Everest 2010: Alan Arnette Weighs In On Jordan Romero

As I mentioned earlier today, the Everest season has pretty much wound to a close for spring 2010, but that doesn't mean there still aren't topics that are spurring discussion. One of the most polarizing, yet celebrated, figures on Everest this year, was without a doubt Jordan Romero.

The 13-year old kid from California, who set a new mark for the youngest person to climb the mountain, has been the center of attention, both in and out of the climbing community, with some people applauding the young man for going after his goals, and others criticizing his parents for allowing him to even think about attempting Everest, let alone encouraging him to do so.

Alan Arnette, who always has the best coverage of Everest and information on what is going on there, has weighed in with his thoughts on Jordan and what he has accomplished. It's a very well written piece, that objectively looks at all sides of the story . You can read Alan's thoughts by clicking here.

Personally, I share a lot of the same opinions about Jordan and the climb in general, that Alan has. I've been writing about Jordan since his Kilimanjaro climb three years ago, and I've followed him on most of his other expeditions as well. While I've gone on record more than once saying that I though climbing Everest at 13 was a bad idea, I never the less found myself pulling for Jordan as he made his summit bid, and I sighed with relief when he made it back down the mountain safely.

My objections aren't to Jordan personally, but to the recent push for younger and younger kids to attempt these dangerous things. I fear where that could be headed, and I don't like the look of it. Let's hope that Jordan's record stands for a really, really long time.

Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Closing In!

Ocean Rower Roz Savage has been back on the water for 40 days, as she continues on her solo row across the Pacific, in this, her third and final leg of the journey. Roz first began this adventure back in 2008, when she rowed from San Francisco to Hawaii. With Stage 1 complete, she returned to the islands in 2009, and continued the voyage, ending at the tiny island of Tarawa in the South Pacific, the same place that she set out from in mid-April.

The plan this time out was to finish the crossing, by ending in Australia, but quick glance at the Roz Tracker tells us she is approaching Papua New Guinea, and she is now planning on ending the voyage in Madang, which is now just 260 nautical miles away. At her current pace, she'll probably reach the finish line in a little more than a week or so, depending on conditions.

I would imagine that these final days on the water a kind of bittersweet for Roz. She's nearing the end of a project that has been the focus of her life for more than five years. But she has also shifted her role from not just being an ocean rower and fearless adventurer but also an champion for the environment and an Eco Hero.

Watch for more updates on Roz's progress soon, as she finished up one very impressive feat, a solo, stage row, across the Pacific Ocean.

Steps To The Summit - Step 2: Make A Plan

Today's installment of Steps To The Summit, which comes to us courtesy of the Hanesbrand sponsored Climb With Us Team, focuses on making a plan for chasing after your goal. We started the series by Learning About Ourselves and discovering a goal that we want to achieve. In this video, it is all about developing a plan to achieve that goal.

For team leader Jamie Clarke, who hosts the Steps to the Summit videos, his goal has always been to summit Everest. And after identifying that goal at a rather young age, he started thinking about the things he would need to do to make it a reality. He formulated a plan to develop the skills he would need and network with the right people to help him succeed. He discusses that process, and talks about how those planning skills can be applied to what ever your goal is as well.

More Climbing, and Falling With Dean Potter

A few days back I posted a video of Dean Potter free climbing the Eiger and using a BASE jumping parachute as his safety net. Today we have another video of Dean, this time mixing in a bunch of his passions, including rock climbing, BASE jumping, slack lining, and so on. A word of warning though, there are some amazing shots of Dean climbing, but also some scary drops too. I'm just glad he decided using the 'chute!

Also, after watching this, does anyone else want to know the story between Potter and the cop that takes place part way though? Very interesting! :)

Everest 2010: Wrapping Things Up

It now looks that it is officially over on Everest for the season, as reports are that the Sherpas are bringing down all the gear and trash on both the North and South Sides of the mountain. The weather has taken a turn, and it seems that the monsoon has moved in, signaling an end to the climbing there, at least until the fall. Despite all of that, it seems there are still a few things to report on, even most of the climbers are now either back in Kathmandu or well on their way.

Before I get on with the remaining notes from the mountain however, it should be pointed out that tomorrow will mark the 57th anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reaching the summit of Everest for the first time. It is a shame that no one will be up there to commemorate that event. Perhaps Sir Ed's spirit will be there however, as Apa Sherpa, making his 20th trip to the top, reportedly took some of the New Zealanders' ashes up with him. That seems a fitting tribute for this year.

Alan Arnette is still posting his excellent dispatches on the spring season, and he discusses the clean-up efforts that are taking place on the mountain at this very moment. Alan remarks that is is really tough work, even vor the incredibly strong Sherpas. He describes it as "back breaking" as they bring double and triple loads off the mountain in effort to finish up as quickly as possible. This is the grunt work that no one thinks about, and truly serves to highlight how important the Sherpas are to any Himalayan climb. Very few people would actually get to the top without the help of the Sherpas, and now, after the summits have ceased, and the clients have gone home, they're still there, working away. They get much respect from me.

Alan also quotes Aussie climber Duncan Chessell, who says that the weather he experienced on Everest this year was terrible, and said that the conditions at the summit were the worst he had ever seen, "by a factor of at least 10." This gives you an idea of what it was like for these late season summitteers, who waited out a snow storm for one last crack at the summit. It sounds like it was horrific up there.

Chad Kellogg has posted an update on his story at Outdoor Research's Verticulture site. You may recall that Chad was hoping to make a speed attempt on Everest, and by the sounds of things, it was going fairly well, until he reached The Balcony, located at 27,000 feet, on the South Side of the mountain, where he encountered traffic jams, and was eventually forced to turn back due to poor weather conditions.

In the post, Chad gives good details on his climb, including a series of mishaps that helped to slow him down and make the climb more challenging than he expected. Simple things like stepping in a pool of water and soaking a shoe, which caused him to change into other shoes, had an effect on his approach, particularly since he was attempting to go quickly up the mountain, wearing track spikes! He also had a trekking pole stolen from his cache at Camp 1, which didn't help his cause much either, and as a result, Chad was already behind his own schedule when he reached Camp 2 an hour later than he expected.

I won't spoil the rest of his story, but encourage you to read it. It's an interesting look at what these speed climbers go through, and some of the things they do to shave time off of their climb. Chad does say he hopes to return in the future and give it another go. I'm not sure if it is in the cards for him, but if he can go in the fall, he'll find far less traffic to deal with at the bottlenecks on the mountain.

Finally, ExWeb is reporting that there have now been more than 5000 successful summits of Everest. That's a pretty large number when you think about it. Does that take away the allure of the place? For the general public, it would seem that the answer is no, but in the mountaineering crowd, I think opinions are a bit more mixed.

Man Crosses English Channel In Chair Lifted By Helium Balloons

36-year old American Jonathan Trappe has crossed the English Channel today in a chair that was lifted into the sky by several dozen helium filled balloons. He is the first "cluster balloonist" to complete that crossing.

Trappe set out from a field in Kent, England early this morning, rising to a height of 2000 feet and moving at a speed of up to 19 miles per hour. It took him roughly an hour to reach the coast of Britain, and then roughly another 2 hours to sail across the channel before reaching the Dunkirk. From there, the experienced pilot began to cut away a few balloons at a time, which gently lowered him to the ground. He would eventually land in cabbage patch, completing his flight. He risked landing in the channel, and possibly drowning, as well as hitting power lines while descending in France, to make this voyage.

Trappe is use to making these kinds of flights, and even holds the record for covering the longest distance. Earlier this year he flew 109 miles over North Carolina in setting that new mark.

Check out some video from Sky News this morning that captures the balloon chair in flight.

Blackheart.com.au Wins XPD Australia Adventure Race

The 2010 XPD Australia, taking place in Cairns over the past week, is over, with BlackHeart.com.au crossing the finish line in first place after more than seven days of racing. They were joined on the podium by McCain Adventure Addicts of South Africa and Team Merrell/Akali, a mixed team from France, New Zealand, and Canada, in second and third place respectively.

The expedition length adventure race challenged teams of four to run, trek, mountain bike, paddle, and navigate their way through some of the most challenging backcountry that Queensland, Australia has to offer. The athletes found themselves in kayaks on wild whitewater rivers as well as the sea, while they hiked through rainforests and biked challenging single track.

The winning team reached the finish line several hour ahead of the second place finishers, but it was not as easy as it would seem from just glancing at the leaderboard. Team Orion Adventure was at the front of the pack, pushing Blackheart hard late in the race, but that outstanding team was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury to one of the team members when they were on the final leg of the race.

Congratulations to BlackHeart.com.au on an outstanding race. To find out more about the XPD, head over to Adventure World Magazine, where they've followed the events much more closely than I have this past week. They've even posted a very good profile on McCain Adventure Addicts, a team that recorded their best finish ever in an International race.

Enter the Vibram Grip Your World Sweepstakes

Yesterday we had Teva giving away some great gear, today it's Vibram with a sweepstakes to send someone on a trip to Chamonix, France.

To enter the Grip Your World Sweepstakes, you simply have to go to GripYourWorld.com, Vibram's new website for outdoor enthusiasts, and upload a photo of yourself taking part in some outdoor activity. You can share a story about your adventure if you'd like to give it some context too, but that isn't required to enter the contest. The sweepstakes will run through June 18th, at which time a grand prize winner will be selected at random.

That lucky winner will be sent off on a trip for two to Chamonix, France, one of the great adventure location in the Alps, to attend the North Face's Tour du Mont Blanc, an annual ultra-marathon that covers 166km (103 miles) around Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. The travel package includes roundtrip airfare to Switzerland, ground transportation via train to Chamonix, three nights accommodations, and VIP passes to the event.

Twenty second place winners will receive a pair of Vibram FiveFingers footwear.

The contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Good luck!

Tour d'Afrique Preview Video

Ever wonder what it is like to ride in the Tour d'Afrique, the 7500 mile long race and expedition ride from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town South Africa? Well, this awesome video will give you a bit of a glimpse into that epic adventure, which is run annually, and crosses through ten different countries, as you run north to south through Africa.

After watching this video, you'll probably want to go to this page to register for the 2011 Tour. You can thank me later. ;)

Everest Base Camp Trek: Kathmandu

As promised, the second installment of my series of posts on my recent trek through the Himalaya has been posted on Gadling. This time out, I'm writing about Kathmandu, which really is the gateway to the Himalaya.

One of the most challenging aspect of a trip to Nepal is the rather long travel times just to get there, at least for anyone coming from the United States. There is something a bit unsettling about leaving on a Friday and arriving at your destination on Sunday. In all, it was approximately 32 hours of travel time to get to Kathmandu, which can be tiring in and of itself.

Once you arrive, it can be a bit overwhelming. It is a hot, dry place and there are few creature comforts, even in the hotels. We stayed a place called the Manag Hotel, which was serviceable, but certainly not the best accommodations that I've stayed in. When the blackouts hit, the rooms would become quite warm, giving you a good excuse to hit the streets and escape from the place, even if for a little while.

Fortunately, the Manang was located right in the Thamel district, which made it easy to shop for gear and other goods, while finding places to eat and exploring the local culture. The shops in that region has all kinds of bargains for last minute gear shopping, but you do have to be careful that you're not buying a cheap knockoff. Sometimes these were very easy to spot, but others, not so much.

Kathmandu is just the start of the adventure however, and while it is an interesting place, we were all eager to hit the mountains. Those stories are coming in the days ahead, and I'll keep posting links to them as I post at Gadling, while sharing some different thoughts on the trip here.

I hope you enjoy the series.

Everest 2010: Rescues and Casualties

It appears that the Spring 2010 Season on Everest is all but over, as the major summit push occurred over the weekend at the beginning of the week. Most of the climbers are down in Base Camp now, or further down the Khumbu Valley, and working their way back to Kathmandu. It's amazing how quickly they abandon the mountain once they are done, but after spending weeks there, I'm sure they are eager to get back to the thicker air, and more importantly their friends and family.

Now that things have quieted down some, and the teams are back in communications range, we're starting to hear more stories from the mountain and what really happened high up on the slopes. During the summit push, we generally only get a sketchy idea of what is going on, but it seems that there were some dramatic moments to say the least.

For instance, Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton, of the First Ascent Team, helped in the rescue of a climber who had fallen into a crevasse when she was crossing an ice bridge in the Khumbu Ice Falls. Apparently, the woman fell about 30 meters down, but with the help of a number of guides, she was pulled out, and stabilized so that she could be evacuated from the mountain the following day. No word on her condition at this time.

Alan Arnette has a nice recap of some of the other rescues that took place on the mountain, including British Climber Bonita Norris' harrowing descent after she fell and hit her head, and as a result she had to be dragged down to Camp 4 by a group of Sherpas. Similarly, there is this account of Anita Kobold's near disaster, written by her husband. Anita was in Camp 2 and slipped and fell, hitting her head on a rock, immediately losing consciousness, and going unresponsive. Fortunately, the trained medical staff were able to revive her, and get her off the mountain on a helicopter, but it was a very scary moment for the entire team.

Alan also reports that there have been three confirmed deaths on Everest this year, including Laszlo Varkonyi who died on the North Col and Tom Jørgensen, who succumbed to altitude sickness in a Tibetan village a few days after he was brought down. Late reports also indicate that a Japanese climber named Hiroshi perished in Camp 3 on the North Side following a successful summit bid as well. Sergei Duganov died on the South Side as well, but was actually making an attempt on Lhotse, which shares a good portion of the same route with Everest up the South Col. ExWeb also indicated yesterday that there could be another casualty, but offered no details, and nothing is confirmed as of now.

There do appear to be a few climbers left on the mountain hoping to make a final push, although the weather has to cooperate, and at the moment that doesn't seem to be happening. Sherpas are reportedly tearing down the high camps, and on the Ice Doctors won't maintain the path through the Icefall on the South Side for too many more days. Things are definitely coming to a close, and I think it is safe to say that after this weekend, another chapter of the Everest story will be closed.

Win Adventure Gear From Teva!

A few days back I posted about the upcoming Teva Mountain Games and the return of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, a multi-sport competition that will test athletes on foot, bike, and kayak. The Mountain Games are set to take place in Vail, Colorado from June 3-6, but if you can't make it to compete there, perhaps Teva can still share some fun.

Teva has joined forces with OnlineShoes.com to give away away a $2000 worth ot outdoor gear to one lucky winner. To win The Adventure Giveaway you simply have to answer one question, “What is the one thing you would bring on a weekend adventure, and why?”. There are multiple ways of entering your answer into the contest. You can go to this page and post a comment of 200 words or less that explains your answer. Or, you can video your response, post it on YouTube, then go to the same page and share the link, or finally, you can send a Tweet that includes @onlineshoes_com and @teva in it. Simple huh? The giveaway runs from May 25th through June 7th, and is unfortunately only open for U.S. residents.

The lucky winner will get some great swag. In addition to a pair of Teva water sandals, they'll also receive a Gregory Wasatch daypack, a Kona Cinder Cone mountain bike, and a Necky Rip 10.6 kayak. Everything you'll need to have a great time outside this summer.

Good luck everyone!

Mongolia 2010 Expedition: Ripleys Back On The Trail!

Ripley Davenport has returned to Mongolia and has resumed his Mongolia 2010 Expedition, as planned. He'll now continue his very long trek across that country, covering more than 1700 miles through the Eastern Mongolian Steppe, Gobi Desert and the Altai Mountain Range. He hopes to complete one of the longest solo and unsupported treks ever, by carrying all of his supplies and gear, including food and water, in a specially designed cart that he'll pull the entire way.

The British adventurer first set out back in April, but just a few days in, he was forced to abort that attempt when a design flaw in his cart caused the wheels to seize up, preventing it from going further. He then returned home, rested up, regrouped, and fixed the problem, and two days ago he returned to the exact spot that he stopped a few weeks back, and began once again.

Ripley is keeping us all updated with his progress by posting regularly to his blog. So far, he's been making good progress, covering 48km (30 miles) on the first day out, which is a heck of a pace considering the load he is pulling. Speaking of which, he also reports that the cart, nicknamed Molly, is performing well so far on her return voyage, navigating over gullies and rocks just fine. Hopefully that will continue to be the case in the many days that are ahead.

In his entry for today, Ripley shares one of his experiences that are so sublime that they only take place in remote places like the one he is currently hiking through. He says that at 4AM he was awoken to the sounds of footsteps and snorting just outside of his tent. When he went to take a peek, he found that he was surrounded by a herd of wild gazelles, who fled at the sight of him, even before he could snap a photo.

Let's hope that the rest of his journey provides similar experiences.

Dave Hahn On 'How Much Is Too Much'

This video may be 6 months old, but it seems highly appropriate at the moment, considering mountain guide Dave Hahn, the subject of the 9 minute clip, has just summitted Everest for the 12th time, extending his record for a non-Sherpa.

The video was created at the Serac Adventure Film School and features Dave talking about the subject of how much is too much in terms of climbing the highest mountain on the planet. He tells us that for him, it is his job, and he approaches it that way, and that he doesn't want to keep going up, and then one day find that he's too old to effectively, and safely climb Everest. He hopes to retire from guiding right before that happens.

He also shares his thoughts on a number of other topics throughout the video. Definitely a must watch for fans of mountaineering, and offers some good insights into Dave's character as well.

Thanks to The Adventure Chronicles for reminding us of this one.

How Much Is Too Much from Serac Adventure Films on Vimeo.

Adventure Remembers Hiram Bingham

On July 24th, 1911, explorer Hirm Bingham stumbled (and I mean stumbled!) onto one of the greatest archeological finds of the 20th century in the form of Machu Picchu, a lost Inca city in the Andes. It wasn't exactly the "lost city" he was looking for, and there are some that say he only re-discovered it, but with his find, Bingham cemented his place in history, and inspired other explorers that followed.

A new book entitled Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu by historian Christopher Heaney takes a look at Bingham's life and his influence on the iconic, whip-cracking, fictional archaeologist of the popular film series. Heaney sat down with National Geographic Adventure's Mark Adams recently for an interview and to discuss the real life adventurer.

Heaney says that Bingham was actually searching for Vitcos and Vilcabamba, the last capitals of the Inca empire, when he came across Machu Picchu instead. He would find those two lost cities eventually as well, but that would come a few months later, making 1911 a very busy and memorable year for the explorer. In the interview, Heaney talks about these important finds and their historical significance.

It has been nearly 100 years since Bingham's jungle adventure, and Machu Picchu has gone on to become the number one tourist attraction in Peru. But back in 1911, the area was a remote, mostly unexplored jungle, that was still waiting to give up its secrets. It must have been an exciting time to be an archaeologist.

Has anyone read the book? Any thoughts? Sounds really interesting.

Steps To The Summit - Step 1: Learn About Yourself

A few days back I posted an introduction to a great series of videos put together by the Hanesbrand team called Steps To The Summit which highlight the lessons they have learned as they prepared to climb the Mt. Everest this spring. Today, I have the first of those videos, which is, appropriately enough, an important first step towards reaching that goal.

The video, hosted by team leader Jaime Clarke, is all about learning about yourself before you set a goal, and then prepare to achieve it. Jaime shares his personal experiences with this as he began to take interest in mountain climbing at a young age, then set his sights on climbing the highest mountain on the planet. But, the lessons learned do have to just apply to climbing. What ever your goal in life is, an important step to achieving it is to learn about yourself before embarking on your journey.

Gear Box: Osprey Aether 70 Backpack

It's no secret that I'm a fan of backpacks. I have far more packs in my gear closet than any one person ought to, but they each fill a specific need, and depending on where I'm going, and what I'm doing, I can rest assured that I have the perfect pack to fill my needs. My favorite pack is definitely my Atmos 50 from Osprey, as it is the perfect size for traveling light, while still carrying all of your necessary equipment. That pack has been with me on multiple continents and on multiple adventures.

I had hoped to carry the Atmos 50 with me when I went to Nepal recently, but it was just a bit too small for carrying all of the gear that I needed for that trip, which included a 4-season sleeping bag, down jacket, and multiple fleece layers. I knew I needed something a bit larger, and with that in mind, I was excited to try out the Aether 70 pack, also from Osprey.

The first thing I noticed about the Aether was that it shared the same high quality fabrics, belts, and padding as the Atmos, a good oman in my mind. It also offered plenty of room for all the gear that I would need to carry with me, with room to spare for a few extras. But the Aether had a few tricks up its sleeve that set it apart from its older, smaller sibling. For instance, it's "InsideOut" compression system makes it easy to balance your load and carry it comfortably, and the front panel has offers access to all of your gear, no matter where it is at in the main compartment, thanks to a unique zipper system. Better still, the top pocket easily clips off and converts to a lumbar pack for carrying smaller loads on shorter day hikes.

To say my first impressions were favorable would probably be an understatement, which is why I was a bit surprised when I filled up the pack with gear, and tried it on for the first time, only to find that it wasn't quite a comfortable as I had hoped. In fact, it was no where near as comfortable as my Atmos 50. But, that was before I took it into the local REI store for a custom fitting with the belt. Yep, that's right the thickly padded hipbelt on the Aether can be custom molded by a specialist using a heat gun to achieve a better fit, and I can tell you that it makes all of the difference. Once the custom molding was complete, the pack fit much better, and was very comfortable to wear. It also helps to properly place the load on your hips, where it belongs, making this pack comfortable to wear on longer treks.

The Aether also has a newly designed suspension system that offers better airflow behind the back as well, helping to keep you somewhat cooler, and dryer, while on the trail. The pack comes with built in straps for carrying your sleeping pad, and additional straps for carrying ice axes or trekking poles. Of course, the pack is also hydration compatible, and it's a cinch to get your bladder in and out when needed. In short, it pretty much has everything you could ask for in multi-day backpack with plenty of room for your gear, but not so large as to be unwieldy or uncomfortable.

There were a few nits to pick however, as I'm sure you can imagine. Coming from the Atmos, I missed the zip pockets on the hipbelt, which really come in handy for holding snacks or keeping a small camera close at hand. That minimalist design holds over to the rest of the pack as well, which could have used an extra external pocket or two to keep some essential gear close at hand or to offer further organizational options. Aside from that, it is difficult to find anything wrong with Aether 70 in my opinion.

If you're looking for a very comfortable pack, that can handle a full load with ease (especially when custom fit!), then I can't recommend the Aether highly enough. It is definitely a worthy successor to my Atmos, and the added space and extra features are welcome additions. Osprey's legendary quality and excellent design is intact with the Aether, and you can't go wrong with adding it to your gear closet. (MSRP: $259)

Disclaimer: This pack was provided to me for review purposes by Osprey Packs.

Everest Base Camp Trek: Introduction

As many of you know, back in April I made the trek to Everest Base Camp, which is an adventure that a lot of you either have done yourself or are planning to do in the future. It had long been on my "life list" of as well, and I'd been planning to travel to Nepal and complete that journey for several years before I finally took the plunge and went for it this spring. It was an amazing, yet challenging, trip that was filled with breathtaking scenery that proved to be everything I had hoped for and more.

I have now been home a month, and I'm fully recovered from the trek and the horrendous jet lag that followed. Since then, I've had time to reflect on the trip and collect my thoughts on what I experienced in the Himalaya. As a result, I've started to share the story of the trip at Gadling.com, the travel website that I write for in addition to this blog.

The series of stories on the trek will be entitled "Himalayan High", and I have quite a few of them lined up for publication. I'm going to discuss what's it's like to make the trek, the benefits and drawbacks of being guided vs. going independently, the dangers of the hike, and how you should prepare before you go. Hopefully, when I'm all done, you'll get a good sense of what to expect if you should go yourself, and maybe get a few insights on things you hadn't considered before. If you have questions about anything along the way, would like some advice, or just want to share your own experiences, feel free to post a comment or drop me a note at kungfujedi@gmail.com.

My first story is a bit of an introduction for the Gadling readers on what to expect. It went up on the website earlier today, and you can find it by clicking here. The next article should go live on Thursday, and will start to chronicle the the trip beginning with the flight to Kathmandu and my first impressions of that colorful and chaotic city. I promise that when the stories go live, I'll post a link to them here for those who don't read Gadling, but are interested in hearing about the trip none the less. I hope you enjoy them. :)

Ueli Steck Going For Speed Record On El Cap!

Swiss climber Ueli Steck is in Yosemite and planning to make an assault on the speed record on El Capitan. According to the Hardware Sessions, the official blog of Mountain Hardwear gear, is reporting that Ueli is already scouting the lines, and planning his route with climbing partner Alex Honnold.

The current speed record was set last fall by Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama and sits at 2 hours 37 minutes and 05 seconds. Pretty impressive when you consider that the 3000 foot tall face was fist climbed back in 1958, a feat which took 47 days to complete at the time.

Ueli is amongst the best climbers in the world, and already holds a number of speed records for big faces in the Alps. For example, he bagged the North Face of the Eiger back in February of 2007 in just one hour and 48 minutes, an astounding time for that wall as well.

Below is a video of Ueli and Alex making a traing climb on the Nose from a few days back. Stay tuned for updates on whether or not they can break the record. It should be very interesting!

Alex and Uli speed climbing The Nose on 5.20.10 from Chris Falkenstein on Vimeo.

Dean Potter Free Climbing The Eiger

I caught this video over at Backcountry.com's Goat Blog yesterday and wanted to share it here as well. It's of big wall climber Dean Potter, as he makes an amazing free climb of the Eiger using a BASE jumping chute as his life line in case he falls. Potter has combined two of his major passions, rock climbing and BASE jumping, to ensure that he can get a the challenge of one, while using the other for safety purposes.

Some of the images in this video are simply stunning. Great stuff. I hope you enjoy.

dean potter from cl1 on Vimeo.

Everest 2010: More Climbers Summit In Bitter Cold Weather

Following the snowstorm that hit the mountain on Sunday, a number of teams were hunkered in on the South Col of Everest, waiting for an opportunity to go up to the summit. Thankfully for them, the weather cleared yesterday, allowing for another round of bids that resulted in more climbers from both the North and South Side of the mountain standing on top. It wasn't easy however, as when the skies cleared, the cold the weather moved in, making it a very chilly ascent. Reports have the temperatures sitting at -18ºF at the summit.

Perhaps the biggest news of this most recent round of summits is that Dave Hahn, climbing with the First Ascent Team, topped out for the 12th time of his climbing career. That breaks his own record for the most summits by a non-Sherpa, and definitely puts him in rarified air with the best climbers in the world. Dave was also guiding climbing royalty to the summit, as he took Leif Whittaker with him up the mountain. For Leif, it was his first summit of the mountain, as he followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim Whittaker, who was the first American to successfully climb Everest back in 1963.

The Outdoor Research Veritculture website has an update on Chad Kellogg and his attempt to make a speed climb of Everest. Reportedly, he was on track to reach the summit, but turned back in the high winds that hit the mountain a few days back. Apparently, Chad was approximately 400 meters below the summit when he made the decision to abort the climb with 40+ mph winds whipping around him. He is now back in BC, and will wait to see if another weather window opens, as he would like to complete the climb, although it will now not be for a speed record.

It hasn't been smooth sailing for everyone however, as both Alan Arnette and Explorers Web are reporting of rescues on the mountain. In his latest update, Alan indicates that he has heard about a number of rescues, but few confirmations, although it is believed that Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton, also on the First Ascent team, helped a Sherpa down the mountain after a large piece of ice broke off a serac and struck him, breaking either an arm or a leg. The man has already been evacuated to Base Camp and should recover just fine.

Similarly, ExWeb says that a pair of Spanish climber had to be helped down from C3 after their successful summit bid. The two were out of oxygen, exhausted, and possibly suffering from frostbite. They did set off under their own power, but were met by a group of Sherpas delivering extra oxygen at about the 8000m mark. They are expected to recover as well.

Weather reports indicate that conditions are now worsening on Everest, and it is likely that we may have seen the end of this year's spring season. There will be a few holdouts in base camp on both sides of the mountain, as they wait to see if they can get one more crack at the summit this year, but right now, things aren't looking great for that to happen. The annual monsoon is brewing, and will close off the mountain until fall. If conditions do improve however, I'll post updates on late season summit bids.

Congratulations to all the climbers who made the climb this year.

Brooks-Range Map Tool Giveaway Winners

Just a quick note to congratulate the winners of the Brooks-Range map tools give away that I announced a week or so back, in which all you had to do to win was head over to the Brooks-Range Facebook page, become a fan, and tell them I sent you. Simple as that.

The winners of the map tools are:
Kerry Scott
Jim Muller
Stacy Mantooth

Congrats you three, the BR people should be touch with you on Facebook to get your new tool shipped out to you. I hope it comes in handy on your next backpacking trip or adventure race. They're great tools and definitely very helpful for backcountry navigation.

Thanks to the Brooks-Range folks for putting this promotion together. I appreciate their efforts and I'm glad we had a chance to work together. Hopefully we can do more together in the future as well.

The Ultimate Mountain Challenge Returns To The Teva Mountain Games

The Teva Mountain Games have a long standing tradition of offering some of the best competition for outdoor athletes across a multitude of disciplines. Each year, hundreds of competitors descend on Vail, Colorado, where they run, bike, paddle, and climb against one another, with the gorgeous backdrop of the Rocky Mountains looming overhead.

This year's games are set to take place from June 3-6, and will mark the return of one of the most intense and demanding multisport competitions of all time, as the GNC sponsored Ultimate Mountain Challenge re-debuts at the event. The UMC will pit the athletes against one another in four different events, and their times in those events will be combined to determine the winner. Those events include the Volvo 10K Spring Runoff presented by Eddie Bauer, Volvo X-Country Mountain Bike presented by Fetzer Vineyards, Fetzer Vineyards Road Bike Time Trial presented by Thule and Bud Light Lime Down River Sprint presented by Jackson Kayak.

As you can see, to be the King (or Queen!) of the Mountain, you'll need to have skills in a variety of different athletic pursuits. But the Teva Mountain Games also includes a photography competition, an Outdoor Adventure Film School, fee concerts and much, much more. If you're in the Vail area on the weekend on the dates of the event, be sure to drop by and checkout the largest outdoor athletic competition anywhere in the world.

Lewis Gordon Pugh Completes Himalayan Swim!

Last week I posted about Lewis Gordon Pugh, and his attempt to complete the highest altitude, long distance swim ever. At that time, Lewis had arrived at Gorak Shep, the last village before Everest Base Camp in Nepal. He was going to acclimatize for a few days, then go for a 1km swim in Lake Pumori, located at 17,700 feet. According to his blog, the British environmentalist was successful in that attempt, completing the swim yesterday, but it wasn't without some scary moments first.

Pugh is considered one of the top long distance swimmers in the world, and has gone for a dip in cold waters across the planet, including both the Arctic and Antarctic. That experience would serve him well in the Himalaya, where the water was a chilly 36ºF. But it wasn't the cold water that had him worried, but the altitude, which could completely mess with his breathing. It seems that was the case on Friday, when he made a test run, swimming 300 meters, and found it nearly impossible to breath. Lewis even says he nearly "went down" on more than one occasion, and remarking that it was "The Most Frightening Day of My Swimming Career".

But, after he took a day off to rest, and further acclimatize, things got better. He also worked on pacing himself for the 1km swim in the glacial lake, and as a result, he managed to complete a swim that some had said would be impossible. It took him 22 minutes and 51 seconds to cover the distance, and at the end, he was relieved and happy at the same time.

Pugh, who has long campaigned to promote awareness of global climate change, was making this swim to shine a spotlight on the shrinking glaciers in the Himalaya and beyond.

Everest 2010: Busy Weekend At The Summit

As most of you probably already know, it was an incredibly busy weekend on Everest, with a steady stream of climbers going to the summit, taking advantage of the what looks to be the final weather window of the season. Those that jumped the gun, and moved up the mountain early last week were rewarded with great weather on Saturday and Sunday, but high winds moved back in late on Sunday, and are now playing havoc with teams that were hoping to avoid the traffic jams.

Two of the climbers who are holding on to hopes that they'll still have a chance to summit are mountain guide Dave Hahn and Leif Whittaker climbing with First Ascent. The duo were hoping to go up last night, but a snow storm moved into the area, and preventing them from making their summit bid. In his latest dispatch to GreatOutdoors.com Dave says that the weather has now shifted, and things are looking good for their final push from the South Col today. He is hoping to earn his 12th summit of Everest.

They aren't the only ones who will be moving up. Others were also trapped in place at Camp 4, waiting for the snow storm to move on, and are now eager to joint the dozens of other climbers who topped out over the weekend. Obviously, the two names that got the most press over the weekend were 13-year old Jordan Romero, who set a new record for the youngest person to reach the summit, and the legendary Apa Sherpa, who claimed the 20th summit of his illustrious career. But plenty of other notable summits were made as well, such as Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner reaching the top, sans oxygen, to earn her 13th 8000 meter peak. First Ascent's other team, consisting of Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton, also topped out, for their third and sixth summit of the mountain respectively, and Simone Moro stood on top for the 4th time as well.

Summits weren't the only story of the weekend however, as ExWeb is reporting that Willie Benegas had to rescue an unnamed climber on his descent when they were caught out in the snow storm. The rescue took place above the South Col and in 50+ mph winds.

ExWeb and Alan Arnette are both reporting that some unscrupulous teams were also stealing oxygen bottles at the South Col as well. Climbers were arriving at that point and finding their equipment caches had been raided, with O2 bottles missing. Fortunately, some of the teams returning from the summit had extra bottles left over, and were able to help to equip those who were still going up. It is sad to hear these kinds of stories, as it would be absolutely devastating to not be able to summit because someone else took your oxygen. It is good to hear that most of the teams will work together to support one another however.

It seems that with the weather improved once again today, there will be one last big push to the summit. Expect updates throughout the day from those teams as they go for the summit from both the North and South side of the mountain.

Steps To The Summit - An Introduction

The expedition may be nearly over for the Hanesbrand sponsored Everest Team, as their latest update had them back in Lukla, and waiting a flight to Kathmandu, but they're not finished sharing the lessons of their climb with the rest of us. Since the announcement of their expedition months back, the team has been creating a series of videos called Steps to the Summit that not only offer an insightful look into what it takes to climb the highest mountain on the planet, but also how to apply those lessons to our everyday life.

The videos, are hosted by team leader Jaime Clarke, and are extremely well done. In the weeks ahead, I'll be sharing them with you in the hopes that we'll not only learn more about what goes into a major mountain expedition, but also how that same focus and planning can be applied to achieve goals in our own personal lives. Below is the first of those videos, a short introduction to the series.

Everest 2010: Jordan and Apa Summit!

As expected, the winds died, the sky cleared, and the weather window opened on schedule on Everest today, giving climbers access to the summit from both sides of the mountain. There appears to have been a lot of summits, although as of this writing, I haven't heard an estimate yet. There were however, two summits of note that I wanted to touch on this morning.

First, on the North Side, 13-year old Jordan Romero successfully reached the top of Everest, setting a new record for the youngest person to accomplish that feat. Jordan has received a ton of media attention prior to the climb, and is sure to receive a lot more today, and while I'm definitely not in favor of these young kids climbing 8000 meter peaks, I'm glad that his climb is over, and he is down safe today. I want to extend a congratulations to Jordan and his whole team. He now has just Mt. Vinson in Antarctica to summit to nab all of the Seven Summits. He'll head for that peak in the fall.

Apa Sherpa also topped out on the mountain, via the South Side, claiming his 20th summit of the mountain. Apa reached the summit at 8:34 AM local time today, extending his own record for most times on top of the world. Apa is climbing to raise awareness of his own charity, the Apa Sherpa Foundation and to raise awareness of climate change. Congratulations to Apa as well!

Also, congratulations to Mandy Ramsden, climbing with the Adventure Consultants Team. She reached the summit last night as well, becoming the first South African woman to complete the Seven Summits.

More news soon, as it is likely to continue to be a very busy weekend.

Everest 2010: Teams Moving Up, Summit Bids Tonight!

High winds that plagued the teams on Everest the past few days have abated some, opening the weather window that is expected to extend through the weekend. As a result, the climbers are on the move again, as they head up to Camp 4, with many hoping to hit the summit tonight.

The high winds yesterday forced some teams, who were en route to Camp 3, to turn back and settle in at Camp 2 instead. The Peak Freaks reported in from Camp 4, where they say that a number of teams are arriving to find their camps completely destroyed by the constant gusts the past few days. Tents and gear have been swept off the mountain, and as a result, some of the climbers may be facing a setback unless more gear can be brought up on time. Fortunately for the PF team, their camps are okay, and their next group of climbers are now in place to go up to the summit.

The First Ascent Teams are both in Camp 2 today, after Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton were one of the teams that turned back while on their way to C3, due to the winds yesterday. As a result, they're hanging out with Dave Hahn and Lief Whittaker, who were one day behind them in the rotation, but now they're moving on the same schedule, and may work their way up to the summit together. Hahn is, of course, going for his 12th summit of Everest, the most by a non-Sherpa, with the hope that they'll top out on Monday.

Also going for a record is Apa Sherpa, who is en route to Camp 4 at the moment, and hoping to make his summit bid tonight as well. If successful, it'll be his 20th time on top of the mountain, extending his own record. According to his Twitter feed, the weather conditions are excellent as of this writing, and it looks like all systems are go for Apa to head up today.

Chad Kellogg is also hoping to make his attempt on the mountain tomorrow, with an eye on the summit as well. You may recall that the Outdoor Research sponsored athlete is hoping to make a speed climb of the mountain, going from BC to the top in one single push. He plans to set off tomorrow morning at 4:30 AM local time. He'll be carrying a SPOT Tracker, which should allow all of us to follow along with his progress as he goes. Chad hopes to go to the summit and back in record time. Hopefully the traffic on the mountain tomorrow won't delay him too much.

On the North Side of the mountain, similar stories are being told of teams moving up, and hoping to be in position to take advantage of this weather window. Amongst them is Jordan Romero, who is now reportedly in Camp 3, and feeling strong. Jordan's team reports that the skies have cleared, and they can see all the way up to the summit, which bodes well for those climbing from the North Side this weekend. If Jordan stays on the regular schedule, it will appear that he'll be in position to make his official summit bid on Sunday. Stay tuned for more on that!

Finally, one last word on the weather. This current window looks like it'll stay open through Monday or so, and after that things get dicey. The next three days are likely to be very busy, with traffic jams, slow moving climbers, and all kind of other issues. Out in the Indian Ocean, a cyclone is starting to exert its will, and that is going to have a profound, and likely lasting, effect on the chances for anyone topping out of Monday or Tuesday. Lets hope everyone is safe going up and down the mountain this weekend. Good luck to all the climbers!

Has Modern Technology Taken Away Some of the Adventure?

I came across this interesting blog post today over at SailingWorld.com. It was written last week, as Jessica Watson was closing in on Sydney, and the end of her solo circumnavigation of the world.

In the blog, which is entitled "Adventure Lost", author Tim Zimmeran ponders the impact of modern technology and communications on expeditions, both on land and sea. He remarks about how much easier it is for today's sailors to complete a round-the-world journey thanks to satellite phones and Internet connections. He even argues that these tools take the "solo" portion out of the trip in some ways, noting that in the past, if you had an equipment failure or ran into trouble, you had to come up with a way to fix your equipment yourself. In those days, you were out on the ocean, truly by yourself, and loneliness and isolation were true issues that had to be dealt with. But today, things are different. Here's a quote:

Think of all the time Jessica spent on the sat phone, talking to her family and shore team. Problem with the autopilot or generator? Get on the horn with the manufacturer for step-by-by step repair instructions. Feeling lonely and blue? Call up your Mum for a chat and some bucking up. Need an emotional lift? Read the comments on your blog.

The article is an interesting one, I find myself agreeing with a number of points. Things were definitely harder in the "old days", when these high tech communications tools didn't exist. On the other hand, in today's world, in which many of these adventures are sponsored, and wouldn't happen without that support, these tools serve as a link back to civilization to help keep us informed of what is going on. Updates to websites, blogs, and Facebook pages keep us coming back for the latest info, and that usually results in finding ways to get the sponsor's logo in front of our eyes more often.

Advanced in technology are inevitable, and things change, as we all know. Today's explorers and adventurers are going to find ways to leverage the tools that they have to make things safer and easier. But that doesn't mean we can't appreciate what explorers went through in the past. Looking at the climbing gear that Mallory used on Everest, and comparing it to what Hillary used, you see a significant improvement. Today's gear would seem like something out of science fiction to those guys. But do these advances in technology detract from the adventure? I'd say yes and no. I agree that the ability to communicate from just about anywhere on the planet changes the nature of a "solo" expedition, but it doesn't detract from the accomplishments of the expedition itself.

Just how much has technology impacted the world of adventure? I'd point to another interesting quote from the story. The author says: "In 1968, sailing around the world solo and non-stop was so hard Robin Knox-Johnston could barely do it. In 2010, it is so easy a 16-year old can do it." Hmm... when you put it that way, perhaps we have made things a bit too easy. Maybe that's why we have 16-year olds sailing solo around the world and 13-year olds climbing Everest.

Really interesting read. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Walking The Amazon Update: Ed and Cho Get Mainstream Coverage

It has been far too long since I posted anything on the Walking the Amazon Expedition, in which Ed Stafford and Cho Sanchez are covering the entire length of the Amazon River on foot, a journey of more than 4000 miles, through some of the harshest, most demanding terrain on the planet. Currently, Ed has been out on his little trek for 779 days (Cho joined him a bit later on down the road), and the pair are in North Central Brazil, continuing their slow, but steady, march to the sea, where the Amazon empties into the Atlantic Ocean, the finish line for this epic adventure.

Today, the expedition got a little mainstream attention with a story on ABC's Good Morning America. Reporter Bill Weir joined Ed for two days of his march through the jungle, and got a small glimpse of what it is like to hike the Amazon. The results are the video report that you can watch below, and the written story posted on the ABC News website, which you can read by clicking here.

As of now, Ed is expecting to complete his journey at the end of August, and he already has a plane ticket booked for home. I can't even imagine what it is going to be like for him when he is done, but I do know I want to read the inevitable book of his adventures.

Every time I read up on this expedition, I can't help but be blown away. It is such an incredible undertaking, and a staggering achievement. As someone who has actually been to the Amazon, I can tell you that I can't even imagine hiking for more than a day or two there. In fact, I did some jungle trekking, and it was swelteringly hot, incredibly humid, and paths were transient at best. The water levels change dramatically with the seasons, and there are plenty of nasty bugs, snakes, and diseases that can make you sick or worse. I have tremendous respect for both Ed and Cho, and I can't wait to see them finish up.

Lance Responds To Landis

Earlier today the story broke about Floyd Landis admitting to doping in his career as a professional cyclist, and in the process he implicated a number of other prominent American riders, including Lance Armstrong.

Lance is currently racing in the Tour of California, where he took a nasty spill today, but he did take some time to address these allegations that are on everyone's mind today. Lance met with the press and said that he'd like to say that he's surprised by Floyd's words, but that he really isn't. Lance claims that he began receiving threats from Floyd some time back, and that Landis continued to harass him, Dave Zabriskie, Levi Leipheimer, and others through e-mail and text messages over time. Lance also pointed out that Floyd has been under oath a number of times, and yet continued to maintain his own innocence. Something he now recants.

You can read all of what Lance had to say in this article over at the Team Radio Shack website, where they also just posted the response from Johan Bruyneel, manager of Team Radio Shack and the U.S. Postal Team that Lance and Floyd both road on back in 2002, when Landis says he began doping. The disgraced rider has said that Johan was well aware of what was going on, and was part of the doping process.

This whole affair just keeps getting more and more sordid. It is hard to know who you should believe. The sport is such a mess, and it seems that all the top riders have been doping in some form or another, but then again, Lance is the most tested athlete in the world, and he has always come up negative. Innocent until proven guilty?

Landis is not unlike Jose Canseco at this point. When Canseco blew the lid off the drug problems in Major League Baseball, everyone said he was nuts and a liar too. Pretty much everything he said has since been proven to be true. Will this all eventually help a sport to clean itself up? Only time will tell.

What Really Happened To Mallory and Irvine? (Part 3)

The mystery of what actually happened to George Mallory and Sandy Irvine on that fateful day, high on Everest, back in 1924, has been one of mountaineering's enduring mysteries. It has provided fodder for discussion and debate around the campfire for years, with the only thing we know for sure being that they didn't make it back down.

Over the past few weeks, mountaineer and photographer Jake Norton has been sharing his thoughts on what he believes really happened to the two men, sharing his unique perspective on the Mallory and Irvine mystery. Jake was part of the team that found Mallory's remains on Everest back in 1999, and he later came across the duo's lost Camp VI high on the mountain as well. He has studied Mallory and Irving and even followed their route to the summit, so his speculation as to what happened to them has been particularly fascinating to me.

Today, Jake has posted the third part of his series, found here, in which he discusses Mallory and Irvine's descent from the summit. Obviously we all know that they died trying to make the first ascent of the mountain, but how and why that happened remains a mystery. Jake logically lays out his thoughts on what he believe happened to them after they successfully reached the summit late in the day. As with the other two parts of the series, it is a very interesting and compelling read.

If you haven't read the first two parts of the series, I'd encourage you to do so before going on to Part 3. Part 1 can be found here and gives excellent background info on the entire affair. Part 2 is here, and it is a detailed account of what Jake thinks the ascent was like. All three parts make for a great read.

Wide World Checks In With Christina Franco

Polar explorer Christina Franco has has a couple of frustrating seasons in the arctic these past two years. In 2009 she had to be evacuated early on due to equipment failure on her stoves, which are not only necessary to cook food, but also to melt snow for drinking water and warm the tent. This year, she made it much further, but again had to be evacuated after she found her self stranded on a long, narrow patch of ice that was surrounded by a large open lead.

Now, safely home in London, Christina talks with Wide World Magazine about her adventures, and her overwhelming need to go to the North Pole. In the interview she describes the grueling conditions that she has to deal with while out on the ice, what her daily routine is like, and the biggest challenge she faces on the expedition. (Hint: Last year, cold temps, this year negative drift!)

The most interesting part of the interview for me was when Christina is asked about what she expected to see when she reached the North Pole. Her answer:

There is nothing at the North Pole that differs from what you have seen the rest of the trip. The place you arrive at is also floating above the North Pole for just a second and you quickly float away. There is something poetic in that. It is ephemeral and beautiful because no one can possess it.

Which only gives further insight into how the journey to the North and South Poles differ.

Very good interview, with lots of insights.

Adventure Racing News:

A few adventure racing tidbits for the AR crowd.

- The XPD Australia Expedition Race is underway near Cairns. The race features coed teams of four battling it out non-stop over 430+ miles of rugged and remote Australian backcountry, including trekking through jungles, paddling on the ocean, and tackling white water rafting on the Tully River. The race is expected to run through the 28th, and at this early point, it is Team Orion Adventure, winners of last year's Primal Quest, who are out in front. For live tracking on the XPD, click here.

- Earlier this week it was announced that the first annual CheckPoint Tracker Adventure Racing National Championship would be held in Moab, Utah on October 29th of this year. The event will pit 350 of the top racers from around the U.S. against one another in six different racing divisions. The course has been designed by Gravity Play Sports, and the winning team will receive an all expense paid trip to the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge later this year.

- Speaking of CheckPoint Tracker, it seems they've added a new member to the team, with adventure racing legend Ian Adamson. Ian will be helping the company develop their long term strategy and is aiding in the production of the new National Championship race that I mentioned above. In his long and illustrious career, Adamson has pretty much won every major race out there, and has vast amounts of experience as a race director as well.

- Finally, a shout out to Too Cool Adventure Racing, who produces AR events here in my backyard in Texas. Next weekend they'll be holding their Spread Your Wings Adventure Weekend, which will include racer check-in on Friday, a 24-hour race beginning on Saturday, and a host of post-race events on Sunday, including a kids/family adventure race, zip lining, family hikes, and a Night Nav. Murder Mystery event too. Of course there will be plenty of food and drinks on hand, and lots of fun on the long three day weekend. If you're in the central Texas area, and you're looking to get into adventure racing, you'll want to see what Too Cool has to offer.

Everest 2010: It's All About The Weather

The topic of discussion on Everest today, as it has been for some time, is all about the weather. Teams on both the North and South Side are dealing with challenging conditions while they try to put themselves into position to take advantage of a weather window that is expected to give them access to the summit on Saturday. But today, they're dealing with high winds on both sides of the mountain, and some fresh snow on the the South.

As I mentioned yesterday, all the major commercial teams are moving up, including the Altitude Junkies, Alpine Ascents, IMG, and Himex. Most of the climbers are hoping to be in position at Camp 3 today, and then move up to C4 tomorrow for a brief rest, before going on to the summit. Most of the updates from the mountain today reflect this plan.

There are a few things of note however, such as the update that Apa Sherpa set off from Base Camp this morning, beginning his summit push. If he is successful, it will be the 20th time that he has stood on top of the mountain, an impressive feat to say the least.

Similarly, Dave Hahn, climbing with the First Ascent Team, and guiding Leif Whittaker, son of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest, has set off for the summit as well. Dave is going for his 12th successful summit of the mountain, adding to his record for the most summits by a non-Sherpa. He's also been sharing regular dispatches over at GreatOutdoors.com. You can read what Dave has to say by clicking here.

There are certainly a lot of people following Jordan Romero's progress very intently. The 13-year old was the subject of a story in the New York Times yesterday that is sure to bring even more attention to his attempt on Everest and the Seven Summits in general. It appears that Jordan is currently in Camp 2 on the North Side and is hoping to take advantage of this impending weather window along with the rest of the teams.

South African Mandy Ramsden is climbing with the Adventure Consultants Team, and is currently in Camp 3, amidst very windy conditions. She's looking to become the first South African woman to climb the Seven Summits, with just Everest standing in the way of that goal.

The way things are shaping up right now, this may be the last weather window for all the teams, which is why they are all moving up so quickly and en masse. It appears that the window may be open from the 22nd through the 25th, although we all know how quickly the weather can change sometimes. After that, the brewing cyclone in the Indian Ocean may very well shut things down for the season, and no one wants to be left out if that should happen. It looks like we're in for another very busy weekend on the world's tallest mountain. Expect traffic jams, delays, and lots and lots of summits!

Floyd Landis Admits Doping, Throws Other Riders Under The Bus

The New York Times is reporting today that after four years of denials cyclist Floyd Landis has admitted that he used performance enhancing drugs throughout his career. The 2006 Tour de France winner, who was later stripped of that title, reportedly sent e-mails to top cycling officials in the U.S. and Europe detailing his use of the drugs, while also naming other top U.S. riders who he says were doping as well.

The officials who spoke to the Times didn't with to have their names published, but did say that Landis admitted that he began using the performance enhancing drugs back in 2002, when he joined the U.S. Postal Service Team led by Lance Armstrong. Reportedly, Landis says that not only was Lance doping, but so were George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and David Zabriskie. Essentially the top names in U.S. cycling.

Landis, who now races with the OUCH-Bahati Team, says that he is hoping to clear his conscience, and no longer wants to be a part of the problem, but says he has no documentation to prove his claims agains the other riders. He did, however, share the details of his own drug use saying that he commonly used EPO, which works to increase the white blood cells to aid with endurance, testosterone, human growth hormone and blood transfusions. He also claims that he spent $90,000 a year on performance enhancing drugs so he could continue to compete in the sport.

What motivations Landis has for coming forward at this time is unclear, but he is sharing his knowledge about the drugs, and who distributes them, with officials both in and out of the sport. Personally, anything that helps to clean up the sport of cycling is a good thing from my perspective, but year after year, it seems like it is a losing battle as more stories like this one come out, and top names in the sport ended up testing positive.

One thing is for sure however, Landis is likely to have a chilly reception in any peloton he rides in in the near future.

Amazing Video Of North Pole Expedition

I just saw this video pop up in Eric Larsen's Twitter feed. It is an amazing movie of his recently completed journey to the North Pole, which completed the second leg of his Save The Poles Expedition. Next up, Everest in the fall, but for now, it's time to reflect on another successful journey. Really great video that captures the essence of what it is like for an arctic explorer. Enjoy.

Swimming in the Shadow of Everest

When you think about remote places to go for a swim, Mt. Everest isn't a location that readily comes to mind. After all, it is tucked away in a remote corner of the Himalaya, along the border between Nepal and Tibet, and the region isn't well known for its large bodies of water.

That isn't stopping Lewis Pugh however. The Brit has practically made a career out of swimming in remote places, having completed a long distance swim in every ocean of the world, and becoming the first person to swim across the North Pole back in 2007 as well. He has also taken the plunge off the Antarctica Peninsula, and is widely considered the best cold water swimmer in the world. He is presently in Everest Base Camp, acclimatizing, and preparing for his latest expedition which will see him swimming in a glacial lake to raise awareness of the disappearing Asian glaciers.

The lake that he has chosen is situated at 5300 meters (17,388 feet) and has a temperature of 34ºF. He hopes to swim for at least 1 kilometer, which would make this the highest altitude long distance swim ever. Pugh also says this will probably his most difficult swim ever as well, since he'll be dealing with the bone chilling cold and the altitude at the same time, something that has to be incredibly hard.

While making the trek to Base Camp last month, I noticed some of the glacial lakes in the area. Just looking at them made me shiver. The water just looked incredibly cold, with large chunks of ice floating in it. I know I certainly wouldn't want to come anywhere close to hopping into one of those. Brrr...

Good luck to Lewis! I'll keep everyone posed on his progress.

Tour d'Afrique 2010: Race Finished, Australian and German Cyclists Win!

The 2010 Tour d'Afrique came to an end this past weekend when the riders rolled into Cape Town amidst cheers from the locals gathered to welcome them. Sunday marked the final day of the annual race from Cairo to Cape Town that saw competitors in the saddle for more than 120 days, and covering over 7500 miles across the length of Africa.

27-year old Australian, Stuart Briggs was the winner in the men's category, claiming victory with an overall time 398:26 for the race. South African Jethro de Decker took second place with a time of, 16 hours back, and American Tim Thomas came in third at 418:09. de Decker won the most stages with 18, and the most sections, with 3, but Briggs was the overall more consistent rider from start to finish.

In the women's division there was no problem figuring out who won, as 26-year old German Gisela Gartmair dominated the field. Garmair racked up an incredible 56 stage wins, claimed all 9 of the race’s “mando” days, and was victorious on 7 of the 8 tour sections. Her final time was 404:34, second only to Briggs in the overall standings. Juliana Austin-Olsen, 39 and Jennifer Crake, 40, both of Canada, finished second and third respectively with times of 452:38 and 531:33.

There were 55 riders that rode the entire length of the Tour, with others coming and going from different sections. For some, iti s a highly competitive event, as winning a stage race of 120+ days is quite a feat. For others however, it is more about the adventure of the ride, which crossed through Egypt, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Personally, I can't think of a more amazing way to tour Africa, and it's many diverse landscapes.

Registration for the Tour d'Afrique 2011 is already open, so if you would like to take part in the adventure next year, sign up now and start planning. It's going to be a heck of a ride.

Himalaya 2010: Summits on Cho Oyu, Push Begins on Everest, Makalu

While teams on Everest prepare for another weather window, activity in other parts of the Himalaya continues as well. As we approach the final days of May, the end is in sight for many climbers who have been tightly focused on these last days for months, if not years.

The projected summit day on Everest is now set for Saturday, May 22nd. The weather window looks perfect for another round of summits on that day, although bad weather is in the forecast for after that. As a result, most teams have moved up to Camp 2 on the South Side of the mountain, which puts them on schedule to take advantage of the expected calm weather ahead. Himex, Alpine Ascents, Altitude Junkies, and the Peak Freaks all have climbers in position.

On the North Side of the mountain, there is a similar level of activity and an anticipation of the same weather window. Climbers have moved up to ABC, and are eying this weekend to make their bids as well, which means we're likely to see traffic jams on both sides of the mountain.

All the teams are keeping an eye on the monsoon as well, which according to Alan Arnette is brew up in India at the moment. According to his latest update, feeder bands for cyclone Laila have already begun to work their way into Nepal, which could signal a quick end to the season. But as Alan also points out, it isn't time to panic just yet, but the teams will have to move with a sense of urgency over the next few days.

Elsewhere in the region, ExWeb is reporting that an IMG Team has reached the summit on Cho Oyu this past Monday amidst very cold temperatures. Reportedly it was a rough summit, with a lot of exposed rock above the Yellow Band, which made for tough going for all the climbers. They all made it up and down safely however, and were back in Camp 1 before the weather took a turn for the worse.

In that same article, ExWeb notes that summit bids are about to get underway on Makalu, where teams missed out on the first weather window due to conflicting reports. They aim to take advantage of the new one that hits the region at the end of this week, with teams planning on topping out on Saturday as well.

As is common this time of year, the news is almost always about the weather. Lets hope that there are no major shifts in that department over the next few days, as that will allow these climbers to reach their respective summits before the monsoon hits. Something that looks like could happen sooner rather than later. Busy week ahead.