Video: Mountain Biking The Kootenay Rockies

Want to catch a glimpse of one of the best mountain biking destinations in the world? Check out this video shot in the Kootenay Rockies of British Columbia. The trails look sublime, and the scenery is drop-dead gorgeous. What a beautiful place to ride. Who wants to go?

KOOTENAY ROCKIES from Mountain Biking BC on Vimeo.

Video: Kayaking A Drainage Ditch In British Columbia

This 5-minute paddling video features some great footage of Ryan Lucas, and his crew, as they kayak some impressive whitewater in British Columbia, Canada. But perhaps the best, and scariest, clip is when they zip down a wild looking drainage ditch. Don't try this stuff at home kids!

Video: Paddling The Grand Canyon Of The Stikine

Last summer, a team of kayakers traveled to a remote region of British Columbia to take on the Grand Canyon of the Stikine, a 45-mile stretch of river that has some of the wildest whitewater on the planet. In fact, the Canyon is described as "unnavigable," although there have been a few descents over the years. The crew of 7 Brits, and one lone American, set out to give it a go. The 23+ minute video tells their story, and gives us our own glimpse of the raging waters they faced.

Grand Canyon of the Stikine from THE RIVER MILITIA on Vimeo.

North Pole 2014: Driving In The Arctic

It has been another long, and sometimes frustrating, week for the skiers who are  North Pole-bound this season. The frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean remains very rough, which slows the pace to a crawl at times. They are doing their best to locate routes through to the smoother ice that is promised on the other side, but it has made for slow going in the early stages of their expedition.

But one team is making better progress, mainly because they aren't skiing, but are driving instead. According to ExWeb, a group of explorers, who drove specially designed vehicles from Russia to Ward Hunt Island, via the North Pole, last year, have returned to the ice to drive those same vehicles home this year. The 2013 expedition lasted for 61 days and covered more than 2000 km (1242 miles), before the Russians parked their vehicles in Resolute Bay. Now, they've set off into the arctic once again, as they attempt to drive back home to Russia via the frozen Bering Strait.

Just like their counterparts who are headed to the North Pole on foot, the Russian team has also experienced plenty of rough ice at the start of their journey. That has kept them at a more measured pace as they search for ways through, or around, these difficult sections. Progress is so slow, that the drivers rarely have to take their vehicles out of second gear, although they are covering 50+ km (31 miles) on a daily basis. While the skiers envy those distances, that is extremely slow for the Russians.


At this rate, it'll take them weeks to reach Russian territory, and they'll still face a long crossing through Sibera, which won't be easy this time of year either. To help them get there, the specially designed arctic trucks are pulling trailers filled with gear and supplies, including 1000 liters (265 gallons) of fuel, and plenty of spare parts to make repairs.

Meanwhile, Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters continue to make slow, steady progress north. They have been covering their best distances yet this week, as they have reached 3+ nautical miles (5.5 km) on more than one occasion. That may not seem like much, but considering the conditions they boys have faced early on, and the slow pace they were forced to endure during their first days on the ice, it is a small triumph for them to say the least. The further north they get, the better the ice conditions should be, so they are hoping to pick up the pace in the days ahead. For now, it is sometimes an exercise in frustration as they battle the rough ice, inhospitable weather, and their own nagging doubts.

That's all from up north today. Hopefully next week we'll have more news and better progress reports all around.

Ultra-Runners Complete Winter Crossing Of Baffin Island

A few weeks back I told you about an attempt by a team of ultra-runners to cross Baffin Island on foot in the middle of winter. At the time, the team was still in the preparation stages for the expedition, but they were planning on leaving for Baffin in the first week of March, and launching their crossing a few days later.

Yesterday, we received word that the team, which consists of endurance athletes Ray Zahab, Ryan Grant, Stefano Gregoretti and Ferg Hawke,  had successfully completed the crossing of Baffin Island. They traveled through the Akshayuk Pass, and managed to complete the route in just 48 hours, covering a distance of approximately 100 km (62 miles) in the process.

The team has limited communications at the moment, so the details on the crossing are a bit light. They did travel light and fast however, carrying just 50 pounds of gear apiece, as they made their way through the remote and rugged wilderness on Baffin. The expeditions as completely unsupported, and from what I can tell, there was a great effort made to create a simple, grassroots approach to the entire project.

I'm sure we'll more about this effort in the days ahead. But for now, congratulations to Ray, Ryan, Stefano and Ferg on a job well done. Great effort all around!

North Pole 2014: Arctic Expedition Season About To Begin

Now that March is here, and spring in the Northern Hemisphere is not too far off, another Arctic expedition season is about to begin. As I write this, several teams are already in Resolute Bay, Canada, which is the traditional launching point for many explorers headed to the North Pole or some other far flung location. If everything goes as expected, the first expeditions will hit the ice sometime in the next few days. But while some of the explorers are eager to get going, one has already had to call it quits and head home. 

One of the big expeditions I'll be following closely this year is Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters' attempt to reach the North Pole. The two men arrived in Resolute Bay a few days ago and have been working on getting their gear ready ever since. That includes cutting as much weight from their equipment as possible, prepping their meals for the route, and checking all of their communications equipment to be sure it is in working condition. Once all of that preliminary work is complete, they'll then coordinate with Kenn Borek Air to get dropped off at their starting point. Exactly when that will happen will largely be determined by the weather. In recent years, large storms have delayed the start of more than a few expeditions, and eventually caused some to be cancelled before they even get underway. Lets hop that won't be the case this time out. 

Also in Resolute Bay at the moment are Mike O'Shea and Clare O'Leary. The two explorers are about to launch their attempt to reach the North Pole as part of their Ice Project. Mike and Clare have already wrapped up their acclimatization and gear prep and are simply waiting to fly. They had hoped to travel to their starting point today, but bad weather has grounded the aircraft. The next weather window won't come until Friday, so for now they'll relax and sit tight in Resolute. The hard work will come soon enough. 

Japanese skier Yasu Ogita is also preparing to get underway. He'll be making a solo, unsupported attempt to reach the North Pole. Ogita, who is a veteran of polar exploration, hopes to launch his expedition soon as well, but he'll also have to wait out the weather before he can begin. 

Sadly, one explorer's expedition is over before it could even begin. Italian Michele Pontrandolfo was in Resolute Bay and was planning on getting underway soon, but his plans have hit a snag. Kenn Borek Air requires their clients to provide a deposit to cover the costs of a potential rescue operation while in the Arctic. As you can imagine, that can be quite expensive. Michele was unable to secure the necessary funds, and as a result won't be able to begin his journey. He is now preparing to return to Italy without ever getting a chance to attempt to ski to the North Pole. At least not this year. If possible, he'll return for another season soon however. 

If the weather improves over the next couple of days as expected, we should see the start of the Arctic expedition season as early as Friday. Stay tuned for updates and coverage in the days and weeks ahead. 

Video: Kayaking Down A Drainage Ditch

Between kayaking in the streets of the U.K. and snowboarding in New York City, we've seen some very interesting videos recently, but this one actually tops them all. It features kayaker Ben Marr shooting down a drainage ditch at breakneck speeds before splashing into Lion's Bay in British Columbia. It looks like quite a rush. Almost like a water ride in an amusement park.

Thanks to the Adventure Journal for sharing this.

Ultrarunners To Attempt Winter Baffin Island Crossing

The 2014 Arctic expedition season is about a week away from starting, and teams of explorers are now busily putting the final touches on their preparation work. Some of them will be attempting to reach the North Pole, while others will be exploring the Arctic in order to conduct research into climate change. But one expedition will travel to Baffin Island, where a group of endurance athletes will attempt a speed crossing through the harsh and demanding environments there.

The team includes ultrarunner Ray Zahab, whose long distance running exploits we've followed on more than one occasion on this blog. Those expeditions have included runs across the Atacama and Gobi Deserts, as well as a journey to the South Pole and a crossing of Lake Baikal in the middle of winter, amongst others.

Ray will be joined on his adventure by Ryan Grant, Stefano Gregoretti and Ferg Hawke. The four men intend to make the journey completely unsupported, choosing to pull all of their gear and supplies behind them on sleds weighing no more than 50 pounds. They will begin the expedition in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, where they'll first film interviews with friends before hitting the trail. Once underway, they hope to cross through Akshayuk Pass in under 48 hours, before continuing on to Pangnirtung.They'll cover approximately 100 km (62 miles) in the pass, and another 40 km (24 miles) beyond that out on the open ice.

For Ray, this will be the fourth time that he has made this crossing, but his previous three Baffin traverses were done in the summer or fall. The winter will present new challenges with extreme cold and unpredictable weather.

The team will set out from Ottawa on March 6 and plan on launching their run a few days later. Watch for updates on Ray's Facebook page.

Greg Hill To Attempt To Climb And Ski 100,000 Meters In March

Remember Greg Hill? Back in 2010, we followed his attempt to climb and ski 2 million vertical feet (610,000 meters) in one year. It took him all 12 months, but he was able to achieve that goal. Now, he's back with another ambitious project that will push him to the limits and certainly test his endurance. In March, Hill hopes to climb and ski a total of 100,000 meters, a massive number for a single month.

This would be a big enough challenge on a well groomed trail at a nice resort, but that isn't what Greg has in mind. He'll climb and ski in the Canadian backcountry, taking on some tough mountains and even making a few first descents. Even more impressive, he won't repeat a single hill, but will instead move on to new challenges at all times.

Greg says that he isn't sure if it is even possible to pull off his big goal. He knows that injuries, weather, avalanches and other unexpected challenges could prevent him from completing this challenge. But, he will push on to see if he can pull it off none the less. To do so, he'll spend every day in March climbing and skiing mountains, with the hopes of getting to that big 100,000 meter numbers.

Good luck Greg! You're going to need it!

Greg Hill's March Madness 2014 from FD Productions on Vimeo.

North Pole 2014: More Teams Heading To The Arctic

Yesterday I posted a story about Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters prepping to make an attempt on the speed record for skiing to the North Pole. But they aren't the only explorers heading north this spring. When the season gets underway at the start of March, there will be a number of other aspiring adventurers looking to make that grueling journey as well. But according to this report from ExWeb, a number of teams will be facing a condensed season this year, thanks to a narrow window of escape via the Barneo Ice Camp. Others, such as Eric and Ryan, will charter an expensive flight from Kenn Borek Air.

ExWeb is indicating that Norwegians, Kristoffer Glestad and Lars Mangerud Flesland will share a flight out to Cape Discovery with Larsen and Waters. These two young men hope to go even faster to the North Pole, covering the distance in 40 days. If they do make it, they'll also be the youngest to complete the full route to the top of the world, at the age of 24 and 25 respectively. They'll get started on March 7.

Also on his way to the North Pole will be Japanese skier Yasu Ogita, who is going solo and unsupported to 90ºN. He has also contracted with Kenn Borek and won't need to exit from the Barneo Camp. Similarly, Michele Pontrandolfo will attempt the same feat. He'll be in Resolute Bay next Monday, then set out for Cape Discovery on March 5, with an eye on reaching the North Pole by April 21. That would mean he'll complete the expedition in just 45 days.


Also returning this season to give the North Pole another go is the Irish team of  Clare O’Leary and Mike O’Shea, who made an attempt last year as well. They were force to abandon that attempt however, so they feel like they have a bit of unfinished business in the Arctic. They'll set off in the first week of March too.

When the Barneo Ice Camp opens on April 2, it'll give adventure travelers a chance to ski to the North Pole as well. For those who aren't aware, Barneo is a temporary camp that is built in the Arctic each year that gives assess to the top of the world. The camp is usually built at about 89ºN, which is within a helicopter flight to the Pole. This year, the camp will remain open until the 22, which is plenty of time for the tourists, but may be a tight squeeze for the explorers who hope to exit that way.

It looks like it will be a very active season in the Arctic, but as in the past few years, looks can be deceiving. The past two years, strong storms have kept many of the North Pole skiers stranded in Resolute Bay, waiting for a chance to fly out to the Cape. As the weather continued to be dicey, they watched their very few days begin to disappear before they even hit the trail. Some did eventually make it out, only to find conditions too difficult to endure. I suspect we'll see some of that again this year, as the Arctic continues to become more demanding, forcing some teams to pull the plug. At this point, I'll actually be very pleasantly surprised if anyone actually completes the full route this year. It is becoming that difficult to accomplish.

Video: Banff in Timelapse

All you really need to know about this video is that it is a timelapse set in Canada's Banff National Park, one of the most beautiful settings on the planet. Enjoy!

Timelapse: Banff National Park from Roadtrippers on Vimeo.

Video: Climbing and BASE Jumping in the Cirque of the Unclimbables

The Cirque of the Unclimbables is a region of impressive rock towers located in Canada's Northwest Territories, where climbers and BASE Jumpers Tim Emmett and Sean Leary went to try their luck on a peak known as the Lotus Flower Tower. Their aim was to both climb and fly from the top of that mountain. The video below chronicles that expedition and gives us a glimpse of this spectacular, but seldom mentioned, climbing area.


The Cirque of The Unclimbable's from Chad Copeland on Vimeo.

Atikamekw Snowshoe Expedition Set To Begin

Last November, I told you about a unique expedition that was scheduled to take place early this year. Explorers Bert Poffé and Kiki Nárdiz, who had learned their survival skills while living amongst the Atikamekw people, a First Nations tribe from northern Quebec, will travel on foot into one of the coldest inhabited regions on the planet in a quest to visit their old friends.

Bert and Kiki will put their survival skills to the test over a three week period in February as they trek unsupported into the remote region that the Atikamekw still call their home. They'll use traditional tribal skills to make their way through the frozen wilderness, where they'll employ traditional mukluks, babiche snowshoes and handcrafted wood toboggans.

The duo will travel for approximately 20 days, visiting Atikamew villages along the way. On the expedition, they hope to explore traditional methods of winter travel, while learning more about the history and culture of the people that inhabit that harsh and demanding environment. They also hope to promote sustainable adventure tourism to the region while also inspiring others to get outside and pursue their own passions.

The expedition is set to begin in early February, which means we're now just a few weeks away from the start of this adventure. Find out more about Bert and Kiki, as well as their plans on their official website.

Video: WestJet Gives Passengers A Christmas Miracle

This isn't so much adventure related but it is too good not to share, particularly around the holiday season. The video below shows the efforts that Canadian airline WestJet went through to make the holiday wishes of 250 of their passengers come true on a recent flight into Calgary. Before boarding their plane, Santa asked WestJet customers what they wanted for Christmas, and while they were in flight, WestJet elves sprung into action and picked up the items they were looking for, just to deliver them via baggage carousel when they got to their destination. It's really a fun story that is hard not to like. If you haven't seen it already, it is definitely worth a look. I hope you enjoy.

Video: Sea Kayaking In The Bay Of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy is a body of water found between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It features some wild, fast moving water for bay, while also offering some amazing close encounters with whales. A new short film entitled "Bay of Fundy Fun" highlights this amazing paddling destination, and the video below is a short taste of what you can expect from the full blown movie. It gives you a great idea of what the Bay of Fundy is all about.

Atikamekw Snowshoe Expedition: Into The Canadian Wilderness During The Winter

The Atikamekw are an indigenous people who have lived in a remote part of Quebec, Canada for more than 400 years. During that time they have developed a way of life that allows them to survive in that hostile, frigid environment. They have adapted to the harsh conditions there, learning to live off the land, hunt for food and developing tools such as snowshoes and dogsleds that have helped their culture thrive even into the 21st century.

From 1999-2001, explorers Bert Poffé and Kiki Nárdiz traveled to the Atikamekw region where they learned much about their way of life and their methods of survival, both during the winter and the summer. Visiting that region built a deep connection with the First Nations families that live there, while also instilling a love of nature and the planet in them at the same time. It has been nearly 13 years since they last visited their friends amongst the Atikamekw, but early next year that will change.

On their website, Bert and Kiki have announced plans for their Atikamekw Snowshoe expedition, which will send them back into the wilderness where they honed their survival skills more than a decade ago. The journey will take place in February, 2014 and will take approximately three weeks to complete. During that time, they'll be traveling unsupported deep into Atikamekw territory using nothing but the ancient survival methods that the indigenous people have used to survive there for centuries. That includes using traditional mukluks, snowshoes and handcrafted wooden toboggans.

Their journey will take the two explorers into one of the coldest inhabited places on the planet. They'll pass over frozen lakes, trek deep into gorges and pass into regions that few outsiders ever see. Along the way, they'll face sub-zero temperatures, high winds, potential blizzards and all kinds of other climactic challenges as they pass between the Atikamekw communities of Obedjiwan and Manawan.

For more information about Bert, Kiki and their plans be sure to check out Inuksu.be.

Video: Mountain Biking The Trinity

I love a beautiful mountain biking video and that is exactly what we've got here. It follows pro rider Richie Schley as he rides through Squamish, the Whistler Bike Park and up into Whistler's high alpine regions. There is a lot to love here and it will inspire you to want to break out the bike for autumn ride. If only my trails looked this good.

The Trinity from Leo Zuckerman on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking The Monashee Mountains

Who says fall has to bring an end to our mountain biking adventures? Certainly not pro riders Wade Simmons and Kevin Calhoun, who recently visited the Monashee Mountains in British Columbia to shoot this beautiful video. It takes about a minute and a half to really get to the good stuff, but once you get there, it certainly looks like they found an amazing place to ride.

Video: The Polar Bear Whisperer

Churchill, Canada is a small town that has a big reputation for being the place to spot polar bears in the wild. Recently, adventure travel legend Richard Bangs made the journey to that remote village where he met Andy MacPherson, a local guide who has earned himself a reputation as the Polar Bear Whisperer. The video below introduces us to Andy and gives us an idea of how he interacts with the bears that remain the kinds of the Arctic even as we further encroach on their territory.

I haven't had the opportunity to visit Churchill just yet, but it is on my list of places to see. This vide makes me want to go there all the more.

Video: The Fields - A Short Film About Bouldering

I came across this short film this morning and thought it was well worth sharing. It is an 11-minute documentary about climber Andy White, who suffered a major injury when he fell while climbing a few years back. That accident impacted his approach to the sport, so he turned to bouldering to get his fix without having to deal with higher heights. Lucky for him, he has a great bouldering playground in his backyard in the form of the Boulderfields outside of Kelowna, British Columbia in Canada. The video shares Andy's story and gives us a glimpse of his passion for his new climbing obsession.

The Fields - A Bouldering Film from Clayton Arnall on Vimeo.