Video: Climbing in the Alps with the Alpine Mentors

Wonder what its like to spend two weeks climbing in the Alps? Then check out this excellent short film that chronicles just such an expedition under the tutelage of the Alpine Mentors. The trip was led by climber Steve House, who took a team of climbers into the European mountains to work on their skills and bag some peaks. The results look quite spectacular. The video contains lots amazing shots of those amazing mountains.

Alpine Mentors in the Alps from Buster Jesik on Vimeo.

Adventurers Reach The Pole Of Cold

Back in November I wrote an article about a team of three adventurers who were setting out on one epic road trip. That team included veteran polar explorer Felicity Aston, filmmaker Manu Palomeque and mechanic Gisli Jonsson, who at the time had just left the U.K. on a drive to the "Pole of Cold," which is defined as the coldest inhabited place on the planet. Now, more than two months after setting, out, the team has finally achieved that objective, having just arrived Oymyakon, a remote village in Northeast Siberia.

In order to reach the Pole of Cold, Felicity, Manu and Gisli drove more than 20,000 km (12,427 miles) through a variety of terrain that ranged from extremely well maintained highways to barely-there backcountry roads. Traveling in a Land Rover Defender, they were able to comfortably carry all of their gear and supplies, without fear of being hampered by the conditions. The Defender has a legendary background for use on off road expeditions, and it continues to show its worth today.

The team arrived in Oymyakon on Wednesday, but that point is far from the end of the actual journey. On the contrary, the Pole of Cold is actually just the halfway point. They will now travel back to their starting point at the Royal Geographical Society in London, albeit along a more southerly route. It is still the dead of winter in Siberia however, so they will face many of the same challenges along the way back to the U.K. as they have in the first half of their expedition.

You can follow along with their progress on the Pole of Cold website or on Facebook, where they are posting regular updates and photos from the field.

Personally, I think a journey like this one would be fantastic. What a great way to explore Europe and Asia. If anyone wants to loan me a Land Rover Defender, I'll be happy to report on my journeys as well! :)

Video: Champéry Still Rocks!

The Swiss mountain resort of Champéry has a reputation for being one of the best mountain biking destinations in Europe due to its extremely steep course. The video below gives you a taste of what that is like, while also giving you a healthy dose of adrenaline in the process. As you can imagine, the trail is fast, technical and wild. Definitely not for the beginner rider, but it looks like fun!

Champéry still rocks! from Shaperideshoot on Vimeo.

Video: Journey To Bear Island

There aren't many expeditions that you can go on that allow you to ski, snowboard, climb and surf, but that is exactly what the Wegge brothers got when they visited remote Bear Island off the Svalbard coast. The video below is a teaser for an upcoming film of their adventure, which judging from these two minutes of footage looks like it was filled will all kinds of interesting activities.

Thanks to my friends at the Adventure Journal for sharing this one.

BEAR ISLAND TEASER from weggebros on Vimeo.

Chasing The Pole Of Cold Across Siberia

Not all of the cold weather adventures are taking place in Antarctica at the moment. Case in point, the just launched Pole of Cold expedition that got underway last week which plans to cross Northern Europe and Siberia on a three-month long, 30,000 km (18,641 mile) journey to reach the coldest inhabited place on the planet in the dead of winter.

The three-person team on this expedition include veteran polar explorer Felicity Aston, mechanic Gisli Jonsson and filmmaker Manu Palomeque. The trio were the winners of a Land Rover bursary which provides funding for this expedition. They set out from the Royal Geographical Society headquarters in London and are now making their way through Norway, where they encountered their first bits of snow. Eventually the journey will take them into deepest Siberia however, where they will make their way to Oymyakon, which is widely considered the coldest inhabited place on the planet. How cold you ask? The thermometer once recorded a temperature of -67.7ºC (-89.8ºF). Now that's cold!

The journey will be a road trip of epic proportions. The route will take the team into some of the most remote places on the planet where temperatures will routinely plummet to dangerous levels. They'll have to deal with non-existant roads, plenty of snow and ice and a complete lack of infrastructure once they get out into the heart of Siberia itself. This will be a round-trip journey that begins and end in London, with a stop at the northernmost point in Europe and plenty of other cold places along the way.

The purpose of the journey is to explore cultural attitudes toward winter while also assessing how lifestyles are different in places that deal with extreme ends of the climate continuum.

You can follow the Pole of Cold team on their website and Facebook page.

Kapp To Cape Cyclists Complete 18,000 KM Ride In 102 Days

Way back in August I wrote a post about Reza Reza Pakravan and Steven Pawley, two long distance cyclists who were embarking on an epic ride from Nordkapp, Norway to Cape Town, South Africa. Their plan was to cover the 18,000 km (11,184 miles) distance between those two cities in just 100 days. Yesterday they completed that ride and they missed their target goal by just two days.

Reza and Steven faced all kinds of challenges as they rode through 14 different countries on their journey across Europe and Africa. Along the way they faced nasty winds, surprisingly bad weather and unexpected illness. The latter of those challenges was what ultimate prevented them from completing the ride in the expected 100 days. Despite all of the difficulties they had to overcome on their ride, the duo still only missed their scheduled arrival by two days. That is pretty impressive considering the number of miles they had to ride in such a relatively short time.

The video below was shot following their arrival in Cape Town yesterday. Not only did that mark the end of the expedition, Reza and Steven also announced that they had raised £20,000 ($32,375) for Azafady, a nonprofit that is working to build schools in Madagascar.

Congratulations to Reza and Steven on completing their incredible ride. In order to reach Cape Town yesterday, they had to average 176.5 km (110 miles) for 102 days straight. Those are impressive numbers indeed.

Video: The Red Bull X Alps Adventure Race

The Red Bull X Alps is a unique race to say the least. Competitors begin the event in Salzburg, Austria and must race through the Alps to Monaco, covering a distance of about 1000 km (621 miles) along the way. They can choose their own route but they can only travel on foot or paraglider, which means the athletes are typically climbing up snow-capped peaks, launching their paragliders and flying as far as they can go, before repeating the process on another mountain. The video below follows two-time defending champ Christian Maurer as he goes for his third straight victory in the race earlier this year. It is an amazing look at a very cool competition that few people know anything about. Great stuff and these racers are definitely in a class all their own.

Video: Timelapse Over Norway's Pulpit Rock

Pulpit Rock in Norway is a 604 meter (1982 ft) cliff that overlooks Lysefjord fjord. It is a popular landmark that draws hikers from all over to take in its sweeping views. Today, you can visit the rock through this beautiful timelapse video, which is likely to inspire you to want to go and see it for yourself. It seems like a fitting way to end the week.

The Pulpit Rock - Norway from Kjetil kaasa on Vimeo.

Video: Extreme Unicycling in the Alps

This video is further proof that anything someone can do on a two wheels, someone else will try it on just one. Extreme unicyclists Lutz Eichholz and Stephanie Dietze head into the Alps to take on the 3400 meter (11,154 ft) Mettlehorn on their single-wheeled bikes. They're both braver than I am, that much is certain.

Tip of the hat to Outside Online for sharing this.

Cyclists To Attempt 18,000 KM Ride In Just 100 Days

Starting today, two long distance cyclists will embark on an epic ride that will have them pass through 14 countries, on three continents, in an attempt to cover 18,000 km (11,184 miles) in just 100 days. The duo will go unsupported throughout the journey, averaging more than 180 km (112 miles) per day while carrying 30 kg (66 pounds) of equipment with them at all times. As is often the case these days, this expedition is being undertaken for a good cause as well.

The two men who will attempt this ride are Reza Pakravan and Steven Pawley, each of whom has a great deal of experience in endurance cycling. Back in 2011, Reza set a record for the fastest crossing of the Sahara Desert on a bike, while Steven has undertaken several long distance cycling expeditions as well. They'll need all of their considerable skills and experience to get through this journey however as it will be a tough one to complete.

Reza and Steven set out this morning from Nordkapp, Norway which actually sits above the Arctic Circle. They'll now ride south to Cape Town, South Africa and their eventual finish line. With that route in mind, they've named their endeavor the Cycle Kapp to Cape expedition. Over the next 3+ months, their route will take them through Finland, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. They'll then hop a flight to Egypt and resume the pedaling through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and on into South Africa.

While the two cyclists hope to set a speed record on their way to Cape Town they have bigger, more altruistic goals in mind as well. They are attempting to raise £28,000 ($43,320) to build new schools in Madagascar. Reza and Steven are working in conjunction with Azafady, a nonproft that is striving to eradicate poverty and environmental damage in that country and they believe a good education is key to achieving those goals.

You'll be able follow the riders' progress through their blog, Facebook page and Twitter stream. Since they have just gotten underway this morning, there isn't much to report just yet, but expect plenty of updates from the road soon.

Good luck boys!

Video: Madness In The Desert: Paris To Dakar - The World's Craziest Race

I don't often cover motor sports of any kind, preferring instead to focus on all the amazing human powered events that take place around the world. But the Paris to Dakar Rally is one of the most difficult and demanding races anywhere on the planet and is the embodiment of a good adventure. The spirit of that race is captured extremely well in this BBC documentary, which aired a few months back. It features some amazing footage from this crazy race, which covers more than 9000 km (5592 miles) and pushes drivers to their absolute limits. The entire documentary is an hour in length and can be viewed in its entirety below. I recommend popping some popcorn, putting your feet up and enjoying the show.

20 Famous Hikers Pick Their Favorite Trails

Looking for a new backpacking or hiking challenge? Want to experience some of the best trails in the world? Then you'll definitely want to check out the list of 20 top trails as picked by 20 famous hikers that was put together by the team over at National Geographic Adventure. They poled some well known figures from the world of exploration and adventure and shared their selections for their ultimate dream hikes. The results are a list of hikes that range from legendary to those you may not even have heard of.

Some of the walking routes that earn a place on the list include the Sierra High Route in California, which was selected by über-hiker Andrew Skurka and the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a favorite of ultrarunning phenom Scott Jurek. Unsurprisingly, American mountaineer Jim Whittaker names the trek to Everest Base Camp as his favorite hike, while Sally McCoy, the CEO of CamelBak loves the 200-mile (321 km) Snowman Trek in Bhutan.

As you can tell, there are some very diverse and interesting hikes on the list that were selected by a very diverse and interesting group of people. But one of the hikes isn't even officially open yet, although it continues to evolve into a true world-class trekking route that will draw backpackers from around the globe. That is the Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail that runs through South Sudan and Uganda. This route, which I first told you about several months back, is 360 miles (580 km) in length and runs from Gondokora near Juba, in South Sudan, to Baker’s View, which overlooks Lake Albert in Uganda. This particular trail was suggested for the Nat Geo list by explorer Julian Monroe Fisher, who has been instrumental in its creation. It is set to open in 2014 with the first trekkers walking its length shortly there after. The photo above is actually a shot of an existing plaque commemorating the Bakers in one of the villages along the trail. Official trail markers will be added alongside it soon.

If you're planning a new treking adventure in the near future then you'll certainly want to check-out the trails that made Nat Geo's list. There are some excellent options for sure and whether you want to hike a well known classic route or take on a complete new one, there is a little something for everyone.

Video: The Road To Karakol

In 2011,  Kyle Dempster traveled solo to Kyrgyzstan in search of some new places to climb. With little understanding of the language, a vague idea of where he was headed and basic plan, he set out on his mountain bike in search of adventure. That's exactly what he found, but more so in the journey and less in the climbing itself.

Throughout the journey he recorded his escapades, talking to the camera as he went. When he returned home, the footage sat unedited or watched for months, until he turned it over to friend and fellow climber Fitz Cahall, who turned it into an award winning short film. The results of that editing can be seen below and it is 25 minutes of adventure porn that sure to inspire feelings of wanderlust. If you have the time to kill, you're definitely going to enjoy this.

Big tip of the hat to the Adventure Journal for sharing this today. Excellent and inspiring stuff.

Dave Cornthwaite Exits Go Trek Expedition

I want to take this opportunity to send a note out to my friend Dave Cornthwaite who had to make the tough – but correct – decision to step away from the current stage of his Expedition 1000 project. Over the past few years we've watched Dave accomplish some amazing things, including stand-up paddleboarding the length of the Mississippi River and swimming for a 1000 miles (1600 km) down the Missouri River. Yesterday we may have seen him do the bravest thing yet – step away from an expedition when you know that you're at your physical and mental limits.

For nearly two months Dave, and his companion Squash Falconer, have been zipping around Europe on ElliptiGO bikes, traveling through the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and other countries. They've covered nearly 2000 miles (3218 km) in the process and have enjoyed their time on the road. But awhile back, Dave was carrying his ElliptiGO bike down a flight of stairs in Zurich when he slipped and injured his back. Like a true adventurer, he shrugged it off and vowed to soldier on, but as the days passed the injury didn't get any better and in fact it got worse. Mile after mile he continued to ride his bike, even though his body was telling him it needed a rest. Finally, a few days ago, Dave reached his physical limit and simply didn't have any more gas left in the chamber. In order to look after his health, he knew he had to leave the expedition, but that would mean admitting failure, something that he had never had to face on his previous journeys.

Squash will continue on with the final two weeks of the trip. She'll go from Nice to Paris, their intended finishing spot, on her own. But Dave will now head home for a much needed and much deserved rest. The Expedition 1000 project has been his main focus for several years now and I'm sure a little time off to recuperate and recharge the batteries will do him some good.

Get well soon mate and rest well knowing that you made the right choice. You know there are many more adventures to come, more opportunities to say yes more and of course more boobs to be saved. You're an inspiration to many and we'll all be pulling for a speedy recovery.

Couple Spends Eight Years Cycling The World

If you're going to take your time touring the world you might as well do it on the back of bicycle. That seems to be the approach that Richard and Stani Velomad have taken since they left their home in France more than eight years ago on their second epic cycling journey. The married couple's journey recently took them to Islambad, Pakistan, where they now estimate that they have covered more than 150,000 km (93,205 miles) on the back of their bikes.

Richard and Stani made their first long distance cycling trip back in 1996 when they started riding from Alaska to Argentina. It took them nearly four years to complete that ride which took them through the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile along the way. By the time they had finished, they had completely run out of cash and had to return home to France in order to earn some cash to fund their next ride.

They spent the next four years working 85+ hours a week and saving every penny they could. The bought a house, fixed it up and then sold it, all so they could get back out on the road. In 2004 they set out again and have been on the road ever since.

Their second cycling tour has taken them to such places as Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia, Austria, Germany, Russia, Mongolia, China and into South East Asia. They've ridden across Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia before turning south to New Zealand and Australia. They've since returned to Asia to ride through Burma and back into China, which is where they crossed the border into Pakistan. They say they don't know how long they'll keep riding, but their on their way to India now, in a roundabout fashion.

Obviously living on the road hasn't been without its challenges. They've faced all kinds of dangers along the way, including hostile locals and the threat of being shot (in the U.S. of all places). But they've also experienced the kindness of strangers and interacted with some amazing cultures. While in Burma for instance, they were surprised to find that everyone offered them tea no matter where they went and they remarked on how welcoming and friendly the people of Pakistan have been as well.

Eight years seems like an incredibly long time to be on the road, but the lifestyle seems to be working for them. Who knows how long they'll keep it up, but looking over the list of places that they've been, it seems they haven't explored too much of Africa just yet. That should keep them busy for another eight years at least.

Thanks to my friend Zeeshan Nawaz Kahn for sharing this great story with me!

Expedition 1000: Go Trekking Around Europe

Over the past several years we've been following adventurer Dave Corthnwaite as he's ridden a tandem bike from Vancouver to Las Vegas, taken a stand-up paddleboard the length of the Mississippi River and swam more than 1000 miles along the Missouri River. All of those adventures were part of Dave's Expedition 1000 project, during which he is attempting to complete 25 individual excursions of at least 1000 miles (1609 km) in length without the use of motorized transportation. Today, Dave sets out on the next leg of his project on what he calls the Go Trek.

While on the Go Trek, Dave will cover more than 3000 miles (4828 km) as he buzzes around Western Europe on an Elliptigo – a strange mash-up of an elliptical machine and a bicycle. Riders propel the bike forward by using the same motion as when they are on an elliptical machine, which sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of work at the same time. Dave will be joined on this journey by adventurer Squash Falconer, who has a name like a Bond villain but looks more like a Bond girl. Her resume includes successful summits of Everest, Cho Oyu and Aconcagua, amongst others.

Over the next nine weeks, the Go Trek will pass through the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and France. Along the way, Dave and Squash are encouraging the general public to come join them and to that end they've published their schedule and route so that we can all plan accordingly. The plan is to share the fun of adventure with any who are willing to join them. And of course, as always with an Expedition 1000 journey, the Go Trek will also be used to raise funds for the CoppaFeel organization, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting breast cancer through early detection.

While we're on the subject of Dave and his many adventures, I'd also like to point out that his latest book, Life in the Slow Lane (Kindle UK link) is now available on the Amazon Kindle or on the Kindle App for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The e-version of the book costs just $3.49 or £3.08 and won't be available in paperback until June. It tells the tale of how Dave changed his life from someone who went about the daily office grind into a person who embraced adventure and travel. Obviously this is what he does now, and his life is more enriched for it. I haven't had the chance to read the book yet myself, but it is on my summer reading list.

You'll be able to follow Dave and Squash's progress on Go Trek's official website. And if you live in one of the five European countries that they'll be visiting along the way, be sure to check when they'll be passing through your area.

Video: Team MTN Qhubeka: An African Bicycle Dream (Episode 1)

The newest cycling team to join the Pro Continental competition is Team MTN Qhubeka, which has the distinction of being the first of its kind from Africa. The squad was formed at the end of 2012 and has already raced in two big competitions this year, including the Milano-SanRemo, a tough single-day classic in Italy. That event was won by Gerald Ciolek, who announced the arrival of this team to the cycling world in style.

The video below is the first of series of short films that will chronicle the team's efforts in their first year on the circuit. It is a beautifully shot documentary that gives us a behind the scenes look at cycling with a team of riders who are eager to leave their mark on the sport. If you're a fan of road cycling, I think you'll really enjoy what you see here. I know I'm already looking forward to the next episode.

Exploring The Boundaries: The Science of Extremes Symposium

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is playing host to an interesting symposium in a few weeks that is likely to be of interested to readers. The program, which is entitled "Exploring The Boundaries: The Science of Extremes," will examine our evolving knowledge and understanding of extreme environments both here on Earth and on other planets.

The two day conference, which is being chaired by Professor Bengt Norden and Lorie Karnath of the Molecular Frontiers organization, will feature a host of lecturers who will discuss possibilities for exploration in extreme environments. Panel discussions will center around exploration in space, the unique environments found on other planets and the amazingly diverse, yet sometimes hostile, environments that exist on our own world. The symposium will take on some big questions, such as where exactly we should be exploring, while also attempting to answer exactly why we should still be exploring in this day and age. 

The symposium will run from 9:00AM to 6:00PM  on May 28-29. It is free and open to the public, although registration prior to the event is required. To find out more about this program, including the names of lecturers and more details on the topic, click here. 

This looks to be an extremely interesting conference and I'd love to be able to attend if it were in my neighborhood. Exploration in the 21st century isn't looked upon as an important pursuit at times, although I happen to think that it is as crucial now as ever. Convincing the general public of that isn't an easy sell, particularly with times still being tough economically. But exploration expands our understanding of our world and beyond, while also opening us up to new possibilities. Something that isn't always apparent at first glance.

Update: Here is a link to the Symposium's final schedule. Lots of interesting stuff on tap!

Video: Poco Loco - Climbing In The Peruvian Andes (Pt. 1)

Back in August I shared the trailer for an upcoming climbing film that followed a team of Dutch climbers who traveled to Peru to take on the 5440 meter (17,847 ft) Puscanturpa Este. The team managed to climb a new route, which they named Poco Loco,  along the mountain's North Face, shooting plenty of video footage along the way. Now, they've edited that footage together into a four-part film that gives us a nice glimpse of the three-week long expedition.

Part 1 of that video can be found below and it shows the team training in various locations across Europe in preparation for the Andes. The climbers took on all kind of rock faces across the Alps to help get ready for the challenges ahead, including basic routes on a rock face and some very challenging high alpine ice routes that tested their skills to the max. All of this is to set-up for what is to come when they head to South America.


Peru Expedition episode 1 of 4 - Training from vincent van beek on Vimeo.

The Adventurists Launch Unsupported Bike Race From London To Istanbul

The Adventurists, whose devious minds have brought us the Mongol Rally and the Rickshaw Run, are launching a new adventure this summer and this time its geared  for the cycling crowd. Starting in August, the first ever QuickEnergy Trans Continental Race will get underway, launching Europe's longest unsupported race covering more than 2000 miles between London and Istanbul.

As is typical with an event put on by the Adventurists, this race gives participants a lot of leeway in how they get from the starting gate to the finish line. Riders will be allowed to take any route they see fit, although they will have to pass through a few checkpoints along the way. These CP's will ensure that everyone faces similar challenges on their ride to Istanbul, with one of the biggest of those being a crossing of the Alps. Navigation along the route is also very flexible and competitors are free to use good old fashioned maps, a GPS device or simply get directions from those they meet along the way. The point is that there are very few restrictions to the race, aside from getting across Europe to the finish line.

As noted, this is an unsupported race, which means the riders will need to carry all of their gear and supplies with them when they set out. That will require them to make tough decisions about what is absolutely necessary and what can be left at home. It comes down to shaving weight off the bike while still having all of the necessary gear with them for a prolonged journey.

Registration for the Trans Continental Race opens tomorrow and the event is scheduled to begin on August 2. Thanks to their partnership with QuickEnergy, the entry fee is going to be just £95 ($146), which is incredibly affordable for this kind of event.