Ripley Davenport Joins i2P as Inspirational Ambassador

British Adventurer Ripley Davenport has joined the impossible2Possible team as an Inspirational Ambassador according to the latest post on his website. impossible2Possible (i2P) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire young people to take an active role in protecting the planet through the use of adventure and education.

If i2P sounds familiar, it is because I wrote extensively about their expedition to the South Pole Quest expedition during the last Antarctic season. That team consisted of Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and Richard Weber, who went on to set a speed record to the South Pole from Patriot Hills. The three men are also integral to i2P, with Vallely and Weber acting as advisors, and Zahab the founder of the organization. Check out the entire i2P team by clicking here.

The i2P website offers plenty of information about their ongoing efforts and includes educational materials for lesson plans, news on youth expeditions and leadership training camps, and background information on past and future expeditions, including their upcoming "World Expedition" set to get underway in August, and a North Pole journey scheduled for 2011.

As for Ripley, he is busy preparing for his trek across Mongolia in 2010, when he'll cover more than 1700 miles of Gobi Desert in what will be one of the longest solo and unassisted treks ever. You can follow Ripley's preparations and get the latest news on his preparation on his Mongolia 2010 website.

Adding Ripley to the i2P team seems like a great, natural fit. Congrats Ripley! And in case you missed it last week, be sure to check out this video of Ray Zahab discussing his journey to the South Pole. Really great stuff, and Ray is an excellent speaker.

Walking The Amazon Update: Danger Ahead!

A few weeks back I posted a story about Ed Stafford, a former British Army officer, who is in the middle of one of the most amazing expeditions I have ever heard of. Ed is 454 days into his expedition to walk across the Amazon Rainforest. (Yes, the entire rainforest!) If everything goes as planned, he expects to reach the mouth of the Amazon River, along the coast of Brazil, sometime next year.

The Walking the Amazon website is a great source of information about they journey, and definitely the best place to start when getting up to speed with what Ed and his team have been up to sine he set out in April of last year. But to get the real flavor of the expedition you need to be following the @amazonwalkers Twitter feed.

When I first learned about this crazy trek, I immediately became a "follower" of the Twitter feed, and it has been a fascinating ride ever since. I find myself waiting for Ed's updates, direct from the Amazon, each day, so I can find out what he's up to next. For instance, in today's "tweets" I learned that around July 7th he will have to wander away from the Amazon River to make a long crossing through the jungle itself. Ed doesn't say why he has to leave the river, but I suspect he is moving around large flooded areas or swamplands and sticking closer to higher ground.

His subsequent tweets give us an idea of what he and his guide are in for. Ed says:

"It will be 350 km and an estimated two full months until we hit the main river again. Dangers increase with distance from the river."

His next tweet explains more:

"The river is our evacuation route and our safety net. The river provides population to re-supply from. http://short.to/i1gy"

And if that wasn't scary enough, here were the next two tweets:

"We’ve calculated we can afford to carry enough food - rice, noodles, farine & sardines - to give each man 1,100 calories a day for a month."

"We can’t physically carry any more food than that and will supplement it with fresh fish, nuts and fruits that we can find in the forest."

He follows it up with yet more details, including the fact that if they can't find a community to trade with, or become sustainable on their own, then they will go hungry. He also points out that as the move deeper into the jungle, they'll be facing the larger, scarier Amazon creatures, and indigenous people that seldom see outsiders at all, each of which are a real threat to Ed and his crew. If they get injured in any way, extraction is a very difficult process.

This is real adventure happening on a daily basis. An expedition that we can follow as it unfolds thanks to the use of modern technology, and a good enough reason in and of itself to sign-up for Twitter. Really amazing stuff to follow, with some great insights, and humorous thoughts mixed in as well.

Tour Divide Update: Matthew Lee is into Antelope Wells!

The Tour Divide has crowned its 2009 winner with defending champion Matthew Lee reaching the finish line today at 9:45 AM local time. His official time was 17 days, 23 hours, and 45 minutes, which is an amazingly short time to ride the length of this course considering the difficulty of the terrain and the poor weather conditions that have plagued riders from the start. There was also an addition 34 mile extension added as well.

The race got underway back on the 12th of June with 42 riders setting out from Banff in Alberta, Canada with the intention of riding the entire 2745 miles along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which finishes at the U.S.-Mexican Border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. A number of riders have since dropped out of the race due to incredibly challenging conditions that included cold rain and lots of deep, thick mud.

When I first posted about the start of the race, I mentioned that it was estimated to that it would take roughly three weeks for racers to complete the route, and to do so they would need to be in the saddle an average of 16 hours per day. Clearly Lee was up to the challenge, as he averaged more than 150 miles per day in those gnarly conditions to reach the finish line. And what exactly did he win in his sixth successful finish of the race, and fifth overall win on the full route? Absolutely nothing! The Tour Divide has no entry fee and no prizes. It's done just for the challenge and the adventure. You've have to love that!

Congrats Matt!

Nepal To Cut Climbing Fees?

Ang Tshering Sherpa, head of the the Union of Asian Alpine Associations, is calling on Nepal to cut the fees on climbing permits in Nepal in order to make them more competitive with Tibet, according to this story from Reuters India. He claims that the exorbitant fees levied by the government are causing more climbers to go to Tibet, where permits are cheaper, and access to base camp is simpler.

The article says that since the end of the struggle with the Maoist rebels back in 2006, tourism has been on the rise in Nepal, for both climbers and trekkers alike. The fear is, however, that many of them will end up merely passing through on their way to Tibet, where they can get similar climbing and trekking opportunities for less money. For one person to climb Everest, the price of the permit alone is $25,000, but the cost drops as you add more climbers. For instance, with 7 climbers on the permit, it is just $70,000, bringing the cost down to just $10k per climber.

Of course, the past two seasons, Nepal hasn't had to worry about competition with Tibet, as uncertainty over access to the North Side of the mountain meant that most teams stayed in Nepal and climbed the South Side. That'll likely change in 2010, when it seems as if China is poised to ensure that the Tibetan side of the mountain is open to all. I would imagine that this has caused a number of climbing and trekking companies in Nepal to be a bit concerned, as they could potentially see their potential traffic cut in half, or worse.

Whether or not the government will make any changes to the costs of the permits remains to be seen. At the moment, that government is in a bit of a limbo again following the Maoists walking out in May. This has left things in disarray, while everyone struggles to gain some semblance of order. If I had to guess, I'd say I'd be surprised if there was a price cut for 2010, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks to Himalman's blog for the tip on this story.

Ocean Rowing: Roz and Sarah Suffer on the High Seas

Our two favorite British rowers continue to pursue their goals on separate oceans, both making progress, but suffering in the process.

We'll start with Sarah Outen, who I haven't checked in on in a few weeks. She's still out on the Indian Ocean, and steadily making her way to her final destination on Mauritius, where she'll become the first woman, and youngest person, to row across that body of water.

Sarah has now been out on the water for 90 days, and the past few have been interesting to say the least. Yesterday, she wrote in her blog that she would like to see some sharks out on the high seas, and while she still hasn't had that happen, she did have a couple of whales stop by for a visit today. A few days back she also marked a milestone of sorts, passing the 80º East mark, and edging ever closer to dry land.

It hasn't been all sunshine, whales, and landmarks however. On Thursday, Sarah was facing some of the roughest, most dangerous seas she has experienced yet, the worst of which rolled her little row boat, the Serendipity, and sent her flying overboard. Luckily, she was still roped to the boat via lifeline, but in order to get back onboard, she had to unhook herself, untangle it from the gate for the oars, and scramble back on board. Scary stuff to be sure. But Sarah took it all in stride and remains upbeat, despite suffering a broken oar, sprained wrist, and the loss of a couple of seat cushions, which my have the longest lasting effect on her journey. She is safe though, feeling well, and making outstanding progress at the moment.

Switching over to the Pacific, Roz Savage is more than 1150 miles into the second stage of her trans-Pacific row. She completed the first leg last year, going solo from San Francisco to Hawaii. This year, she'll be completing the leg from Hawaii to Tuvalu, with an eye on finishing the journey next year, ending in Australia. When she's done, Roz will be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific, covering some 7000+ miles in the process.

Life hasn't been a bed or roses for this British rower either. When she isn't dealing with choppy seas, she's rowing naked in the rain. And if that wasn't bad enough, she's also been attacked by flying squid, which inexplicably flew from the water onto the boat. Today's wonderful blog post answers all the burning questions you've had about ocean rowing, including her "bucket and chuck it" method of going to the loo.

To keep tabs on Roz's progress, check out the Roz Tracker, which now has her at nearly 36 days at sea, and having rowed more than 494,000 times.

Western States 100 Results

As I mentioned last week, the Western States 100 ultramarathon was held over the weekend, in was was described as blistering heat. The temperature was said to be hovering around 104º in the middle of the day, when the runners were in the thick of the 100 mile course, which included dense forests and running through deep canyons.

The results from the race, which had an official cut-off time of 11 AM yesterday, are now posted on the Western States website, and you can check them out here. The overall winner was 33-year old American Hal Koerner, who completed the course in 16 hours, 24 minutes, and 55 seconds. That's an impressive time to cover a hundred miles, in high heat, and over difficult terrain no less. Second place went to Tsuyoshi Kaburagi of Japan, who was approximately 25 minutes behind the winner. Brit Jez Bragg claimed third place, another two and half minutes back. Anita Ortiz was the top female runner, crossing the finish line in 18 horus, 24 minutes, 17 seconds, and claiming the 9th spot over all.

Some very big names in the world of ultrarunning failed to complete the course due to the extremely hot conditions. Scott Jurek, one of the best endurance athletes in the world, holds the Western States course record, and has finished the event seven times, but was forced to withdraw at the 47.8 mile mark. Likewise, ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes also dropped, making it to the 62 mile mark before calling it a day. The fact that both of these ultra legends failed to finish should give you an indication of what it must have been like out on the course.

On the bright side, they can chalk it up to conditioning for next month's Badwater Ultra, set to go from July 13-15. That race covers a distance of 135 miles starting in Death Valley and running up Mt. Whitney. Yeah, running in Death Valley in July sounds like a great idea!

The Rest of Everest Bonus Episode: Another Teaser for the Trek!

The Rest of Everest continues to tease us this week with yet another video from the Everest Trek 2009 that show producer Jon Miller and professional photographer Chris Marquardt went on, along with ten other lucky hikers. The trek became the highest photography and videography workshop ever conducted, as the trekkers learned how to use their fancy cameras while proceeding up the Khumbu Valley.

This week's episode comes courtesy of Chris, whose Tips From The Top Floor photography podcast ranks among the best on the Internet. The video is a bit shorter than the one Jon gave us last week, but still offers up spectacular views from the Himalaya and a nice taste of what the group experienced in Nepal.

If you caught last week's episode, this teaser from Chris offers a bit of a different perspective. The sound bites from the other trekkers were interesting and fun, although they looked at exhausted from the flights to Nepal. The rest of the shots are a nice overview of the trek itself, starting on the streets of Kathmandu, then on to Lukla, and finally out to the Khumbu Valley itself.

Clearly between The Rest of Everest and Tips From The Top Floor, this trek will be well covered. Fans of both shows are in for a treat. You can find the Rest of Everest in iTunes by clicking here, and TFTTF here.

The Commercialization of K2

Outside Online has posted a story that appears in the magazine's July issue entitled The Everest Circus Moves to K2, in which author Sam Moulton predicts that the world's second highest mountain is destined to become the next Everest, overrun with "record seekers, guided rich guys, and unqualified yahoos".

The story points to climbers such as Fredrik Ericsson, who is on the mountain at the moment with the intention of becoming the first man to ski down its slopes. The article was written back in May, and well before Ericsson lost climbing partner Michele Fait in a ski accident descending from C2 earlier this week.

The other element that leads Outside to believe that things are changing on K2 is that mountaineer Fabrizio Zangrilli is currently leading 10 paying clients up the mountain it was is being viewed by many as possibly the first full blown commercial expedition on the most dangerous mountain on the planet. A number of other top guiding companies are no doubt watching the progress, while planning their own climbs for next year.

But, the message from Outside isn't one of condemnation. Quite the opposite actually as they say that we should just accept that this is a fact of life in the mountaineering community. Big, challenging, scary mountains attract those people with lots of money who want to climb them. And due to that fact, people will probably die. But it isn't like they don't know the risks.

So what do you think? Should we just accept that K2 is going to be a commercial mountain moving forward? Is there anything we can do about it anyway? I think it is inevitable, and although it has always been the Mountaineers Mountain, traffic on its slopes will definitely increase in the next few years, although I seriously doubt it'll ever get to the levels of Everest.

Adventurer Ray Zahab Talks About Journey to the South Pole

Here's a great video of adventurer Ray Zahab, who we all followed earlier this year, along with South Pole Quest teammates Keven Vallely, and Richard Weber, as they set a new speed record to the Pole. In the video, Ray shares some of his experiences out on the ice, along with a great message on setting and accomplishing goals. Really good stuff, and I highly recommend you give it a look.

Western States 100 Begins Tomorrow!

Another big endurance race gets underway tomorrow, when the Western States 100 returns following a year off in 2008. The race is amongst the longest running ultramarathons in the world, and covers 100 miles through the mountains of California, kicking off from Squaw Valley and proceeding to Auburn, with some grueling altitude gains and leg straining descents along the way.

The race has been one of the premiere endurance challenges for long distance runners since it began back in 1977. Last year the race had to be cancelled due to fears over forest fires and smoke in the air. Naturally, the runners were very disappointed, as you can imagine the amount of time, effort, and discipline required to prepare for an event such as this one. You can bet that many of those same athletes are back this year, and ready to go.

Runners will set off tomorrow at 5 AM from the floor of Squaw Valley, which is located at 6200 feet. From there, they'll go up to Emigrant Pass at 8750 feet, gaining 2550 feet in the first 4.5 miles of the race. The course then runs west along an old trail used by miners and prospectors back in the 1850's that remains very remote and scenic. Along the way, they'll climb another 15,540 feet and descent more than 22,970 feet before reaching the finish line. They'll have until 11 AM on Sunday morning to finish to be considered on the official leaderboard and gain an award.

The Western States is one of the most legendary races amongst ultrarunners anywhere on the planet, and it's good to see it back this year. Good luck to all the runners and enjoy the trail.

New Speed Record Set Crossing Indian Ocean

Sarah Outen continues her solo struggle across the Indian Ocean, but a new speed record has been set crossing that body of water by a team racing in the Indian Ocean Rowing Race.

According to TheOceans.net, part of the Explorers Web network, a team of six men and two women from the U.K., Belgium, and the U.S. managed to row 3,132 nautical miles in just 58 days, 15 hours, and 8 minutes. The journey got underway on April 28th from Geraldton, Western Australia and ended today when the team reached Mauritius. In the process, they broke a record that has stood for 38 years.

While this team is now home safe and sound, there are plenty of other racers still out on the water as part of the Indian Ocean Rowing race, which is the fist of its kind to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. More teams are expected to arrive within a few days, but solo and tandem racers could take another month and a half to reach the finish line. You can check out all the teams still out on the water by clicking here.

Congrats to the rowers on this very cool new record.

Wide World Interviews Arctic Explorer Ann Daniels

We followed her exploits, along with teammates Pen Hadow and Martin Hartley, as part of the Catlin Arctic Survey Team this past spring, and now Wide World has a good interview with Ann Daniels, in which she discusses the expedition, her day-to-day roll on the team, and why the team didn't end up reaching the poll, amongst other things.

You probably remember that the Catlin team set out from the Canadian side of the Arctic with the intention of heading to the North Pole, stopping to take measurements of the ice in order to judge the overall health of the icecap. The teams high tech scientific equipment was touted early on, as they were suppose to use ground penetrating radar to take their measurements. But Ann says that the radar didn't really work until they neared the end of the journey, which meant they had to take a lot of manual samples, using drills to pull out cores from the ice. This caused them to slow down greatly and in the end prevented them from completing the journey to 0º North.

Ann had been planning to make a solo journey to the Pole, but gave up the opportunity to join the survey team. She now says that she would consider going after that goal again in the future, but it won't be next year, as she'll be still wrapped up in the data from this year's survey, and won't have the time to prepare or to raise the funds she needs. To date, no woman has made that journey solo and unsupported.

Good interview and Ann is definitely an interesting person. I hope she gets to go after the solo expedition at some point.

Karakorum 2009: Preparations Underway on BP, K2, and Nanga Parbat

While the mountaineering world is still reeling over the death of Italian skier Michele Fait, teams continue their preparation for their upcoming climbs. Base camp on all the major Pakistani peaks now have teams in place, and the long, challenging work of fixing the lines and setting the camps has begun.

On K2, as you can imagine, the mood is a bit subdued with the passing of Michele. But the teams no that the best way to keep their minds off things is to stay busy, and with plenty of work to do, that's just what they are doing. The word is that teams are shuttling supplies up to C2 today, beginning their acclimatization process at the same time.

Meanwhile, on the Gasherbrums, Don Bowie reports that the team has been resting in BC, and watching a long line of porters bringing supplies up the valley. He says that the scuttlebut around BC is that as many as 13 teams could be climbing on multiple Gasherbrum peaks this summer, which could make for a crowded camp to say the least. Jagged Edge has a team looking to summit G2, and their latest update says that they've moved into the icefall, and their porters have already begun stocking C1 and will proceed to C2 within a few days time. Likewise, the Altitude Junkies are in BC, and held their Puja Ceremony a few days back. They're now ready to start their climb as well. They hope to top out on both G1 and G2.

Things are heating up on Nanga Parbat as well, where Gunther Unterberger and Gerfried Göschl are in the final stages of their acclimatization process. The duo will spend the night at Camp 1 today and if everything goes according to plan, they'll begin their summit bid in about 10 days time.

Finally, on Broad Peak, rope fixing is underway as well, although, as ExWeb reports, there are two teams already high on the mountain. Neither of those teams are using fixed lines however, so it has been left up to the commercial teams to place them. We do know that the team of Elisabeth Revol , Antoine Girard, and Ludovic Giambasi are in the midst of their summit bid at the moment, and are out of radio range, so hopefully everything is going well for them. We will likely not hear any news on the team until the weekend, summit or not. Good luck team!

More news from the range as it comes in.

Around The America's Expedition Sets Sail

Another very cool expedition got underway on May 31st, when the crew of the Ocean Watch, a 64-foot sailing ship, set out from Seattle on an expedition to sail completely around North and South America.

Dubbed the Around the Americas expedition, the journey is expected to take roughly 13 months to complete. The crew of four, that includes Mark Schrader, Herb McCormick, David Thoreson, and David Logan, set out from Seattle, and are currently sailing along the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. The plan is to continue going north and at the height of summer, navigate through the fabled Nortwest Passage, which will deposit them out into the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, before turning south to sail the length of the North and South America, before making the turn at Cape Horn, and heading north again to Seattle.

The team hopes to take scientific readings along the way to help gauge the effects of global climate change on the oceans, as well as the creatures that live in them. They also hope to promote environmental education in regards to marine life and will be creating classroom curriculum along the way as well.

This is the type of expedition that wouldn't have even been possible not all that long ago. The Northwest Passage being open to traffic is a result of global climate change, although navigating through the passage in such a relatively small boat will still be a challenge. The crew hopes to reach Barrow, Alaska in July, and even then they'll have to wait and watch for their opportunity to set sail through the 1000 miles of treacherous water lined with icebergs of all shapes and sizes. I'll check back in with them from time to time to see how they are progressing, especially over the next few months while they sail through the Passage itself. None of us will be all that worried for them while they are sailing the Caribbean for some reason.

Thanks to Wide World for the tip on this one. You guys are quickly becoming one of my favorite sites! :)

Want To Go To Antarctica? Can You Blog?

I'm a bit hesitant to post this story, as clearly I don't need any competition! But, in the interest of being a good sport, here goes anyway.

Quark Expeditions, one of the top adventure travel companies offering access to the Arctic and Antarctic, is holding a contest, in which the grand prize is a trip for two to Antarctica in 2010. To enter, you simply need to go to BlogYourWayToAntarctica.com, register, and then write a 300 word blog post on why you should be the one chosen to go on the trip, and blog your experiences along the way.

The competition kicked off a few days back on June 19th, and there are already plenty of entries. Readers are encouraged to go to the site and vote for their favorite blog post, and when the contest closes on Sept. 30th, the winner is the person with the most votes. All entrants must be 21 years old or older to be eligible to win.

And what a prize they will win. Valued at more than $20,000, the winner, and his/her lucky companion, will be off on an adventure expedition that includes airfare to and from the States, one nights stay in Ushuaia, Argentina, and an 11 night cruise to Antarctica that includes an excursion to the Antarctic Peninsula itself.

Make no mistake, I definitely want to get to Antarctica some day, and this is a great opportunity for some lucky person to go on an amazing adventure. What a cool prize and a great way to promote it. Now how many votes can I drum up... ?

Camp Patriot Helps Injured Veterans Summit Rainier

Camp Patriot and Adventure Medical Kits have joined forces for a very good cause. Both organizations are dedicated to promoting outdoor adventure, and soon they'll be assisting three American soldiers, each of whom were injured in the line of duty, to achieve their goal of reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier.

From July 7th to the 10th of this year, SFC Mario Barragan, 1LT Reinaldo Gonzalez, and SFC Jesse Yandell will all be on the mountain, and attempting to climb Rainier. Barragan and Yandell were both injured while serving in Afghanistan, while Gonzalez fell during a training exercise and suffered an injury to his spine. But now, all three are recovering from their injuries and pressing ahead with their dream, thanks to Camp Patriot and Adventure Medical Kits.

Camp Patriot had a clearly defined mission from the start. Namely, to help injured, and sometimes disabled, veterans to experience outdoor adventure. The non-profit organization plans all kinds of activities including hiking/backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, snowshoeing and more. They've found that these activities have a highly positive impact on the Vets emotional and psychological well being that extends to every facet of their lives long after they have gone home.

On June 5th, two days before the team sets off for Mt. Rainier, there will be a dinner and fundraising event at the Fox Sports Network Lounge at the south end of the Qwest Field in Seattle. The evening will include a silent auction with all kinds of great gear and guest speaker Ed Viesturs will be on hand to discuss his long and illustrious career in the mountains.

What an amazing organization. This is their third year of taking these soldiers up Rainier, but they have done so many other things as well. It doesn't seem like they'll be slowing down in the future either, as there are plans afoot to build a mountain lodge in Montana that will house more than 20 visitors at a time, and give them access to the great outdoors as well.

And a quick word on Adventure Medical Kits too. Awhile back I received one of their kits to test out and examine, and while I haven't put the finishing touches on my review just yet, I can honestly say that if you spend a significant time outdoors, that you should have one of the kits in your backpack. They come equipped with just about everything you need to treat injuries in the backcountry, and they come in small packages that fit neatly in your pack. Great stuff and I whole heartedly recommend them.

Karakorum 2009: K2 Claims Life of Italian Skier

The climbing season on K2 is barely underway and already the mountain has claimed its first life of the season. ExWeb is reporting this morning that Italian skier Michele Fait fell to his death yesterday while skiing down from C2 to the South-South East Ridge.

Fait was on the mountain with Fredrik Ericsson with the hopes that they could make a full ski descent of the K2. Yesterday's run was only the second partial descent of the mountain, with Fredrik leading the way. Part way down the slopes, Fait inexplicably fell and went crashing down the face. Ericsson immediately stopped and began the climb back up to help his friend, while in BC the team went into action hoping to make a rescue attempt and not a body recovery. Sadly, by the time they arrived on the scene, it was already too late, and they could only confirm Michele's death.

Attempts to recover the body were thwarted yesterday due to concerns over avalanches in the area. Today the team went back up and completed their efforts, burying Fait's body and holding a solemn prayer ceremony for their friend.

This is an ominous start to the K2 season. Lets hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come, especially after last year's tragedy. My thoughts and condolences go out to Michele's family today.

Yukon River Quest Begins Tomorrow!

The Yukon River Quest, the longest annual canoe and kayak race anywhere in the world, will officially get underway tomorrow at noon local time at Rotary Peace Park in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory in Canada. The race will consist of teams and solo racers, covering more than 460 miles on the remote and stunningly beautiful Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City.

This year's race will have 77 teams in the field and another 30 solo racers, including defending champ Brad Pennington, hitting the water as well. Last year Brad finished the entire course in a little more than 44 hours, which is an impressive time to cover 460 miles in a kayak.

For the first time ever, the race will start at Rotary Peace Park in Whitehorse. In the past, it has gotten underway on Main Street, with the racers running down the road to reach their boats. But as the number of participants has increased, that option became more unwieldy. Instead, they'll make the shorter run across the park this year, and make their put in from that spot instead. Watching all those men and women running to their canoes and kayaks has to be a fairly amusing sight though. :)

The 2009 Yukon River Quest as the potential to be one of the most competitive ever, with plenty of good paddlers in the field. If everything stays true to form, we should have a winner in by the weekend. Good luck to everyone and paddle safely.

High Tech Concept Tent is Solar Powered, Comes with WiFi

Here's an interesting concept design for a tent that might get tech nerds out into the backcountry as well. It comes to us courtesy of Telecommunications giant Orange, and uses solar energy to light itself up and provide WiFi access to the Internet.

The design concept uses photovoltaic fabrics to collect energy from the sun all day long, then uses that power to recharge our gadgets, which are conveniently stored in a "magnetic induction pouch". The tent also comes equipped with a flexible LCD screen that can connect to the Internet so you'll always have the latest weather reports and access to YouTube.

The high tech wizardry doesn't end there however, as you'll also be able to send an SMS message to your tent to have it light up remotely. This handy feature would allow you to find your campsite in the dark or possibly signal for help from a distance as well.

Of course, all of this sounds great, except for the fact that a lot of places where we like to camp there is no cell service. Still the idea of a tent acting as a solar charger for gadgets and for providing power is a good one. We're probably a ways off from this actually becoming a production unit, but who know, perhaps in a few years time you can have neighbors leeching WiFi off you even while you're in the wilderness.

Thanks GizModo!

Karl Meltzer Wins Big Horn 100, Faces Down Mad Moose!

Remember Karl Meltzer? He's the incredible endurance athlete that we followed last year as he attempted to set a new speed record for running the Appalachian Trail. Of course, since making a run at that record, Karl hasn't exactly been sitting at home on the couch, and he recently won the Big Horn Trail Run, competing in the 100 mile, full course version.

For Karl, this was his 25th win in a race of 100 miles in length, and he managed to set a new course record in the process, crossing the finish line in 19 hours, 15 minutes, and 26 seconds. Pretty damn impressive. There are some days where I can't drive 100 miles in 19 hours. You can read Karl's account of the race in his latest blog post, where you'll learn that one of the challenges of these epically long trail runs is that you have to deal with some unexpected surprises along the way. In this case, it was a rather pissed off momma moose who didn't appreciate Karl infringing on her territory.

It seems that while leading the pack, Karl came across plenty of wildlife including deer and a close encounter with a skunk. But that was nothing compared to his showdown with the moose that included him ducking behind a tree, and playing peek-a-boo until said moose wandered off into the woods. Thinking he was safe, the ultrarunner proceeded down the trail to a waiting aid station, only to look back and find the moose hadn't given up, and was now chasing him down the trail! She ended up kicking him in the shin and hand, and giving him quite a scare before it was all said and done, and you should read Karl's account of the story to get the full effect.

Needless to say, I now know how he set that new course record! Thanks to The Goat for this one.

Himalaya Triple Header Puts Korean Climber in the Race for First Female on All 8000m Peaks

For months we've been hearing about how Nives Meroi, Gerlinde Kaltenbruner, and Edurne Pasaban were the three women who were gunning to become the first to reach the summit of all 14 8000m peaks. Well now, thanks to a stunning triple header in the Himalaya, there is another woman throwing her hat into the ring to make that claim.

South Korean climber Go Mi-sun along with climbing partner Kim Jae-soo, pulled off a first in the Himalaya this spring season by knocking off three 8000 meter peaks. The pair first took on Makalu, reaching the summit on April 30th, before moving on to Kangchenguna, reaching the summit of that mountain on the 19th of May. Not content with having added two big peaks to their resume, they went on to the summit of Dhaulagiri, finishing their triple header on the 9th of June.

Having completed these three climbs, Go Mi-Sun now has 10 of the 14 8000m peaks under her belt, and has achieved all 10 in just 2 1/2 years. She is also reportedly en route to Pakistan, where she'll attempt another triple header, this time bagging Gasherbrum I and II as well as Nanga Parbet. If successful, she'll have just Annapurna on her list, and she'll be right there with Nives, Gerlinde, and Edurne coming down the stretch.

Pretty impressive climbing to say the least. Having the potential to knock off six 8000 meter peaks in the span of just a few months is amazing. I wish her all the luck in the Karakorum this summer, and of course on Annapurna when she gets the opportunity. Saving that mountain for last may have been a good idea, but it is definitely no walk in the park, and often considered one of the most challenging mountains in the world.

Thanks to Stweart's Climbing Blog for this great story.

Tour Divide Update: Mud Everywhere!

I mentioned a week or so back that the 2009 Tour Divide was underway, with adventurous mountain bikers setting out from Banff, in Alberta, Canada with the intention of riding all the way to Antelope Wells in New Mexico, which happens to fall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The race is expected to take at least three weeks, with riders covering 2745 miles in the process.

The Outside Blog as been doing a great job of posting daily updates from the field, and the Tour Divide website also has updates from the riders posted on the website. Many of those updates have a similar theme to them, namely cold rain and muddy road conditions, which has made it tough going so far.

Back when I originally posted about the start of the race, I mentioned that in order to complete the ride to the Mexican border in three weeks time, the racers would need to spend approximately 16 hours per day in the saddle. The stories from the trail are that the insane amount of mud out there is slowing them down greatly and trying their patience as well, meaning that this edition of the race is probably going to take a lot longer than expected. This unless the riders can make up time later on.

There is also a report of impropriety from the field today, as Outside is reporting that two Italian riders were seen cruising down a paved highway that ran parallel to the trail at one point and were confronted by two riders from the U.K. who called shenanigans on the alleged cheaters who seemed to be enjoying a mud-free, and less strenuous ride. Considering the teams are being tracked with SPOT Messengers, I'm sure that this will be looked at, but of course it begs a question. If you're riding in a race with new entry fee or prize money, why do you feel the need to cheat?

Karakorum 2009: Another Summit Bid on BP

The Karakorum is getting down right crowded! Well, at least by Karakorum standards. More teams are arriving in base camp and setting up shop, as the season really gets underway. On some of the mountains, the acclimatization process is already underway, and all eyes are turning towards some of the highest, most beautiful, and most challenging summits in the world.

Over on Broad Peak, a second summit bid is underway for Elisabeth Revol , Antoine Girard, and Ludovic Giambasi who made an attempt last weekend but were turned back due to weather. According to ExWeb, the team would be setting of for the South and South East Ridges today and they'll leave their sat phone behind, so we can expect no communication from the team for the next six days. With any luck, they'll be topping out by the end of the week.

Staying on Broad Peak, the word is that other teams, including larger commercial teams, are now making their way into base camp. That includes the Field Touring Alpine squad and a team from Iran who will attempt to concentrate on mountaineering while their homeland is in turmoil.

K2 is getting plenty of traffic these days too, with a number of teams having reached BC, including Frederik Ericsson who hopes to ski the mountain. He'll be joined on the mountain by Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner who is continuing her bid to become the first woman to bag all 14 8000 meter peaks. With two to go, K2 may be the biggest hurdle she has had to overcome.

Gerfried Göschl has his sights set on Nanga Parbet, and has already climbed up to C1, establishing camp there and starting the acclimatization process. Joao Garcia has joined him in base camp, along with a team from South Korea.

Finally, on the various peaks of the Gasherbrums teams are beginning to establish high camps, despite continued bad weather. Don Bowie reports that his team is in good health and good spirits, and that they are preparing to go after either G3 or G4. They hope to have camp 2 established at 6000 meters in the next few days.

The Altitude Junkies made it to base camp on Sunday and are reporting that the bad weather has taken its toll on the porters, who are often woefully prepared for harsh conditions, lacking the proper gear. They do report good weather today however, and are preparing for their Puja Ceremony tomorrow.

Exweb reports that another Iranian team, this time 11-members strong is also on their way to the Gasherbrums and should be in BC for G2 soon. They will no doubt be climbing with heavy hearts with the events taking place back home as well. We wish them, and all the climbers in the Karakorum, good luck. Climb safe!

Cycling The Americas Update: Back From Denali

Fresh from a successful summit of Denali, Mark Beaumont has returned to Talkeetna in Alaska, where he celebrated the Summer Solstice last night in a big way. In his latest blog update, he notes that after three weeks on the mountain he has lost 7kg (15.5 pounds), but didn't really realize it until he returned to civilization where he changed clothes for the first time in 20 days.

Mark has also shared some photos from the early part of his climb that can be seen on the blog as well, and he promises more to come soon. He also notes that he'll spend the next three days recovering and regaining his strength and hopes to be back on the road cycling by midweek or so.

From there, Talkeetna he'll turn his wheel south and really get his journey underway. The plan is to cycle from Alaska to the tip of South America, with one more mountaineering break to go, as he'll stop in Argentina long enough to summit Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas. All told, the trip should take roughly 10 months and cover more than 15,000 miles in the process.

When starting out on a trip like this one, it seems the last thing that Mark needed was to lose some weight. But at least he has a few days to put the calories back into his body and get caught up some before he heads out on the road and continuously burns more calories again.

Roz Update: Nearly A Month Out

It's hard to believe, but ocean rower Roz Savage has been out on the water for nearly a month already, as she continues her attempt to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean. Having completed the first leg of the journey last year, rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii, she is now en route from Hawaii to Tuvalu, a distance of approximately 2620 miles.

Since we last checked in on Roz, she has had to deal with a variety of hardships, including problems with her onboard stereo. Now that probably seems like a minor thing to you and me, but consider how you'd feel sitting alone in your car, 24-hours a day, for three months, without your radio. (Not to mention in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but then why would you be in your car in the middle of the Pacific?)

Roz hasn't been completely alone while she's been rowing however. A few days back she had a few visitors in the form of flying fish that managed to leap onto the deck of her boat. She's also suffered her share of hardships, with an extremely sore bottom that took her out of commission for awhile, but gave her time to put together her list of 10 things she wants to do before she dies. As if she needs anything more to keep her busy. (FYI: The list is pretty great! I'd love to do most of those things too!) In today's blog update, she gives us her pet peeves of the Pacific as well, which include phantom noises, losing items on the boat, and the afore mentioned wonky stereo.

According to the Roz Tracker, our gal is now 798 miles into the journey and has taken more than 337,000 oar strokes. Her progress has been steady and sure for the most part and she seems on track to finish in the three months that was projected. The remaining two months may be very long if she doesn't get that radio fixed though.

Bear Stalking The Woods in Ohio

Black bears are fairly common in a lot of different places in the U.S. and sometimes they'll wander far and wide in search of a comfortable habitat. That seems to be the case in a small town in Ohio, where they recently spotted a black bear wandering through the area.

That story, in and of itself, isn't anything to get to excited about, but check out the video below from the local television's nightly news broadcast. The "re-enactment" of the bear moving into the woods is priceless and later you'll get a chance to see how a bear climbs a tree too. Local news is awesome!

Extreme Kayaking Takes Center Stage

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article up today that takes a good look at the world of extreme kayaking, where top paddlers seem to be in an ever increasing arms race to see who can make the biggest drop over a waterfall.

The article is an interview and profile of Ben Stookesberry, a 30-year old professional kayaker who seeks out big drops all over the world. Stookesberry has made 51 first descents in 11 countries around the world. But it also references both Pedro Oliva and Tyler Bradt, both of which have set world record drops this year. Oliva first made headlines when he went over a 127 foot water fall in Brazil, and just weeks later Bradt shattered that record by dropping 186 feet over Palouse Falls in Washington State.

These crazy exploits have garnered the sport of kayaking quite a bit of attention in recent months, and have drawn new paddlers into the water. Technology continues to evolve, offering better, more stable, boats, paddles, and other gear, which is allowing the top kayakers to challenge some impressive runs, such as the Rio Santo Domingo in Chiapas in Mexico, which drops 480 feet in just an eighth of a mile and has two waterfalls of 90 feet or more. It is just one of several extreme runs that Stookesberry is hoping to conquer in the months ahead.

The article also lists some of the top paddling schools in the country for learning to kayak, which makes for a nice reference for anyone thinking of getting into the sport. The author cautions that we should all have the proper training, learn how to make an eskimo roll, and spend time paddling under a variety of conditions. And of course, gain LOTS of experience before you follow these top guys down the big runs.

The Rest of Everest: Everest Trek 2009 Teaser!

Fans of The Rest of Everest have had to wait awhile between episodes thanks to podcast creator Jon Miller going off to Nepal, along with Chris Marquardt of Tips From the Top Floor fame, to trek to Everest Base Camp along with 10 very lucky other people. Along the way, Jon and Chris conducted videography and photography workshops as they hiked through the Himalaya.

I was really hoping to go on this trip, but do to some scheduling issues, I wasn't able to make it, but fortunately for all of us, Jon has done his usual great job of capturing the entire experience on video, and in the weeks ahead, he'll be sharing the entire trekking experience with us. In these episodes, we'll actually get the great indicator of what it's like to trek to Everest BC on the South Side in Nepal.

In preparation for this series of videos to begin soon, Jon has put together a teaser video of what we can expect. Now, in movie terms, a teaser is generally a very short video that only gives you a small taste of what is to come in the full product. But no one ever accuses Jon of not giving us our moneys worth. This "teaser" is more than 38 minutes in length, and it really sets the mood of the trip, beginning in Kathmandu, heading off to Lukla, and eventually trekking up the Khumbu Valley in the shadow of some of the biggest mountains on the planet.

I have a feeling after watching these videos, I'll be even more ready to visit Nepal and the Everest region.

You can check out the video for yourself by downloading it directly from the Rest of Everest website or you can find it in iTunes as well. Great stuff. More to come soon, and I can't wait.

Gear Box: Keen Cimarron Water Shoes

When heading to Australia, I knew that I would be spending a lot of time in and around water. The Queensland coastline was one of our primary destinations, and sailing off the Great Barrier Reef promised plenty of opportunities to get wet too. With that in mind, I knew I wanted to take a new pair of water shoes along for those extended periods on the beach and I ended up adding a pair of Keen Cimarrons to my pack just for that purpose.

Keen has always made great shoes, and their water sandals are extremely popular for a good reason. They're comfortable, wear well, and are prefect for sloshing around in anything from a puddle on the trail to hip deep in the ocean. The Cimarron water shoes are a bit different however, as they are closer to a an actual shoe, covering more of the foot, albeit with a mesh like fabric woven inside a solid, rigid sole. This coverage offers more protection for your feet, but with a very different feel from the sandals.

The Cimarrons actually resemble a light hiker in some senses, and while they'll never replace your real hiking shoes, they can definitely serve double duty in a pinch, going from the trail, straight into the water. They are very comfortable, and the inner lining hugs your feet snugly, both in and out of the water. But make no mistake, these shoes are designed for use in and around the water, and for that task, they are very well suited. I had the chance to test them on several beaches, hiking through a rainforest, and walking ankle deep in mud in the middle of a mangrove patch. No matter where I took them, they performed well, giving me sure footing on slick conditions, and going from dry land to the Pacific Ocean without missing a beat.

I can honestly say that these shoes performed well enough that I can recommend them with just a few caveats. First, these shoes don't drain as well as if you were wearing sandals, as you probably would expect considering they are much more closed in. Conversely, they do keep more stuff out, but if sand or a pebble or two get inside the shoes, they don't tend to work their way out like they would in a sandal. On several occasions I was walking with a tiny rock rubbing against the side of my foot that I know wouldn't have been there otherwise.

The other thing I was a bit surprised about was how long these shoes took to dry. Now, granted I was in a bit of a humid, tropical environment, which contributed to the problem, but a day after I first used the shoes, I slipped my foot inside to find that the lining was still a bit damp, which can make things a bit uncomfortable. Even keeping them inside my room at the hostel, in air conditioning, required a bit more time to completely dry them out.

While those are two rather important issues to point out, I have to say that while they were on my feet, and I was playing in the water, they were very comfortable and versatile. These would make excellent shoes for kayaking in particular, especially in areas that are very rocky or require portages. For the casual beach goer, I'd still recommend the Keen line of sandals, but for someone looking for something a bit more versatile and rugged, the Cimarrons are the way to go.

Construction of Spaceport America Begins Tomorrow!

Construction of Spaceport America, a structure designed exclusively for commercial use of space, begins tomorrow in New Mexico. The major aim of the site it to offer both vertical and horizontal launch vehicles that will eventually deliver commercial payloads along with passengers into orbit.

The site will be the future home of Virgin Galactic, the company that is most actively pursuing commercial space travel for the masses. Well, those that can cough up $200,000 anyway. There is no word on when they'll begin the actual flights with paying passengers, but the spacecraft, creatively dubbed SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo are already in the testing phase. Once that testing is complete, VG will begin offering weekly sub-orbital flights.

Spaceport America has already been launching satellites from a temporary facility, but once construction is complete, all of the launches and landings will take place at the permanent spaceport. The current goal is to have the facility finished by December of 2010, and regular launches resuming shortly after that.

Is the next great adventure found in space? Perhaps! But obviously we are still a long way from actual space travel, but even still a project like this can't help but be a step in that direction. I for one would love to take a ride on the SpaceShipTwo and go up into orbit. Unfortunately, until I win the lottery, I'll have to just watch from down here on Earth.

In honor of this occasion, here are 20 Great Images of Earth as seen from space, courtesy of Environmental Graffiti.

Gobi March 2009: The Long March is in Progress!

Today is Day 5 of the Gobi March, the stage race ultramarathon that started last Sunday in Gazi Village in the Xinjiang Province of China and will continue into this weekend, with competitors crossing the Gobi Desert on foot.

The race has moved into its fifth stage, the infamous Long March, which is nearly 80km (50 miles) in length, and stretches out over two days. According to the Gobi March website, some of the racers have reached a temporary, over-night camp, and have elected to stay there for the rest of the evening, while others will continue racing well into the night, hoping to reach the stage finish line early tomorrow, where they'll rest up for the final stage, which is a short 10km (6.3 mile) run through the Old City in Kashgar on Saturday. That portion of the town is scheduled to be demolished, and will no longer exist by the end of the year.

Heading into today's grueling stage, American Eric LaHaie holds down the top spot in the race overall, with a 1 hour and 15 minute lead over France's Carol Riel. Sean Abbot of the U.S. is in third, with Wei Weichao of China and Shane O`Rourke of Ireland in fourth and fifth place respectively. Diana Hogan-Murphy, also of Ireland, is currently running in 16th place overall and is the top female competitor heading into the Long March.

Racing through the Gobi, like all the 4 Deserts Marathons, is a demanding experience to say the least. The landscape is dominated by exposed rock more than sand and dunes, and the temperature can swing dramatically between day and night. The region gets less than 8 inches of rain in a year, and the Gobi stretches in all directions, covering more than 500,000 square miles, making it the second largest desert on Earth behind the Sahara.

All of that said, I'd still love to be there! :)

Exploring National Parks

Earlier this week I mentioned the fact that the National Park Service was giving free entry into all the national parks across the U.S. With Father's Day coming this Sunday, it's perfect time too, as you can take dad out to his favorite wilderness spot and enjoy the day. If you're having trouble deciding which park you'd most like to visit, then fear not, as I have two stories that may help to clear up the problem.

First up, over at GORP.com they've put together a list of the their picks for the Top Ten National Parks for Wildlife Viewing. The parks that make this list are not only amazing for the wildlife that is on display however, but the natural beauty of the landscapes is generally unrivaled as well. This lists reads a bit like a "who's who" of national parks, with places like Yellowstone and Denali taking up much deserved spots. Top to bottom this is a great list, with opportunities to spot bear, moose, elk, deer, wolves, and much more depending on which one you select, and several of these are amongst the most visited parks in the U.S. for a reason.

Two caveats on this list. First, because this list has some of the most popular parks in the country on it, you may find them crowded during the summer months, and you may find them especially crowded on a "fee free weekend". The other thing that I'd point out, is that Big Bend makes this list, and it is spectacular and generally free from anything that remotely resembles a crowd. However, you do not want to visit it in the summer months, when it is hot and dry. Wait until after October. Trust me!

The second story you might want to check out when looking for ideas on which parks to visit is one that I wrote for Gadling today. It lists my selection for five national parks to visit this weekend which is based on the criteria that they are spectacularly beautiful and tend to be less crowded than the really popular parks. For instance, I selected Crater Lake, which is well off the beaten path, but offers a ton of outdoor adventure in an amazingly beautiful environment that most people outside of the state of Oregon don't even know exists. Other selections include the Badlands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Conagree and Great Basin.

And if you can't take advantage of one of these parks this weekend, never fear. Fee free weekends return on July 18-19 and again on August 15-16. Get out there and enjoy our natural wonders.

Paraplegic Climber Scales El Cap!!

Okay, here's a story that certainly made me stop whining about the little things that have been causing irritation in my life recently. It seems that 36-year old Phil Packer, a Major in the British Army who was injured in a rocket attack in February of 2008, and lost the use of his legs as result, has successfully scaled El Capitan in Yosemite.

Packer, who was climbing to raise funds for the Help For Heroes organization, began his epic assault on the 1800 foot rock face on June 6th and completed the task on June 10th. He was assisted by a team of very experienced climbers that included Andy Kirkpatrick, who served as the expedition leader, Paul Tattersall, Ian Parnell and Ben Pritchard.

Packer's injuries were sustained while he was deployed to Iraq as part of the U.K.'s military police. The rocket attack caused an injury to his spine, and doctors told him that he would never walk again. Since that time, he has begun to walk, through the use of crutches, and became a hero in his home country when he began the London Marathon back in April. Over the course of the following two weeks, he covered just 2 miles a day, but eventually completed the entire course, and becoming an inspiration to many in the process. That was just the beginning however, as he already had designs on El Cap, perhaps the most famous big rock wall in the world.

On his website, PhilPacker.com, the Major writes about the experience in his blog and says that even though it has already been a week since he finished up the climb, what he has accomplished is still setting in. He also mentions that he is still resting and recovering a bit after three-and-a-half days on the wall and averaging less than 4 hours of sleep each night. Phil says that while he is very happy that he accomplished his goal, he can't help but feel a bit sad that the climb is over, and the team will now go their separate ways. It sounds like they really bonded on this journey that began before they ever touched the rock.

What an inspiring story! This is one of the best things I've read in a long time, and I have nothing but respect for Major Packer. I'm surprised I haven't seen more on this story, but if you'd like to find out a bit more background, check out this story over at Climbing.com, complete with videos as well.

Karakorum 2009: Teams Gearing Up

Things are starting to heat up in the Karakorum, as more teams are arriving in base camps across the range now that flights have resumed between Islamabad and Skardu. But before I report on events in Pakistan, there is one more story to update from the Himalaya.

Sadly, the search for Micah Dash, the third climber missing on E Gongga, has been called off. The bodies of his climbing partners, Jonny Copp and Wade Johnson, were discovered amidst the rubble of an avalanche more than a week ago, and a search and rescue team turned into a recovery operation instead. Now, after combing the mountain, the team has called off the search and headed home. At this point, I think everyone knew that Micah had likely perished along with his friends, but it's still sad for the family that they haven't received the closure that they may have wanted. Lets continue to keep them in our thoughts.

Meanwhile, moving back over to the Karakorum, last week I reported that the first summit pushes were a go on Broad Peak, but bad weather turned back the team of Elisabeth Revol, Antoine Girard and Ludovic Giambasi.Elisabeth and Ludovic attempted the summit last Friday, but heavy snow turned them back, while Antonie suffered with altitude sickness in BC. The weather reports don't look good for the near future either, so for now, the team will sit and wait, and hope something opens before the 12th of July, their projected date to leave base camp.

Things aren't looking much better on K2 at the moment either. Teams are still making the trek to the mountain for the most part, but they are already finding a lot more snow on the trail than last year, and the storms have been dumping plenty more on the summit itself. It's going to take some time before they have established their high camps, but at the moment, there are no impending weather windows on K2 either.

On Nanga Parbat, Gerfried Göschl and the rest of his team, are the first to reach base camp and have already begun setting up their base of operations. They've spent the last three days trekking into BC and are now at 4250 meters (13,943 feet).

The Altitude Junkies are just one of many teams who are in the trekking phase of their journey at the moment. They're on their way to the Gasherbrums, and their latest dispatch gives you an idea of the scope of the operations they are undertaking. The team has contracted 140 porters to carry all of their gear to BC, and they note that they expect to use many more in the re-supply process in the weeks ahead. They report great weather conditions at the moment, and if all goes well, they'll reach the mountain by Friday.

Seems like we have a lot of teams still in transit or just arriving and scoping out the scene. Hopefully there will be good weather in the near future and they can get down to climbing, although the heavy snow sounds like it could be treacherous on a number of the big peaks. Stay tuned!

Cycling The Americas Update: Mark Summits Denali!

Mark Beaumont has accomplished his first major goal on his Cycling the Americas expedition, in which he plans to ride his bike from Anchorage, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina, found at the southernmost tip of South America. Along the way, Mark intends to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the two highest mountains in North and South America respectively. Yesterday he accomplished the first of those goals by reaching the summit of Denali.

According to the most recent entry on his blog, Mark, and the rest of the team he was climbing with, spent nearly 16 hours making the round trip to the summit and back down to high camp. The weather had been perfect for most of the day, but as they neared the summit, the winds began to pick up, and it started to snow, resulting in blizzard conditions, a complete whiteout and zero visibility. Five members of the team, including Mark actually stood on top sometime late yesterday afternoon Alaska time. One member of the team had to turn back near the summit ridge after nearly collapsing. Ensuring that that climber got back down off the mountain safely slowed their descent in the deteriorating weather conditions, but everyone is reportedly safe and resting at 17,200 feet now.

From here, Mark will continue his descent and return to Anchorage, where he'll shortly begin his ride, which is being filmed by the BBC and expected to take him roughly ten months or so to complete. You may recall this isn't Mark's first epic cycling trip, as he has already ridden around the world, and in a record time of 195 days no less. Soon he'll be heading out on the Trans-America Highway and heading south. You can follow his progress and latest updates from the Cycling the Americas website.

Nike Wins Inaugural Adventure Sports Week

Adventure Sports Week 2009 came to an end on Sunday, concluding a busy week that included 25 races and various clinics, spread out over two weekends and held at Farragut State Park near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The event was capped with a two day adventure race dubbed The Crux and The Crucible which was won by Team Nike Beaver Creek. Captained by adventure racing legend Mike Kloser, who was joined by Gretchen Reeves and Jay Henry, Nike was considered the favorite heading into the weekend, but according to a race report over at BestHike.com, it was far from easy for trio. Apparently, anything and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and in spite of that, the team still managed to win, although they were pushed to the brink by Team Life Cycle, made up of Jared Hanly, Roger Viollette and Ian Hoag. In the end, Nike edged Live Cycle by just one point to claim the victory.

Curious as to what went down in ASW 2009 but weren't able to attend? You're in luck, as Best Hike's Rick McCharles has put together a nice little video montage of some of the events and action. Check it out below. Looks like it was a great event from start to finish, and I hope it was a huge success for everyone involved.

Gear Box: REI Traverse Pack Review

In recent months I've been in search of the Holy Grail of daypacks. Something that I can use for travel, everyday use, and on the trail as well. Sure, I have a number of excellent backpacks in my gear closet already, but none of them were versatile enough to pull off what I needed, and they were all either a little too large or too small to fit my needs. The issue was exasperated in April when I went to the Amazon, and needed a carry a DSLR with lenses, a video camera, my netbook, rain gear, and more. I ended up using a pack that was best designed for use around town, rather than around the jungle. While the pack worked, it was less than ideal in that environment, and I came home vowing to not make another trip under the same conditions.

Fast forward a month, and I was preparing to go to Australia. I had a new, larger DSLR, and the need for a new pack was even more evident. Enter the REI Traverse Pack, a 30 liter daypack that came hydration ready, sporting six separate compartments for my gear, and a back panel specifically designed to allow for air flow, keeping me comfortable in a variety of environments. In short, was exactly what I was looking for at the size I needed.

Loading up the pack for my trip, I was immediately impressed with how much stuff I could get inside. Not only did I get my various cameras and lenses, my netbook, iPod, and other assorted travel gear into the Traverse, I had plenty of room left over for more, and better yet, the pack was still comfortable to wear. On top of that, it's made out of a polyester fabric that is tough, durable, and resists moisture very well, meaning that it can withstand the rigors of a rainforest, while doubling for day to day use in an urban setting.

On my Australia trip, the Traverse was my carry-on item while flying and then became my daypack for wandering around town and hitting the trail. The pack was used on the beach, rainforest, and the outback. It sailed the Whitsunday Islands and across the Great Barrier Reef, and survived seven flights. It did all of that while keeping my gear safe and sound, and dry, and riding very comfortably over my shoulder or on my back.

As you can tell, I found a lot to like about the Traverse Pack. It was easily adjustable for fit and comfortable to wear for extended periods. The pack is well constructed, and even though it was abused on the journey, it showed no signs of wear, and still looks as good as when I received it. I was especially impressed with the deep main compartment, which held a ton of gear, and yet remained easily accessible and simple to pack. The shoulder pads and hip belt, which has a small, yet convenient, pouch, were well padded and added to the overall feeling of quality. All of this for just $79 at any REI store, which seems like a great bargain for this bag.

As if all of that wasn't enough, the Traverse Pack also happens to be eco-friendly. The polyester fabrics that I mentioned above are largely made up of recycled materials. REI is fond of pointing out that every Traverse Pack keeps 24 plastic water bottles out of our landfills and that is certainly to be applauded. The company has dedicated itself to protecting the environment, both with its stores and the gear they sell, and that is very evident in this backpack, which was designed from the ground up to be a great piece of gear that also happens to have a very minimal impact on our planet.

Great pack at a good price. Tough and versatile enough to be used just about anywhere, and comfortable, even with a full load carried over an extended period of time. If you're in need of a new daypack, you could do much much worse than this pack, but you can hardly do better.

Update: In my exuberance over the Traverse pack, I completely forgot one of the best features of all. Thankfully, reader Beate reminded me in the comments section. The Traverse comes complete with a built in rain cover that stows away neatly in a small compartment along the bottom of the pack. It's such a simple, yet ingenious, design. When the rain starts flying you simply unzip the compartment, pull out the rain cover, and extend it up and over the pack. It's on your back and you're moving again in no time, without missing a beat, and the contents of your bag stay very dry. While I didn't need that feature much in Australia, it would have been VERY helpful in the Amazon.

Q&A with Conrad Anker

Online magazine Wide World has a great Q&A with climber Conrad Anker in which he discusses a number of interesting topics, including finding George Mallory's body on Everest, how technology is changing climbing, and what life is like along the vertical plane.

It's a fairly short article, but covers a lot of ground, including what Anker's been up to recently. He notes that he has just returned from Borneo, where he spent four or five days on a big wall, and he's off next week to Yosemite, where he'll spend four days on El Cap as well.

Anker also took the opportunity to plug a new television show he's been working on that called On Thin Ice, which looks at the receding alpine glaciers, which is happening all over the world, and the effect that that is having on the atmosphere as a whole. He doesn't mention when or where the show will be airing, but he does say that in his time in the Himalaya, which he has been visiting since 1986, he has seen ice routes move as much as 1000 meters higher on the mountain due to receding glaciers.

And speaking of the finding George Mallory, is anyone else surprised that it has been 10 years since that happened? Where did that decade go? It seems like it was just a short time ago that I was reading about the discovery of the body, and now it has been ten years. I'm starting to feel old here.

Kiting Across Mongolia's Gobi Desert

Brother and sister team Eric and Sarah McNair Landry are 30 days into an epic expedition that has them kiting across the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. Dubbed the Pittarak Expedition, the plan is to go from Altay in Western Mongolia, and head east to Saynshand.

I'm a bit late in joining this expedition, but they have been posting updates to their blog for the past month, and now roughly three days from reaching their goal. Eric and Sarah have been using three wheeled buggies and large kites to catch the wind and pull them across the open expanses of the Gobi. Of course, the siblings have honed those skills with a lot of time spent in the Arctic, where they have extensive experience, even at the ages of 22 and 20.

In their most recent blog update, they note that they have covered roughly 40km each of the past few days, and with just three days to go until they wrap up the journey, they still have to cover 130km to reach Saynshand. In that same entry, they report that spirits are low, and they are in desperate need of good winds to help them along, but so far they are being buffeted with headwinds instead. Without wind, they are dragging their buggies, and gear behind them, and making slow progress to say the least.

Lets hope they get the wind they need. Sounds like they are a bit low on supplies and are desperately in need of getting to the finish line. Seems like a cool expedition, and I'm bummed that I haven't been following it more closely. Better late than never though, right? :)

Thanks to ExWeb for the story on this.