Comedians Set To Hold Highest Gig Ever On Everest

The Everest climbing season may still be a month and a half off just yet, but we're already starting to see why some people feel the highest mountain in the world has devolved into a bit of a circus. This is the time of year when we get all kinds of announcements about unusual records or "firsts" that will be attempted in the year ahead. I got one such announcement yesterday in the form of a press release about comedy troupe that will perform in Base Camp later this year.

The team of comedians, which includes Rhys Darby, Stewart Francis, Craig Campbell, Glenn Wool, Simon Evans and Terry Alderton, all of whom intend to trek to EBC in Nepal this October. That means they'll miss the very busy spring climbing season in favor of the quieter fall season when few climbers are there, but trekking is good. The funny men are calling their hiking adventure Stand Up on Everest, and as you can probably imagine, they're doing it for a good cause.

The comedians will lead a massive group of 50 trekkers on the hike up the Khumbu Valley to Everest. Those trekkers will each agree to raise a minimum of £1000 (roughly $1645) for the Save the Children project, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children around the globe. For their efforts, those 50 travelers will be treated to two sets of comedy performed by their hosts on a special stage in the shadow of Everest.

The trek will begin on September 25 with the hopes that they'll reach EBC by October 4. The comedians will perform for anyone in Base Camp at the time, although in recent years there have been few climbers on Everest in the fall.

If you're interested in joining the trek or learning more about this project, visit standuponeverest.co.uk.

Two Round-The-World Cyclers Seek Crowd Sourced Funding For Their Expeditions

Two different long-distance cyclists are seeking modest funding through crowd sourcing to help get their expeditions to the finish line.Both of them are trying to complete very different projects in very similar ways as they attempt to cover the final legs of their individual journeys that have taken them to the far reaches of the globe.

First up, we have Stephen Fabes who has spent the past three and a half years attempting to ride across six continents. Over that time, he has managed to cover 54,339 km (33,765 miles), passing through 42 countries along the way. During that time he has managed to check off four of the six continents – North and South America, Europe and Africa. He is now in Australia and seeking funding to help him ride across that continent, then proceed into Asia to begin heading back home to the U.K.

Stephen is seeking £3000 ($4800) to help him wrap up his cycling adventure and get him home. To that end, he has set up an Indiegogo campaign, which is just a few days into the process but is already a long way towards achieving its goal.

On his fundraising campaign page Stephen addresses the issue of having others fund his personal adventure. He gives some pretty compelling reasons why we should donate to his cause, not the least of which is some of the nice perks he is offering to those who assist. He also happens to be a medical doctor however and while he has been riding around the world he has also take time to visit medical aid stations to support those who suffer from several different tropical diseases. As he rides he has been attempting to raise awareness of the threat of these diseases in developing countries and the things we can do to overcome them.

Here ia an excellent video of Stephen's journey thus far and what he intends to do on his final ride across Australia and Asia as he heads home.


Cycling Six Continents - The Final Frontiers from Stephen Fabes on Vimeo.

Our other long distance cyclist is Rob Lutter, who also happens to come fro the U.K. Rob has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund his attempt to cycle around the world which began in London and will hopefully end there too. Rob has managed to pedal 15,000 km (9320 miles) and now finds himself stranded in Hong Kong with another 25,000 km (15,535 miles) to go before he is done. Rob has set up a Kickstarter campaign and is seeking £5750 ($9220) to help get him back to London. 

Rob calls his bike expedition the Lifecycle Adventure and while is goal has been to circumnavigate the globe on his bike he is also been to use his camera to capture stunning images of the places he's been and the people he has met along the way. So far his journey has taken him across Europe and Asia. When he leaves Hong Kong he will ride through Southeast Asia, into Indonesia, then down under to Australia before hopping across the pond to ride across the U.S. When that segment of the ride is complete, he'll cross the Atlantic and head back to London. To get an example of Rob's excellent photography, be sure to checkout his Kickstarter page or watch the video below.

I received requested from both of these cyclists yesterday and was amazed that there were two round-the-world riders looking for funding to continue their expeditions. I struggled for a time as to whether or not I should publish either of these fund raising campaigns as I'm not sure how I feel about either of these men asking others to help fund their adventure. On the other hand, they are offering incentives for those who help them out and their fundraising goals are rather modest compared to many others that I've seen. While I don't condone the idea of getting someone else to pay for your adventure, I do feel like both of these men have proven their worth on their respective rides so far and that they are both offering solid incentives for anyone who backs them. I also appreciate that they are both upfront and forthcoming about their goals. Those qualities make it a lot easier to chip a few bucks in to help out. I'd love to hear your thoughts?

Motocross Champ Ryan Dungey Leads Cycling Event For A Cause

Cyclists looking for a good, single-day summer challenge should check MN Major River-to-River Ride that takes place later in the month. The event, which is headlined by motocross champion Ryan Dungey, will take place on Sunday, June 28 and will provide two unique and scenic courses for riders of all ages and skill levels. It also serves as a fund raiser for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The MN Major takes place in Hastings, Minnesota and begins at the St. Croix River and runs to the mighty Mississippi and back again. The course winds through a scenic river valley that serves as a beautiful back drop for the cyclists, who can choose to ride either the full 100K (62 mile) length or a shorter 20 mile route. Both courses present unique challenges and are designed to be fun and interesting to ride.

While the event is not meant to be a race, those riding the Major Course will get a chance to compete with one another and show off their leg strength. At the mile 57 marker there will be a Hill Hauler challenge during which each rider's climb will be officially timed up a steep hill. The rider with the best time will take home a prize from one of the event's sponsors.

The event is one that is near and dear to the heart of Dungey, who lost his grandmother to cancer in 2005. In response, he wanted to do something to help a great cause while also combing his love for cycling and his home state of Minnesota. Because this event is so important to him, 100% of the proceeds go directly to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

If you're going to be in the area and would like to take part in the ride, registration is now open with an entry fee of just $50. All riders are welcome and you can even register onsite on the day of the event.

Gavin Bate Completes Race To The Pole

With all of the news coming out of the Himalaya the past few days a few other stories didn't get the attention they deserved. For instance, while we were all embroiled in the soap opera taking place on Everest, British adventurer Gavin Bate completed his expedition to the Magnetic North Pole. You may recall, Gavin was skiing to that point in an effort to raise funds for his Moving Mountains Trust, an organization focused on sustainable development projects in Kenya, Nepal and Borneo.

When he set out from Resolute Bay on April 4, Gavin began skiing toward 78° 35’N, 104°11’W, the site of the Magnetic North Pole as it was recorded back in 1996, when the first Polar Race was held. The journey would cover 550km (341 miles) through one of the coldest and most inhospitable environments on the planet. Along the way, the British adventurer faced temperatures that dropped to -40ºC/F, high winds that made it feel even colder and blizzards that lasted for days. Just this week, a few days from the finish line, Gavin and a few traveling companions even had a close encounter with a large polar bear who decided to pay them a visit in the middle of the night.

On Tuesday, at 9:30 PM local time, Bate and his companions completed a long 35km (22 mile) final push to reach the Pole. They covered that distance over a period of 13 hours, arriving at their destination exhausted, yet happy and satisfied. The journey wasn't quite over yet however, as the team had to ski an additional 28km (17 miles) yesterday to reach an airfield at Isachsen, a remote weather research station in extreme northern Canada. It was the closest point to the Pole where a plane could land to retrieve them.

The expedition was called Race Me To The Pole as Gavin invited us to follow along at home and match his distances traveled with pledges. For every £1 (approximately $1.50) that was donated to the Moving Mountains Trust, 25 meters was added to the virtual race total. The plan was to have the donations total enough cash to reach all the way to the Pole ahead of Gavin. That didn't happen, he won the race, but donations have totaled more than  £14,278 ($22.191) anyway. That represents a distance of 354km, which is an impressive number to say the least. The organization is still accepting donations even though the race has come to and end. Click here to jump to the donation page.

Congratulations to Gavin for a job well done.

Expedition Denali: Inspiring Diversity In The Outdoors

Way back in May of last year I shared a story about an upcoming expedition to Denali that had some much bigger goals than simply reaching the summit of the highest peak in North America. The climb, which is being organized by NOLS, will feature a team that is entirely made up of African American mountaineers who hope to use their adventure as a platform to inspire young people from minority groups to engage with the outdoors. We all know that the young people of today are increasingly turning away from outdoor activities, and this is especially true amongst minority groups, but the team behind this climb – dubbed Expedition Denali – hope to serve as role models who can inspire kids of all ethnicities to reconnect with nature and discover their own adventures.

The expedition will take place in June of this year and will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first ascent of Denali. The 6194-meter (20,320 ft) mountain located in the Alaska Range is always a challenge, even under the best of conditions. The weather on Denali is notriously fickle even during the summer months, and while its altitude doesn't compare with the high peaks in the Himalaya, it is every bit as cold and foreboding as those mountains, and often just as deadly.

But the team behind Expedition Denali is well aware of the challenges they face and they have been training and planning for this journey for a long time. For each of the dedicated men and women on the team, the bigger challenge is finding ways to connect with the children that they are hoping to inspire. One of the ways that they intend to do that is through a documentary of their climb. Organizers of the expedition hope to film every stage of their adventure and then produce a great film that will inspire the next generation of climbers to follow in their footsteps.

To that end, the team has launched a Kickstarter page to help fund this documentary. They're hoping to raise $107,500 to help with production costs. That is a lofty number to be sure, but the Expedition Denali team is confident that they can reach that goal and create a film that is worthy of their high expectations.

The video below will give you more information on Expedition Denali and their plans. This is an important expedition for a number of reasons and certainly one worthy of supporting through Kickstarter or other means. I'm looking forward to following along with the team once they start their adventure in a few months time.

Teen Adventurers To Traverse The Adirondacks For Charity

Two teenage adventurers are planning a couple of ambitious summer expeditions that will allow them to not only pursue their outdoor passions but also raise funds for a great cause. The young men are first planning an epic human-powered excursion, which they'll then follow-up with a classic mountaineering experience as they seek to give back by having a positive impact on the lives of other young people.

18-year old Ryan Wichelns and his 17-year old friend Gabe Messercola will start their summer with a three-week long traverse of Adirondack State Park in Upstate New York. That adventure will get under way on June 8 as Ryan and Gabe attempt to cover 200+ miles (320+ km) of rugged backcountry wilderness on foot, bike and kayak. Traveling south to north, they'll follow a route of their own design that cuts through the heart of the Adirondack region, a place that has been instrumental in growing their love for the outdoors.

Once they've wrapped up their traverse, the boys will then head west in early August to climb Mt. Rainier, the 14,411-foot (4392 meter) volcanic peak located in the state of Washington. Rainier is amongst the most popular mountains in the U.S. to climb and it will mark Ryan and Gabe's first foray into high-altitude mountaineering – something that they wish to pursue more fully in the years ahead. Rainier is a classic mountain trek and truly a great challenge following their traverse.

As mentioned, the duo aren't just undertaking these summer adventures just for their own enjoyment. They are also working to raise funds for the Big City Mountaineers, a non-proft that I've written about on multiple occasions in the past. BCM is an organization that looks to enrich the lives of at-risk urban youth by providing them the opportunity to experience true wilderness adventures, something that they are not normally exposed to in their daily lives. I've always been a fan of BCM's mission and their Summit For Someone program is one of my favorite fundraising events.

You can follow Ryan and Gabe on their two adventures at their website AdirondackTraverse.org. Good luck guys and thanks for sharing your story with us!

Trekstock Takes You To The Great Gig In The Sky!

Looking for a fun, challenging and fulfilling adventure later this year? Then checkout Trekstock's intriguing Another Great Gig in the Sky hike. The event is a 6-day trek through the Alps that crosses three countries (Italy, France and Switzerland) that culminates at the Paléo Music Festival. But the trip isn't just about hiking through some of the most beautiful regions in Europe, it is also a charity fundraiser that will earn much needed cash to help young people dealing with cancer.

Trekstock is an organization that officially launched back in 2010 with the expressed mission of helping to raise funds to battle cancer and to help educate youth about leading a healthy lifestyle. Since then, one of their major fundraisers has been their Great Gig in the Sky adventures. Last year the trek took them to Mt. Kenya in Africa and this year the route will wind through the Alps.

The route for the 2013 "Gig" was designed by 360 Expeditions exclusively for this event. The challenge trek will follow the Tour Du Mount Blanc circuit starting in Courmayeur, Italy and ending in Chamonix, France, with a stop at the Swiss music festival along the way.  Registration for the Gig is £350 ($550) and includes flights from the U.K. to the start of the hike and a 2-day weekend festival pass to the Paléo. Each of the trekkers will be expected to raise a minimum of an additional £2800 ($4425) for the cause.

For anyone interested in joining the trek the dates that it will be underway are Friday July 19 - Sunday 28. Find out a lot more by clicking here.

Hmm...definitely intriguing. Maybe I should add this to my list of things to do this year!

Adventurer Makes History In The Last Desert

Earlier this week I posted a story on the Last Desert ultramarathon, a tough six-stage, seven-day race that just wrapped up in Antarctica. The event capped the 2012 edition of the 4 Deserts series of races and was a grueling event that tested athletes both physically and mentally.

One of the competitors in the event is a 60-year old adventurer by the name of Len Stanmore and by completing the race he has managed to add yet another accomplishment to his already impressive resume. Len is now officially the first person to ski to both the North and South Pole, climb all of the Seven Summits and run each of the 4 Deserts ultras. That's quite a bit of adventure for one lifetime.

Len's adventurous life actually began back in 1998, when he sold off his successful telecommunications company and suddenly found himself financially secure and with plenty of time on his hands. A bit out of shape and looking for ways to motivate himself, he decided to set a goal for climbing Kilimanjaro and in 2001 he did just that. After that he was hooked, and soon found himself pursuing a host of other active endeavors including running in the Transrockies Run and numerous marathons, in addition to the expeditions mentioned above.

Perhap's Len's greatest achievement falls in the realm of fund raising for his favorite charity. At the end of the Last Desert, he'll have raised more than $100,000 for Trekking for Kids, an organization dedicated to improving orphanages around the globe through the use of purpose-driven, socially-conscious treks. The non-profit actually organizes some of the world's most iconic treks and sends hikers off on adventures as a way to raise funds for the cause. Some of those treks include hikes to Everest Base Camp, up Kilimanjaro and through the Andes of Peru.

According to the official results of the Last Desert, Stanmore has finished 31st of 49 competitors, putting him right in the thick of the pack. But considering he adventurous outlook on life and approach to raising funds for a good cause, I'd say he more than finished out front. You definitely have to respect a person who has found a way to enjoy their life and pursue all of these great adventures, while still finding a way to give back in the process. We should all be so fortunate.

Climb For Change Launches New Online Fund Raising Platform

Often times when I write about the adventures of othera I regularly note that they are undertaking some endeavor in an effort to raise funds for a charity or cause. Those actions are always applauded of course and I know many people in the outdoor community who relish the opportunity to give something back and contribute in some way. The challenge arises when they try to balance those fund raising efforts with all of the logistics that come along with launching a new expedition. It can be really difficult to plan all of the details of an adventure, test and pack gear, gather necessary permits and visas and coordinate with other members of the team, while still trying to promote a cause. Thats about to get a lot easier thanks to Climb For Change and their newly launched Campaigns site, which aims to make fund raising efforts a lot easier.

The idea behind the  Campaigns site is a simple one. Make it as easy as possible for teams making charitable climbs around the world to set up a webpage where others can donate to their cause. The pages allow for a great deal of customization and branding, and they even incorporate social media elements that make it easy to share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and so on. Climb For Change Campaign pages are safe and secure, allowing donations to be easily accepted with all funds going directly to any registered charity in the U.S., U.K. or Canada. The process of signing up is simple and anyone can begin accepting donations in no time at all.

If anyone knows something about raising funds through worldwide adventure, it's Climb For Change. I first wrote about them two years ago, and since then the organization has continued to grow and expand. The site was designed to be a hub for adventurers of all kinds to meet and share ideas on how they can make a difference in the places that they visit during their travels. An active community has grown around the Climb For Change website, making it a great place to interact with others who are planning expeditions of their own. Adding the ability to easily manage charities campaigns seems like a natural extension of the community and I applaud the efforts of the CFC team for undertaking this initiative.

If you're planning a fund raising campaign of your own, give this new tool a look. It will certainly take a lot of of the work out of the process.