Video: Border Country - Climbing In The Tian Shan Mountains

Last summer, mountaineers Mike Libecki, Ethan Pringle, and Liv Sansoz traveled to a very remote region of the world located along the border of China and Kyrgyzstan to climb a new route in the Tian Shan Mountains. The short video below captures some of their experiences there, and gives us a glimpse of what this rugged, largely unexplored, wilderness looks like. A place where adventure still beckons from around every corner.

Border Country from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Video: China Jam - Big Wall Climbing In The Tien Shan Range

Back in October, I posted a story about an expedition to China to climb big walls in the Tien Shan Range that was dubbed China Jam. In a nutshell, three Belgians, Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse and Stéphane Hanssens, and one Frenchman, Evrard Wendenbaum, traveled to the Chinese-Kyrgyz border to put up the first ascent of Kyzyl Asker, a 5842 meter (19,166 ft) tower with a 1220 meter (4000 ft) exposed face. It took the team two weeks to complete their objective, but eventually they were successful.

The team is now hoping to complete a documentary of their climb and they recently attempted to raise funds on Indiegogo to help complete the project. Unfortunately, those efforts did not succeed, but they aren't giving up just yet. A new site for taking contributions has popped online, giving us all another chance to help fund the film of this expedition. For a sample of what the footage looks like, take a look at the very impressive images in the video below. It looks stunning and I'd love to see this film get completed.

China Jam - Trailer from Evrard Wendenbaum on Vimeo.

China Jam Expedition: Climbing Big Walls In The Tien Shan Range

While most of the attention in the climbing community has been centered on the Himalaya once again this fall, there have been other bold climbing adventures taking place in other parts of the world as well. For example, a team of four big wall climbers traveled to a remote region along the border of China and Kyrgyzstan in search of new challenges to test their skills. They found that challenge in the form of a mountain called Kyzyl Asker, a 5842 meter (19,166 ft) tower with a 1220 meter (4000 ft) face that required two weeks to complete.

In late August,  Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, Stéphane Hanssens and Evrard Wendenbaum gathered in China with no specific climbing objective in mind. They had read about a region in the Tien Shan Mountain Range that offered excellent opportunities to tackle unclimbed routes across a wild, rugged region that is seldom visited by outsiders.

After clearing some logistical hurdles and gathering what they though were the right permits, they set out for their destination using camels to shuttle their gear. After setting up Base Camp, they surveyed he area and settled on Kyzl Asker as their target. But they soon discovered that the permit they had been issued was meant for trekking only and not climbing. It also had a number of other restrictions that were problematic to the expedition as well. Luckily they had a Chinese liaison officer with them who helped get the issues resolved so they could proceed.

Once the team had its objective picked out, they began moving their gear to Advanced Base Camp so they could being the ascent. Of course, these types of climbs are never easy and there are always unexpected challenges along the way. The four men had to deal with altitude, cold temperatures, constantly changing weather, illness and a host of other issues. Eventually they did climb the wall, but it took them 14 days to do so, topping out on September 22.


You can read a full account of the China Jam Expedition, as it has come to be known, on the Petzl blog. Evrad also wrote extensively about the climb as well, posting updates to his blog too. Those are in French however, so if that isn't a language you're proficient in, you'll need to run the reports through Google Translate first. I think it'll be worth your effort however, as this sounds like it was quite an experience.

Finally, check out the video below to see how the expedition not only got its name but also what the boys did to pass the time while suspended on Kyzyl Asker's big wall. These guys have quite a career ahead of them when they're done climbing.


China Jam - Portaledge Song from Evrard Wendenbaum on Vimeo.

Riding The Dragon's Back: Rafting The Upper Yangtze River

In 1987, adventurers Richard Bangs and Christian Kallen led an expedition to paddle the Upper Yangtze River, a place that was about as remote and unexplored as anywhere on the planet at that time. Their journey was a challenging one to say the least, as several previous expeditions to the region had failed, sometimes resulting in the death of a member of the team. But the two men managed to complete their excursion and would later go on to write a book entitled Riding the Dragon's Back that recounted their tale as well as that of others who had tried before them.

A few days ago, Richard posted an excerpt from that book on the Huffington Post. The article has the ominous title of "A Death on the Yangtze," and it offers details of a previous expedition that set out to raft the river. This brief portion of the book offers insights into a major river expedition and gives us a glimpse of the challenges that teams faced when paddling the wild and untamed Yangtze at that time.

The members of the team faced any number of obstacles including difficult water conditions, weather that changed on a moments notice, logistical and supply problems and illness. It is the last of those that brings about the death of one of the members of the team who contracted pulmonary edema hundreds of miles away from a hospital and with no means of being evacuated.

The excerpt is an excellent read and offers some lessons for anyone planning a major expedition. But most of all, it'll probably inspire you to want to read the full book and get the entire story of the race to explore a wild river that wouldn't be conquered easily.

The Great Ride Of China: 25,000 KM On A Motorcycle For Charity

Back in July, Buck Perley and Amy Mathieson began an epic adventure across China by motorcycle. The couple are on a mission to cover more than 25,000 km (15,534 miles) in four months while raising funds for charity along the way. If they are successful in this venture they'll set a new record for the longest ever motorcycle journey in a single country.

Buck and Amy have dubbed their excursion the Great Ride of China and as of this writing they are now 55 days and 11,480 km (7133 miles) into the journey. They began the trip in Beijing back on July 18 and have been traveling in a counter-clockwise direction around the border ever since. During that time they're CFMOTO 650 TR motorcycle has carried them to North Korea, Inner Mongolia, the Russian border, the ancient city of Xi'An, the famous Turpan Depression and beyond. Currently they are in Kashgar, not far from the Kyrgyzstan border and soon they'll be headed to Tibet where they plan on visiting Everest Base Camp. Remember, on that side of the mountain you can actually drive to BC, which should be quite the experience on a motorbike.

The idea for the Great Ride sprung from a desire to see more of what China has to offer and a deep interest in architecture and restoration processes on the part of Amy. They then came up with the idea of attempting to set the world record along the way, which is made possible thanks to China's massive size. Before setting out, Buck and Amy were introduced to the Free Lunch For Children organization, which true to its name provides lunches for students in more than 200 schools across the country. The duo decided that while they are taking their tour of China they wanted to try to give something back along the way, so they have been raising funds for the Free Lunch program. Their goal is to raise ¥5,000,000 or approximately $800,000.


So far the couple has visited 11 provinces but before they are done they hope to have passed through as many as 33 provinces once they are done. And once the trip is wrapped up, they intend to auction off all of their gear and equipment – including the motorcycle – with the proceeds going to the Free Lunch For Children organization.

You can follow Buck and Amy's progress on their website, where regular blog posts provide interesting insights into their experiences from the road. They're also posting regularly to their Facebook page which has more information about the ride.

Good luck to Buck and Amy as they continue their journey. What an amazing adventure this must be.

Video: Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race Stage 3

It is a rare weekend update here at the Adventure Blog but I wanted to share the results from the Wulong Mountain Quest that wrapped up today in China. The video below provides some highlights from the final stage and from the looks of things, the course designers saved the best for last. The teams faced an orienteering course to get thing started then transitioned to a kayaking stage followed by some time on their mountain bikes before ending with an interesting leg on foot. Our friends on the Thule Adventure Team managed to win today's stage and finished second overall. Watch their blog for a race report soon but in the meantime, checkout some highlights from today's stage in the video below.

Video: Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race Stage 2

Stage 2 of the Wulong Mountain Quest adventure race took place earlier today in China and we have another race report from Thule Adventure Team to keep us up to date on what is happening there. The day started with a 20 km (12.4 mile) kayak stage that gave way to a trail run up an exposed cliff that included a 1000 meter (3280 ft) vertical gain. After that it was onto the bikes before abseiling off a platform into the water and a final stage aboard a pack raft. The team managed to finish second once again today and should now be firmly in second place overall as well. With two stages to go, it is still anyone's race to win. Read a full race report here.

Video: Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race Stage 1

As mentioned yesterday, the Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race is underway in China and the Thule Adventure Team is on hand to compete. They've just released their first video from the competition sharing highlights from the first full stage, which took part earlier today. Day 1 featured everything you'd expect from an adventure race including paddling, running, mountain biking and even rappelling. The course looks great from the video although the rain seems to be putting a bit of a damper on things. For more details, be sure to read the team's report on stage 1 from their blog.

At the end of the day, Thule is running in second place but with three more stages to go the race is still up for grabs. It should be interesting to see how things develop over the next few days. Good luck team!

Wulong Mountain Quest Adventure Race Begins In Asia

The Wulong Mountain Quest adventure race got under way today in Wulong Park, China. The four-day event hosts some of the best adventure racing teams from across the globe competing against one another on foot, bike and kayak. This race is always one of the best events in Asia each year and this year looks to be no different.

My friends on the Thule Adventure Team are competing in the event this week and are posting blog updates as the action unfolds. This morning they took part in the prologue, which was hampered a bit by rain but seemed like great fun with a variety of short stages to test their legs early only. The prologue began with an intense uphill run, which was followed by three team members carrying the fourth in a sedan-chair. Eventually they transitioned to a biathlon section, where they managed to make up some ground before finishing third. That will be a good place to be heading into tomorrow's first stage.

The Wulong Quest is a staged race and over the next four days the teams will be competing against one another with a definitive start and end to each day. This is quite a bit different from expedition races that run non-stop and makes for a much better spectator experience. I know a lot of teams have grown to really enjoy the stage-race atmosphere as it allows them to interact with the other teams they are racing against as well as fans of the sport. It is also a better format for capturing the spirit of the race on video for sharing with a television audience. With that in mind, the Thule team will have a professional filmmaker following them on the race and I'm told we'll get video from the event each day. That should prove very interesting for fans of adventure racing.

Watch the Thule Adventure Team blog for more updates over the next few days and to catch their videos as well.

Nobody's River Project: 4000 KM Down The Amur River

Running along the remote border of Russia and China in the Far East, the Amur River stretches across thousands of kilometers of wilderness. It is the tenth longest river in the world, but more importantly it is the single longest river to remain completely undammed. The waterway begins in Mongolia, not far from the birth place of Genghis Khan, and flows east across the wide open Mongolian Steppe and into Siberia, before eventually emptying into the sea of Okhotsk. Along the way it is surrounded by some of the most wild and unexplored territory on the planet.

This summer, a team of four adventurous women intend to paddle the length of the Amur beginning at its headwaters in the Onon River, which have their origins in the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia. Their journey will cover more than 4000 km (2485 miles) taking them source-to-sea before ending in the Pacific Ocean Delta. Along the way, they hope to collect data about this important watershed, while capturing images of the wild places they visit. They also hope to speak directly with the locals to get a better sense of the environment in which the Amur River flows .

With their gear packed, their basic plan outlined and their travel plans made, the ladies are about to embark on this ambitious adventure. The team includes Becca Dennis, Sabra Purdy, Amber Valenti and Krystle Wright, all of whom are about to depart for Mongolia and the launch of their expedition. They have named this endeavor the Nobody's River Project and they have invited us all to follow along with their progress. Over the next few months, they will be posting updates to their blog and Facebook page, as well as sharing stories on the National Geographic Adventure website and its Facebook page as well. It is sure to be quite an experience and one that will certainly be worth following.

Good luck to Becca, Sabra, Amber and Krystle as they depart for Mongolia and the adventure of a lifetime.

Irish Adventurers Complete Epic Journey From Istanbul To Shanghai

There has been a lot of chatter lately about the overuse of the word "epic." If you want to know the true definition of that word, then look no further than this story about two Irish adventurers who made an incredible journey from Istanbul, Turkey to Shanghai, China – finishing up yesterday.

Maghnus Collins and David Burns set out on their long distance odyssey last March with a plan to cover the 14,000 km (8700 miles) on bike, foot and water. Their journey took them along the old Silk Road trade route between Europe and Asia, crossing over the Himalaya and rafting down one of the most iconic rivers in the world – the Yangtze. Along the way they helped raise nearly €25,000 ($33,450) for Self Help Africa, an organization dedicated to helping rural Africa gain economic strength.

Collins and Burns' called their expedition Sand2Snow Adventures. The duo rode their bikes across the first stage, covering 8000 km (4970 miles) from Istanbul to Kathmandu before transitioning to foot. They then proceeded to run an additional 1000 km (621 miles), at one point running 25 marathons in 27 days across the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. Finally, they finished up their journey by rafting more than 6300 km (3914 miles) down the Yangtze, ending on the Bund in Shanghai. That was quite a contrast to earlier sections of the journey when they encountered no other living souls for days on end. At one point, while on the river, they actually traveled for 17 straight days without seeing another person. 

On this excursion the two men faced a host of challenges in addition to the physical, mental and geographical ones that you would expect. For instance, at one point they lost their raft that included much of their gear, including Collins' passport. While running through the Himalaya they also wore "appalling blisters" on their feet and after one particular run Collins was even pissing blood. In the end, they were even racing the clock, as their Chinese visas were set to expire in just a few days and it was important that they reach the finish line before they did.

Sounds like it was an amazing experience and I'm sorry I wasn't following it more closely when it was going on. Better late than never I suppose. Congratulations to Maghnus and David on a job well done. 

Man Completes 5000 Mile Trek Around Asia For Charity

For more than a year American Winston Fiore has been wandering around Southeast Asia, crossing through nine countries and covering more than 5000 miles (8046 km) on foot. The former U.S. marine undertook this journey to raise funds for a charity that he started called Smile Trek, and yesterday he completed his walk having raised nearly $66,000 for the organization.

Smile Trek was launched to raise money to help repair cleft palates on children in developing countries.  A cleft palate is a birth defect in which a child is born with a permanent gap in his or her lip that requires reconstructive surgery to repair. It isn't an especially difficult thing to fix but in poor and under developed nations most children who are born with a cleft palate never receive the medical attention they need to close the fissure. Through his efforts, Fiore hopes to help change that for at least some of those children.

His journey started last October in Singapore and led him into Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Brunei. Since he was walking the entire way, he needed good maps and directions to help navigate through that part of the world and he apparently relied heavily on Google Maps for his directions. I came across his story on the Google Blog, which included the video below. That video comes across a bit like a commercial for G-Maps, but it is also very well done and shares some moments from the trek too. 

Covering 5000 miles in just 408 days is fairly impressive. I can't imagine all of the amazing and wonderful encounters he had along the way. I love Winston's story, his sense of adventure and his dedication to a good cause. 

Tibet: A Nation In Turmoil

If you've read my blog for any decent amount of time, you've probably seen me report on the various closures of the borders into Tibet. Generally I've written about the impact of these closure in regards to how they disrupt mountaineering inside the Himalayan country, most notably how such disruptions effect Everest. Even as recently as this fall the border closure caused climbing teams headed to Cho Oyu or Shisha Pangma to alter their plans, sending many to Nepal for alternative options.

The reasons for these closures is usually due to internal protests agains Chinese rule. China doesn't wish outsiders and journalists from other countries to witness some of the activities inside Tibet, so they've taken to tough measures to prevent the rest of the world from seeing what is happening there. But recently a journalism team from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation snuck across the border and had a look around. What they found was pretty disheartening. Tibetans who were willing to speak told tales of oppressive Chinese crackdowns, brutal attacks and harsh repercussions for falling out of line. In protest, Buddhist monks have been setting themselves on fire and it is believed that as many as 50 young monks have died this year in that manner.

The video, which was shared by Reinhold Messner on Facebook earlier today, is a sobering one and not for the faint of heart. It shows a couple of scenes of self immolation which aren't easy to watch, so while this story is an important one, proceed with caution.

Video: Cycling The Silk Route With Tour d'Afrique

Over the past couple of months I've posted two trip reports (Part 1 and Part 2) from my friends at Tour d'Afrique who were busy riding 12,000km from Shanghai to Istanbul on their Silk Route tour. They recently finished up that expedition and sent me the video below to share with readers. The short film offers video clips and photos from the ride, giving us all a sense of what it is like to cycle this ancient and epic route. It looks like a fantastic experience and I thank them for sharing some of it with those of us who weren't lucky enough to join them on the ride.

Also, big thanks to Catharina Robbertze for creating the video for us. Great stuff Catharina!

More Stories From The Silk Road With Tour d'Afrique

Back in July I posted a wonderful trip report from cycling tour operator Tour d'Afrique's amazing Silk Route ride. For those who aren't aware of this tour, it is a 12,000km (7456 mile), 129-day journey from Shanghai, China to Istanbul, Turkey by bike. At the time of the original post, the riders were in the early stages of their adventure, but now they are nearing the end and late last week I received another update from the road. This time that report comes courtesy of Comms Director Catharina Robbertz who had this to say:

Expecting the unexpected
There’s always a certain level of risk involved when travelling and when you’re on the road for more than four months you have to be prepared for anything. This is exactly what cyclists taking part in the Silk Route, organised by Tour d’Afrique, have learnt since taking off on a 12000km journey from Shanghai in May. 

For the most part the challenges facing us could have been predicted beforehand. The excruciating heat in the Taklimakan Desert and the frigid temperatures on the Pamir Highway. The headwinds and tough climbing on unpaved passes to altitudes of 4600m. The monotony of food as we ventured into desolate areas inhabited only by a few people, donkeys, horses, marmots and Marco Polo goats. All of these were expected and could be prepared for. But sometimes something happens that cannot be predicted or prepared for and threatens to derail a beautiful journey. 

As we made our way from the highest point of our journey to the city of Khorog we were all relieved to have survived one of the toughest sections of the tour and looking forward to a much-needed rest day. The Pamir Highway had been beautiful and certainly a highlight for many of us but the promise of warmer temperatures and a clean hotel was the cause of some excitement for most of us.

 However, as we woke to the sound of gunfire on the morning we were supposed to leave it became apparent very quickly that we were stuck in a city under siege. The unexpected had happened and a seemingly insignificant act of murder two days before had turned into war. Government troops were streaming into the city while locals had set up road blocks to keep them out and in the first day of fighting 42 people were killed (according to news reports). 

The next morning a cease fire was agreed upon between the two fighting parties but there was still no way for us to get out of the city as roads were still blockaded and snipers were still lurking in the mountains. After days of uncertainty our group of cyclists as well as other foreigners were evacuated from the city by a convoy of vehicles from EU embassies based in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. Riding the 600km from Khorog to Dushanbe took two days on extremely bad roads and upon arrival we were not only happy to be in safer territories but also looking forward to getting back on our bicycles and continuing our journey in the way we set out to do originally. 

Looking back adding a war-torn city to our route did not detract from our journey. In several ways it contributed to what is already a memorable adventure. We have experienced so much of what the Silk Road traders experienced in the past and being caught in a conflict further contributes to an authentic Silk Road journey. Furthermore, the attitude of the people of Central Asia and in particular Khorog, where they were just as worried about the well-being of perfect strangers in their midst as they were about their loved-ones who were in much greater danger than we were, was particularly humbling.
The stories we will be able to tell when we get back home will speak not only of beautiful scenery, interesting food and nice hotels, but of challenges overcome, expecting the unexpected and arriving at our final destination stronger than we were before. That’s what adventure is all about.

As I said in the first Silk Route report, this seems like such an amazing way to travel through these countries and a fantastic adventure to say the least. Tour dAfrique puts together some great cycling expeditions all over the planet and anyone of their journeys would be a trip of a lifetime. If you're looking for  a travel experience that is unlike anything else, I would HIGHLY recommend you give their site a look. And if you missed the Silk Route ride this year, no worries. There is plenty of time to start planning for 2013!

Video: Where The Trail Ends Gobi Highlights

A few weeks ago I posted a trailer for a spectacular looking mountain biking film called Where The Trail Ends. The movie follows several top riders as they head out to ride their bikes in some of the most remote destinations on the planet. Today I have a video of highlight clips of the riders taking on some impressive singletrack (if you can even call it that) in the Gobi Desert. Definitely not a ride for beginners.

I was intrigued with this film when I saw the trailer and these clips are even more interesting yet. I'm looking forward to tracking down this one down when it comes out in September.

Video: Trailer For Where The Trail Ends

Where The Trail Ends is a mountain biking movie that looks like it'll be very different from what we're use to seeing. It follows a group of riders who decide to leave the familiar confines of Utah behind and head out into the wide world in search of interesting new places to explore. They visit the Gobi Desert of China for instance and are likely the first people to ever ride through the region. The scenery looks spectacular, the mountain biking looks tough and it seems the riders had a great time making the film. The movie looks fantastic and is due out in September.

Thanks to the Goat for sharing this today.

A Mugging On Everest?

Yesterday Outside magazine posted a story about a disturbing incident that took place on the North Side of Everest back in May. It seems that a group of young men, all graduates from the Tibet Mountaineering Guide School (TMGS), assaulted a Chinese climber that they suspected of being on the mountain without a permit. When the man raised his ice axe in an attempt to defend himself, the group over powered him, roped his hands together and proceeded to force him back down the mountain. One witness who saw the incident is quoted in the article as saying, "It was disgraceful. They literally kicked him down the ropes. It was a disgusting example of a pack of bullies egging each other on and literally beating him down the hill."

Obviously being on the mountain without a permit is a major offense and Outside writer Grayson Schaffer says this climber was keeping to himself, which is a dead giveaway of someone trying to keep a low profile on the world's tallest mountain. But that certainly doesn't justify the treatment of this man, who would normally be fined heavily, kicked off the hill and possibly banned from climbing in Tibet for a period of time.

To add a bit more fuel to the fire, the climber also happened to be Chinese. Considering the delicate nature of the relationship between the Tibetans and the Chinese, its possible that the young men involved in this incident may have let pent up frustrations boil over to a degree. There is also a fear that the Chinese government could react harshly to the treatment of a Chinese citizen, possibly cracking down further on the Tibetans.

The Outside article says that the entire incident was captured on film mountain guide Kari Kobler who is one of the founders of Kobler & Partner, a company that leads expeditions to the North Side on an annual basis. Kobler says that he has no intention of releasing the film and that he has ties to the TMGS, where discipline is being handled internally. Kobler also indicated that the same group of thugs may have been involved in other problems on the North Side this year. He didn't wish to elaborate, but Schaffer speculated it had to do with the theft of bottled oxygen.

Stories like this are always a bit unsettling, as we like to think that their is a camaraderie that exists amongst the climbers on these big mountains. Hopefully this won't escalate into something really nasty between the Chinese and the Tibetans, but we do know that Beijing doesn't take kindly to any kinds of displays of aggression there.

The North Side has always been a bit more unruly than the South Side and this could be an indication that that side of the mountain still has a long way to go before it is completely tamed.

Walking Home From Mongolia Complete, CheapTents Has The Interview!

I've written about the Walking Home From Mongolia expedition on more than one occasion. For those who don't remember, it was the epic journey undertaken by Rob Lilwall and Leon McCarron during which they traveled on foot from the capital of Mongolia – Ulaan Baator – back to Hong Kong, during the dead of winter no less. The journey covered 5000km (3100 miles) and took 195 days to complete, ending exactly one week ago today.

Our friends over at CheapTents.com were able to get in touch with Leon, who is already back home in the UK, and pick his brain about the expedition. As you can imagine, he had a lot of interesting things to say. You can read the full interview here, in which he talks about his favorite parts of the walk, how he and Rob stayed motivated for weeks on end, which gear items performed well and what the two men might plan to do next. As usual with CheapTents, the interview is insightful, interesting and fun, and anyone thinking of doing a similarly long journey can probably pick up more than a few nuggets of good information.

Rob and Leon actually filmed their adventure and it is now being edited for airing on National Geographic. You can catch a glimpse of what they have in store for us in the clip below and keep your eyes peeled for the final film down the line.

Congrats to Rob and Leon on an amazing adventure and thanks to CheapTents for another good interview!

Chinese Submersible To Attempt Mariana Trench Dive

After years of mostly being ignored, the Mariana Trench has become a busy place this year. A Chinese submersible named Jiaolong (aquatic dragon) is set to make another dive into the trench sometime in the next few days, where its crew of three hopes to plummet 7000 meters (22,965 ft) below the surface of the ocean. To date, the vessel has only been down to about 5188 meters (17,020 ft).

As of the last report, the small craft was still aboard the  Xiangyanghong 09 science vessel and was approximately 200 nautical miles away from the proposed dive site. The crew was waiting for a tropical storm to vacate the area, and for seas to calm, before proceeding with the operation. They intend to make a shake-down dive to 5000 meters (16,404 ft) before proceeding deeper towards their ultimate goal.

This deep sea expedition is vastly different from the one James Cameron made back in March. For starters, Cameron went down solo and in a smaller vehicle. The Jiaolong will be manned by Ye Cong, Cui Weicheng and Yang Bo who are hoping to claim a "deepest dive" record, although what that record is I'm not sure. When he went down a few months back, Cameron reached a depth of about 10,940 meters (35,900 ft).

Still it is great to see more renewed interest in exploring the ocean's depths and I'll be watching to see how this crew fairs when it finally does make its big dive. Hopefully all will go well and they'll come back with some interesting finds as well.