impossible2Possible Youth Expedition Across Atacama Desert Set To Get Underway

The team at impossible2Possible are getting ready to do it again. Their latest youth expedition is preparing to get underway in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. This time, a team of five i2P Youth Ambassadors will attempt to run a marathon a day, for six days, across the driest desert on the planet. As is usually the case with this organization, there will also be a strong educational aspect, as the young men and women making the run, look to inspire others through adventure.

The team is already in the Atacama, and en route to their starting point. They should start running in the next day or two, working their way through one of the most arid environments imaginable. But it isn't just the dry conditions that they'll have to endure. The Atacama also happens to sit at altitude, which means they'll need to acclimatize some along the way as well. The thin air can make running a challenge, even for the very fit.

The Atacama Youth Ambassadors have come from all over the globe to take part in this adventure. They include Jesus Perez from the U.S.; Alessandro Aime from Italy; Valerie Gagne and Stephen Lambert, both from Canada; and Florence Reyonolds of New Zealand.

The team will be following a route that i2P founder Ray Zahab ran back in 2011, when he covered 1200 km (745 miles) of the Atacama. They'll have a support team assisting them along the way, carrying some the gear for their camps and providing them with food and water while they are out on the trail.

One of the key goals for i2P is to inspire and educate young people through the use of adventure. When ever the organization sends an expedition into the field, it always coordinates with students and teachers in classrooms to provide interesting lesson plans that connect to the expedition that is underway. This time out, the focus of those lesson plans are astronomy and the origins of the Universe. The Atacama has some of the clearest skies on the planet, which is why there are several high tech observatories there. Over the next few days, the i2P Youth Ambassadors will provide lessons on a host of topics, including basic Newtonian physics, the planets, stars, galaxies and black holes, and a host of other subjects. Having witnessed the night skies in the Atacama first hand, I can tell you that they are awe inspiring, and very humbling.

I'll post updates of the Atacama Expedition as it unfolds, but if you want to follow along with the team, you'll find daily updates by clicking here.

Good luck to the i2P squad as they set out on this latest adventure.

impossible2Possible Youth Ambassadors To Run The Atacama Desert!

The impossible2Possible team has announced their next expedition, and continuing with their tradition of running through some of the more remote, and beautiful, destinations, the i2P youth ambassadors will next turn their sites on the Atacama Desert. As with all of the organization's efforts, part of the expedition's mission will be to engage students in classroom through a mix of education and adventure.

Expedition Atacama will take place in May of this year, with the i2P youth ambassadors running approximately 300 km (186 miles) along part of the same route that impossible2Possible founder Ray Zahab ran when he crossed the desert north-to-south back in 2011. Ray's journey covered 1200 km (745 miles), passing through some of the harshest environments on the planet. Thanks to a rain shadow created by Chile's Pacific mountain range on one side, and the Andes on the other, the Atacama is one of the driest places on Earth. It also happens to fall at a fairly high altitude, with much of the region rising above 3000 meters (9842 feet), which can be problematic for anyone who hasn't acclimatized properly. As a result, it'll push these runners to their limits on a daily basis.

But the Atacama is known for more than just being a high altitude desert. It also happens to have some of the clearest skis on the planet, granting visitors some of the best views of stars that can be found anywhere. This is due to an almost complete lack of cloud cover, and a lack of light pollution. Because of this great view of the heavens, the desert is also home to several astronomical observatories, including ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), which is the highest observatory in the world at 5098 meters (16,725 feet).


With the Atacama being such an important location for scientific research, the i2P educational elements for this expedition will focus on astronomy. The theme will revolve around the origins of the universe, which is something that scientists often visit the Atacama to study as well. The youth expedition will offer a number of lesson plans focused on that subject, with an emphasis on the planets, stars, galaxies and black holes, and a host of other astronomy related subjects.

If you're a teacher who would like to incorporate the i2P lesson plans into your classroom, registration to take part in the expedition is open now. As always, the lessons are free, and seek to blend adventure and education in a seamless way that is very engaging to students.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of what impossible2Possible does. Having been to the Atacama myself, I know just how spectacular a place it actually is. I will certainly be following along with the youth ambassadors when they hit the trail next month, as I'm sure this will be yet another very successful venture for the organization.

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!

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.

impossible2Possible Team Running Across Peru

While I was away from my computer for parts of last week, the team at impossible2Possible launched a new youth expedition, this time sending a group of students on a run through Peru. The aptly named Expedition Peru got underway last Wednesday and should wrap up today after the five students involved have run from the heights of the Andes all the way to the Amazon Rainforest, one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet.

As is typical with any i2P project, this one has multiple objectives, not the least of which is promoting the importance of large ecosystems like the Amazon for the health of our planet. The team has been educating others about the diversity of life that exists in the rainforest and the treats that those species face from the encroachment of man. The expedition has also promoted strategies for protecting these ecosystems in the future to ensure that the Amazon isn't damaged irreparably.

Education is always a key element for an i2P project as well and this one is no different. Throughout the expedition the team has interacted with numerous classrooms back home, sharing valuable insights about their experiences with students. Adventure has always played a key role in engaging those students with the message that the impossible2Possible team is promoting, with the hope of inspiring them to pursue their own adventures while gaining more knowledge on a specific topic.

For nearly a week, the five i2P youth ambassadors have run a marathon per day as they traveled across some of Peru's amazing landscapes. The journey started in the mountain town of Cusco, famous for its ancient ruins and sweeping views of the Andes mountains. Over the course of the run the team made their way to Manu National Park, a remote and diverse ecosystem that has been preserved to protect the wide variety of species that live there.

For an idea of what the expedition has been like for the runners, check out the video below.

Expedition Peru Day 4 & 5 from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expedition Gobi Update: Ray Completes Gobi Crossing!

There was good news from the Gobi Desert this weekend as ultrarunner Ray Zahab has successfully completed Expedition Gobi, his 2300 km (1430 mile) crossing of the desert on foot. It took him 34 days to complete the journey, averaging nearly 68 km (42 miles) per day during that time.

As with any expedition of this nature, the run included a number of major challenges. For instance, when he first set out, Ray was running with Kevin Lin, a fellow ultrarunner from Taiwan. Kevin was hampered by injuries however and eventually had to abandon his attempt at crossing the Gobi. That forced Ray to carry on by himself, which required a great deal of mental toughness. Covering all of those miles on a daily basis is tough enough, but to do it mostly by yourself is even more difficult.

The terrain in the Gobi certainly lived up to its billing, particularly near the end. Ray ran through all kinds of varying conditions along the way, but his final days were often spent running up and down massive sand dunes. Those conditions made it tough going in those last few days, but with a little help from some local military officials, Ray and his support team were able to find a faster and more efficient route to get them through the final leg.

The team is now en route back to Ulaanbataar, a journey that will take three days to complete in a 4x4 vehicle. That alone should tell you how remote the Gobi is and how difficult the conditions there are. Despite all of those miles and challenging environments, our intrepid runner managed to complete the expedition without a single blister, which is an impressive accomplishment on its own.

Ray can now add the Gobi to his growing list of deserts that he has run across. Previously the Canadian adventurer has also run across the Sahara and Atacama Deserts, as well traveled to the South Pole and across Death Valley on foot. Not bad for a guy who use to smoke a pack of cigarettes per day.

Congrats Ray! Well done once again!

Expedition Gobi Update: Toughest Leg Yet To Come

Ray Zahab has been in the Gobi Desert for a month now as he continues his attempt to run through that massive and demanding environment. When he's done, he hopes to have covered 2300 km (1430 miles) in approximately 35 total days, averaging roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. Along the way, he has been interacting with the locals that inhabit the Gobi and learning about the effects of desertification on their lives and homeland. As is typical with one of Ray's expedition's, he is also sharing those insights and experiences with classrooms around the globe.

Yesterday was a rest day for Ray and his support team as they prepare for their final leg of this journey. With just 320 km (198 miles) left to run, the toughest challenges may still lay ahead. The route will now take our intrepid ultrarunner into one of the most desolate and difficult regions of the Gobi yet. A region that is seldom visited and largely unexplored. So much so, that Ray says that the team will share their video with the Mongolian government to help them understand the environment he'll be running through much better.

As he enters the stretch run, Ray is planning on reach the finish line this coming weekend. It won't be easy however as this next segment is incredibly dry, warm and utterly devoid of places to resupply. They are leaving the last settlements behind as they move into this "No Man's Land." Over the next few days, they'll have to rely on themselves and the supplies they've brought along to see them through to the end.

Stay tuned for updates and check out the video below to see what Ray has been dealing with on his run so far. The Gobi looks incredible but I'm not sure I'd want to run for 35 days across it.


Expedition Gobi - Khongoryn Els (Singing Sands) from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expedition Gobi Update: 20 Days In And Challenges Ahead

No one ever said running across a desert would be easy, but ultrarunner Ray Zahab seems to have a way of making it look that way. In the past, he has run across the Sahara and the Atacama Deserts, as well as skied to the South Pole in record time. Now he's taking on the Gobi and three weeks in he's having an amazing experience, although some of the toughest days are still ahead.

When he set out back on June 23, Ray estimated that it would take approximately 35 days to complete the run, covering about 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. He's done a good job of hitting those distances so far despite some difficult conditions at times, while also finding time to connect with the locals who call the Gobi home. He was suppose to be running alongside fellow-ultrarunner Kevin Lin, but Kevin has been nagged with injuries almost from the start, so Ray has been doing most of the miles by himself, something that probably makes all of his interactions with the Mongolians all the more special.

What is a typical day running the Gobi like for Ray? Check out the video below to get an idea. Don't let the green, lush looking environment fool you however, as this is still a dry desert that can be very demanding. In the next few days, Ray will move into some very large sand dunes, which will add a new challenge to his efforts. Hitting those 70 km goals on a daily basis could become a much more difficult prospect.

Stay tuned for more updates as Ray continues this journey on foot through the Gobi. He still has a couple of more weeks to go until he's done, so plenty of running yet to be completed.


Expedition Gobi - No Language Barrier from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expedition Gobi: Ray And Kevin Are Off And Running

Yesterday, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin began their 2300 km (1430 mile) trek across the Gobi Desert. The two men, who once ran the length of the Sahara together, hope to spend the next 35 days running an average of 65 km (40 miles) per day. Along the way they'll face remote and difficult terrain, extremely dry conditions and a host of other physical and mental challenges.

One of the biggest obstacles to their success is simply the logistics of being resupplied. Because the Gobi is so remote and lacking in infrastructure, Ray and Kevin's support team will have very few opportunities to provide them with fresh water along the way. They expect to receive just one supply drop each day, which isn't much considering the locations they are traveling through.

On their first day out, the two endurance athletes were able to cover 61 km (38 miles). That's not too bad for what these guys call a "warm-up." The video below gives you an idea what the start of their journey was like and we can look forward to similar videos moving forward as they continue the run.

You can follow Ray and Kevin's adventure at Gobi2013.com or on Facebook and Twitter. I'll be thinking of these guys tonight on my run, which will be a mere five miles.


Expedition Gobi - Day 1 61 Km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Ultrarunners Set To Run Across The Gobi Desert

Ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin, who once teamed up to run across the Sahara together, are collaborating once again on another desert crossing. This time the two men will take on the remote and foreboding Gobi in an attempt to cover 2300 km (1430 miles) in just 35 days.

Ray and Kevin plan to run between 70-80 km (43-50 miles) per day on this epic journey through the Gobi. They will have a support team with them helping to provide the water they'll need to keep moving, but due to the remote and rugged nature of the region, they'll only be able to receive one or two resupplies each day. That means they'll need to carry plenty of water with that at all times as it will be uncertain as to when they'll be able to get more.

While crossing the Gobi, the team will also interact with the Mongolian people who still make their home in that wild place. They hope to learn from about the effects of desertification from these tough and resilient people, who are seeing its effects first hand. Ray, Kevin and the rest of the squad will share those experiences, as well as insights into life in the desert, with youth groups back home via satellite broadcasts. The hope is to educate and inspire those young people following along with a healthy dose of adventure.

The plan is for the run to actually begin on Sunday, June 23. Ray is leaving from Canada for Mongolia today and he'll connect with Kevin, who will be coming from Taiwan, later in the week. They'll spend the time leading up to start of the expedition by organizing gear, resting their bodies from the travel and acclimatizing somewhat to the climate. After that, it'll be full steam ahead for 35 days. You'll be able to follow their progress on the Expedition Gobi website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Good luck Kevin and Ray!

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Video: Expedition Gobi Teaser Trailer

In June, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawke will travel to the Gobi Desert where they will attempt to run more than 2300 km (1430 miles) through one of the most demanding environments on the planet. They plan to cover roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day while a support team tries to keep them supplied with plenty of food and water to keep them going, something that will be a logistical challenge to say the least.

In preparation for the start of the run, which is still a month off, the team released the teaser video below. It serves the dual purpose of both inspiring us to pursue our own adventures while also giving us a glimpse of the challenges the runners will face along the way. This will certainly be a challenging endeavor for Ray and Ferg and fascinating for the rest of us to follow.

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expedition Gobi: Running 2000km Across The Gobi Desert

Covering nearly 1.3 million sq. kilometers (500,000 sq. miles) in central Asia, the Gobi is one of the largest deserts on the planet. Its arid climate and trademark rock formations make it a difficult and demanding place, even for the hardiest of explorers. Naturally those challenges give the desert an allure that is hard for many adventurers to resist and in June of this year, two men will set out to attempt to run across the Gobi at its widest point.

The newly announced Expedition Gobi will send endurance athletes Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawk on a 2000 km (1242 mile) journey through the heart of the desert. The two men are busy preparing for their run which will see them covering approximately 70 km (43.5 miles) per day in one of the harshest environments on the planet. The expedition will be supported although the Gobi presents some logistical challenges that will likely only allow for one or two resupply points each day. That means other than getting fresh water from time to time, Ray and Ferg will mostly need to be completely self-sufficient while out on the trail.

Both Ray and Ferg are part of the impossible2Possible team which means they will weave an educational element into this great adventure. In this case, as they run across the Gobi, they'll interact with the people who have learned to make the desert their home. The Mongolian people have lived in the Gobi for centuries and have adapted well to the harsh living conditions there. They'll teach the two runners about desertification and in turn, those lessons will be shared with students in classrooms around the globe. As global climate change continues to have an impact on our planet, desertification becomes a bigger issue and something that we should all be familiar with.

No firm start date for Expedition Gobi has been announced yet, but more details on the run will be released soon. With just two months to go until the start of June, this is already shaping up to be another great adventure to follow this summer.

Op-Ed: The Power For Adventure To Educate

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you've probably seen some of my posts on the impossible2Possible organization and the ways they use adventure to educate and empower students around the globe. I've always admired the way the i2P team comes up with some interesting challenges and destinations, then creates curriculum for teachers to use in their classrooms to help students to understand and relate to the the place and the issues that people living there face.

The following is an op-ed piece written by Dr. George Agnes, the Associate Dean of Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Agnus worked on helping to develop lesson plans for i2P's latest expedition to Botswana and is in a unique position to assess the impact of using adventure-based learning to raise engagement in students. The good doctor shares his thoughts on that very subject below.

Adventure experiences sow seeds for students to solve global issues

As Associate Dean of Science at Simon Fraser University, I’ve conducted thousands of experiments in my day. But nothing prepared me for my participation in the ultimate educational experiment: observing seven youth each run 180 km of Botswana’s Kalahari Desert to better understand the value of water and its effect on human development and biodiversity. This was a rare experiential learning opportunity where students gained first-hand experience of the stark realities of a global issue and how it affects our world. 

These students were participating in an impossible2Possible (i2P) youth expedition. A U.S.-based nonprofit organization co-founded by Canadian Ray Zahab, i2P’s mission is to encourage youth to reach beyond their perceived limits, and to use adventure as a medium to educate, inspire and empower the global community to make positive change.
With insightful contributions from others at SFU, I produced an inquiry-based curriculum for this expedition and travelled to Botswana to facilitate and support learning on the ground. The curriculum was also used in more than 125 schools worldwide and reached nearly 10,000 students, including hundreds in the Lower Mainland. In these classrooms, students’ grade 6 to 12 conducted experiments exploring the value of water and its effect on human life, and interacted directly with the i2P participants via satellite video. This transported the expedition experience directly into the classroom and enabled students to engage in a manner that informed the next steps in their curriculum-based experiments.

Adventure-based learning uses physical challenges to help youth develop self-directed goals, trust, communication and problem solving skills. Students and teachers report improved student engagement in and ownership of their learning; teamwork and leadership skills development; increased connection to the natural world; and a basic understanding of global issues and how they affect survival and daily life.

In the case of an i2P youth expedition, learning takes place in remote, harsh landscapes where global geo-political and environmental issues – such as water access, food security and healthcare – are explored. As a result, participants develop accountability and responsibility regarding the focal issue as well as a lifelong commitment to pursue solutions to it and related issues. For example, in the drought-ridden Kalahari, access to clean water can mean the difference between life and death. To emphasize this, students ran a marathon a day in 40 degree Celsius heat, consuming eight liters of clean water a day and cultivating a deep appreciation for easy accessibility to water in the process.

Taking adventure-based learning to the wider public has many challenges. Teachers implementing expedition-based concepts in a classroom for students who have little or no access to the expedition often have their efforts stymied from a lack of context. Through technological advances, an expedition’s curriculum can take on new meaning when students become participants in inquiry-based exercises of their own design, such as scientific experimentation, and are then empowered to discuss their results and obtain feedback in real-time with participants in the field. Such experiential learning is one way to inspire student imagination, innovation and a deeper commitment to investigate in-depth issues from local to global perspectives. In partnering with i2P, our academic curriculum reached thousands of students around the globe, challenging each of them to pursue excellence in both athletics and academics.

In the past, adventure-based learning has been offered at a high cost to university students who can afford expedition and tuition fees, with most college-aged students unable to participate and certainly not elementary or high school students.

Today, middle schools and high schools across the Lower Mainland are running adventure-based education programs. At Prince of Wales High School in Vancouver, the TREK Program teaches students how the natural world impacts their daily lives and how they impact the environment. In Mission and Abbotsford, the Community Recreation Programs at W.J. Mouat and Mission secondary schools introduce students to the role of exercise and nature in combating stress-related illness.

At SFU, “academic leadership” courses are being developed based on the multi-disciplinary curriculums created for i2P. Courses are designed to lay foundations for student-inspired learning and excellence in disciplinary foundational concepts, and provide outstanding introductions to complex global issues that they themselves may be tasked with solving during their careers. Students in these courses will extensively investigate the issues the expedition participants are expected to witness and function as mentors to expedition participants.

Often referred to as “21st century learning,” adventure-based learning represents a new type of student experience. By leveraging technological tools to bring an expedition to life in classrooms, educators and students can engage with individuals and communities far afield and work together to find solutions to pressing global issues – issues that affect all of our lives profoundly. Such opportunities help engage students in shaping their futures by developing a knowledge base and value system that will shape and inform the rest of their lives.

Dr. George Agnes is Associate Dean of Science at Simon Fraser University.

i2P Expedition Africa Underway Today

A few weeks back I posted a story about impossible2Possible's next project, Expedition Africa. At the time, the team was still in the preparation phase for their adventure and the official website had just gone live. Now, the i2P team has assembled in Botswana and they are preparing to set out on their cross-country run today.

Much like past i2P endeavors, Expedition Africa will blend adventure, education and social awareness into one project. At its core, EA is about a team of youth ambassadors who will spend the next eight days running more than 400 km (248 miles) across the beautiful landscapes of Botswana. Much of the journey will take place in the Kalahari Desert. The eight young men and women who are undertaking this challenge will split into two groups of four, with the first group running the initial 200 km (124 mile) leg over four days, while the other four team members work as the support crew. At the halfway point of the expedition, the two teams will swap roles for the final 200 km stretch.

While they are in Botswana, the youth ambassadors will also learn about the importance of water to the people that live in the Kalahari, while investigating its importance on human development and biodiversity. The desert is one of the driest and most arid places on the planet, making water the most precious commodity there.

One of the hallmarks of any impossible2Possible expedition is the educational aspects that it provides. As with past i2P excursions, the members of Expedition Africa will also be interacting with classrooms to provide insights on the culture and landscapes of Botswana, the importance of clean water to developing nations and the pure adventure of running an ultramarathon through the desert. The i2P staff has carefully crafted a curriculum for students of all ages that will not only help them learn about the places the team is visiting but also inspire them for future adventures of their own.

To follow the expedition as it unfolds, visit the Expedition Africa website or follow the progress on Facebook or Twitter.

Baffin Run: Crossing Baffin Island On Foot

Located in Canada's Nunavut territory, Baffin Island is a remote and wild place. It also happens to be the fifth largest island in the world and a fitting place for an adventure. This morning Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawke have set out to run non-stop across the island, covering roughly 100km (60 miles) in the process. Their route will take them through Akshayuk Pass, a breathtaking valley that is the remains of an ancient riverbed and is surrounded by the Baffin Mountains.

You can track their progress on BaffinRun.com and catch updates via Ray's Twitter Feed and Facebook page. Reports are also being posted to the impossible2Possible Facebook page as well.

While this will be a good challenge for these two ultra-runners, it is merely a warm-up for what lies ahead. Next year they intend to run across the Gobi Desert at it's widest point, an expedition that will cover approximately 2000km (1242 miles) through some of the most remote terrain on Earth. Because of that remote nature of the Gobi, they'll have limited opportunities for resupply which will alter the logistics of the run to a degree.

We'll learn a lot more about the expedition in March of 2013 when Ray and Ferg are expected to set out. You know we'll be following it closely.

The Last First Expedition: Rowing The Northwest Passage

While I was away last week the details of a major expedition, slated to get underway next year, began to emerge. In July of 2013 a team of rowers will attempt to become the first to complete a crossing of the Northwest Passage in a single season, covering roughly 3000km (1864 miles) between Pond Inlet and Tuktoyaktuk, Canada in the process.

Scheduled to get underway July 1st of next year, The Last First expedition is expected to take approximately 75 days to complete. During that time, the crew will row non-stop through some of the most challenging and treacherous waters on the planet, facing unpredictable weather, massive ice flows and frigidly cold waters along the way.

As many of you know, this type of journey wasn't even possible until recently. Changing climatic conditions have caused much of the polar ice cap to melt, opening the Passage to travel for the first time. Even with those changes however the route is only navigable for a few months each year and is still a very difficult crossing. Climate change has had a dramatic effect on the region and the crew, which consists of adventurers Kevin Vallely, Paul Gleeson, Frank Wolf, and Denis Barnett,  will witness those changes first hand as they visit remote communities along the way.

Find out more about The Last First on the expedition's website and in the video below.

Expreso De Los Andes: The Best Laid Plans..

A few days back I posted an update on the Expreso De Los Andes expedition which has seen ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely, along with some of their closest impossible2Possible friends, attempting to run from Chile's Pacific Coast to Argentina's Atlantic Coast. A distance of more than 1700km (1056 miles) that includes a tough crossing of the Andes mountain range. In that update I noted that the team was facing a number of tough challenges, not the least of which was the fact that torrential downpours and flooded the entire region. Now it turns out those rains have altered the plan completely as Ray explains in the video below.

In a nutshell, much of the runners' intended route is now under three feet of water, making it nearly impossible for them to continue along their planned path. Where the route is accessible on foot they are left without support vehicles for incredibly long lengths as well, which adds an entirely different problem. They attempted to run along a different road, following a nearby highway, but that proved to be completely unsafe and was soon abandoned.

So now what? Well Ray, Kevin and the rest of the i2P squad have now moved on to Buenos Aires, their intended finishing spot, where they will continue run a portion of the route to wrap up the expedition. This isn't how they hoped to finish things out, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans for us. Find out more below.


Day 17 - Altered Plans from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes: Crossing The Andes

As I mentioned last week, Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the rest of the impossible2Possible team have started their Expreso De Los Andes expedition. Over the next few weeks, they will be running west to east across the South American continent, covering more than 1700km (1056 miles), while also inspiring students and educators back home to adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle.

When last we checked in with Ray and Kevin, they had dipped their toes into the Pacific Ocean and were just getting underway. The plan was to ease into the run with a few days of shorter distances to get things started. In this case, "shorter distance" means about 45km (28 miles), which would eventually climb up to 70km (43.4 miles) per day once they felt acclimated. That didn't take very long however, as the runners have already started hitting those marks, and yesterday alone Ray ran more than 100km (62 miles).

The team has also now crossed the border between Chile and Argentina and are firmly into the Andes Mountains, which will of course be their biggest challenge. When they first got underway, the heat of the austral summer was taking its toll, but now that they are hitting the higher altitudes of the journey, cooler weather has set in. Those cooler temps bring a bit of relief of course, but now the team is dealing with thin air at altitude and long, steep climbs up the mountains.

To get a sense of what the conditions are like, check out the video below. It was shot a few days back when the team covered approximately 65km in a single day, of which 35km was climbing. The views are spectacular of course, but when you're running at altitude, I'm not sure you feel much like taking it all in. Still, it looks like they're having a great time on this adventure.


Expreso de los Andes Day 7 - 65km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012: They're Off

Last week I mentioned that Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the impossible2Possible crew were getting ready to launch their Expreso De Los Andes expedition, during which they'll be spending the next few weeks running west to east across South America. The run did get underway as expected, and the athletes began by dipping their hand in the Pacific Ocean and then starting to head east. They'll finish when they reach the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The video below gives us glimpse of what their first day was like. They managed to cover 45km (28 miles), but after the find their rhythm, they hope to amp that up to closer to 70km (43.4 miles) per day. That isn't going to be easy however, as the terrain will be very demanding, including a traverse over the Andes Mountains, and it is also incredibly warm where they are at right now. Still, Ray and Kevin are two very experienced endurance athletes, and if anyone can complete this run, it will be these two. It should be fun to follow their progress.



Expreso de los Andes Day 1 - 45km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012 Expedition Begins Tomorrow

A month ago I posted the announcement from the impossible2Possible team that they would be setting off on a new expedition, this time to run west to east across South America. This new adventure was dubbed the Expreso De Los Andes 2012, and it is set to officially get underway tomorrow.

The plan is for ultra-runners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely to being their journey in the Chilean city of Concón, which sits along that country's Pacific coast. From there, they start running east, with the intention of covering roughly 1700km (1056 miles), before eventually ending at the Atlantic Oceain in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To get there, they'll first  have to traverse the Andes Mountain Range, and deal with running long distances at higher altitudes.

In the early stages of the run, Ray and Kevin intend to average about 70km (43.4 miles) per day. Once they clear the Andes however, they hope to amp those distance up to as much as 100km (62.1 miles) per day. They'll be aided along in the journey by a support crew, who will drop water and supply caches for them ever 20-30km as well.

As usual with any of the i2P expeditions, this run has an educational and inspirational component to it as well. On the Expreso De Los Andes expedition, the team is hoping to inspire young people to become more physically active, and to do that, the've enlisted a number of teachers and school administrators in a physical challenge program. One of those administrators is George Singfield, who is preparing to run a half-marathon in May. "Principal George," as he is known, happens to be diabetic, so he is learning the importance to taking care of his health, while improving his physical conditioning for the run. He, and a number of others, are hoping to inspire the children in their classrooms and schools by leading by example.

According to the i2P Twitter feed, the crew arrived in Santiago, Chile yesterday and, they should be making their way to Concón today, with the intention of setting out on schedule tomorrow. Throughout the run, we'll be able to track Ray and Kevin's progress on the expedition's official website, where they'll regularly be posting updates and videos.