Todd Carmichael Gears Up For Death Valley Round 2!

American explorer Todd Carmichael is preparing to make another attempt on Death Valley, and he'll hit the ground there on September 20th, as he once again goes for the first unsupported traverse of one of the most hostile environments on the planet.

Regular readers may recall that Todd attempted this journey last year, only to face a multitude of challenges, not the least of which was the daunting terrain that was, at times, impassable. Last year, he was pulling a cart, that he had dubbed "the Pig" behind him that was loaded down with his gear and supplies, and he regularly was forced to offload gear, in order to continue making forward progress. How he intends to deal with these conditions this year remains to be seen.

In his first dispatch for the new expedition, Todd says that he is returning with a newly designed Pig, which will once again carry his food, water, and other supplies, totaling nearly 500 pounds of weight, behind him as he makes the traverse from North to South across the desert. He'll get underway just as summer is coming to an end, in the hopes of missing at least some of the heat that Death Valley is known for, but even in the fall the place can be very hot, and that will be just one of the challenges he'll be facing.

Can Todd succeed where he failed last year? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Personally, I wouldn't bet against a guy who became the first American to make a solo journey to the South Pole, and set a speed record in the process. Good luck Todd! We'll be following your adventure!