Expedition Med Opportunity To Be Held At Little Saint Simons Islands

Expedition medical professionals, or those looking to gain valuable experience in that field, will be interested to learn that ExpedMed has announced an upcoming CME (continuing medical education) adventure to Little Saint Simons Island for early next year. The event, which runs from February 28 - March 3, will focus on travel medicine, envenomations, malaria and similar wilderness medical topics. This four-day event will be taught by expert medical professionals with years of experience in expedition medicine. The faculty will include Dr. Greg Bledsoe and Dr. Ken Kamler, both members of the Explorers Club who have put their expertise to good use while visiting some of the most remote places on the planet.

Little Saint Simons Island will make a perfect backdrop for this program. The privately owned barrier island just off the coast of Georgia features seven miles of beautiful beaches and 10,000 acres of mostly undisturbed wilderness. Little Saint Simon is home to numerous animal species including deer, alligators, bald eagles and many other birds, and it is not uncommon to find dolphins swimming just off shore. The eco-lodge on the island can accommodate just 32 guests and access is only made possible by a short 15-minute ferry ride from the mainland.

Because accommodations are limited, only 32 people can sign up for this CME opportunity. ExpedMed has acquired a special room rate of $1950 for the three nights stay in a double occupancy room. That's about $335 per night for each guest and includes all food, activities, guided excursions and ferry rides to and from the island.

Additionally, the fee for the CME courses is $799 for medical professionals, who receive a total of 28 credit hours. Active military and non-physicians who require CME, as well as students/residents, receive a discounted rate of just $649. Non-medical guests pay an administrative fee of $459 for courses that may be of value to them in their travels as well. Attendees will also receive a copy of Expedition & Wilderness Medicine, a 750-age hardbound textbook that will prove to be an invaluable resource long after they've gone home.

For more information on the event check out the Little Saint Simons Island CME page on the ExpedMed website. This really is a great opportunity to gain valuable lessons in expedition medicine that could prove useful in your upcoming adventures.

Video: Mountain Biking In Ethiopia

I love mountain biking and I love travel. When you combine the two I think it makes a magical mix. That's why I love these videos from destinations that you wouldn't typically consider as a place to go for a ride, even though they probably have some epic trails. That seems to be the case with the video below, which was shot in Ethiopia. The backdrops are spectacular and riding through the Simien Mountains looks amazing. It definitely makes me want to go see them myself.

ethiopia enduro trip, teaser from juanmcsean on Vimeo.

Antarctica 2012 Update: Aaron Can't Catch A Break

I've been following Aaron Linsdau's progress in Antarctica very closely since he got underway two weeks ago, and it is regularly been my lead story in these Antarctic updates. For those who haven't been following so far, Aaron is hoping to become the first American to ski solo and unsupported from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole and back. Something that has only been done by three other people. In order to cover the 1400+ miles (2250 km) that this journey will cover, he arrived in the Antarctic plenty early. But unfortunately nothing has gone his way and he is barely making any progress at all, something that continues to be evident on his almost daily dispatches.

To give you an idea of just how tough the expedition is thus far, you need only look to yesterday's dispatch in which Aaron says that he managed to cover just 1.5 nautical miles (2.7 km) in 5.5 hours of walking. Part of that was due to the incessant 40-50 knot winds and the continued poor surface conditions. Because the ground he is walking on is mostly hard ice and not snow, he hasn't been using his skis as much as he would like. Those conditions have also made it difficult to walk, or even stand, at times and when you're dragging a 300 pound (136 kg) sled behind you, it begins to take its toll after awhile.

Aaron also reports that his climb up to the Antarctic plateau has gotten much steepr, which won't help matters either. Any polar explorer will tell you that is a long tough slog to the top, but once it is finished, the run to the South Pole itself actually gets a bit easier. At the moment, I think Aaron would appreciate anything that helps him move faster, but he has a long climb ahead of him before that happens.

As I've mentioned over the past few updates, the weather has been absolutely terrible in the Antarctic as well, and Aaron seems to be taking the brunt of that too. High winds, whiteouts and blizzards have all conspired against him and slowed his pace to a crawl. Considering how slow his first two weeks have been, I'm not sure at this point how he can make up the mileage and complete this round-trip journey. He'll definitely have a lot of miles to make up once things improve. 

I've been following Antarctic expeditions for a number of years now and I can tell you that I'm agonizing along with Aaron every time he posts a new dispatch. It is not uncommon for progress to be slow at the start of an expedition such as this one, but this is just so much worse than we would normally expect. If it is hard for us to read this progress reports from a safe and warm location, I can only imagine how bad Aaron must feel while exhausted in a tent at the bottom of the world. 

Lets hope things get better for him soon. He seems like he really wants to complete this journey, but Mother Nature isn't going to give it up easy. 

Adventure Tech: Goal Zero Switch 8 Solar Recharging Kit

It seems solar technology is finally coming of age and we're starting to get some viable options for using the suns rays to power our gear. Over the past couple of months I've reviewed some excellent solar lighting options from Energizer, tested a personal solar charger from Solio and put Goal Zero's excellent Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit through its paces. GZ's system was particularly impressive, providing plenty of options for keeping our gadgets fully charged while traveling off the grid. That's why I'm especially excited about their new offering, the Switch 8 Solar Recharging Kit.

The Switch 8 is essentially a large battery inside a rugged tube that comes with a USB port in one end and a USB plug in the other. While Goal Zero touts the Switch 8's ability to fully recharge a smartphone in less than three hours, it can actually be used to recharge anything that accepts power via USB. That means cameras, iPods, GPS devices, headlamps and more. The kit comes with GZ's Nomad 3.5 solar panels, which are highly efficient and can manage to fill the battery in 5-10 hours depending on the amount of direct sunlight available.

On the Switch 8 website, Goal Zero says that the battery is capable of recharging an mp3 player or standard cell phone three times before it is depleted. It will also charge a smartphone once and add 50% more life to a typical e-reader such as the Kindle. Power hungry tablets can even get a 20% boost from the Switch 8, which comes in handy when you need to power your iPad for just a little longer.

The Switch 8 kit, including solar cells, is small and compact, and weighs just .2 pounds (.09kg). That makes it a great option for travel or trips into the backcountry where you won't need a lot of juice, but the need for a recharge will still be useful.

The Goal Zero Switch 8 is available now at REI.com for just $69.99.

Video: Pacific Crest Trail Time Lapse

At 2663 miles (4286 km) in length, the Pacific Crest Trail is one of the longest and most spectacular hiking trails you could ever hope to trek. Stretching from the Mexican border in the south to British Columbia in the north, passing through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains in the process. Those who have hiked the trail say that it is amongst the most beautiful places on the planet and judging from the video below, it is difficult to argue with that assessment.

Thanks to my friend Rick McCharles from Best Hike for sharing this.

Within Two Worlds from Goldpaint Photography on Vimeo.

Video: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is always a great opportunity for us to catch some of the best outdoor and adventure films on an annual basis. The tour takes the best elements of the film festival on the road, exposing it to a much larger audience and it often the only way that you ever get to see some of these movies. THe 2012/2013 edition is about to get underway, and for sneak preview of what to expect, check out the video below. It'll definitely get your adrenaline going and have you checking the schedule to see when the film fest is coming to your town.

Antarctica 2012: Blizzards And Delays

The reports out of Antarctica are beginning to sound like a broken record, as bad weather continues to dominate the news from the frozen continent. As a result, some of the explorers that are already there are struggling to make any kind of progress while others simply wait for an opportunity to begin their expeditions at last.

Perhaps the one person most impacted by the weather so far is Aaron Linsdau, who made sure that he traveled to the Antarctic early on so he could begin his long journey at the earliest possible moment. Linsdau plans to make a solo and unsupported round trip ski expedition from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole and back. But so far he has had difficulty making any kind of significant progress thanks to the poor conditions on the ground. First he has encountered more ice than snow thus far, which has made it nearly impossible to ski. That means he's been dragging his 300 pound (136 kg) sled behind him while he struggles on foot to cover the miles, which has been tough going thanks to high winds and whiteout conditions. But according to his latest dispatch, things have actually gotten worse. Aaron has been tent-bound thanks to a blizzard, which means he isn't covering any distance at all. He says that due to high winds and heavy snows, he can't see more than two feet beyond his tent. Hopefully the blizzard means that he'll at least be getting some snow to ski on soon. If he doesn't start making significant progress very shortly, his chances of completing the round trip journey will become exceedingly small.

Meanwhile, Icelander Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir remains in Punta Arenas awaiting a flight to carry her to Union Glacier so she can begin her expedition as well. Vilborg is hoping to become the first woman from her country to make a solo and unsupported trek to the South Pole and she had hoped to be at Hercules Inlet this past weekend. While conditions in Punta seem to be fine at the moment, the weather at Union Glacier hasn't been so cooperative. Landing on a makeshift runway carved out of ice is not easy under the best of conditions, but with high winds and blowing snow, it is risky at best. For now, ALE has their Ilyushin aircraft grounded while they wait for things to improve.


Also preparing to head out to the Antarctic is In the Footsteps of Legends team, which consists of a group of three wounded British soldiers who will be skiing to the South Pole to raise funds for charity. The men will be led by explorer David Hempleman-Adams and they will depart the U.K. on Saturday. This appears to be a "last degree" journey to 90ºS with a nod to following in the footsteps of Robert Falcon Scott and his crew.

Other teams are now making their way to Chile as well and will begin their expeditions soon. Most are guided trips from Hercules, although we still have Eric Larsen's bike ride to the Pole to get underway yet too. It has been a relatively quiet season so far at the bottom of the world, but there should be more action soon.

Finally, the team of explorers who have been skiing across the North Patagonia Icecap completed thier crossing a few days back, but they aren't completely finished just yet. Their ski journey is over but they are still working to descend from the glacier before they head home and that is proving to be a difficult task. With all of their gear and the challenging descent, they're having to make multiple trips to collect all of their equipment. As a result, it has been a couple of long 16-hour days to wrap up the last stage of the expedition. They should be finishing things up today or tomorrow however and start back to civilization.