Mandatory Equipment Episodes 1 and 2

Awhile back I posted the trailer to a new webseries called Mandatory Equipment that was set to give us an inside look at what it takes to train for an expedition length adventure race. That teaser gave us a sample of what was to come as Team Mandatory Equipment  prepares to race in the 600km Raid The North Extreme this summer. Since that time, the team has released two episodes, and a third is on the way.

I've posted both of these videos below, and they not only serve as a great introduction to the sport, they also give you a taste of the training and preparation that are involved with major event such as the RTNE. In the first video, the team asks themselves "What Have I Gotten Myself Into?", which is a common response when teams take on a race of this length and in the second video they really get down to the training and the daunting task of getting ready for the Raid. Fans of the sport will no doubt enjoy this "behind the scenes" look at the training regime. It'll either motivate you to want to do your own race, or confirm the reasons why you never have! Enjoy!

Contour+ Helmet Cam Brings New Features

Contour has launched a new helmet cam, the Contour+, delivering a host of great new features that will give aspiring filmmakers some wonderful new options when creating their next adventure film. The new edition to the line-up delivers pro-level quality and ease of use in one very small, yet durable package.

The Contour+ adds a new "professional grade" lens that allows capturing of 1080p video, which is what you would expect out of any digital video camera in this day and age. The new lens also provides the ability to shoot in a wider format, while delivering a cleaner image as well. The camera also now includes an external microphone jack, as well as a built in GPS receiver that tracks location, distance, traveled, and other data. And if that wasn't enough, it is now capable of live streaming from events and can connect, via Bluetooth, to your smartphone, which can be used as an external display. All of this for just $499, including all the cables, a 2GB memory card, and 3 different mounts.

I have an earlier model of the Contour, and while it is a bit on the larger and heavier side, when compared to other helmet cams, it is also more durable and of higher quality than the other cameras I've used. The video that it shoots is great, and mine doesn't do 1080p, and it is fun to play with when mountain biking, climbing, or just about any other outdoor sport. My one gripe is that it is sometimes hard to know what you're shooting, but with the ability to use a smartphone screen, that doesn't seem to be much of a problem now either. At least for lining up shots and knowing that things are working properly.

This new gadget seems like a worthy upgrade and if you're looking for a great helmet cam, it is tough to beat all the technology stuffed into this little device.

Trailer For High Altitude Mountaineering Film Cold

What's it like to climb Gasherbrum II, the 8035 meter (26,362 ft) Pakistani peak in February? Apparently it is Cold. That is exactly the feeling you get from the trailer below, which is for a film that chronicles that very climb, undertaken by the likes of Corey Richards, Simon Moro and Denis Urubko. The film looks to be one to keep an eye on, as it seems to have captured both the beauty and the agony of high altitude mountaineering. Beautiful stuff.



COLD - TRAILER from Anson Fogel on Vimeo.

Using Technology, Social Media, And Adventure For Change

I came across this interesting story yesterday on Mashable. It's about how a non-profit called FindingLife is using social media and technology to help spread the word about their projects, which in this case involves climbing mountains to raise awareness and funds to build a school in Kenya. FindingLife founder Elia Saikaly recently traveled to that country where he climbed Mt. Kenya along with 12 students from Canada and Kenya. The entire expedition was beamed back to schools in North America, where those classrooms could follow along with the team's progress and learn about life in Africa.

It seems that the expedition has been a success, as the FindingLife blog reports that the group reached the summit yesterday. They hope that their off mountain efforts are a success as well, as the message is to bridge the gap between students on different continents, while also building schools to help the under privileged children in Kenya.

Saikaly, who has made it his life's calling to address children's needs on a global level,  also climbed Everest last year and is now part of the Moving Mountains Trust, another organization that works towards helping people in developing nations to work towards a sustainable lifestyle that will not only improve their lives now, but in the future as well.

Below is one episode from an 8 part series that was filmed on the expedition, and it gives you a bit more insights into what the group is doing in Kenya. Excellent stuff!




Webisode 8 - Messages to everyone back home from Findinglifefilms on Vimeo

Trailer For Vertical Sailing

A few weeks back climber Sean Villanueva and Nicolas and Olivier Favressse collected a Piolets d’Or award for their epic expedition to Greenland, during which they sailed the west and south coasts of the country looking for big walls to climb. They certainly found their share of those, putting up nine new routes on some gnarly rock. The boys have turned their adventure into a film, which you can watch the trailer for below, and then checkout their five part web series on the expedition by clicking here.

(Warning: Naked man and silly singing are contained in the video!)

Thanks to LouPhi for sharing this fun video.

Himalaya 2011: Ueli Shares Details On Shisha Climb

Last week we received the amazing news on Ueli Steck's solo speed climb of Shisha Pangma in 10.5 hours. Since then, we've had a variety of reports on the climb, but we haven't heard from Ueli himself. That is, until today, when he posted details of the climb on his Himalayan Speed website.

Steck says that when he set off from camp he didn't have any intentions of climbing the mountain, but that he was going to climb up to about 7200 meters (23,622 ft) to have a look around and see how he felt. But the conditions were so good and he felt in great shape, that he decided to just keep going up.

Ueli says that he climbed along the British Route, then traversed over the Wieliki Route because of bad rockfall in the night. Eventually though, he ended by exiting on the Spanish Route, although he was more or less just feeling his own way as he went. He did report a lot of snow near the summit, which made things a bit dicy, but still he managed to complete the climb in a very quick fashion.

Check out the video below for more on Ueli's Shisha speed climb. And before anyone asks, no, there still aren't any summit photos released.


Ueli Steck Climbing Shisha Pangma (8027m) from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Falling Out Of The Sky Never Looked So Good

One of my fellow contributors at Gadling posted the video below this morning. It shows some of the most tranquil and relaxing images of skydivers floating high above the Earth that you could ever hope to see. It was filmed by a team at the Melbourne Skydive Center in Australia, and it almost makes you believe that they are defying gravity rather than hurdling towards the planet at terminal velocity. It is a beautiful video and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



Experience Human Flight from Betty Wants In on Vimeo.

Trailer For Todd Carmichael's Race To The Bottom Of The World

Back in 2008, adventurer Todd Carmichael made a solo, unsupported journey to the South Pole, setting a speed record in the process. At the time, we has a glimpse of the hardships that he suffered on his journey, which lasted for more than 39 days, but we really never had a chance to learn his full story.

That is until now. A new film entitled Race to the Bottom of the World is making the rounds, and it appears to offer a very personal look at the struggles that Todd had to over come to reach his goal. You can check out the trailer for the film below and catch two upcoming screenings of it at the following dates and locations:

May 2nd at 2:45pm - The Newport Beach Film Fest - Costa Mesa, CA

May 12 at 7:30pm - First Person Arts Fundraiser - Bryn Mawr, PA

The trailer offers some strikingly beautiful landscapes intermixed with Todd dealing with the challenges of his expedition. As he nears the Pole, his situation became increasingly desperate as food and supplies dwindled, his outside communications tools stopped working, and his stove went out of commission. Dire conditions indeed, and it appears the film will definitely offer an inside look at what polar explores must endure while out on the ice.

It should also be noted that Todd is donating 100% of his proceeds from the film to the Charity:Water foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to developing nations around the globe. A great cause indeed!

World Record Tandem Kayak Drop Caught On Video

I caught this video on The Goat this morning featuring Sam Freihofer and Todd Wells as they go over the 82-foot (25 meter) Metlako Falls, located in Eagle Creek, Oregon, in a tandem kayak. This big drop sets a new record for going over the falls in a tandem boat, and the video catches it all for the rest of us to enjoy.

Is there anyone that you'd go over an 82-foot falls with? Hmm... I'd have to think long and hard on that one!

Jesse Coombs Drops 94-Foot Abiqua Falls In Oregon

Here's a great video for aspiring adventure filmmakers. It shows paddler Jesse Coombs making a descent of Abiqua Falls in Oregon, a drop of 94-feet. But that is just the final portion of the video, which spends a good amount of time showing us how the video was shot and everything that the filmmakers had to go through to capture the drop. That included rigging up a zipline above the water for a cameraman as well. Really interesting stuff.

I found the video at the First Ascent blog earlier, and there is more information about how it was made and the kayak descent as well. Read the article here and enjoy the video below.

60 Minutes Serves Up Three Cups of Controversy

Considering the subject matter of this blog, I'm sure that most of you are familiar with Greg Mortenson and his wildly popular book Three Cups of Tea. For those of you who don't know his story, Mortenson was climbing in the Karakoram a number of years back, and after getting lost there, he wandered into a remote village, where the people treated him kindly, offered aid, and got him back on his feet. He was so touched by their generosity, that he vowed to return the favor by building them a school. He would later launch the Central Asia Institute to help fund that project, and dozens of similar ones throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, and beyond.

Mortenson rose to international fame thanks to his book, which has been a source of inspiration to many who have read it. In that book he shares a number of miraculous and amazing stories about his experiences in the Himalaya and the people he met there. Three Cups of Tea would go on to be a bestseller and generate plenty of attention and funds for Mortenson's charitable works.

It turns out however, that he may not be exactly telling us the whole truth. Over the weekend, the long-running CBS television series 60 Minutes ran an expose on Mortenson with fellow author Jon Krakauer, who wrote Into Thin Air, offering up some thoughts. You can watch the whole segment on YouTube by clicking here, embedding has been disabled unfortunately. In a nutshell, Krakauer, and others, say that Mortenson has embellished some of the details of his story to make them sound more dramatic and impressive. That some of the things he claims happened to him in his books are, at best, stretches of the truth, and at worst, outright fabrications. There are even some indications that the funds that are raised by CAI are not being spent properly and that the organization lacks transparency in how it operates. There are even some questions as to the number of schools that have been built. We do know that Mortenson and his team have indeed built schools in Central Asia, but it seems the number could be exaggerated.

These revelations have caused some disillusionment throughout the adventure community, with many people wondering what the real story is. In the interview, even Krakauer acknowledges that Mortenson has done great things in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but wonders if he puts it all in jeopardy with his exaggerations of the truth and potentially shady handling of funding. It also doesn't help that Mortenson refused to be interviewed for the segment, and at one point is caught on camera looking like a deer in the headlights.

Yesterday, ExWeb weighed in on the topic, posting this story that comes out in defense of Mortenson and takes a few shots at Krakauer in the process. UpaDowna also posted some thoughts on the story, which you can read by clicking here.

So? What are your thoughts on this brewing controversy? Do you buy Mortenson's tale? Krakauer says "It's a beautiful story. And it's a lie." Others in the interview seem to take the same stance, seeming to indicate that Mortenson has, at the very least, taken some liberties with the truth. Does that change the way you feel about him in any way? After all, he has still done a lot of good in those poor Central Asian nations.

For me personally, I still respect Mortenson for the great work that he continues to do in Pakistan and beyond. But I have to question is motivations for stretching the truth the way he has, not to mention the way he seems to be earning quite a bit of money off of the Central Asian Institute. A non-profit, charitable organization should be more up front and forth-coming with how they use the funds that we donate to them, and at the moment, that doesn't seem to be the case. Still, in the end, the organization doe a lot of good, and I hope that doesn't get lost amidst the tall tales.

Update: Mortenson has granted an interview to Outside Online in which he addresses the issues presented by 60 Minutes. Read that interview here.

Adventurers Complete 1400-mile Tandem Bike Ride From Vancouver to Vegas

Adventurers Dave Cornthwaite and Sebastian Terry, 29 completed a 1400-mile cycling journey this past weekend when they reached Las Vegas on Saturday. The journey began two weeks ago, when the pair set out from Vancouver peddling a tandem bike for roughly 100-miles per day.

For Cornthwaite, this was another leg of his Expedition1000 Adventure Project during which he is traveling the world, making 25 separate journeys of 1000 miles or more, using a non-motorized mode of transportation. He has already completed a 3621 mile journey by skateboard across Australia and another 1540 mile expedition by kayak. The trip was another adventurous experience for Terry as well, who has spent the last two years circling the globe and checking off items from his 100 Things list.

The motivation for this bike ride came when the two men were both invited to take part in a conference on adventurous motivations that was taking place in Vegas. Rather than simply hopping a flight to the city however, they decided to make the trip a bit more interesting and challenging. Neither of the two men had ever ridden a tandem bike before they set out on this journey. 

Through their efforts, Dave and Terry are also hoping to raise as much as $1.5 million for the cancer charities of Camp Quality and CoppaFeel, as well as the African aid organisation, AV Foundation.

Next up for Dave? A 2400-mile journey down the length of the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddle board. If successful, that will set a world's record as well. 

Ocean Rowing: Roz Caught On Video Prior To Launch

A few days ago, Roz Savage set off on her next big ocean adventure, this time taking on the Indian Ocean on a 4+ month, 4000 mile long journey. She's been at sea for a few days already, and for the most part, it is going as planned. Today was a bit of a struggle, with the high winds pushing her backwards, but by using her sea anchor and paddling to make up lost ground, Roz ended up back where she started, which is all you can ask for on some days out on the water.

Before she left Freemantle for the open ocean, Roz filmed a video, which you'll find below. It shows the start of the journey, with Savage meeting with local press and receiving well wishes before she rowed out of the harbor and started the very long, and difficult, journey to Mumbai, India. The video does a great job of showing you what it is like on the boat, just how big it is, and the challenges of getting it moving. For anyone who hasn't seen Roz in action before, this is a good place to start.

Preview Trailer: Run To The East

Yesterday I was sent the link to this beautiful trailer for a documentary film entitled Run To The East. The movie documents three Native American high school students living in New Mexico who are using their running abilities as a means of improving their lives by earning a scholarship to college. The film will also explore the impact of running, which has been ingrained in Native American culture for centuries, on the lives of these young men and women, as they struggle to grow up in a challenging environment.

This looks like quite a film, with a great story to tell, and definitely something that will appeal to the runners out there.



Run to the East Trailer from Run to the East on Vimeo.

Bomb Flow Video Magazine Promises Paddling Fun

I caught this video over at the Outside blog this morning, and wanted to kick off the day by sharing it. It is a teaser for an upcoming series of videos for Bomb Flow Magazine that were shot by kayakers Evan Garcia and Fred Norquist, and as you'll see, it offers plenty of whitewater action. Shot on location in Chile, Washington State, and British Columbia, the video will certainly get you in the mood to hit the water yourself. It is filled with beautiful locations, beautiful water, and beautiful action. Enjoy!

Climbing Video: Fitz and Becca Cahall Write A Love Letter To Adventure

The trailers for this video have been making the rounds for a couple of weeks, but the fantastic climbing film has been released at last. It follows Fitz and Becca Cahall as they set out to climb their way through the Sierra Mountains on a 300-mile long route that would take them into some of the more remote, and more difficult areas of that range. It's a beautifully done video and perfect mid-week inspiration.

Fringe Elements: Free Soloing With A Net

Last week I posted about a new set of videos from National Geographic Adventure called Fringe Elements which exhibit the adventure lifestyle by spotlighting some very cool outdoor activities. The videos covered everything from trail running and snowboarding to mountaineering and paddling, with the early entrants into the series showing tons of promise for what is to come.

One of the videos features rock climber Matt Maddaloni free soloing some rock climbing routes, which can be a challenging and dangerous activity. In fact, the text that accompanies the video asks whether free soloing "epitomizes the climbing spirit" or is instead "the reckless, selfish endeavor of adrenaline junkies?" Climbers who choose to free solo work without ropes, which leaves them little room for error, and when they fall, there is nothing to catch them, sometimes resulting in severe injuries or even death.

Maddaloni came up with a solution for this by building a net that he can set-up beneath him while he climbs. It gives him the freedom of climbing unfettered but the security of having the equivalent of a rope in case he does fall. It seems like a great safety solution, albeit one that won't work in all situations. Check out the video here to see in action.

You can also read Matt's thoughts on deep water soloing by clicking here. This is rock climbing that is done over a large, preferably deep, pool of water, which serves as the climbers "net" should they fall. It has become more popular amongst some free solo climbers as well.

So what are your thoughts on the subject? Is free soloing a selfish pursuit or something that should be admired? Personally, I think climbers should be allowed to pursue what ever climbing techniques they like, but to not use safety equipment just seems like you're asking for trouble.

Winter On Denali: Video Brings Challenges Home

Back in February, Christine Feret and Artur Testov made a bold attempt to summit Denali in winter. The 6196 meter (20,327ft) mountain, located in the heart of Alaska's wilderness, is a challenging climb in the best of conditions, but in the winter the weather adds an entirely new dimension.

Obviously, most of us will never get an opportunity to get anywhere close to the mountain during the winter, which is why the video below is such a good one. It shows the conditions that Christine and Artur had to deal with on their expedition, including poor weather, sub-zero temperatures, and tons of snow.

Oh! And if you've ever wondered what it looks like inside a snow cave, than this video is for you. The duo stayed in snow caves the entire time, and there are several portions of the video that capture that experience. (Warning: This video may make you say "Brrrr!")`

Nat Geo Launches "Fringe Elements" Adventure Video Series

National Geographic has launched a new line of adventure sports videos called Fringe Elements that looks to have a ton of great potential. As you can imagine, coming from Nat Geo, the quality is extremely high, and they cover a broad base of outdoor activities. In the first round of videos alone, there is everything from  rock climbing to trail running, with just about everything in between.

Along with the launch of these new videos, there is all a gallery of "expert tips" which offers up some great advice on a number of important topics. For example, there are tips on how to pack lighter (always important and appreciated on my end!) as well as a list of the top gear for aspiring adventure filmmakers.

Check out the full list of a launch videos by clicking here. I've also posted an example below. Great stuff to start the day.

North Pole 2011: Barneo Ice Camp Is Open

Last night the first planes began arriving at the Barneo Ice Camp, the temporary base that is constructed on the ice each spring to allow explorers to travel to the North Pole from the Russian side of the ice. To build the base, a team of paratroopers is dropped out of the sky, and they begin constructing the camp, including building a land strip for the passenger planes to start arriving. The base is maintained for about 3-4 weeks, and then abandoned again for the year, and since it is built on a frozen ocean, the location of the camp is often in flux.

So what's it like to arrive at this base? Check out the video below, which was shot from the first aircraft to arrive at Barneo yesterday, carrying the first teams of skiers, including the Walking with the Wounded team and Prince Harry.