News from the world of exploration and adventure
Antarctic explorer Todd Carmichael, who became the first American to go solo and unsupported to the South Pole a few months back, setting a speed record in the process, has released some excellent videos of his journey. Check out the initial video below, then head over to his YouTube Channel for even more. They’ll give … Read more
It’s been a fast and furious first couple of days at the 2009 Iditarod. The large group of mushers have already gone in and out Rohn and are well on their way to the next checkpoint at Nikolai. A quick look at the current standings shows Paul Gebhardt holds the official lead, with Yukon Quest … Read more
Sebastian Schnuelle, winner of the 2009 Yukon Quest, currently leads this year’s Iditarod as well, with the top mushers already out of Finger Lake. Not far behind Schnuelle is Paul Gebhardt, with Ed Iten currently holding down third place. Two time defending champ Lance Mackey is giving chase in fourth, part of a pack further … Read more
The weekend brought a number of updates from the Arctic as teams seem to be getting into their rhythm now. The Catlin Arctic Survey Team got their first real taste of the frustrations of negative drift over the weekend. The crew has been battling 25 knot winds (29 mph), which has made it very tough … Read more
While the Iditarod Sled Dog race got this past weekend underway, another Alaskan classic, the Iditarod Trail Invitational, also known as the “Idita-bike.” This annual event has the competitors following the same trail as the mushers, but they race along on foot, mountain bikes, or skis instead and tackle either a 350-mile course or the … Read more
The 2009 Iditarod, dubbed “The Last Great Race”, will have it’s ceremonial start tomorrow in downtown Anchorage, when 73 of the top mushers in the world will make the 20 mile first leg to Campbell Airstrip, where the race will officially get underway on Sunday. This year’s race will be taking the southern route, as … Read more
I’ve mentioned Alan Arnette and his Everest 2009 page a number of times already this year, but it really is one of the best resources for news and information on climbing Everest leading up to, during, and following the season. Alan, who has been no Everest three times in the past, has his fingers on … Read more
Yesterday, kayaker Pedro Oliva set a new world record for the biggest kayak drop ever, going over the Salto Belo, which translates to “Beautiful Falls”, on the Rio Sacre River in Brazil, and plunging some 127-feet to the water below. Oliva is part of a team of paddlers who have been scouring the region looking … Read more
It’s been a couple of weeks since I checked in on Olly Hicks and his Virgin Global Row. At that time, he was struggling each day to just hold on to his position, and for a number of days in row, that’s about all he could do. The young British adventurer was rowing for several … Read more
The Outside Blog over at Outside Online is reporting that climbing legend Ed Viesturs is returning to Everest this year as part of an all-star team of climbers making their attempts on the highest peak on the planet. This will be Ed’s 11th time on the mountain, and he has made six successful summit attempts … Read more
