healthy and in a position to really make a run at this new speed record.

Update: There is a cool article on Karl in todays Salt Lake City . You can read it here.

More Mountain Unicycling

We've got more mountain unicycling today, this time courtesy of the Hardwear Sessions blog.

Wall Street Journal Primal Quest Video

Last week I mentioned that the Wall Street Journal posted a great story on Primal Quest Montana and they included an excellent video as well that does a nice job of capturing the spirit of the race. Check it out below.

Ten Must See Glaciers

I've got another one of those "Top Ten" lists for travelers, which seem to be pretty popular of late. This one once again comes from Forbes Traveler who has put together a list of Top 10 Gorgeous Glaciers.

The list kicks off with Biafo Glacier in Pakistan, which is located in the Karakorum, amongst some of the tallest mountains on the planet. Reaching this one requires several days of hiking, but you're rewarded with a glacial lake more than ten miles across. Glacier Bay in Alaska makes an appearance on the list as well due to the fact that visitors can see several large glaciers in one area, enhancing the already stunning scenery. Furtwängler Glacier on Mount Kilimanjaro is also listed, as it's amongst the most iconic in the world. Hemmingway made the Snows of Kilimanjaro famous, and now those snows are disappearing at an alarming rate.

In fact, that's a central theme to this list. The glaciers, for the most part, are disappearing, and if you want to see them, you'll want to do it fast. I know Kili's glaciers are expected to be gone by 2015, although some reports dispute that, but as global climate changes continues, it's pretty clear that most of the world's glaciers are retreating. Many will disappear altogether, so of course that means a lot of adventure travelers are making pilgrimages to explore them. In doing so, lets make sure we remain environmentally aware enough to not speed up their demise. The next generation of adventure traveler may want to see them as well.

Everest North Side To Be Closed In 2009 Too?

According to this article over at The Alpinist, China is considering putting severe restrictions on access to Everest's North Side once again in 2009. Possibly even closing the mountain altogether for a second straight year. The Chinese claim that they need to take steps to "clean-up" the mountain and protect it's delicate ecosystem in order to insure that the region remains ecologically sound.

Most of you will recall that China shut down the North Side this past spring as well, in order to give their teams full access to the mountain as they carried the Olympic Torch to the summit. Their restrictions included having Nepal limit access and communications from the South Side as well until after the Torch had topped out.

The move was made to give the Chinese climbing team the freedom they needed to take the Torch up, in what amounted to one big publicity stunt. But shutting off the mountain also prevented climbers from making anti-Chinese statements, or hosting "Free Tibet" flags at the summit. These restrictions followed days of unrest in Tibet that saw it's entire borders shut down, and no visas issued to foreign visitors.

The rumors have been circulating for weeks that Tibet would remain closed to outsiders until after the Olympic Games, which are scheduled to begin on the 8th of August. Many expected it's borders to re-open this Fall, although the Chinese crackdown there could continue beyond that as well.

Closing Everest for another season won't hurt the Chinese all that much. Sure, they'll lose a bit of money from not having climbers buying permits, but they'll gain a lot more in keeping the foreign press away from what's happening in Tibet. The people who are really hurt by this are the local Sherpas who make their living guiding climbers on the mountain or tourists around the country itself. And while I applaud China's efforts to protect Everest's ecosystem, this may be the first time in years that they've actually thought about the environment. Recently, they've been more concerned with their industrial growth than they have been with protecting the Earth.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens, but last year around this time the first rumors began to ripple through the mountaineering community about Everest being shut down, with many laughing them off at the time. Now, a year later, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility. After this past season, anything can happen!

Go On An Alaskan Adventure with Discovery Channel!

The Discovery Channel is looking for a few hearty adventurers, and you just might be what they are looking for.

The new show, which is currently being called the "next Alaskan adventure", will send a group of people out into the wilds of Alaska where they'll have to learn to live with one another while they also survive that hostile environment. The show is set to begin filming in the September/October time frame, and participants will have to be available for an extended stay.

You can find out more about the show, and make your pitch as to why you should be one of the members of the expedition, by going to this website. This could be your big chance to break into show business and become a huge star! Perhaps you're the next Bear Grylls and just haven't had your big break yet. At the bare minimum, you'll get to go to Alaska!

Good luck to everyone who enters. Looks like it should be a fun program.

Long Way Down Comes Stateside!

I posted about Long Way Down more than a year ago, when Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor began their epic journey by motorcycle. After months of waiting, fans of the original Long Way Round will finally get the chance to watch the follow-up.

For those unfamiliar with the program, Long Way Round followed the two actors as they circled the globe on their motorcycles, visiting out of the way places and meeting unusual people as they went. They set off from London and headed East, taking the "long way around" the planet until they were home again. Long Way Down chronicles their journey from Scotland to the tip of Africa, once again on motorcycles.

The show aired on the BBC last Fall, and through the use of modern technology, there were methods of obtaining copies of the shows, but until now, they've never been available to watch directly. In fact, there are now two ways to catch the show. First, this Thursday, July 31st, you'll be able to watch a special "Director's Cut" version at select theaters around the country. Fathom Events is sponsoring these showings, and you can click here to learn more about it and see if it's showing in your area.

Alternatively, the show has been picked up by the Fox Reality Nework, and will begin airing on Tuesday, August 2nd at 9 PM ET. To learn more about it, check out the Fox Reality page for the show. And if you missed the original, Fox is showing that one as well. Check out the Long Way Round page here.

I had originally planned to go to the theater to catch the Fathom Events special screening, but once I learned this was coming to television, I elected to wait and watch it unfold as it was meant to be seen. I'm a big fan of the first show, and I've been looking forward to seeing this one for a long time, and I'm glad I'll finally get the opportunity. The previews look great, and this should be a blast.

And now for something completely different: Mountain Unicycling!

Check out this video of Kris Holm riding his "mountain unicycle" in the same way that the rest of us would ride our usual mountain bikes with two wheels. Some of the shots are insane, and the guy clearly has tremendous balance, but I think I'll stick to having two tires, thank you very much.



Thanks to the Sierra Blogging Post for this one.

Planet Fear Gets A Make Over

Planet Fear has updated it's home page, with a new look, more content, and a focus on building an online adventure community. The site, which has mainly been a retail portal in the past, was purchased a few months back, and now maintains the ability to buy and sell outdoor gear, in the U.K. at least, but seems to have shifted it's focus towards more content and reader interaction.

The front page, which now bears the moniker "The Leading Adventure Sports Resource" now has a Flash interface with some photos to coincide with the latest articles and offers quick links to their news section, forums, blogs, gear shop, and more.

While personally, I think the Flash interface is a bit overdone these days, with many websites using the concept, I must say do like the new design and layout, and the increased focus on content is a welcome one. For instance, there are a couple of articles of interest already, like this one on the toughest trek in Italy, or the article on mountain biking in Scotland, and this article on bouldering in Rocklands, an amazing climbing destination in South Africa.

All in all, the relaunched site looks good, and should be a great resource for future adventure articles.

Karakorum 2008: K2 Summit Push Thwarted By High Winds

ExWeb has a fresh update from the Karakorum today with the news that summit pushes have finally begun on K2, despite the fact that high winds continue to buffet the area.

Yesterday, the Norit K2 Expedition set out for Camp 3 along the Cesen Route, but their latest update indicates that they are back in C2 due to the high winds. Likewise, on the Abruzzi Route, teams were forced to stay in C2 and wait out the weather.

The weather window that was projected last week, opened on schedule, and teams began to make their move after waiting for weeks to see if they would even have an opportunity to take a crack at the summit. The winds have not subsided as predicted however, and now they'll sit ant wait once more, this time half-way up the mountain.

The Shared Summits Nanga Parbat expedition has come to a close and the team has issued their final dispatch from the mountain, re-capping the events there. It's a VERY powerful read and one that I highly recommend, as it discusses life, death, and the inherent risks that go along with high alpine climbing.

When you're done there, check out the latest entries into their photo gallery and watch their last video from Pakistan as well. The video is, as usual, very interesting to watch

Virgin Galactic Unveils New Spacecraft

Today was a historic day, as Virgin Galactic unveiled the White Knight Two for the press. Wired.com has the story here.

The White Knight Two will be the launch plane for Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, which will carry two pilots and six passengers into low orbit. The first manned commercial ventures into space are set to begin as early as next year, although Space Ship Two, as the orbital vehicle is called, has yet to be shown. Both craft are built by Scaled Composites, and Virgin is allowing them ample time to make sure the vehicles are completely safe.

Despite having a nebulous launch date, and other details that have yet to be filled in, there have been plenty of people willing to fork over the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to become the first tourists in space. Reportedly, Virgin Galactic's early flights are all sold out, and demand is high for their service.

The plane unveiled today, named The Spirit of Steve Fossett in honor of the missing adventurer, is the first in a proposed fleet of 12 launch vehicles. Fossett was good friends with Richard Brnason, the owner of Virgin Galactic. If everything goes according to plan, by 2011 there will be regular flights, originating from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

So? Is this the next great adventure? Until now, traveling into space, with a couple of very rare exceptions, has been the domain of highly trained astronauts. There was no avenue to allow the average Joe to go up, that looks like it'll be changing soon, as long as that average Joe has plenty of cash. Does commercial space flight excite the masses? Personally, I'd love to take one of the flights, but I also thin about all the cool trips I could do down here on good old Planet Earth if I had that same amount of money. One thing is for sure though, it's going to be exciting to watch this unfold, and see who will pony up the dough to be the first to go up.

Vacations To Break The Mid-Life Crisis

Staying on the travel theme, here's another cool article with some great suggestions for trips. This one comes from The Times Online which recommends 11 Holidays to solve a mid-life crisis.

The actual list sounds like a lot of fun to me, mid-life crisis or no. Some of the vacations that they recommend include Cycling The Worlds Highest Road (there's that cycling suggestion again!), which would involve a nine-day, 270 mile ride through remote India. And since it's the "world's highest road" you can bet that it'll give your lungs a workout as well. Looking for something a bit more leisurely? Then how about sailing to the Azores? Adventure on the high seas should do the trick. Like the water theme, but looking for something more adrenaline fueled? How does rafting in Ethiopia sound?

There are obviously plenty of other suggestions as well, but you get the point. Great trips for any age or any stage of your life if you ask me. But then again, I'm going to hit 40 myself next year, so maybe I'm already starting my mid-life crisis. Hmm...

Top Ten Cycle Rides In Europe

Continuing the latest trend in travel, the Guardian is back with another article on cycling, this time with the Top 10 Cycling Rides in Europe.

This Tour de France inspired posting has some great suggestions for places to ride, that offer both great scenery and solitude at the same time. The first few suggestions are in the U.K. itself with rides England and Ireland, but others stretch out into the French Alps, the Pyrenees, Spain, Greece, and beyond. These rides also vary from casual and laid back to demanding depending on what you're looking for.

Obviously living in Europe makes these rides easier to get to, but there are a growing number of tour operators that are offering cycling vacations as well. Jumping on the back of a bike is a great way to tour many different areas, allowing riders to take their time, stop along the route, and enjoy the wonderful elements of the place they are visiting. It also allows you to get in a good workout while you travel, which can always be a challenge, and cycling tours have the benefit of being green on the environment as well.

I've been considering purchasing a new road bike for some time, to compliment my aging, but still good, mountain bike, and stories like this one inspires me to do so. I may have to go bike shopping soon, although my wallet trembles at the thought.

The Adventurist Interviews Todd Carmichael

A few months back I posted on Todd Carmichael, who intends to become the first American to trek to the South Pole solo and unsupported. Carmichael also hopes to complete the journey in just 38 days, going light and fast.

Today The Adventurist has posted an interview with Todd that expands on his "10 Questions" with the polar explorer that appeared on USOutdoorsToday.com awhile back. Carmichael talks about what motivates him, how he got interested in polar exploration, and what it takes to stay focused on this type of expedition.

You can learn more about Todd and his expedition, which is scheduled to get underway in November, at the Expedition Earth website.

Tour 2008: Sastre Wins!

A bit late in posting this, but I didn't have a chance to update yesterday, but I wanted to send along my congratulations to Carlos Sastre who held off Cadel Evans in the individual time trial on Saturday to claim the 2008 Tour de France.

Heading into the weekend, the odds on favorite to win the Tour was Evans, who was heralded as a much better time trialist than Sastre, who held a 1 minute, 34 second lead over the Australian. On Saturday, the dueled it out on the course, and while Evans was faster, he wasn't able to make up enough time to claim the Yellow Jersey. As a result, Sastre goes home with his first Tour victory, and Evans finished second for the the second year in a row. Bernard Kohl finished in the third place.

On Sunday, it was mostly a day of celebration and an easy ride for Sastre into Paris, with a victory lap on the Champs Elysees, but for the sprinters there were still points to be had with the Green Jersey still in contention. In the end, it was Oscar Freire who went home with points title. Bernard Kohl came out of the mountains with the Polka Dot Jersey on his back, and that was all sewn up before the weekend. He claims the King of the Mountain title to go along with his third place finish, marking the end of a remarkable Tour. Finally, the White Jersey, given the Tour's best young rider, went to Andy Schleck, who put the cycling community on notice that he'll soon be a force to be reckoned with in the sport.

Overall, it was a good race, and I'm always sad to see it come to an end. The doping scandals remained, and there were enough of them to remind us that the sport is not cleaned up and, and may very well still have a long way to go. It is frustrating to see the same thing year in and year out, and I'm sure we'll have another round of crackdowns to address the situation, but it'll be years before the Tour really is "clean" in my opinion. The situation didn't get this bad over night, and it's not going to be cleaned up quickly either. Hopefully they'll continue to make strides, so that all of the racers are on a level playing field in the future.

The Tour is still one of the best events in the world, I'd just love to see some of the luster restored to it.

The Rest of Everest: Catching Up With My Back-Log!

It's no secret that The Rest of Everest is my favorite podcast. I generally watch it each and every week without fail, and write a post about it here, sometimes gushing a bit much about just how much I enjoy it and revealing my man-crush on show producer Jon Miller. ;)

While I was off playing in the mountains of Montana, and covering a little event called Primal Quest, I got a bit behind in following my usual podcasts, including the Rest of Everest. I've since remedied that, but have a few episodes to post on. So, with out further ado, here is a brief synopsis of what has gone down in the past three episodes:

Episode 87: Technical Support - In this excellent episode, Jon is joined by Brian Oestrike, who recently topped out on Lhotse, but was in base camp last year when Jon and Scott made their visit. With the Puja Ceremony behind them, our intrepid travelers find themselves exploring BC and chatting with a number of the inhabitants there about life in the shadow of Everest, which looms beautifully in the background. More excellent footage of BC on the North Side as well.

Episode 88: Goodbye Old Friend - Our time on Everest and in Base Camp is over, as Jon and Scott depart the mountain, just as the climbing season is about to get started. The visit to BC is all too short, but there are still sites to be seen, and the footage of the highest monastery in the world with Everest in the background, a snow storm moving in, is really stunning. It's sad for us as viewers to leave base camp behind, I can only imagine what it was like for Jon and Scott, as their journey was beginning to near it's end.

Episode 89: Dingri, Old Tingri - The journey back to Kathmandu begins with the guys arriving in old Tingri, a very rural and remote town in Tibet, sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to Everest". The village lacks many amenities and it's clear that Jon, who visited the place back in 2003, is not exactly happy to be there. Soon they're back on the road however, and heading toward the border with Nepal.

The trip is beginning to wind down. Jon and Scott are on their way back home, but there is still much more to see before they're done. I'll get back to posting regularly on the show again now that my schedule is back to normal. Can't wait to see what's next.

The Gear Junkie and Outise Online Join Forces

Two of my favorite websites have teamed up to bring us more outdoor adventure and gear news. The Gear Junkie will be contributing a weekly column to Outside Online, the official website of Outside Magazine. This new feature will be called "The Gear Junkie Scoop" and will focus on "news, hot products, and to-be-released gear and apparel from all corners of the outdoors industry."

The first entry into this new column is on Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Mattress, a new air mattress that reportedly packs as small as a Nalgene bottle, but still offers as much warmth and comfort as a traditional mattress. Officially announced last week, but not available until next Spring, the mattress offers a ton of promise, and The Gear Junkie has the scoop on it now.

This seems like it should be another great collaboration. The Gear Junkie, also known as Stephen Regenold, has been writing about new gear in his syndicated column for over five years, and has increasingly reported on adventurous activities as well. Outside's history and reputation in these areas is also well known, and I'm sure we'll get some great gear news and reviews out of this.

Tour 2008: Stage 19 - The Stage is Set!

The 19th stage of the 2008 Tour de France once again went off as predicted, and there were no changes at the top of the General Classification. The 165.5 km (103 mile) course from Roanne to Montluçon was won by Sylvain Chavanel of France, with countryman Jeremy Roy coming right behind, but Carlos Sastre of Spain held on to the Yellow Jersey and a 1 minute, 24 second lead over teammate Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, and is 1 minute, 33 seconds in front of Austria's Bernard Kohl. His biggest threat however, comes in the form of Australia's Cadel Evan, currently in fourth place just one second behind Kohl.

This sets the stage for tomorrows individual time trial that will have Sastre hoping that his minute and 34 second lead is enough of a cushion to to fend of Evans, one of the best time trialist in the world. The 53 km (33 mile) ride from Cérilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond seems too long of a distance for Sastre to fend off the hard charging Evans, but in Le Tour, anything can happen.

Tomorrow's ride will make for great television for fans of cycling. The event is broadcast on Versus here in the States and I have no doubt their coverage will be impeccable. The riders well head out in the reverse order of their ranking, so Evans will be fourth from last with Sastre leaving the gate from the final spot. From there, the clock will be ticking and Evans will hope to make up the ground with plenty of miles to go to build a cushion. Should he stumble, Russian Denis Menchov, in 5th place, and 2 minutes and 39 seconds behind Sastre, would have an outside shot, but it would likely be Kohl or Schleck who would be contending for the title. Sastre has more chance of fending off their attacks then those from Evans.

The leader tomorrow will ride into Paris on Sunday as the victor. The final stage is largely ceremonial for the man in the Yellow Jersey, and the celebration on the Champs-Elysee is one of the best ending to any sporting event in the world. Enjoy the last two days of the Tour. it's been a good one, and the finish should be spectacular.

The Wall Street Journal on Primal Quest

The Wall Street Journal has posted a nice article on Primal Quest Montana today that includes some great video and phtos from the race. Check it out here.

The article focuses on Team Active Racing who hast he unique distinction of being a mother-daughter team. Kathy Roche-Wallace is the captain of the team, and her daughter Melissa Hughes is one of the racers on the four person squad. They are also joined by Kathy's husband Eric Wallace, making it quite the family affair. The fourth member of the team, Scott Campau, rounds out the foursome.

The article does a really nice job of explaining the race and giving a very personal feel to what it's like for one of the teams back in the pack. You often hear about the Team Nike's and Team Merrell's of the adventure racing world, but rarely does a team like this one get the spotlight. It makes for quite a compelling read.

Of course, being a part of the event, and helping to facilitate this article, I was excited to see it finally in print this morning. The author of the story, Alexandra Alter, was great to work with in Montana, and afterwards as well, and she has written an article that will be of interest to long time fans of the sport as well as those discovering it for the first time.

The Esprit de Corp Ultramarathon is a 177.5 file event that will be run over four days, starting October 22nd of this year. Four United States Marines will begin at the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, PA and end their run at the finish line of the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC on October 26th.

The four men running include Sgt. Brandon Richardson, Sgt. Andrew Strohecker, Cpl. Joseph Garcia, and Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Miranda. They will be running to raise awareness and funds for the Wounded Warriors who have served their country and sacrificed much in that service overseas.

To donate to this very worthy cause, click here and to learn more about the team, checkout their official team page. Then checkout their tribute video below.

Good luck guys, and thanks for sending this my way Curtis!

Ten Astonishing Landscapes From Forbes Traveler

Forbes Traveler has another nice piece today on Ten Astonishing Landscapes, which celebrates some of the most amazing scenery you can find anywhere on the planet. When putting their list together, then not only went for the breathtaking, they also were looking for the unique and truly different, eschewing the typical choices for mountains and beaches in favor of ones that are more notable.

For example, the Li River Valley in China makes an appearance with it's breathtaking mountain landscapes, which are neither particularly tall nor traditionally what one thinks of when they think of a mountain. They do, however, make a lasting impression, and set a magical mood for the region.

Other places making the list include the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, which draws it's name from the hundreds of ship wrecks that litter it's shores. Cappadocia, Turkey makes an appearance as well, thanks to it's famous rocky spires, as does Redwood National Park in the United States, with it's ionic and ancient, towering trees.

There are plenty more exotic locations as well, some you've not doubt hear of, and others that may just inspire you to make the journey to see for yourself. Excellent photographs give you an idea of why the location made the list, but you'll still want to see them with your own eyes I'm sure.

Karakorum 2008: Crisis Averted on Nanga Parbat

Excellent news from ExWeb today on Walter Nones and Simon Kehrer, the two climbers who were stranded high on the mountain following the death of their partner, Karl Unterkircher, who fell down a crevasse last week. Today, it's being reported that the pair were able to descend, by way of skis, to 5700m, where they were airlifted by the Pakistani military. They are now back in BC, safe and sound.

Rescue operations are also underway on Shimshal Whitehorn, where Ben Cheek has been attempting to climb the mountain for the past two weeks. The weather has turned bad, and there are now fears for his life, as climbers head to he Shimshal guest lodge to begin organizing a search party. Don Bowie is amongst them and will be posting updates to his website. Keep your fingers crossed folks, just as we get one team out of jeopardy, it looks like we have another climber in trouble.

Elsewhere in the Karakorum, teams are preparing for their summit bids. On K2, which has been beset with bad weather for much of the season, the weather is beginning to clear, and expected summit pushes are predicted for July 28th on the Abruzzi route, and the 29th on the Cesen. Teams are meeting tomorrow to discuss their last minute plans for topping out together.

A similar story is coming out of Broad Peak Base Camp, where teams are also planning to work together to achieve a joint summit. Preliminary reports have a weather window opening over the weekend, with summit attempts also coming on July 28th and 29th.

Finally, on Gasherbrum IV they're praying for good weather as well. After 39 days of working the mountain, camps are established, supplies are in place, and the Spanish team there is hoping for just a three day weather window so they can finish what they've started. Here's hoping they get the chance.

Tour 2008: Stage 18 - Breaking Away

Today's 18th Stage of the Tour de France pretty much went as expected. The 196.5 km (122 mile) course from Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne led the riders out of the Alps and back onto the foothills of the Monts du Forez, a ride that favors the faster sprinters, even though the road did roll somewhat. At the end of the day, the top of the GC remained unchanged, with Carlos Sastre of Spain holding the Yellow Jersey, with teammate Frank Schleck from Luxembourg 1 minute and 24 seconds back, followed by Bernard Kohl of Austria in third, an additional nine seconds behind.

The stage winner today was Germany's Marcus Burghardt, who finished just ahead of Spain's Carlos Barredo. The pair made an early breakaway together, and then dueled to the end with Burghardt's stronger legs carrying him to the victory. Romain Feillu of France was third, more than three minutes behind the top two riders.

That leaves just one more sprint stage, tomorrow's 165.5 km (103 miles) from Roanne to Montluçon, for the top riders to make a move, although watching today's strategy, that seems unlikely. Fourth place rider, Cadel Evans of Australia is just one second behind Kohl, and is amongst the best time trialists in the world, which is why he is now the odds on favorite to win the Tour. Saturday brings the second time trial, and it sets up an epic showdown, with Evans looking to make up 1 minute, 34 seconds on Sastre and take the over all lead heading into Paris on Sunday. Considering his strength in time trials, this shouldn't be a problem barring injury, accident, or a completely horrible day on his bike.

I expect tomorrow will be much the same as today. Rather boring to follow, perhaps a few breakaways looking to get stage wins, and just setting things up for Saturday.

Mountain Hardware Giving Away Pack-A-Day In August

Mountain Hardwear is about to launch their Pack-A-Day Give Away in which they'll be handing out free packs every day for the month of August.

Once the contest kicks off, we'll all be able to go to this page and fill out a simple form each day, and then be entered to win a "rugged urban backpack". Winners will have their choice of the Paladin, Guardian, Defender, Sentinel, or the Natural 22 packs, the last of which won't be available to the rest of us until next Spring.

I'm a big fan of Mountain Hardwear gear. They really make excellent, high quality stuff. On top of that, I'm also a big fan of packs of all kinds, and seeing as how my "urban pack" is getting a bit long in the tooth and showing it's age, this seems like the perfect contest for me. Guess I'll have to drop by everyday in August and try to win one of these.

Video Recap of The Badwater Ultra

The good folks over at AdventureCorps have posted a video re-cap of the Badwater Ultra-Marathon that went down last week. The 8+ minute video will give you a bit of an idea of what the race was like and the conditions that the athletes suffer... er ... I mean run in. All set to a rocking soundtrack as well. ;)

Karakorum 2008: Good News At Last On K2!

ExWeb is reporting good news at last from K2 in their latest update from the Karakorum. A week ago, many of the teams on the second tallest mountain in the world were ready to pack it in and head home, thinking that they might never get their chance at the summit this year due to the awful weather conditions. This week, the ones who stayed are being rewarded with a predicted weather window set to open up this weekend, that may finally give them the opportunity to climb. The teams will meet on Friday to begin planning their final assaults.

Meanwhile, over on Nanga Parbat, the Walter Nones and Simon Kehrer saga continues. The pair lost their climbing partner Karl Unterkircher when he fell into a crevasse, and have now spent more than 10 days on the Rakhiot face, where they were hoping to put up a new route. The line was incredibly unsteady, and too dangerous to descend, so the two men climbed up to 7000m and moved over to safer route to make their descent, but have made little progress since then.

Today, Walter and Simon were expect to come down from their camp at 6600m, but extremely foggy conditions have made that impossible, and now the concerns are rising for the two men. They have gas and food for two more days, and their support team in BC is hoping for better conditions tomorrow so that they can make an attempt to airlift them off the mountain.

Both men seem to be in in good health, although Simon is reportedly suffering from headaches, but their situation has gone from one of quiet optimism to growing concern. It seems that conditions on the mountain continue to conspire against them and prevent them from making a safe descent.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that they make it down in one piece.

Tour 2008: Stage 17 - L'Alpe d'Huez Puts Sastre In Yellow!

Today's 17th stage of Le Tour was everything fans could have hoped for and more, with the top riders clashing in the Alps, and ending the stage with a summit finish line on the famed L'Alpe d'Huez that put Carlos Sastre of Spain in the Yellow Jersey.

Sastre claimed the stage win, and the Maillot Jaune, by accelerating out in front of the rest of the lead group on the final, and toughest climb of the day. The 210.5 km (131 mile) stage was the final ride through the mountains this year, and was easily the toughest as well. Riders were faced with three beyond category climbs ending atop L'Alpe. A natural climber in the mountains, Sastre managed to pull away for a solo ride to the top, and although he lost a little steam near the end, he managed to roll across the finish line several minutes ahead of the contenders. In the end, he found himself 1 minute, 24 seconds ahead of teammate Frank Schleck, and 1 minute, 34 seconds ahead of both Bernard Kohl and Cadel Evans. Kohl also managed to sweep up the Polka Dot Jersey for the 2008 Tour, crowning him King of the Mountain.

The next two stages, including tomorrows 196.5 km (122 mile) ride from Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne, are mostly flat and fast, tipping the advantage back to the sprinters. The top riders will likely hang close to one another and these two stages will have little or no impact on who will be riding onto the Champs Elysees on Sunday in the Yellow Jersey. But Saturday brings the second, and final, individual time trial, which is 53 km (33 miles) in length and favors Cadel Evans, who is amongst the best time trialists in the world.

So there you have it. This year's Tour comes down to Saturday, with several riders in position to claim the top spot. The time trial should be a blast to watch, and while Evans clearly has the advantage, anything can happen. If the weather is bad or he has a bad fall, it could seriously impact who the final winner is. It's been a great Tour to watch so far and I suspect that the last few stages should be as well.

Images of Adventure

The Guardian's Travel Section had a cool post today about a new photo exhibit being pout on by the Royal Geographic Society that offers up "Portraits of Adventure". The exhibit, which consists of more than 60 photos, is on display starting today and runs through the 3rd of August at the Royal Geographic Society building in London and is free to the public.

The Guardian posted a gallery of eight examples of what you'll find, one of which I've linked to below. Stunning images for sure.

Kayaking Antarctica To Explore Climate Change

Back in February I posted about an amazing expedition to explore Patagonia, led by Cristian Donoso, that was conducted mostly by kayak, to investigate the impact of global climate change on the environments there. The team spent months in the backcountry, reaching places that no one else ever had, and achieved a number of firsts along the way.

Well, it seems they're not resting on their laurels, as they already have plans for late this year and into 2009. Cristian and his crew will be setting off to kayak Antarctica next with same goal in mind, to discover how that continent is changing as the Earth continues to warm. You can read all about their plans at the expeditions official website.

In December of this year, the team will board the Antarctic Dream, and set sail for the frozen continent where they will undertake a 550 mile self supported kayak expedition to the Palmer Archipelago and the Danco Coast. The plan is to observe the impact of climate change on the ice and wildlife that inhabit those areas, and by approaching by kayak, they'll have little or no impact on the environments that they'll be visiting. The team hopes to make a documentary of their journey and their findings.

Last week I mentioned that Jon Bowermaster was exploring the African coastline by kayak and that I thought it was a fantastic way to visit a remote region. The same holds true with this expedition as well, and wish Cristian, Roger and anyone else tagging along, the best of luck. I can't wait to follow this adventure as well.

70th Anniversary of First Ascent on the Eiger North Face

Yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, perhaps the most iconic of all the European big walls. Back in 1938, the Eiger was a daunting foe that had already claimed many lives, and it took meticulous planning and incredible skill to assail it's face. Three days after setting out, Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer and Fritz Kasparek eventually stood on the summit, triumphant at last.

This is in stark contrast to today, where better equipment, refined techniques, and known routes have allowed Ueli Steck to speed climb the Eiger in just 2 hours, 47 minutes and change. The Eiger remains a daunting rite of passage for many european climbers, and it's North Face has inspired many young climbers over the years.

Writer and photographer Jo Adams has written a great piece on the mountain to commemorate this 70th Anniversary. The article, hosted at RacingandSports.com.au takes an in depth look at the history of the Eiger and the challenges that needed to be overcome on the North Face to allow four men to put up the first ascent. This is definitely a must read for fans of the mountain and those that know some of the epic tales that have taken place in it's shadow.

Racer Dies In New York City Triathlon

Yesterday I posted about the tragic death of an adventure racer from over the weekend, and now comes word that a competitor in the New York City Triathlon has also passed away during the competition.

According to this story, over at the New York Times website, Estaban Neiva of Buenos Aires, Argentina was found floating in the East River and was pulled from the water during the 1500 meter swim that begins the race. Other competitors signaled nearby support boats, who attempted to render aid, while rushing him to shore. It is estimated that it took roughly 15 minutes to get him into an ambulance from the time that he was found, but at this point no one is sure how long he had been in the water, and it had been more than a half-hour since other racers had left the vicinity for the 40 km bike ride that was the next stage.

It's another sad and tragic story of an athlete dying while in an endurance competition. My thoughts are with his friends and family.

Thanks to the Outside Blog for this one.

Tour 2008: Stage 16 - Alpine Style!

The overall standings in the General Classification remained unchanged today at the Tour de France with Luxembourg's Frank Schleck holding on to the Yellow Jersey and a 7 second lead over second place Bernhard Kohl of Austria and an 8 second lead over Cadel Evans of Australia who holds down the third spot.

Today's course was another challenging mountain stage running from Cuneo, Italy back to Jausiers in France. It was a 157 km (98 mile) ride up and over the Col de la Lombarde and Col de la Bonnette in the Alps, two uncategorized climbs that managed to test event the best climbers in the peloton. The ending was a fast and furious descent however, that had Cyril Dessel of France claiming the stage win, with Sandy Casar, also of France, and David Arroyo of Spain close behind in second and third place respectively.

Tomorrow brings yet another day in the Alps, and one that is expected to be the hardest day of the Tour in general. The 210.5 km (131 mile) 17th stage will have the riders racing from Embrun and ending up the famed L'Alpe-d'Huez, which has crushed many Tour dreams in the past. The man who comes out in front tomorrow will have just an individual time trial on Saturday standing between him and a victory cruise down the Champs Elysee on Sunday. Watch for the top GC riders to make their move tomorrow.

As far as the other jerseys go, the Green Jersey for the top sprinter currently belongs to Oscar Freire of Spain, who has a commanding lead in points, but will be pushed with two more flat, sprint stages to go. The Polka Dot Jersey belonging to the King of the Mountains sits on the shoulders of Bernard Kohl who will be in the thick of things once again tomorrow and isn't likely to give up that jersey unless he's putting on one that is yellow in color, in which case his teammate Sebastian Lang would gain that honor. Finally, the White Jersey for the top young rider belongs to Andy Schleck, the younger brother of the man in yellow.

Tomorrow should be especially exciting to watch. I think I can feel a sick day coming on so I can stay home to catch it live. Perhaps a bit of the "Tour Flu" or "Yellow Fever". ;)

Cycling Through Jordan

An excellent travel story today from Times Online on mountain biking through Jordan, a 280 mile ride through Middle Eastern deserts that put the adventurous author up close and personal with Bedouin villages, challenging single track, and a whole new way to see a country.

Author Vincent Crump set out too on a new trip offered by Explore, an adventure travel company headquartered in the U.K. This tour takes riders on the "Back Roads of Jordan" exploring sand dunes, and wandering down to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. Further destinations include riding the King's Highway and approaching Petra on your two wheeled traveling companion, in what has to be an amazing ride.

Crump wasn't a big fan, as it turned out to be more of a demanding holiday than he was expecting, and the June heat in the Middle East couldn't have helped the situation any. Stepping out into the desert in the summer is a bit like being in a blast furnace, and the struggle to stay hydrated in a spot as warm and dry as the Dead Sea had to take it's toll.

Still, there is a rising trend in adventure tourism to go by bike, and I have to admit that it's one that I like. Riding a bike has a lower impact on the environments that you'll visit, and the slower paced and off road nature of mountain biking can really put you into places you might not normally get to see. I'd love to take a trip like this one, and fortunately at the end of this article, there are six more similar trips suggested. They come in varying degrees of challenge and are found all over the world, stretching from Canada to Peru, and from India to Tanzania.

Whose ready to peddle their way across a country?

Adventure Racer Collapses, Dies At Race The Rockies

The Race The Rockies adventure race got underway this weekend and was meant to offer teams a fun, adventurous, challenge. But the race was abruptly cancelled following the death of one of the competitors on the course.

46-year-old adventure racer Marty Lund was found unconscious on the trail Saturday by another team competing in the race. They were soon joined by others and an attempt to administer CPR was undertaken, while an emergency call was placed for an evac. Due to the remote nature of the event however, the search and rescue team was unable to reach the location on time, and Lund was already gone before they could assist in any manner.

Upon hearing word of the accident, the race organizers cancelled the remaining portions of the race, which was designed to be a 24 hour event with trekking, mountain biking, and paddling sections. Most of the teams were on a trekking section that was quite early in the race when the Lund's death occurred. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

This is certainly not the first time someone has died on the course of an adventure race. I can assure you that great strides are made to try to ensure the safety of athletes while they are in the field, but sometimes accidents happen, and the racers know the risks they take when they enter the sport. In this case, it sounds like a pre-existing health issue, such as a heart condition, may have played a role. My condolences to Marty's friends and family.

You can read more at BCLoalNews.com and at The Vancouver Sun. Thanks to The Adventurist for the tip on this one.

Karakorum 2008: Valeriy and Victor Open New Route On Broad Peak!

ExWeb opens another week with an update from the Karakorum with the news that Valeriy Babanov and Victor Afanasiev have opened the new route on Broad Peak that they've been working away at for the past weeks. The two men made the climb in alpine style, as Babanov typically does, and while the details are still a bit sketchy, it appears that the men are down safe.

Meanwhile, on Nanga Parbat, rescue operations are still underway with Walter Mones and his partner Simon Kehrer, cautiously making their way down the mountain. Last week they lost their friend Karl Unterkircher when he fell into a crevasse, and the pair were forced to make their way up to a higher elevation so that they could move off the new line they were attempting before the y could begin their descent. They've been slowly doing that since then, but now Italian climbers ilvio Mondinelli and Maurizio Gallo have arrived on the scene to assist if needed.

The bad news from Nanga Parbat continues however with the Iranian Team reporting that they successfully put two of their climbers on top over the weekend, but lost another in the process. Apparently the climbers named Kazem and Ehsan asked their friend Saman Nemati if he needed assistance back down the mountain when he began to struggle at altitude, but he decline their offer and was suppose to head back to C4 on his own. The first two continued to the summit and then ran into Saman on their descent. He had tried to struggle up the mountain, but had given up at last with the intentions of giving it another go the next day. By this point, poor weather had set in, and the climbers had a difficult time finding their high camp. It took them several more hours to do so, and when they arrived, the realized that Saman was no where to be found. He remains missing now, although the team has organized search parties.

Finally, the new from the Gasherbrums for the weekend was that bad weather thwarted a number of attempts. The winds were reportedly quite high with snow falling and blowing, making it nearly impossible to move up the mountain. At this point, the climbers have taken up various positions on the mountain to try to wait out the weather and make another go of it.

Winter Snows Make For Epic Summer Whitewater!

Outside Online has a brief report on how the large amounts of snow last winter are now creating epic whitewater this summer.

Winter 2008 showered record amounts of snowfall on a number of the western mountain states, and at the time, it was a boon for the ski industry which had seen little snowfall the year before. But as seasons turned, and the warmer months of summer arrived, that snow began to melt, and feed into the rivers, creating some of the best whitewater conditions in some time as well. Now, rafting and kayaking services are experiencing a boom of their own, with reports on the Salmon and Tuolumne rivers as well as the Rio Grande and the Kern having swelled well beyond their typical levels.

I personally experienced this epic whitewater first hand while in Montana for Primal Quest. A week before the race we were concerned about the very large amounts of snow that were still in the mountains, but a warm front moved in, and began to melt that snow, turning our planned kayaking and riverboarding sections into challenging Class IV+ nightmares. Teams were navigating the Gallatin River in rubber duckies and on riverboards when things got a bit hairy, forcing us to shut down those sections early and cancel the paddling sections on the Yellowstone River the next day as well.

Once things calmed down a bit though, the water looked great. There were a lot of nice places to get in some whitewater running, and there were certainly plenty of people taking advantage of the situation. If you're heading to Montana, or any of the other western states, now might be an excellent time to take that rafting trip you've always wanted.

Tour 2008: Second Rest Day

The second, and final, rest day of the 2008 Tour de France comes after an intense and punishing Stage 15 in the Alps that saw Andy Schleck of Team CSC pull his big brother Frank up the mountains in the 183 km (114 mile) stage to put him in the Yellow Jersey for the first time.

Sunday's course ran from Embrun to Prato Nevoso as the riders moved into their second round of mountain stages where it's expected that the top riders will finally push one another for the leader's jersey. Heading into the stage, Australia's Cadel Evans led the peloton, but Frank Schleck, a native of Luxembourg, was just one second back. Schleck let his team do the work for him as long as he could, but near the end a group of about 10 riders broke away to make a move towards the finish line. Included in that group were Schleck, Evans, Carlos Sastre, Bernhard Kohl, Alejandro Valverde and Denis Menchov. Schleck moved to the front with Evans close behind, but Frank managed to drop the Yellow Jersey and put eight seconds on him in an exciting dash to the end that put Schleck out in front of the Tour and saw Evans drop to third place, a second behind Bernhard Kohl of Austria, who now holds second place.

Yesterday's stage was one of the best that you would see anywhere and it's days like those that remind you why you enjoy the sport. The mountains always add a new element to cycling, and and the team work and sportsmanship that was displayed in Stage 15 are shining examples of everything that you hope to see in the Tour. It almost makes you forget about all the doping scandals that continue to surround the event.

Tomorrow the Tour will resume with a 157 km (97 mile) run from Cuneo to Jausiers that will see the riders slogging up two uncategorized climbs in the Col de la Lombarde and the Col de la Bonnette, which is the highest pass in Europe at over 2800m. The climbs will once again challenge the top riders, who will probably remain close to one another before topping out on the last climb, and screaming down the descent on the other side towards the finish line.

As close as the race has been thus far, I believe it'll probably come down to the final individual time trial this Saturday, before the ceremonial ride into Paris on Sunday. Should be a fun week to watch.

Jon Bowermaster Kayaking African Coast

Explorer Jon Bowermaster, who recently kayaked Antarctica to record the impact of global climate change, is back on the water again, but this time in warmer climes.

Jon and his team are now off to Africa where they'll be paddling the North-West coast of that continent, where for two weeks they'll be exploring small islands, visiting remote locations, including Gambia and Senegal, two of the smallest countries on the continent, and exploring two issues that are haunting Africa, namely overfishing and desertification.

You can read Jon's introduction to their trip here and then catch up with the rest of his dispatches starting here. There is even a resources page. with maps and news from the region.

I can think of worse ways to explore the planet than from the cockpit of a kayak. Jon has been doing some great work while doing just that, as part of his Oceans8 expeditions, which always set out for remote and exotic places, with the best intentions in mind. Exploration for the good of the planet.

Around The Web

A few quick hits on some websites that I frequent who have made updates recently.

First, Alan Arnette has added more videos to his online collection. Previously he had posted some great videos of his recent expedition to Everest, but has now added even more spectacular footage from K2, Broad Peak, Aconcagaua, Denali, and Orizaba. Really great stuff.

Next up, awhile back I posted on a site called SnowList.com that was building an online community of skiers, snowboarders, and others who liked to venture out into the snow. While it's not ski season here in the Northern Hemisphere, the site is not resting on it's laurels during the dog days of summer either. They've recently launched a blog as well, and it is being updated regularly with stories and more information. Look for it to become an even bigger resource when ski season returns.

Finally, the Summer Edition of Wend Magazine has been released online. As always, it's full of interesting articles, such as a story of traveling through the Sahara, climbing in Viet Nam, and Kayaking in Papua New Guinea. The interface is slick and easy to read, and makes it a joy to "flip" through, even if it's a virtual magazine online. Definitely worth taking a look at.

Tour 2008: Stage 13 - Same Old, Same Old

Today's stage of the Tour de France seemed a lot like yesterdays. Sure, the scenery changed some as the riders rode the 182 km (113 mile) course from Narbonne to Nîmes, but the results ended up being the same, as British rider Mark Cavendish won his second straight stage, and fourth overall. Australian Cadel Evans remains in the Yellow Jersey once again as well.

It was another day for the sprinters, and Cavendish proved up to the challenge once again, as he out dashed Robbie McEwen of Australia to claim another victory for his Team Columbia. The back to back wins also put Cavendish in second place, tied with Thor Hushovd, and 28 points behind Spains Oscar Freire for the Green Jersey.

Tomorrow the race heads from Nîmes to Digne-les-Bains, a distance of 194.5 km (121 miles) in a stage that will be long, and fairly steep, although not as punishing as the big mountain stages. The sprinters will still vie for the points, as the road heads towards the inevitable clash of the top riders in the Alps, which begins on Sunday.

Top Ten Most Beautiful Sky Dives

Forbes Traveler has posted another fun article today taking a look at the Top Ten Most Beautiful Skydives in the World.

Making the list are Mt. Everest/Nepal which kind of speaks for itself. I can only imagine skydiving over the Himalaya, and the sites you'd see from 8000 feet up. Lido Lakes, Indonesia gets a mention as well, as two volcanoes, and beautiful tropical forests are the highlight here, while in Swakopmund, Namibia it's all about the stark landscapes of the desert dunes.

Most of the locations on the list seem to fit the requirements, offering beautiful, exotic places for those brave souls who think that stepping out of a perfectly good aircraft is somehow a great idea. But the one that struck me as a bit odd was the inclusion of West Tennessee. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's quite lovely there, but the text for this location seems to indicate that the best part of the jump is the HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) thrill ride, and not the scenery. Maybe this one should be part of their top ten adrenaline rushes, and left off the scenic list.

As alway, it's still a fun read, and offers up some great ideas for adventure travel. I, however, will plan to stay on the ground in these locations and enjoy the scenery at a more leisurely pace, rather than having it hurling upwards at me at 60 mph.

Hiking In The 21st Century

Backpacker Magazine has posted a cool series of articles online about Hiking in the Digital Age which take a good look at all the technological tools that are at our disposal when planning and preparing for a hike these days.

Their stages for preparing and going on a hike included Planning, in which you can use the Internet, Google Maps, and a variety of other tools to plot your route. From there you, move on to Documenting it with photos and videos, Then later you can Organize your media and then Share it online. They even have a section on Big Trips Made Easy that's worth a glance as well.

Who knew that hiking could become so complicated. I always figured I found a trail, but on my boots, and went. Guess I need to put ore thought into my next venture.

Tour 2008: Stage 12 - Ricco's A Dope!

Remember when I said that doping hadn't been as big of an issue with this year's Tour de France as it had been the past few years? Well, forget what I said. A third rider has gone down in shame today as Italian Riccardo Ricco, the winner of two stages this year, has tested positive for EPO. His entire Saunier-Duval team has pulled out of the race after this revelation. Ricco was detained by police for questioning before today's stage, and neither he, nor his teammates rode at all today.

Speaking of today's 12th Stage, the 168.5 (105 mile) course ran from Lavelanet to Narbonne, with the victory going to Mark Cavendish of the U.K., who sprinted to the finish just ahead of a group of other riders, that included Sebastien Chavanel of France in second place and Gert Steegmans from Belgium claiming third.

Cadel Evans of Australia remains in the Yellow Jersey once again, as most of the riders in the GC stay close to one another and bide their time to make their move in the Alps. Spain's Oscar Freire extended his lead in points for the Green Jersey and now has a 24 point lead over Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg. Sebastian Lang of Germany holds a two point lead over Bernard Kohl for the Polka Dot Jersey, and the standings in that category won't change until the Alps either. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Nibali now whears the White Jersey for the best young rider after Ricco, who had been in White, was forced to leave the race.

Tomorrow's stage is 182 km (113 miles) in length and runs from Narbonne to Nîmes. It's another day of rolling hills, but little challenge in the way of climbs, and the sprinters will once again duel it out for points, which will become sparse once the Tour rolls into the Alps this weekend.

As for the doping scandals that continue to plague the race, and the sport in general, I don't have a whole lot more to say about it. Clearly the rampant cheating still runs deep, despite the efforts to clean it up. Very disappointing.

Dancing Around The World

This video and story comes courtesy of Jon from The Rest of Everest, who passed the YouTube clip my way yesterday. Some of you have probably seen this before, and judging from the 6 million plus views on YouTube, it's pretty popular, but I still thought it was a fun video to share.

The story goes that Matt Hardin, the "star" of this video, was traveling a few years back and a friend filmed him in a few locations doing a dance, which later went on the Internet and was discovered by a whole bunch of people. The folks at Stride Gum then found the video and asked Matt if he'd be willing to travel around and recreate his dance all over the planet. Like any good adventurer he said Yes! And this video is the result. You can learn more, including the whole story, over at WhereTheHellIsMatt.com.

Now enjoy the video and prepare to smile. :)



PS: If anyone wants to pay for me to dance/blog/whatever my way around the world, drop me a note!

Shared Summits on Nanga Parbat

The Shared Summits Team, who were on K2 last year and had their climb documented by NBC's Jeep World of Adventure Sports, is back in the Karaorum again this year, climbing on Nanga Parbat. The team is blogging about the experience here with several dispatches from the mountain already, and a nice online photo gallery in place as well.

The team notes that they will be climbing the Kinshoffer Route on Nanga Parbat's Diamir Face, which was first conquered back in 1962. They are currently in base camp at 13,800 feet and preparing for the climb, which will be a challenging one to say the least. The mountain is the 9th highest in the world, topping out at 8126 meters. It is also one of the most dangerous to climb, as the news earlier today demonstrates.

There are already three videos up from the Shared Summits team, than you can view here. The first video introduces the team and talks a bit about the mountain itself, while the second two videos get into the climb itself and discuss some of the aspects they are forced to consider when approaching the more technical aspects of the climb.

Lisa Smith-Batchen Completes The Badwater

Lisa Smith-Batchen has completed the Badwater UltraMarathon, in a time of 47 hours and 17 minutes, which earns her the coveted "Badwater Buckle" for completing the race in under 48 hours, but more importantly, she has not finished the first phase of her "Lisa's 810" challenge.

As I've posted before, Lisa's 810 is the ultra-runner's goal of raising fund and awareness for the plight of children in Africa who have become orphans due to the aids epidemic on that continent. In the first stage of the 810, Lisa ran from Las Vegas, NV to Badwater in Death Valley, covering nearly 160 miles. Once there, she transitioned directly into Stage 2, which was running the Badwater itself, which is another 135 miles. Not content to stop at the Mt. Whitney Portals, like everyone else in the Badwater, she chose to 10 miles to the summit of Mt. Whitney itself. When she was done running, she had covered more than 300 miles in the process.

The third, and final, stage of Lisa's 810 will be in October, when she'll once again return to Death Valley to ride in the Furnace Creek 508, a long distance bike race through the lowest, and hottest, place in the Western Hemisphere.

When she's all done, Lisa hopes to have raised $500,000 for the Aid's Oprphans Rising fund, and she is reportedly half-way to her goal. To contribute to the cause, click here, and to read more about Lisa's efforts, as well as her thoughts on the Badwater Ultra, check out her personal blog here.