America's Best Races

Awhile back I mentioned that Outside Magazine had selected their list of America's Best Races, pulled from suggestions from readers, and compiled to give you a full year of competitive events to set your sights on for yourself. There really is something for everyone here, even if I do still contend that an obvious choice was left off the list.

Now that the full list is online, along with a brief description of why it made the cut, you can have a look for yourself. Each of the races is now placed in chronological order, beginning with the Pole Pedal Paddle race in Jackson Wyoming on April 4 and ending with the American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wisconsin next February.

In between you have a dozen other races on foot, bike, and more, that will give nearly everyone the opportunity to get out and challenge themselves. Races are found all over the country and at various lengths, making one of these American classics accessible to more athletes.

All in all, it's a very good list, with a nice variety of challenges and disciplines. I wonder who will be the person to step up and run the Gauntlet trying to complete all of them.

Nice Climbing Video

This video made it's way through the Twitterverse this morning. Apparently it's about a year old or so, but it's still beautifully shot and great to watch. It shows climber Natalija Gros working a wall with grace and skill. The music is a perfect accompaniment too. Enjoy!



Natalija Gros from Jure Breceljnik on Vimeo.

North Pole 2009: At The Starting Line

The 2009 Arctic Season is just about to get underway, and there are a few updates today from teams that are getting ready to hit the ice.

We'll start with the Calin Arctic Survey Team, who were apparently planning on setting out today, but ran into a few minor snags, and elected to delay a day in order to take care of the issues. Apparently there is an issue with the team's technology and their survival gear, and while the problems are specifically mentioned, they are described as minor, but they felt it was best to address them while still in Resolute Bay rather than dealing with them on the trail. Considering the conditions they are about to set off into, I'd say that was a wise choice. The plan now is to get underway tomorrow, and begin their survey of the arctic ice using a special ground penetrating radar.

Christina Franco is also in Resolute Bay and continues the process of inspecting her gear and packing for her expedition as well. She'll be making a solo expedition to the North Polo, and in order to begin the acclimatization process for the temperatures she'll experience, Christina has been strolling around the rather small town. She reports that while the walks have been short, it doesn't take long for the cold to sting her face. Bad news Christina, you have two months of that ahead!

Finally, some news from the Baffin Babes as well as it seems they are now down a babe. When the girls set out from Qikiqtarjuaq, on Baffin Island, there will be only three of them, as Ingebjoerg Tollefsen has been suffering with a stomach ailment for some time, and will not make the initial trip. Instead, she'll concentrate on getting better, and join her pals in April, hopefully in Clyde River, to finish up the expedition. Get well Ingebjoerg!

Also, if there are any companies out there that want to sponsor the Babes, they note that they still have room on their hats for a sponsor patch. Obviously this would be a highly visible spot for any sponsor, so drop the girls a note if you're interested. Their expedition should receive a good amount of attention.

By next week we should start to get some reports back from the ice. Good luck to all the teams, and remember, don't feed the polar bears.

Sebastian Schnuelle Wins 2009 Yukon Quest

I'm a couple days late on this one, but on Tuesday, Sebastian Schnuelle crossed the finish line in Fairbanks, Alaska, to claim the 2009 Yukon Quest championship. He was followed closely by Hugh Neff, who finished just four minutes back, which is quite remarkable in a race that is over 1000 miles in length. Musher Jon Little arrived in third place, another 1 hour and 4 minutes behind.

The Yukon Quest is one of the top sled dog racing events in the world, and is held annually between Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and Fairbanks, Alaska. In winning this year's race, Schnuelle completed the epic course in 9 days, 23 hours, and 20 minutes. That's a new record time, besting the old record set in 2007 by Lance Mackey by 3 hours and 17 minutes. In fact, the top three racers would all have beaten Mackey's record, giving you an indication of how fast this year's race was. Four-time defending champ Mackey was at the finish line to greet the teams.

Sled dog legend Martin Buser finished in 4th place overall, and was followed very closely by Michelle Phillips who claimed fifth. Some of the mushers and their dogs are still coming in, but the majority have now crossed the finish line. Many will now begin preparing for "The Last Great Race", the Iditarod, which will begin in just 8 days, with the ceremonial start set for Saturday, March 7th.

For Schnuelle, history is not on his side for winning the Iditarod as well. Mackey is the only man to win both in one year. Still, coming of a huge win like this one has to give plenty of confidence as he heads for Anchorage, and his date with destiny.

Will Gadd in ESPN the Magazine

It's not often that climbing, in any of its fashions, is reported on by the mainstream media. And when it is it's generally to report bad news. That's why it's always fun to find a story on a climber in a periodical such as ESPN the Magazine, which has devoted some space to ice climber Will Gadd.

I've posted on Gadd before. He's the globetrotting climber always looking for a new challenge to sink his ice axes into, and he's put up some tough routes all over the planet. He was even on the Jeep World of Adventure Sports when he did some underground ice climbing in an abandoned iron mine in Sweden.

This article is a profile on Will and his approach to ice climbing. ESPN caught up to him in December while he was working a small frozen waterfall in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia's, a short distance from where he lives. The training was preparation for a much bigger, and more challenging, water fall that he had projected to climb this month, with a slew of filmmakers and photographers in tow.

The story goes on to look at some of Will's other climbs, his start in the sport and his motivations. He's one of the top ice climbers in the world, and it's a nice profile that will probably not resonate with much of the ESPN crowd, but it is cool that they at least did the story, and showed him as the athlete that he is. Good stuff.

And check out one of Will's climb videos that they included with the story.

Aconcagua Controversy: Was The Rescue Team Negligent?

There is another controversy that has been brewing in the mountaineering community, this time in regards to a death on Aconcagua back in early January. The reports were that Federico Campanini, an Argentinean climbing guide, and one of his clients, Elena Senin, had died on the mountain. The pair, along with the rest of their team, reached the summit of South America's highest mountain along the usual route, but while they were at the top, a fast moving storm moved into the area. Suddenly blinded by a snowstorm, the team attempted to descend, but accidently went down the more technically challenging Polish Route. According to the story, Federico and Elena fell to their deaths, and the remainder of the team was eventually rescued by a helicopter that plucked them off the mountain.

Early last week a video made its way out onto the Internet that cast a completely different light on the incident. Appearing on YouTube, the video purportedly shows an Aconcagua Search and Rescue Team standing around, doing little to help, while Campanini struggles for his life. There are some indications that he is being cursed by his "rescuers" and at one point, one of them radios back to base to ask permission to leave him behind. Federico also has a rope tied to him and is dragged through the snow, while he crawls on all fours.

Needless to say, I won't link to the video, but you can find out more about it in this post from ExWeb and this story from the National Geographic Adventure Blog.

Of course, the story has once again divided the mountaineering community. There are some who say that the video shows just a small slice of the attempt to rescue Campanini, and that at that point the rescue team was exhausted after hours of trying to assist the Italian climber. In order to get him down, the team was going to have to take him back up the mountain, and down the normal route, and it was proving very difficult to do so. Some would say it was impossible for them to save him at all. These defenders also say that while they do appear to be cursing Campanini, that that is just the manner of their speech and not specifically directed at him.

On the other hand, those critical of what they saw in the video say that the SAR team wasn't doing enough to help Federico, and point to high altitude rescues on Everest, K2, and other major Himalayan peaks to show that it can be done. They also say that more could have been done to help his condition, and no matter what, he didn't need to be cursed or treated poorly.

Over the past few years, following these events, I've learned to not be quick to judge, which is part of the reason why I haven't posted on this story until now. When high on a mountain, with dangerous conditions, things are never black and white, and usually it takes awhile to get the complete story of what happened. I do agree that this video is just a tiny slice of the events, and it doesn't really show us the whole picture, but it doesn't show us a good picture either. At the very least, the SAR team could have tried to make Federico comfortable and showed him so more dignity.

The events that occurred on Aconcagua back on January 8th were indeed tragic, and it's a shame that two people lost their lives on the mountain. Hopefully, at the very least, this incident will shed some light on the need for better rescue training on the mountain, and work to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

My condolences to the families of the two fallen climbers. It is a shame that they have had to suffer this loss, and then to find out this controversy a month later.

Climbing The Atlas Mountains

The TImes Online posted a story a few days back about trekking the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and more specifically a winter climb up Mount Toubkal, a 4167m (13,671 feet) peak that is the tallest in Northern Africa.

The story opens by saying that most climbers going to Africa head to Kilimanjaro to claim the highest peak on the continent, but there are other mountains that are more technically demanding, and far less crowded. Enter Toubkal, a mountain that offers spectacular views of the Atlas Range, the Sahara Desert, and even the Atlantic Ocean. During the winter months, Toubkal requires the use of crampons and ice axes, although once acquainted with those tools, an experienced and conditioned trekker should be able to challenge the summit. All told, the winter climb takes about four days, depending on conditions on the mountain.

The Atlas Mountains have gained an excellent reputation for themselves as a great place for hikers of various skill levels. There are guided treks that pass through villages and offer up some great scenery, and there are more serious ones like this climb that focus on reaching the summit of a peak or two. For anyone interested in going to Morocco, these treks offer the opportunity to explore the remote countryside while still mixing in some cultural experiences.

The article gives good information on when the best time to go is, as well as a link to the guide service they used on their climb. Looks like I have another trip to add to my list!

The Rest of Everest Episode 100: Earn The Turn

Fans of the Rest of Everest got a little extra content earlier this week in the form of a bonus episode in which Rest of Everest regulars Ben Clark and Josh Butson make a ski journey from Ophir To Telluride in Colorado through the San Juan Mountains. It's a fairly short, but very cool video of the duo, joined by another climber, named John Miller, not to be confused with ROE creator Jon Miller, as they explore the beautiful landscapes of Colorado. If you already subscribe to the show in iTunes, the episode will of course automatically download for you.

This weeks regular episode is entitled Earn The Turn and it opens with the team now in base camp, and Annapurna IV looming over head. The guys get their first really good look at the 24,688 foot mountain, which of course looks gorgeous on the video.

Ben, Josh, and Tim soon settle in to BC, and start examining their equipment. Much to their delight, they find that all four sets of their skis arrived in one piece and undamaged. With all the snow right out their backdoor, and some good lines already scouted, the team is anxious to head out and and test their gear on the mountain as well as begin the acclimatization process.

Before long, the team is dropping off a thick cornice, and zipping down the mountain, completing the first descent of a run in the Himalaya. All on video. The guys look like school kids playing on a snow day, completely enjoying their chance to finally get to ski Annapurna IV after months of planning, and days of travel to get there.

More to come next week!

Paddler Circumnavigates The Falkland Islands

Kayaker Marcus Demuth of New York City, became the first person to completely circumnavigate the Falkland Islands, finishing up the 615 mile paddle in 22-days on the open water.

According to Paddling Life, before Damuth's successful attempt, three other similar attempts failed. Two British special forces teams and an American team all tried to the journey, but each of those teams failed in no small part thanks to the crazy, unpredictable weather in the region. The Falklands sit less than 600 miles north of Antarctica, and 300 miles east of Cape Horn, which means cold, powerful, sustained winds buffet the islands.

The unpredictable weather in the Southern Ocean isn't the only thing that Damuth had to contend with on his journey. He also had to navigate through mine fields. Some of the waters surrounding the Falklands still have left over mines from the Falklands War back in the early 80's, and Marcus was forced to navigate using two maps at times. One of those maps was a nautical chart showing the way, and the other was a map of the location of the mines provided by one of the British teams that had previously made the attempt.

You can read more about the Falklands Circumnavigation at Demuth's website, where he has more stories from his days out on the water and plenty of photos too. Great story, and very cool expedition. Congratulations to Marcus for his successful journey.

Himalaya and Karakorum Winter Update: It's Over on Broad Peak!

The Karakorum remains untouched in the winter, as the news from Broad Peak today is that the team has given up on reaching the summit this season, and will now head home.

This morning, Artur Hajzer posted on his blog that the long range weather forecast does not show another window opening until after March 21st, and by that date, winter is over and their chance for claiming a winter summit would be gone. Up until then, the team could expect winds sustained winds in excess of 100 km per hour (62 mph) at the summit, making reaching the top a dangerous, and all but impossible affair.

With the forecast in, the team elected to give up on the dream of climbing the mountain for this year, and they have already begun the process of taking down base camp and preparing to leave the Karakorum. I'm sure they are all feeling a bit sad and disappointed at this news, and after spending more than two months on the mountain, it'll be a bittersweet departure.

This news closes the book on the winter climbing season on the big peaks, and clearly shifts focus to the spring now. As I said in my earlier post today, we're just a few short weeks from the teams heading to Kathmandu, so expect a busy season ahead, with a jam packed South Side on Everest once again.

Congratulations to the entire Broad Peak team. You gave it your best effort guys, and you have nothing to be disappointed about. Most people wouldn't last a week on BP in the winter, and your visit was more than 60 days. The weather just never gave you break.

Everest 2009: North Side Closed Until April 1st, Possibly Beyond

ExWeb is reporting this morning that the North Side of Everest will be closed until at least April 1st and perhaps longer, depending on the situation in Tibet.

Last week I reported that China had taken steps to close Tibet from the outside once again as the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama going into exile grew near. That anniversary takes place in March, and the country is bracing for another round of protests like the ones that took place in the spring last year. Several of those turned violent when the Chinese sent paramilitary police units to crack down on the Tibetans.

When I wrote that story last week, I speculated on what would become of the spring climbing season on Everest's North Side. If Tibet's borders were closed for any length of time, that would mean that climbers wouldn't have access to the mountain. Today, ExWeb says that they've been told that access will be restricted until April 1st, but if there are violent political uprisings or ongoing demonstrations, the Chinese reserve the right to keep the borders closed, and will likely shutdown access to Tibet's other mountains, such as Cho Oyu. In other words, we'd have a repeat of last year, with no teams climbing from the North Side.

On the other hand, if the travel ban is lifted on April 1st as reported, climbers could attempt to summit from the Tibetan side, but at this point, most teams can't take that chance, and as Alan Arnette is reporting on his Everest 2009 page, those planning to climb on the North Side have already begun to change their plans and shifted to the South. That would likely leave the North Side all but deserted at this point regardless if it is open or not. There would probably be a couple of independent climbers giving it a go, and the two announced attempts at making a South to North traverse could move ahead as planned, but other than that, it's beginning to look like the North Side will be very quiet once again in 2009.

It's hard to believe that we're just a month away from the 2009 season getting underway. In just a few weeks, mountaineers will be packing their gear and preparing to leave for Kathmandu. Has it really been almost a year already?

2009 Trans-Mexicana Mountain Bike Race Underway

On Sunday the second annual Trans-Mexicana mountain bike race got underway from the village of Huatulco on Mexico's Pacific Coast. 45 riders have set out on the 765km (475 mile) course that will take them through deserts, dense forests, rolling hill country, and across rivers before eventually ending in Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico Coast on the 1st of March.

The stage race was a big success last year, with some of the top mountain bikers in the world on hand to test their skills. Last year's champ Lupillo Cruz returns to defend his crown, which won't be easy. Cruz won by just 22 seconds in the first Trans-Mexicana, which is practically a photo finish for a race of this length. The course for this year's event is the same as last year, just done in reverse, and the riders can look forward to long climbs guaranteed to have their legs aching, only to reach the top, so they can bomb down the other side.

Corey Wallace, who finished second last year, has already begun filing race reports over at SleepMonsters.com. He has a some pre-race thoughts posted here as well as an update from the field after the first two stages, which he's posted here.

After last year's Trans-Mexicana I heard lots of great things from a couple of riders. It seems that it's wonderfully challenging rides during the day, and a great experience at night in the villages that they pass through. There is said to be a great camaraderie out on the course as well with everyone having fun and enjoying the trip across Mexico. Looks like a great event.

Hera Foundation Kicks Off Climb4LIfe Event

The Hera Women's Cancer Foundation will kick off their fourth annual Climb For Life program in the Washington D.C. area on Friday, February 27th, with the fundraising event continuing through March 28th.

The month long event is designed to raise funds for research on the causes and cures for ovarian cancer. Participants raise funds by getting sponsors then going to the Earth Treks in Rockville, Maryland and Sportrock in Sterling, Virginia climbing gyms where they will challenge themselves by taking rock climbing classes and tackling difficult climbs on the indoor rock walls.

Registration for the event is a mere $30, which gets you a punch card for 11 days of admissions to the rock gym over the course of the month, a goodie bag full of swag and a sheet for keeping track of progress and raising funds. All of the money raised goes to the support ovarian cancer research at Johns Hopkins University.

For more information send an e-mail to: rkrafch@rei.com.

The Greatest Backpacks Never Made!

This video comes from the GoBlog who in turn picked it up from The Piton. It's a great parody of the gear industry and some of the things they've come up with over the years to sell bigger and better stuff. I'm a self confessed pack addict, and I'm finding it very hard to resist the Archwood Flextrek 37 Trillion ZXYVR/M-Series Magnum Package. If anyone knows where I can get one of these to review, let me know.

North Pole 2009: Christina is in Resolute Bay

As the calendar approaches March, the Arctic season begins to ramp up, with teams putting the final touches on their preparation. The Baffin Babes intend to head off to Baffin Island in early March, where they'll be spending 80 days out on the ice exploring the remote region of Canada. I mentioned yesterday that Pen Hadow and his team were finishing their packing and preparing to get underway late this week, and his team was joined by another arctic explorer in Canada this morning.

In her latest blog post, Christina Franco reports that she has reached Resolute Bay after 12 hours of travel and three flights from Ottawa. She was greeted with the kind of weather that she can expect for the foreseeable future as well, with -32º temperatures, and high winds pushing it to 50 below wind chills.

Christina reports that the area is "abuzz with activity" right now, with a number of teams preparing to get underway. Her gear and supplies are in place and she'll be organizing them over the next few days as she makes final preparations before setting out as well. Her post doesn't mention when she expects to leave, but I would imagine she hopes to get underway this by this weekend or early next week at the latest.

Her expedition will be a solo attempt on the North Pole, with a scheduled resupply somewhere en route. If successful, she'll become the first woman to make such a journey, and she'll be one of the people I'll be following closely in the weeks ahead. Good luck Christina!

Himalaya and Karakorum Winter Update: Waiting For Another Chance

The waiting game continues on Broad Peak, where the team sits in base camp hoping for a four day weather window to open to allow them another crack at the summit. While they wait, there have been a couple of updates from the mountain that Explorers Web has compiled together to give us an idea of what the team is facing.

The opening paragraphs of the article actually put the winter climb into perspective saying the following:

Imagine yourself camping out for over two months on the top of Mount Whitney (4421 m/14,505 ft) or Mont Blanc (4,810 m) - in winter. In Broad Peak BC (+5000 m) climbers are using the slow, cold and neverending days to post reports on their recent summit push.

To get the proper idea - imagine winter climbing to the top of Mount McKinley (6,193 m/20,320 ft) followed by a restless night at the top of Aconcagua (6,962 metres/22,841 ft) - and you're still not there!

Whoa! Now that gives us just a slight understanding of what the Broad Peak team has been going through for the past two months. Crazy stuff! It certainly gives me a new appreciation of how difficult it must be to just be killing time in BC, waiting for a chance to do something. Anything!

Meanwhile, both Don Bowie and Artur Hajzeer have updated their respective blogs with insight into their first summit attempt. Both tell a similar story, albeit in very different styles, of how poor the weather was and how difficult it was for them to go up the mountain. They did go as high as Camp 3, but the conditions were not safe to go beyond that point, and the team was exhausted from the grueling climb and the sleepless nights at altitude with winds whipping around them.

With an indomitable spirit, the mountaineers have not given up, despite two very long months on the mountain. Artur wonders in his writing if the Karakorums can be bested in the winter months, and if they'll even get another shot at it. A four day weather window, at this point, must seem as common as a Yeti.

Rock Climbing News: Sharma Does it Again, New Kid on the Block!

I'm kind of use to these stories from Climbing.com about Chris Sharma putting up another nearly impossible route by now. After all, the guy has now climbed four 5.15 routes in a year's time, completing his most recent climb last Friday when he finished off the first ascent on a 5.15a in Spain, which he promptly named Demencia Senil. Sharma just keeps pushing the boundaries of the sport and one of the most amazing athletes in the world, although hardly anyone outside of the climbing community knows his name.

What I'm not use to is reading about a 13-year old kid who is polishing off tough routes of his own. In this case it's a young man by the name of Geoffray de Flaugergues of France, who completed the El Templo del Café, a route with a 5.14d rating. Last year, at the age of 12, Geoffray was taking on, and conquering, 5.14c routes, successfully completing three of them.

That same story mentions another 13-year old, David Firnenburg from Germany, who climbed in Margalef, Spain in 2008, completing two 5.14a routes in the process.

It seems that there is a very talented crop of young climbers on the rise, and they're already on the scene to make us all feel bad. That is some seriously impressive climbing out of these two young men, and we could be witnessing the Chris Sharma's of the future. When I was there age, I had a tough enough time just climbing a ladder.

North Pole 2009: Pen Hadow's Going Back, Adventure has the Interview!

The only person to ever make a solo and unassisted expedition to the North Pole from the Canadian side, Pen Hadow, is going back this year, and he'll be taking a high-tech device designed to measure the thickness of the ice with him. National Geographic Adventure has a great interview with the man, who is preparing to depart on his latest polar journey soon.

Back in 2003, Pen completed his epic solo expedition from Canada to the North Pole, going solo all the way. This time out, he'll be joined by teammates Ann Daniels and Martin Hartley as part of the Catlin Arctic Survey, whose mission will be to use a ground penetrating radar to take precise measurements of the ice in the Arctic. They'll be covering roughly 1,245 miles on their journey in effort to accurately map the ice at the North Pole for the first time, and measure the impact of global climate change on the region.

In the interview, Pen talks about how he mentally and physically prepares for his expeditions, and what it's like to be out on the ice for prolonged periods of time. He says that he misses good food the most. He also touches on his unusual upbringing that helped prepare him for a life as a polar explorer, and a host of other things.

According to the teams latest dispatches, they are in the final phases of packing and should be setting out on the journey soon. In fact, the countdown clock on their website currently reads a bit over six days until they get underway, and that's probably a good indicator for the North Pole season as a whole. Just like clockwork, as things quiet down at the South Pole, there are a few weeks of rest, and things crank up once again at the North.

For more on Pen, check out his website at PenHadow.com.

Tour of California: Leipheimer Wins!

The 2009 Tour of California came to an end yesterday with two time defending champion Levi Leipheimer claiming his third victory in a row, as his Team Astana escorted him to victory and took the team title in the process.

Yesterday's course was a long and challenging one, covering nearly 97 miles through the mountains of California, including a slog up Mt. Palomar, a beyond categorization climb that peaked out at 5123 feet. With its 21 turns, Mt. Palomar is referred to as the Alpe d'Huez of the ToC, in reference to the famed mountain stage of the Tour de France. While on Palomar, there was an attack made on Leipheimer, but he rose to the occasion, stuck with his closest rivals, and rode home to victory. David Zabriskie of Team Garmin-Slipstream took second place, while Michael Rogers of Team Columbia-Highroad was third. Other notables included Lance Armstrong finishing in 7th place overall, and Floyd Landis of Team OUCH taking 23rd with his return to the professional ranks.

All in all it was a good week of racing, and it seems that Tour of California has earned a reputation for being a tough tune-up for the season ahead. The weather early in the week was wet and cold, but the sun shone through at the end and made it a bit easier on the riders. All told, more than 2 million spectators turned out to watch the race, largely to see Lance, making it the largest sporting event in the history of California.

Congrats to Levi and Team Astana on a job well done. It seems like Lance's comeback is going about as well as can be expected at this point too.

Preview the Primal Quest TV Episodes Now

The television broadcast of Primal Quest Montana will begin soon in 35 countries worldwide on the Voom Network, with four half-hour long episodes that capture amazing footage of the race in an equally amazing setting. But you can now get a sneak preview of each of those episodes online by clicking here.

The team that filmed, edited, and produced the television episodes are amongst the best in the business when it comes to adventure sports, and the quality shows through in these episodes. Fans of the sport of adventure racing are in for a real treat when the show begins airing and the DVD become available this spring.

For someone who isn't familiar with adventure racing, these previews, and the episodes that will follow, are a great place to get acquainted with not only the sport, but with Primal Quest and the athletes who take part in it. These are some of the greatest endurance athletes on the planet, and you will be very impressed with what they go through just to reach the finish line.

The Voom Network has, unfortunately, ceased operations in the U.S., so the airing of the four episodes is not yet scheduled here. While I can't say a lot about what is happening to get Primal Quest broadcast here, I can tell you that there are on going negotiations right now, with several interested broadcast partners, so hopefully we'll have an announcement on the subject soon.

For now, enjoy these previews though, as they are a glimpse of what you can expect in the full episodes, and really help to demonstrate what Primal Quest is all about.

ShAFF 2009 Begins This Week!

The 2009 Sheffield Adventure Film Festival kicks off this Friday, Feb. 27th and will run through the upcoming weekend. In its fourth iteration, the ShAFF is adding more films, activities, and guest then ever before, making it one of the premiere adventure film fests anywhere.

More than 50 films will be shown over the course of the three days that the event run. These films cover the gamut of outdoor activities, with climbing, climbing, skiing, kayaking, mountaineering, and a host of other activities well represented. Many of the films are award winners from other festivals, but some will be making their debut at ShAFF itself.

In addition to all of these great films, there is an impressive list of guests that will be making an appearance as well, including Chris Sharma, Adele Pennington, Ron Fawcett and more. Throw in plenty of live music, a climbing wall, orienteering sessions, and lots more activities, and you'll have a weekend full of fun and adventure.

Check out the trailer for ShAFF below. It gives you a good idea of what is on tap for everyone in attendance. For more information on how to get tickets click here, and for a complete schedule of events click here. I sure wish I were in the U.K. this weekend to attend. Looks like it's going to be a great time.

The Greatest Travel Adventures From History

I posted this same story over at Gadling this morning, but it's a good one to share here too. Forbes Traveler has a cool story up on the world's most famous travel adventures, listing some of history's most compelling journeys that we can still do today as well.

An example of some of the adventures that make their list is the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which we can still do today in the form of a five day canoe trip on the Missouri River offered by Row Adventures. Or, you can follow in the mythical footsteps of The Odyssey with a sailing adventure in the Mediterranean courtesy of Travel Dynamics International.

Other great historical journeys that appear on the Forbes list include Marco Polo's travels on the Silk Road and for the truly adventurous, a circumnavigation of the glove in the footsteps of Ferdinand Magellan.

There is a little something for everyone on the list, including leisurely tours on big ships, trekking through remote areas, and horseback riding in Patagonia. The best part is that some of these will be more affordable than ever in 2009 thanks to a slow down in travel. So, if you've ever had the urge to follow in the footsteps of the famous explorers of the past, now is your chance!

Tour of California: Time Trial Underway

Today's stage of the Tour of California is a 15 mile course with a steady climb to begin and a steady descent near the end, and as I write this, it is happening live. This is the first chance I've had to check out the live coverage on the ToC website, and I have to say it is very impressive. If you haven't seen it, check it out here. There is updated standings, picture-in-picture of the riders on their bikes, and great commentary. Looks great as well. This is the future of following sporting events. Really great stuff.

Heading into today, the standings really haven't changed much since I last wrote about the race a few days back. Levi Leipheimer is in first place, followed by Michael Rogers, with David Zabriskie in third. Lance Armstrong is holding down the fourth spot, while teammate Christopher Horner is in fifth. The other big name returning the sport, Floyd Landis, was in 38th place heading into today.

It has been a strong showing by the Astana team thus far, and Levi is expected, barring some strange accident, to take the win. The weather has improved in the last two days, with the sun, finally, showing up, so that makes it a bit easier for the riders, and keeps them from having to be overly cautious. And with so many Astana teammates close by, Levi will remain well protected to the end.

Lance will be riding his time trial bike that was stolen earlier in the week today. It was recovered a few days back and quickly re-configured for him. On a funny note however, a second TT bike was sent his way by Trek so that it would be ready for today's event, and it was identical to the one that was recovered save for a tiny sticker that read: "Ride it like you stole it!" These cyclists have a sense of humor at least! :)

China Closes Tibet Again!

To quote the great Yogi Berra it's "like deja vu all over again". While reading Alan Arnette's Everest 2009 page, I came across his link to this story over at the Telegraph that reports that China has shut down all foreign access to Tibet once again this year.

The article says that on Wednesday, the Chinese Tourism Ministry contacted tourist agencies who were booking travel to Tibet and told them to cancel trips "for the foreseeable future". One tour operator is quoted as saying that he expects the ban on travel will continue for "at least the next couple of months." You may recall that China closed down Tibet last year as well, in the wake of several demonstrations, that turned violent at times.

And what is prompting the Chinese to close the border again this year? Well, March 10th marks the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama going into exile, and more protests are expected. The Telegraph says that tensions there have already begun to rise, with some Tibetans already protesting and 24 people reportedly arrested.

Of course, what this means to climbers who were planning on going to Everest's North Side remains to be seen. There were some indications that guide services were planning on light activity on that side of the mountain, but it was never very clear if it would be open at all. At least two climbers were planning on making a traverse of the mountain as well, climbing the South Side from Nepal and after reaching the summit, going down the North Face into Tibet. Those plans may be in jeopardy at this point, but we'll have to wait and see.

The other distressing element to this story is that tourism is a big part of the Tibetan economy, and without the money coming in from visitors, many of the people there will be unable to make a living. Things have actually been tight since last year's crack down, and this will make it all the more challenging. It remains to be seen if this will be an extended shutdown, but from the sounds of things, it is quite grim. One thing is for sure, a lot of teams climbing on the South Side will be breathing a sigh of relief that they hadn't counted on the North being open this year.

The 100 Greatest Adventure Books

National Geographic Adventure has posted their selection of the 100 Greatest Adventure Books of all time, making the complete list available online for fans looking to fill out their personal library.

As you would expect, the list is filled with classics from the adventure genre. In the introductory paragraphs that accompany the list, it is revealed that those who compiled it took great pains to stay focused on what is "adventure". They ruled out travel and nature books for the most part, and left out books that didn't involve at least a measure of physical risk and daring. They also admit to leaning towards first person accounts over retellings, preferring to hear the story in the explorer/adventurers own words.

We've seen lists like these before, and most the usual suspects make Adventure's list as well, but that doesn't mean that they aren't all deserving to be on the list. The top ten in particular are especially great, and if you haven't read anything in that group, then get yourself to a bookstore, or at least Amazon.com, immediately.

The list also includes a place for us to leave our own comments and suggestions. So, if you think that there is something missing, or disagree with a ranking, be sure to let 'em know. Perhaps there has been something released recently that has been overlooked. These kinds of lists are evolving, and fun to talk about. They also tend to be hard on my wallet and free time.

Himalaya and Karakorum Winter Update: "Butts Kicked" on Video!

Don Bowie has updated his blog with news from Broad Peak on the team's recent attempt at a summit bid that went as high as Camp 3 before turning back. He also included a little video to show all us back home, safe and warm, just how bad it was.

Don believes the mountain is out to get them as they faced winds in excess of 100 km/h (62 mph) and temperatures that hovered near -35º C (-31º F). Throw on top of that a never ending assault by snow and ice, and you begin to understand the conditions they were attempting to summit in. Don and the rest of the boys made it as high as 7000 meters, where they had previously established C3, but once their tent collapsed, they knew it was time to go down.

The team is momentarily defeated, but they have not given up yet. In fact, they are waiting for their next weather window, and one member of the team, Amin Ullah, actually climbed from BC to C3 last Saturday to put another tent in place for the next attempt. That's a vertical gain of more than 2000m in one day for anyone scoring along at home. Impressive stuff.

Don promises more of an update soon, but for now, check out the video below, and gain a little sympathy for their suffering.


High winds to Camp 2 from Calpinist.com on Vimeo.

Climbing Bridal Veil Falls

I came across two very cool articles regarding the recent successful climb of Bridal Veil Falls in Colorado by Erik Weihenmayer and Chad Jukes. Most people know that Weihenmayer lost his sight as a teenager, and famously went on to summit Everest, but his climbing partner Jukes is an amputee who lost his right leg below the knee from in injury in Iraq. Together they make quite an inspirational duo, tackling the 360 foot falls, along with veteran guide Mike Gibbs.

I first posted on this story over at the Primal Quest site earlier today, where we had a great first hand account of the climb written by my friend Craig Stein, who I met at last year's race. Craig had the opportunity to interview both Erik and Chad about their climb, and what it was like scaling one of the most challenging and demanding ice climbs in North America. The photo that accompanies this post was taken by Craig, and you can see more of his work on his website at PhotoExpress-It.com.

The National Geographic Adventure Blog has also posted an interview with Weihenmayer in which they talk about the climb, how he prepares for a tough route like this one, both physically and mentally, and much much more. The photo that accompanies that story also does a great job of giving the scale of the climb, and apparently the whole affair was being filmed by Serac Adventure Films for an upcoming release.

Very cool story that helps you reassess what can and can't be done. Amazing climb for both Erik and Chad.

Want To Be A Gear Tester?

Outside Online, the official website for Outside Magazine, is putting the call out to the online adventure community looking for some gear testers to contribute reviews to both the website and the magazine. They're looking for knowledgeable people who can effectively evaluate gear and then write a solid review on it for publication in their gear blog, aptly titled "Fresh Loot".

If you're interested in joining the Outside Gear Army, simply drop an e-mail to geararmy@outsidemag.com. All submissions should include the following two things, and I quote directly from the Outside website:

1. Your concise (under 100 words) qualifications as a gear tester. Please be specific, and include which products you are qualified and willing to review.
2. A sample review, within your area of expertise, for a product that you currently own and is still on the market. No more than 200 words.

So, there you have it. This is your chance at fame and fortune, or at least some free gear and your name on a popular website! What more can you ask for??

Update on M/V Ocean Nova

Yesterday I posted about the Antarctic cruise ship the M/V Ocean Nova running aground in Marguerite Bay with 106 passengers and crew on board. The last we heard the ship was waiting for high tide to come in to free her from the rocks, and allow her to hit the open waters once again.

Both Quark Expeditions, the company operating the Ocean Nova and the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) have posted updates today stating that the ship has successfully floated out with the high tide and is now making its way back to Ushuaia in Argentina for inspection before the resumption of service. You can read Quark's updates here and the IAATO's here.

Preliminary indications are that the ship has suffered no damage and is not leaking fuel or any other substances. Divers inspected the vessel and took video, which was then reviewed throughly before the ship left Marguerite Bay. It is now believed that the Ocean Nova will return to service in a matter of days.

Yesterday all the passengers on board the ship were transferred to a second vessel, the M/V Adventure Clipper and are now en route back to Ushuaia as well. They are all reportedly in good spirits and fine health, and enjoying the last part of the journey. Normal activities continue on board the ship, and according to some accounts one of the passengers proposed to his girlfriend. I'm assuming she accepted. I mean, how much worse can it get at this point? ;)

The Rest of Everest Episode 99: Up... To The Bottom

With the latest episode of The Rest of Everest, the trek to base camp on Annapurna IV comes to an end with the team arriving at the bottom of the mountain after wandering the Annapurna Circuit over the course of the last few episodes.

In Episode 99: Up... To The Bottom, climbers Ben Clark and Josh Butson continue to tell the story of their adventure to Jon Miller, creator of the Rest of Everest podcast. This episode kicks off with the team already in the shadow of Annapurna IV and finishing off the last portions of the trek. Early video shots give you a great perspective of just how large everything is in the Himalaya and it's hard to not be awed by the scale of the mountains there.

Upon arrival to base camp, the porters go to work helping to set up what will become home for the next several weeks for the climbers. BC is located at 15,500 feet, and the 24,000 summit looms over the place. While base camp is set up, the guys relax, take in the scenery, and checkout the challenge ahead. This episode ends with the team still getting settled and preparing to go from approach mode to climbing.

Check out the full video here or grab it directly in iTunes by clicking here.

On a side note, I want to send my congratulations on to Jon Miller for his 100th episode. While this one is labeled number 99, the show actually began at Episode 0, making this truly the 100th episode of the podcast. That's an impressive milestone to pass, especially with a show of this high quality and great production values. So, congrats Jon! Here's to a hundred more!

Breaking News: Lance's Bike Found!!

A few days back the news broke, via Twitter, that Lance Armstrong's time trial bike for the Tour of California had been stolen. Apparently it has been found, by a Sacramento police officer. As you would expect, it was up on blocks, and its tires were missing. ;) The bike is valued at over $10,000. I'm sure Lance is happy to have his wheels back.

Hillary's Route Up Everest Mapped From Space

Another cool story today courtesy of The Adventure Life. This time it's about an amazing image, taken by NASA, of Mt. Everest from space. They've also overlaid the route that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay used when the first went to the summit back in 1953.

The image was taken with the GeoEye's Ikonos satellite in 2001, and the route to the summit was later added. It begins just below the Khumbu Icefalls, and winds its way up the Western Cwm in the shadow of both Everest, and Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world, which is also clearly seen in the shot.

From there, the route turns up the South Col and towards the summit, in what has become the traditional route up the mountain. These days, dozens of climbers top out using this same route each year, so it's easy to forget that when Hillary and Norgay did it, it was still unexplored territory and there were sections that needed to be overcome. After all, they don't call it the Hillary Step for nothing!

You can read more about the image as well as grab a large 1 megabyte hi-res version, by clicking here. As of this writing, the link to the higher resolution version appears to be not working, but hopefully they'll replace soon. Very cool stuff!

Virgin Global Row Update: Another Frustrating Week for Olly

Opening up the Virgin Global Row webpage is always a bit of a scary prospect. I click on the link and hold my breath until the Google map loads up displaying Olly's position and the path he has taken to get there. Early on, over the course of the first few days, that was a nice progressive line, showing him, and his row boat the Flying Carrot, making good progress through the Southern Ocean, starting off from Hobart in Tasmania. But a few days in, the high winds and crashing waves picked up, and Olly was simply rowing to try to not lose ground.

Checking the British adventurer's progress today, and it looks like it has, once again, been a very frustrating week for him. The weather continues to make headway difficult, and he has once again given ground, despite dropping the heaviest sea anchor he has onboard. The end result is that Olly has been in a virtual holding pattern for the past two weeks, while he waits for the winds to give way. Despite all that, he's holding on to his sense of humor. When it was suggested that he sacrifice a little of his whiskey supply to the sea gods in an attempt to appease them, he replied: "steady on methinks, things are'nt thhat bad yet! Perhaps peanuts - got loads of them...."

Today's update gives us a little insight into why he loves the sea so much. After rowing some, and making a bit of progress, he ran into the first signs of life he's seen in some time in form of a pod of killer whales swimming by. The giant mammals passed within 150 yards of the boat and gave a little spark to the day, which Olly suggests may have been a new personal record for negative mileage in one day. Hang in there mate!

For those who haven't been following the Global Row, it is the attempt by Olly Hicks to circumnavigate around Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. When he set out, Olly expected the trip to take roughly 500 days or so, but progress has been slow to say the least. The journey has never been successfully completed before, as there are few opportunities to rescue someone in the remote and treacherous waters below the 50th parallel.

2009 Patagonia Expedition Adventure Race: Helly Hansen Wins!

After six days of intense racing, through some of the most beautiful and physically demanding terrain on the planet, Helly Hansen-Prunesco has won the 2009 Patagonia Expedition Adventure Race.

The team actually led the race wire to wire, starting off with a strong opening leg in the kayaks that put them out in front and propelled them to victory, crossing the finish line on Monday night. Helly Hansen, from the U.K., were actually pushed hard near the end by Team Buff of Spain, who eventually had to withdraw from the event due to injury. Defending champs Team Easy Implant of France were expected to take second place, while teams Calleva of the U.S. and Spirit Canada, of well, Canada, were battling it out for third. Those teams may have crossed the finish line by now, but no word has been posted yet. The Canadians managed to lose their SPOT tracking device, so it was also difficult to track their progress.

The teams faced harsh weather throughout the race, with high winds, heavy rain, cool temperatures, and even hail appearing at various times. The Patagonian weather is legendary for its extreme conditions and unpredictability, and it's one of the elements that makes this a fun and exciting race to follow.

Congrats to Helly Hansen-Prunesco for the big win. Now keep the momentum rolling by coming to Primal Quest in August!

Antarctic Cruise Ship Runs Aground, Here We Go Again!

In what has become an increasingly familiar story, another Antarctic cruise ship has run aground, this time on the rocks in Marguerite Bay, along the Antarctic Peninsula. According to this dispatch from Quark Expeditions, the M/V Ocean Nova is still sitting on the rocks, with its 106 passengers on board, waiting for the high tide to come up and dislodge them, so they can continue their voyage. At this time, there doesn't appear to be any damage to the hull.

According to this story over at The Adventure Life, high winds forced the Ocean Nova onto the rocks, where it still sits after one high tide has come and gone, without the ship breaking free. The next high tide was expected to come at midnight local time, but there has been no word yet if that attempt was successful either.

In a post to his blog this morning, Jon Bowermaster shares his doubts as to whether or not the ship will be able to break free with the tide. Jon was in Marguerite Bay twice this past December, and says that it will take unusually high tides to free the ship, in his opinion. As events unfold south of the Antarctic Circle, watch his blog for more updates and information.

Fortunately, the ship has been inspected, and doesn't seem to be leaking fuel at this time. The power onboard is still functioning, and the passengers and crew are going about their normal business, albeit while stuck on the rocks. But this story is another reminder that we're playing on borrowed time in the Antarctic. We've had too many stories just like this one in recent years, and I feel that it could be only a matter of time before something tragic happens.

I'll post updates as I find them.

Tour of California: Three Stages Done!

I haven't posted much on the Tour of California this week, even though I've been following the progress the past few days. It seems like it's been a challenging and demanding race thus far, and not just because of the course. Cool, wet weather, has made for long days on the bike, with Lance Armstrong saying "Holy hell. That was terrible. Maybe one of the toughest days I've had on a bike, purely based on the conditions" when describing Sunday's Stage 1 ride. It's days like those that must make him wonder why he came out of retirement.

As of today, Armstrong's teammate on Astana Levi Leipheimer is the overall leader, and is reportedly riding very strong, despite bumping tired with Lance today and going down. Leipheimer was unhurt however, and quickly rejoined his teammates. Lance had an accident of his own on the second stage, and also quickly recovered. The wet conditions are no doubt a big reason for some of these accidents.

The second place rider is currently Michael Rogers of Team Columbia and David Zabriskie of the Garmen-Slipstream Team is riding in third. Lance himself is holding down the fourth spot, with Astana teammate Christopher Hor is in fifth. Floyd Landis, making his return to professional riding following a two year ban, is making a strong showing for himself in 29th place, riding for Team OUCH.

Tomorrow's Stage 4 will run from Merced to Clovis over a 105 mile (167km) course. The stage will begin and end with long flat sections, but the middle of the stage will have several climbs. The big question will be what impact the weather will have. At this point, the riders would love to have a warm, dry day.

The Tour of California will continue through Sunday, with a time trial scheduled for Friday. No word on if Armstrong has replaced his $10,000 TT bike that was stolen on Sunday, but my guess is Trek managed to find him another one. ;)

Flash Flood Caught on Video

This video was featured on the Paddling Life's video clip of the day when I swung by there earlier. It's of a sudden flash flood on Sarapiqui River in Costa Rica, which goes from an almost dry river bed to crazy rapids in a matter of about 30 seconds or so. The video was shot by some people standing by on the river banks, and their commentary is in Spanish, but occasionally it'll switch to (not safe for work) English, which had me chuckling a bit while watching the video too. Pretty crazy.

Everest 2009: 24 Hours on the Summit

For most people who climb Everest, the summit is a fleeting experience. You spend weeks acclimatizing and preparing to go up, then several days on the summit bid itself, with the last day stretching for hours, only to spend a few minutes on top of the world, and then heading back down.

That scenario will not be the case for Pemba Dorje Sherpa, Nima Gyalzen Sherpa and Phurba Tenzing Sherpa, three brothers from Nepal, who intend to summit the mountain this spring, then spend 24 hours on top in prayer. They intend to carry a statue of Buddha with them and promise to remain at the summit regardless of the weather conditions.

Between the three of them they have 16 successful Everest summits, and when the reach the top this time, they'll set up a small tent, straddling the border between Nepal and Tibet, and go inside to conduct their prayers. The don't intend to sleep at all, and will instead be concentrating on praying for peace in not only their home country, but the World as a whole.

The current record for staying on the summit is currently at 20 hours, set by Babu Shiri Sherpa. Out of respect, the brothers did not want to go after the record while he was alive, but he passed died on the mountain in 2001, so they felt the time was right now.

Obviously they'll be facing a number of issues with being at the summit for so long, but the Sherpas are notoriously strong at altitude, which leaves the raw elements for them to deal with. High winds and very cold temperatures will most likely be their most pressing concerns. Hopefully they'll choose their summit date wisely come spring.

Read more about the attempt in this article from the BBC, and thanks to the Outside Blog for the heads up on this story.

Himalaya and Karakorum Winter Update: Broad Peak Summit Bid Over

A quick update from Broad Peak this morning courtesy of ExWeb who posted the news that the team gave up on the summit bid that was initiated over the weekend and have now returned to base camp.

According to the story, the six climbers who were part of the summit attempt, made it as high as Camp 3, which was established at 7000m about a month back, but high winds on the mountain made it difficult to proceed any higher, and after three sleepless days, they elected to go down and rest in BC.

Now, we'll have to wait and see if they can give it another go. It's entirely in the hands of the weather at this point, although supplies are likely starting to get low as well, and the last report said that getting a helicopter to restock them had proven fruitless thanks to the weather as well. I'm sure they are all debating what to do next at this very moment, and watching the weather reports to see if there is a window in the immediate future.

For now, Broad Peak, and all the 8000m mountains in the Karakorum range of Pakistan, remain unclimbed in winter. Will it stay that way for another year? Only time will tell at this point.

East Face of Central Tower of Paine Free Climbed

Climbing.com has some details on a team consisting of Belgian and American climbers who put up a free climb along the South African Route of the East Face of the Central Tower of Paine in the Patagonia region of Chile. It is believed to be just the third ascent of this route since it was first established back in 1973-1974. It is also the first time that the 4000 foot East Face has been free climbed at all.

The three men, Nico Favresse, Sean Villanueva, and Ben Ditto, spent 13 days on the wall, and according to a post on the expedition's website, all but two of those days were spent climbing. The weather was bad enough on those two days to confine them to their tent, and it wasn't a whole lot better the other days either, but they still managed to make progress along a wall that is amongst the most challenging in the world.

For a small sense of the fun they had wile climbing, not to mention some scary views from their portaledge, checkout the video below. Looks like they had a great, time, but watch that last step... Congrats guys!

What Would Darwin Think?

Jon Bowermaster has written a very thoughtful post today entitled "What Would Darwin Think?" that takes a hard look at the impact of man on the Galapagos Islands, a place that is forever linked to the naturalist who developed the Theory of Evolution.

As Jon notes, last week was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin, and many around the globe took time to acknowledge the day, myself included. Lost amidst all the hoopla surrounding Darwin Day however, is that the Galapagos, a place that he made famous, now finds its environment in danger because of the encroachment of man on that place. According to Jon, in the past ten years the population of the island has risen from about 1500 people to a permanent settlement of more than 25,000 on Santa Cruz, the largest of the islands. All of those people, in a place that can't naturally sustain them, is taking its toll in more ways than one and Rafael Correa, the President of Ecuador, is taking steps to limit access to the islands in order to protect the place that has become known as Darwin's Laboratory.

The Galapagos Archipelago is located about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, and consists of 13 main islands, 6 smaller ones, and dozens of islets. The place became famous when Darwin wrote his book The Origin of Species, in which he talked about the diversity of life in the Galapagos, when noting how the same species evolved in unique ways on the different islands. That legacy has led to it becoming a popular place for adventure travelers, looking to experience that diversity of life for themselves.

So? What would Darwin think today? Would he be horrified by our impact on these remote places? Would he be fascinated to see how the creatures on the Galapagos would react to man? It's hard to know for sure, but an upcoming film that Jon is working on will attempt to look at that very question. It certainly is an interesting question to speculate on.

Lakpa Rita Sherpa Summits Kilimanjaro

A few weeks back I posted about Lakpa Rita Sherpa and his quest to become the first Sherpa to climb all of the Seven Summits. At the time, Lakpa was preparing to fly off to Africa to take on Kilimanjaro, the final mountain still on his list. Last Friday, he reached the summit, and achieved that goal.

According to his Climb Africa Blog Lakpa, and is friend Joe Puryear, reached the rooftop of Africa at 6:20 AM local time, amidst perfect weather, affording them a great view of the savannah below as the sun rose over Tanzania. On Saturday morning, Feb. 14th, they completed their descent of the mountain and were relaxing back in Arusha. The climbers went up the Machame Route, one of the more challenging, but picturesque trails to the top. They completed the climb in just five days. The blog promises more photos soon, but has a higher resolution version of the one included with this post of Lakpa at Uhuru Peak.

Congratulations to Lakpa and Joe on a job well done, and double congrats to Lakpa for wrapping up all of the Seven Summits. It took awhile to reach the goal (Lakpa topped out on Everest, the first of his seven summits, back in 1990), but it is now complete. An already very impressive, and extensive, climbing resume just got even more impressive.

And be sure to check out Sherpa Adventure Gear, for some very cool outdoor products. Lakpa is one of their sponsored athletes/ambassadors and provides insight on gear design.

Himalaya and Karakorum Winter Update: Summit Push on Broad Peak!

While Simone and Denis may have completed their quest to summit Makalu last week, the team on Broad Peak has continued to toil away. For days they waited in base camp, just hoping for an opportunity to go up, and over the weekend that opportunity came at long last.

According to ExWeb, the BP team started up the mountain on Friday, with an eye on reaching the summit today. The last dispatch from the mountain came on Saturday, when Don Bowie reported that six members of the team shared a tent at C2, where they were reportedly waiting out the high winds before proceeding upwards. If everything stayed on schedule, that would have put them in a position to make their bid today, but as of this writing, there has been no word from the team.

In this case, no news is probably good news, because if the team had descended back to BC, we probably would have heard something, but moving up the mountain could have easily prevented them from making more dispatches. Hopefully we'll here something definitive soon, as we may be on the verge of history in the Karakorum, since none of the 8000m peaks there have been climbed in winter.

Meanwhile, to see what it was like for Simone and Denis, check out the video they posted on their blog that shows their final day on the mountain as they made their summit bid. Even under all those heavy clothes, Denis' body language clearly shows his relief at reaching the top. Great video and I'd post it here if I could, but you'll just have to follow the link.

The First Zero-Emissions Research Station in Antarctic Goes Online

The Princess Elisabeth research station went online in Antarctica yesterday, marking the first zero-emissions facility on the Antarctic continent, as the nations operating there begin to take a more environmentally friendly approach to conducting their studies.

The station was built by the Belgian government, after tasking the International Polar Foundation, founded by Alain Hubert and Professors André Berger and Hugo Decleir to design a state of the art facility that not only studies climate change but also limits its own footprint. The Princess Elisabeth also happens to be the first project of its kind completed in a single austral summer, during 2007-2008.

As part of the "zero emissions" approach, the station also uses only renewable energy sources, with power generated by the wind. It's also been built from the ground up to be ecologically friendly and energy efficient, with great care taken to limit its impact on the environment its been designed to study. Up to 16 scientists can be housed in the facility, which is expected to begin conducting its first experiments later this year.

The Princess Elisabeth is a very cool project. First, it looks like something out of a science fiction movie, and secondly I think it's great that Belgium has taken these steps to create a sustainable laboratory that can continue to explore and research Antarctica while leaving as little impact on the place as possible.

Photos by R. Robert / International Polar Foundation

Update: This video was passed along in the comments by Louis-Philippe Loncke, who is rightfully proud of his country's new research station. This gives us a glimpse of what it is like inside.

Tour of California Off to Auspicious Start for Lance

The Tour of California officially gets underway today, with the first stage running from Davis to Santa Rosa, covering a distance of 107 miles (173km). Fabian Cancellara will begin the day in the yellow jersey after winning yesterday's Prologue. The stage will get underway at noon local time.

But, it's already been a rough morning for Lance Armstrong, who awoke to find that the Astana team truck was broken into over night, and his time trial bike was stolen from inside. The bike, pictured here, is one of a kind, and as Lance says in his Twitter feed, it'll be tough to pawn off. A reward is being offered for its return.

The other compelling sub-plot for the Tour of California is of course the return of Floyd Landis to cycling. Floyd had a bit of a scare a few days ago, crashing on a training ride, but he suffered no real damage, and partipated in yesterday's prologue, finishing well back in the field in 90th place. For Landis, the first big hurdle is over however, as he has returned to the track at long last.

Lance and Floyd back racing and now a stolen bike. Cycling is becoming even more of soap opera!!

2009 Yukon Quest Begins Tomorrow

The 2009 Yukon Quest sled dog race gets underway tomorrow, with the top mushers in the world setting out from Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, for Fairbanks, Alaska, a distance of over 1000 miles, in the heart of winter.

This is the 25th running of this classic endurance event, which often serves as a prelude to the Iditarod which begins in March. The race is expected to run anywhere from 10-16 days depending on weather conditions, and however long it takes the last team to cross the finish line. in all, there are 50 mushers and their dogs in the race, and the top 15 will share the prize money. All of the finishers receive $1000 in cash, equal to the number of miles they have covered, while the Yukon Quest Champion takes home a $35,000 prize.

The historic Yukon Quest course follows what was once a Gold Rush and mail delivery route between Whitehorse and Fairbanks. Now the trails are only used for the race each year, and it allows the competitors and their canine companions to experience some of the most amazing, pristine, backcountry anywhere on the planet. The Yukon is a remote, and desolate place, especially in winter, and only the fast and strong will come out the other side.

The odds on favorite once again this year is Lance Mackey, the four-time defending champ of this race, and two-time defending champ of the Iditarod. There are a number of other very strong mushers in the field however, with likes of Martin Buser, and Lance's brother Jason giving chase.

The race gets underway tomorrow morning, and will continue over the next couple of weeks.