Expedition Updates!

With a relatively slow day on the adventure front, I wanted to post a few updates on three of my favorite expeditions that I've been following in recent months.

First up, the Around The Americas Expedition continues, with the news that the Ocean Watch has now reached Puerto Rico. You may recall that this is the crew that attempting the first ever circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, and after successfully navigating the Northwest Passage earlier this summer, they have been enjoying a mostly leisurely cruise down the East Coast of the United States. The warm sun of the Caribbean is no doubt a welcome respite from the cold they endure while sailing above Alaska and Canada, but they have a long way to go yet before they reach the safety of home in Seattle, and the perilous waters of the Beagle Channel and the treacherous navigation of Cape Horn still lie ahead.

Moving on to a completely different kind of long distance expedition, it's good to see Mark Beaumont is making good progress on his Cycling The Americas journey. The British cyclist is riding his bike from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, stopping off long enough to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the tallest mountain on North and South America respectively. Mark reached a milestone of sorts within the past few days as well, having ridden all the way to Panama, he now prepares to leave North America behind, and cross the Canal into South America, where he'll continue is epic ride. He expects to complete his journey sometime in the spring of next year.

Finally, Ed Stafford and his partner Cho, have now spent 580 days Walking the Amazon. The two have suffered mightily in their expedition in recent days, as they struggle with the challenges of continuing to make progress, lowered energy levels, and failing equipment. But they do continue to move ahead, and have now left Peru behind and are trekking through Brazil, as they strive to become the first men to walk the length of the Amazon River. If everything goes according to plan, they'll finish off their expedition next spring as well, although they still have a long way to go and lots of hardships to overcome.

These are just a taste of the expeditions that like to follow. Each of them exhibits a spirit of adventure and exploration that is inspiring to say the least. I'm glad to see that they are each continuing to make progress with their goals in site, even if they are still a ways off in the distance.