Adventure Quickies: Everest Fashion Show, Patagonia’s $20 Million Donation for the Planet and More

Each week there are far too many stories to cover than I have time or space to handle, which is why I’ve created a round-up piece that I post each Friday called “Adventure Quickies.” Here, we share a few other cool and interesting stories that we just didn’t have the bandwidth to fit in elsewhere. Here’s a few items you may have missed:

  • Nepal to Hold Fashion Show on Mt. Everest: Just when you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to Mt. Everest, Nepal finds a way to surprise us once again. 2020 has been designated as Visit Nepal Year, which is an elaborate promotion designed to drum up tourism to the Himalayan country. As part of that promotion, Nepali officials are holding a fashion show on Mt. Everest on January 25. The show will take place at 5644 meters (18,517 ft) in Base Camp in the middle of winter. What could possible go wrong?
  • Patagonia Raises $20 Million for the Planet: This news story dates back to mid-December, but it was so good I didn’t want to let it go by without sharing. Back on Black Friday, gear-manufacturer Patagonia challenged its community to donate funds to protect public lands, with the company promising to match the funds. In 17 days they hit their target goal, with donations reaching $10 million and Patagonia staying true to its word and matching that amount.
  • Patagonia Launches Apparel Rental Program: While we’re not he subject of Patagonia, the company has also announced that it is launching an outdoor apparel rental program. Still in its early stages, the intuitive will allow customers to rent gear for a ski trip, trekking journey, or other adventure, saving them the expense of having to buy the gear they may not use all that often. For now, the rental program is only available in the company’s flagship retail store in Denver, but could roll out elsewhere in the future. It is being created and run in partnership with Awayco.
  • Compete in the 2020 World Travel Championship: Believe it or not, there really is such a thing as the World Travel Championship, proving that we can turn just about anything into a competition. The 2020 edition of the event will take place from April 17-May 9 and will send 15 teams of two on a globe-spanning adventure through ten countries. There is still time to sign up, but the deadline is closing fast. Registration closes on January 31.
  • Land Rover Defender Shows Off New Tech: The Consumer Electronics Show is wrapping up in Las Vegas this weekend and Land Rover has been on hand showing off some new tech. With the all-new Defender debuting later this spring, the company took the opportunity to show off its new connectivity tools, including the ability to link two smartphones to the in-dash infotainment system. The vehicle will also use two embedded eSIMs to provided unprecedented access to LTE networks.
  • Travel More Sustainably and Responsibly in 2020: We all love to travel, but of course we also love the planet and sometimes those two passions can be contradictory with one another. To help us sort through that conundrum, Adventure.com has posted a guide for traveling smarter and more eco-friendly in 2020.

That’s it for this week! More Adventure Quickies next Friday!

Kraig Becker