Video: Mountain Biking Adventure in Argentina

Looking for another great mountain biking destination in South America? Then check out this video of Hans Rey and Tibor Simai, who spend three days traversing the wild backcountry of Argentina on their mountain bikes. They being in the town of Tilcara and ride to Calilegua National Park, with a whole lot of climbing in-between. It looks like beautiful country to go for a ride. Or do just about anything else for that matter.

Video: Rediscover Your Inner Explorer

Here's a beautiful little video shot in the Dominica that is meant to inspire us to explore and seek adventures. It features some excellent shots of the wonderful settings there, with narration that reminds us to go out to seek new experiences, new places, and new adventures. That seems like a fitting message to share.

Dominica - The New from Trent Hilborn on Vimeo.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tip #20 - How and Why to Pack Light

Adventure travel legend Richard Bangs is back once again with yet more helpful tips for travelers. This time out, Richard gives us some advice on how to travel lighter, and why it is good for us to do so. He learned this lesson on an expedition to Ethiopia, where he lost his pack containing all of his gear, but still managed to have one of the best journeys ever. As someone who takes pride in traveling light, this particular video especially hit home.

Outside Picks the 20 Most Dangerous Hikes in the World

Looking for some new hiking trails to try this summer? Then you might not want to look at the new list from Outside magazine. They have compiled their selection of the 20 most dangerous hikes in the world, giving us a taste of just how dangerous hiking can be when you throw in extreme conditions, dangerous wildlife, and trails that are literally falling apart around you. This list isn't meant for those who enjoy walking the nature trail in their local park. These trails are for the truly adventurous who enjoy a bit of a challenge while they're in the wilderness.

Make no mistake, there are some truly spectacular hikes on this list. Many offer sweeping views or access to some of the truly great wilderness areas on our planet. But, as the name implies, they also offer some unique dangers as well. Those dangers come in a variety of forms that are sometimes unexpected. Take for example, the Huayna Picchu route in Peru, a trail that goes beyond Machu Picchu and up a 1000 feet of ancient stairs that the Inca carved out of stone. Those stairs are slippery, in need of repair, and shrouded in mist. Many people who set out on the hike, have no idea how dangerous it is, and often aren't wearing the proper boots, or carrying enough water.

Other outstanding – yet dangerous  – trails include the Maze in Utah, which consists of a series of twisting canyons that are easy to get lost in, and Mount Hua Shan in China, which is infamous for its wooden platforms precariously bolted to the vertical cliffs of the sacred mountain. Other trails that make the list include the amazing Drakensberg Traverse in South Africa, Kalalau in Hawaii, and El Caminito del Rey, in Spain, which I recently shared on this blog in video form.

The list offers trails that can be found in just about every corner of the globe, although the U.S. is heavily represented.  The Outside authors offer advice on the things that make each of these routes dangerous, and what we should be aware of before setting out. Of course, further research is highly recommended, but this makes for an interesting read none the less.

Video: Machu Picchu in 4K!

4K continues to be all the buzz in video. For those who don't know, it is a much higher standard of resolution than what we currently get with HD video, and while it naturally creates massive file sizes, it also captures images in stunning clarity. The video below was shot using a 4K camera. It is 4+ minutes of splendor shot in Peru, particularly around the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. The results are quite spectacular. I personally can't wait until I can start viewing these videos in 4K myself. Really impressive stuff.

Video: World Traveler on Three Year Journey Creates Epic Selfie

Looking for a little inspiration to travel today? This video ought to do the trick. It was shot by Alex Chacon, who spent the last three years traveling the globe, crossing through 36 countries, and covering more than 200,000 km (125,000 miles) in the process. Along the way, he used his GoPro camera to capture some selfies, and the results are the 3 minute video below, which gives us a glimpse of his adventures. This makes me want to hit the road again soon!

Video: Adventures In Puerto Rico

When we normally think about visiting Puerto Rico, it usually conjures images of relaxing on the beach, with a cold beverage in your hand, and enjoying plenty of warm sunshine. Obviously, the island nation has all of that to offer, but for adventure travelers, it has plenty to share as well. The video below, brought to us by our friend Richard Bangs, shows off a few of those options, and may just have you rethinking the destination for your next trip.

Video: Tom Sawyer on the Danube

One of the things that I try to stress here on this blog is that adventure comes in many forms. Sure, it sometimes means climbing a big mountain, or traveling on foot to the North Pole. But not all expeditions have to push the edge in order to be life affirming and altering. Case in point, the video below is the teaser for a new film that will be hitting the adventure film festival circuit soon. It is entitled Tom Sawyer on the Danube, and it features Jamie Bowlby-Whiting, and his equally adventurous girlfriend Leah Bostwick, as they attempt to travel from England to Asia, under their own power. That includes walking, cycling, and even rafting the Danube on their own makeshift raft. The film isn't just a story about their journey, but is also about their relationship, and how they grew as people along the way. It looks like an amazing story, and an inspiration for us all to get off the couch, and go seek an adventure of our own.  This is the first film from our friends at Xpedition.tv, and it looks like a good one.

Teaser for "Tom Sawyer on the Danube" from Xpedition.TV on Vimeo.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #19 - How to Take a Great Photo in the Field

In what has become a regular Wednesday feature here on the Adventure Blog, we have another excellent travel tip from Richard Bangs. This time out, Richard shares some tips that all of us can appreciate: how to take great photos in the field. As usual, our intrepid guide has a story to share with how he gained these bits of wisdom. In this case, it was knowledge he picked up while watching a photographer for National Geographic go about his business while on an expedition through Sumatra.

Video: The Pride of Namibia - Conservation and Tourism

One topic that is of particular interest to me is conservation of wildlife, and the ending of illegal poaching, in Africa, a place I happen to love dearly. The video below is a success story in this regard, focusing on how the relatively young nation of of Namibia found a way to use tourism to boost conservation efforts, and instill a sense of pride in its people. As a result, poaching is significantly lower there than in other parts of the continent, and often seen as a blueprint for improving the situation elsewhere.

Video: Adventure In Norway

This video seems to be a fitting way to end the week. It is a collection of amazing shots from Norway, another country that provides ample opportunities for outdoor adventure. It also happens to be stunningly beautiful, with rugged mountains, and remote wildernesses to explore. This 6-minute clip will give you an idea of what it is like there, so you can start planning your own adventures in Norway. Amazing.

Lofoten - A Photographic Adventure In Norway from Michael Fletcher on Vimeo.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #18 - How To Avoid Festival Mistakes

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another great travel time courtesy of Richard Bangs and TravelSmith. This time out, Richard has some tips to help us avoid making mistakes while attending a festival or other cultural event. This may seem like a no brainer, but it is a lesson he learned the hard way while visiting Spain to cover the running of the bulls at Pamplona. I won't spoil the story, but lets just say the reporter got more than he had bargained for. Always wear fast shoes!

Video: Mountain Biking Cape Verde

While we're showing off great mountain biking destinations today, I thought I'd include this video as well. It comes our way via EpicTV, and features some great shots of Cape Verde, a tiny country in the Atlantic Ocean that looks to be a hidden gem for adventure sports. The 3-minute video only gives us glimpse of what to expect there, but it just might be enough to get a few people on a plane to go visit the island for themselves. Looks beautiful!

Hiking The Caminito del Rey: Spain's Most Dangerous Trail

My friend Matthew Karsten recently had the opportunity to hike the Caminito del Rey, a notoriously dangerous trail located in Andalucia, Spain. The trail was originally built over a century ago to grant works building a new dam in the area access to the site. It sits 100 meters (328 feet) above the canyon floor, and over the decades it has slowly fallen into disrepair. Sections of the trail are completely missing, while others have just steel beams left in place. This has caused most people to shy away from the route completely, but some adrenaline junkies visit just to experience the Caminito in its current state.

Matt gives us an extensive report on his experience there, as well as a fantastic video that he shot along the way. Read his thoughts on the experience here, and watch the video below.  He describes the place as very beautiful, while also acknowledging the inherent dangers of walking this route at the same time.

If you've always wanted to walk the Caminito del Rey, you may want to hurry. Matt also reports that in May, the trail will be shut down, and a restoration plan will be put into place. This will, of course, make things safer, but it'll also take away the reputation of the route as well. Considering that there have been several deaths on the trail over the years, it is a good thing that it'll finally be repaired, But I'm sure it'll also diminish the lure of the trail for some as well.

Video: The Best Scuba Diving On The Planet?

Scuba divers in search of the best dive sites on the planet will certainly want to check out this video from our friend Richard Bangs. This time out, Richard heads to Puerto Rico, where he sends a friend of his diving at The Wall, a 22-mile (35 km) long section of coral reef that drops to a depth of 1500 feet (457 meters). The reef is home to a stunning array of marine life, including sea turtles, moray eels, sharks, and countless species of fish. This definitely looks like a "must-visit" place for any diver.

Travel Stories From FlightNetwork.com

It has been a few weeks since I shared some of the stories we've been posting at the "Let's Roll" blog over at FlightNetwork.com. Here's a sample of some of the things that we've been sharing with our readers.

• 20 Gorgeous Photos From A 30-Hour Iceland Road Trip
• 10 Summer Travel Accessories You Didn't Know You Needed
• 22 Stunning National Parks to Check Out
• Can You Name The World's Top Ten Airports?
• The World's 16 Most Incredible Caves
• Which Destination Topped TripAdvisor's 2014 Traveler's Choice List?
• The 5 Best River Cruises In The World

As you can see, there is a diverse number of topics for world travelers, with some excellent writers sharing great tips and suggestions. On top of that, FlightNetwork is a great place to shop for airfares, offering up some great discounts on flights. And I'm not just saying that because I write for them. It truly is a good option for comparison shopping for flight online. 

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tip #17 - Adding More Pages To Your Passport

Here's a handy travel tip from our friend Richard Bangs that I'm sure more than a few of us have wondered about. If you're a frequent traveler, you know doubt like to collect stamps in your passport. But what happens when you start to run out of pages? Richard explains how to quickly, and easily, add pages to your passport prior to embarking on a journey.

Video: The Green Mansions Of The Amazon

The Amazon is an amazing place that few of us ever get the opportunity to see. It is an incredibly diverse biosphere unlike any on our planet, and quite frankly it is an awe inspiring place that I've been fortunate enough to visit. The video below takes us on location to that visually striking place, offering up a glimpse of the Amazon from Colombia, Peru and Brazil.

GREEN MANSIONS from Gātha on Vimeo.

National Geographic Presents 50 Tours Of A Lifetime For 2014

Earlier this week, National Geographic Traveler has released their annual selection of their Tours of a Lifetime, giving us 50 more amazing trips that we can take in our never-ending quest to explore the world. As in years past, the 2014 edition of this list offers some amazing tours, offered by some of the best adventure travel companies in the world, that anyone of us can book today. Provided we have enough money that is.

As usual, Nat Geo has broken down their selections by geographic categories. That means you'll find options for travel in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America, and the South Pacific and Oceania. This makes it incredibly easy to find new options for travel in a favorite region, or look for options for some place you've never been before. Each of the regions have a plethora of unique trips to choose from, offering up a wide range of choices that any world traveler will appreciate.

The editors of the magazine look for unique offerings that also align nicely with the organization's mission of immersing us in diverse cultures and delivering experiences that can't necessarily be found anywhere else. For instance, for those wanting to visit Africa, one of the suggestions is a trip to Namibia, offered by a company called Adventures in Africa, that sends you off to the Namib Desert to track endangered black rhinos and elephants that have adapted to living in that incredibly dry place. In Asia, there is an excursion from Wild Frontier Travel that takes you along the Trans-Himalaya Highway in India and another from Explore! that take travelers into Iraq (don't ask me why the Middle East falls under the Asia category). Have dreams of South America instead? How about going on a Jaguar safari in Brazil with Wild Planet Adventures?

There truly is something here for everyone, no matter what your style of travel or how you define "adventure." It is certainly fun to read this list and dream about all the possibilities. Of course, not all of them fall into the affordable category, at least not for most of us. Make no mistake, there are certainly some inexpensive trips to be had on this list, but others are quite expensive, putting them well out of there reach of the average traveler. Still, these suggestions are also a good launching point for hatching ideas for our own travels. While Nat Geo's specific suggestions may not always be friendly to our bank accounts, they do allow us to seek other options that are.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #16 - Cultural Sensitivity

It's Wednesday, which means its time for more great travel tips from our friend Richard Bangs. This time, Richard has a story about a funny encounter he had in New Guinea while scouting locations for a BBC documentary, during which he came across one of the indigenous folks while in a remote region. That encounter taught him a thing or two about being sensitive to the culture of the place he is visiting, and he shares some of those lessons here.