Couple Completes 6500 Mile Run Across South America

A couple of months back I wrote a story about David and Katharine Lowrie, a husband and wife team who were running the length of South America, south to north. The couple set out in July of last year with the intention of running 5000 miles (8046 km) along their planned route. Yesterday they announced that they had completed the run, reaching the Caribbean Sea in Carupano, Venezuela. The actual distance they ran? An astounding 6504 miles (10,467 km)!

The run, which David and Katharine had dubbed the 5000 Mile Project, began in Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost town on the continent. From there, they began traveling north, passing out of Chile and moving into Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and finally Venezuela. Along the way, they passed over the Andes Mountains and through the Amazon Rainforest, two natural obstacles that are daunting under any circumstances.

As if running 6500 miles across a continent isn't an impressive accomplishment on its own, the couple also managed to launch their Big Toe Classroom along the way as well. This portion of their website is filled with lesson plans and other educational tools for teachers. These free resources are designed for 7-11 year olds and were created to help them learn more about South America and the plants and animals that live there.

All told, it took David and Katherine 14 months, 23 days, 19 hours and 24 minutes to run from the southern tip of the continent to the northern coastline in Venezuela. That's a lot of time on the road and I'm sure they are relived to be done.

Congratulations to the Lowrie's on the completion of an impressive expedition. Well done!

5000 Mile Project: Couple Running The Length Of South America

On July 28, David and Katharine Lowrie set out on a run like no other. The pair have hit the road to run the length of South America. Yes, you read that right. They are planning on running south to north across the entire continent and they're doing so to raise awareness and funds to protect the wildlife that lives in threatened areas there. Their expedition is aptly named the 5000 Mile Project, as that is the distance that they will cover before they are through. (That's roughly 8046 km for most of the world.)

The began their epic adventure last month by setting off from Punta Arenas, Chile, the southernmost settlement in South America. They'll now work their way north through Patagonia, crossing between Chile and Argentina as they go. Eventually they'll cross into Bolivia before continuing on to Brazil, where they'll face one of the biggest challenges to the expedition – a crossing of the Amazon Rainforest. If successful there, they'll emerge into Venezuela and finish the journey with a run to the Caribbean coast.

The Lowrie's hope to wrap up their journey approximately a year after they started. That seems rather ambitious considering the difficult miles that lie ahead. The couple aren't just out on the road running unencumbered. They're pulling specially designed carts behind them that carry all of their gear and supplies as well. David and Katharine are hoping to cover roughly the length of a marathon each day (26.2 miles/42.1 km), which is a challenge but highly feasible while on roads. But once they hit the Amazon, things will be completely different and much more difficult in general.


The husband and wife team have undertaken the 5000 Mile Project to raise funds for Asociacion Armonia, BirdLife International and Conservacion Patagonica. The hope is to collect enough money to help fund the purchase of threatened habitats in South America to protect the wildlife that lives there. As part of the project, they are also recording the various animals they see along their run including the many bird species that inhabit the continent.

Their efforts don't end there however. They've also launched the BigToe Classroom which contains lesson plans and projects for teachers to use with their students to get them engaged with conservation projects as well. There is even a way to contact David and Katharine and set up a video conference call with them directly from the road.

You can learn more about the 5000 Mile Project in an interview that the couple did with Explorers Web earlier in the week. You can also follow along with David and Katharine's blog or on Twitter and Facebook.

Video: Highlining In Venezuela's Lost World

Deep in a remote section of Venezuela is an area known as the Lost World. It is a wild and untamed place that is famous for its table-topped mountains, including Roraima, the inspiration for the fantastic Pixar film Up! Recently a team of climbers visited the Lost World where they filmed themselves highlining over some impressive open spaces. A teaser for what will presumably be a much longer film is below and it is spectacular.

Roraima is on my bucket list of places I'd like to go someday. Seeing this spectacular setting only gets me more interested in visiting the place. Oh, and the highlining is amazing too. Enjoy!

Venezuela Salto Angel Highline Expedition WEBTEASER from HALSUNDBEINBRUCH FILM on Vimeo.

Video: First Ascent of Cerro Autana Teaser

Cerro Autana is is a remote table mountain located in the jungles of Venezuela. It features a 1400 meter (4593 ft) rock face that until recently had never been scaled. Brit Leo Houlding made the journey to take on the mountain and later this summer we'll all get treated to a documentary of that adventure. Below you'll find a teaser for that film which will be coming our way via Posing Productions.

The film, when it is finally released, will be called Autana - First Ascent in the Lost World. Judging from what is shown here, the climb was only part of what the team had to deal with. It looks like there were plenty of big bugs and other critters, not to mention a generally hostile environment, for them to wade through before they even touched the rock.

Considering this is a part of the world that I would really like to visit, I can't wait to see what more they show in the final film.

Three Women Backpackers Hiking The Length Of South America

Three American women have set out on quite an adventure, as they look to hike nearly the entire length of South America, south to north. Along they way, they've been chronicling their journey on the aptly named eat hike sleep hike blog.

Two of the ladies, Sarah Field and Trinity Ludwig, first met at summer camp when they were just 13 years old. They remained friends after that, and continued to attend the same camp together for the next several years. Eventually, they joined the staff and connected with Shelley Brook, and the three have stayed in constant contact ever since. When Trinity got the idea of making this South American hike, Shelley was quick to join the expedition and it wasn't exactly difficult to talk Sarah into coming along either.

The women started in Ushuaia, Argentina last October and plan to spend the first six months of their trek exploring that country and Chile. Their complete route can be found here, and also includes visits to Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela too. In their most recent blog updates, the trio reported that they have passed from Lanín National Park in Argentina and have now moved into Chile for the first time.

Reading through their blog posts, it seems they're having a wonderful time in South America, although as you might expect, not everything always goes as planned. Still, this is a fantastic adventure, and it is wonderful to read about their experiences and their love for travel.

Thanks to Scott Ireland for sharing this great story. Much appreciated my friend!