Competitors from around the globe are descending on Morocco where they are preparing to compete in what some call the most challenging footrace on the planet, the Marathon des Sables.
The race is a six day, 243km (151 mile) race that takes place annually in the Sahara Desert. Over those six days, the competitors will run the equivalent of five-and-a-half marathons, usually in very trying conditions. Temperatures often exceed 120ºF and the brutal sun only gives way to blowing sands that can make for extremely challenging conditions for the racers. As you can imagine, that heat and sand can play havoc with your feet as well, turing them into a blistered mess after just one day.
As if running a marathon under those conditions wasn't challenging enough, the competitors will also have to carry all of their gear (save their tent!) and water with them as they go. Each checkpoint will ration out more water for them, but other than that, they must be completely self sufficient while in the desert. This is especially important on the 4th day, which is usually the longest, and often stretches well into the night.
Now in its 24th year, the Marathon des Sables, or Marathon of the Sands, is considered one of the grand jewels of endurance sports. It is challenging on many levels, and attracts some of the top ultramarathon athletes from around the globe each year. 2010 will be no different, as dozens of runners are now assembling, and preparing to get underway in a few days time.
Good luck to all the racers. Enjoy the challenge and the scenery.
Saturday, April 3
Friday, March 26
Solo Sailing Update: Abby Nears The Horn, Jessica Heads For Home!
Our two intrepid 16-year old young ladies who are out on the oceans making solo circumnavigation attempts are both reaching for milestones it seems. Both American Abby Sunderland and Australian Jessica Watson have been making progress in their respective journeys, and while one nears a major challenge, the other is heading well on her way home.
For Abby, her first big challenge comes in the form of Cape Horn, the very tip of South America. The region is notoriously windy, and can generate some of the most powerful storms on the planet at times. The Horn has been the stuff of nightmares for sailors for hundreds of years, and the teenage adventure will be passing round it, and into the Atlantic Ocean, tomorrow.
Abby's father has already arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, and will be sailing out into the turbulent waters with some of the locals when his daughter goes sailing past. He hopes to catch a glimpse of her, and cheer her on, as she sets course for Africa next, in her bid to become the youngest to solo circumnavigate the globe.
The trip has not been an easy one thus far. It took her sometime to find the right boat, and at an affordable price, before settling on her small and swift Wild Eyes, which has served her well thus far. But she has lost two autopilots so far, which has made it challenging at times, including keeping Abby at the helm into the cold, and freezing nights, in recent days. And once she clears the horn, her challenges are far from over. According to this story, because she started late in the season, Abby will face similar challenges when rounding both the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, both of which are typically not as difficult to navigate, but weather conditions could be tough.
Meanwhile, Abby's main competition for the "Youngest Round" title is Jessica, who is zipping right along in her ship, the Ella's Pink Lady. Jessica has now left Africa far behind and is more than halfway across the Southern Ocean and is well on her way home. She set out from Sydney, and will return there, completing her circumnavigation attempt in a few short weeks time. Thus far, she has covered more than 18,000 nautical miles, and is closing in on Cape Leeuwin as well.
For the most part, it has been business as usual for Jess as she goes about her daily routine. She's had to deal with a variety of elements in the past few weeks but, at this point she is a veteran sailor with few challenges left to conquer. The next story will probably be out about her arrival back home, and her wait to see how long it takes Abby to finish. When she's done, Jess will be the youngest around, but Abby is five months younger than her, and thus she has an advantage in the "race".
At least until Laura Dekker starts her solo sail in a few months time.
For Abby, her first big challenge comes in the form of Cape Horn, the very tip of South America. The region is notoriously windy, and can generate some of the most powerful storms on the planet at times. The Horn has been the stuff of nightmares for sailors for hundreds of years, and the teenage adventure will be passing round it, and into the Atlantic Ocean, tomorrow.
Abby's father has already arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, and will be sailing out into the turbulent waters with some of the locals when his daughter goes sailing past. He hopes to catch a glimpse of her, and cheer her on, as she sets course for Africa next, in her bid to become the youngest to solo circumnavigate the globe.
The trip has not been an easy one thus far. It took her sometime to find the right boat, and at an affordable price, before settling on her small and swift Wild Eyes, which has served her well thus far. But she has lost two autopilots so far, which has made it challenging at times, including keeping Abby at the helm into the cold, and freezing nights, in recent days. And once she clears the horn, her challenges are far from over. According to this story, because she started late in the season, Abby will face similar challenges when rounding both the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, both of which are typically not as difficult to navigate, but weather conditions could be tough.
Meanwhile, Abby's main competition for the "Youngest Round" title is Jessica, who is zipping right along in her ship, the Ella's Pink Lady. Jessica has now left Africa far behind and is more than halfway across the Southern Ocean and is well on her way home. She set out from Sydney, and will return there, completing her circumnavigation attempt in a few short weeks time. Thus far, she has covered more than 18,000 nautical miles, and is closing in on Cape Leeuwin as well.
For the most part, it has been business as usual for Jess as she goes about her daily routine. She's had to deal with a variety of elements in the past few weeks but, at this point she is a veteran sailor with few challenges left to conquer. The next story will probably be out about her arrival back home, and her wait to see how long it takes Abby to finish. When she's done, Jess will be the youngest around, but Abby is five months younger than her, and thus she has an advantage in the "race".
At least until Laura Dekker starts her solo sail in a few months time.
Friday, March 19
Join Bus2Antarctica's Andrew Evans Online This Wednesday
Over the past few months, one of the top adventure travel stories has been Andrew Evans and his Bus2Antarctica Expedition. For those not familiar with the story, Andrew, who is a contributor for National Geographic, boarded a public bus in Washington DC and began heading south. Ten weeks, and 44 more buses later, he arrived in Argentina, where he boarded a cruise ship that would deliver him to to the frozen continent itself.
Andrew's story was a popular one, with many people following along with his dispatches which were posted at National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog. His photo of an all black penguin would become a sensation in its own right, with many media outlets picking it up and sharing it across the globe.
Now, you can quiz Andrew yourself thanks to an online webinar scheduled to take place this Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern Time. The chat comes to us courtesy of Lindblad Travel, who are amongst the top adventure travel companies in the world. You can sign up for the event by clicking here, and reserve your spot in the webinar which will include a slideshow, videos, and a live chat with Andrew and Antarctic expert Karen Copeland.
This should be a very cool presentation, and gives you a chance to ask Andrew, and Karen, some questions directly.
Andrew's story was a popular one, with many people following along with his dispatches which were posted at National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog. His photo of an all black penguin would become a sensation in its own right, with many media outlets picking it up and sharing it across the globe.
Now, you can quiz Andrew yourself thanks to an online webinar scheduled to take place this Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern Time. The chat comes to us courtesy of Lindblad Travel, who are amongst the top adventure travel companies in the world. You can sign up for the event by clicking here, and reserve your spot in the webinar which will include a slideshow, videos, and a live chat with Andrew and Antarctic expert Karen Copeland.
This should be a very cool presentation, and gives you a chance to ask Andrew, and Karen, some questions directly.
Thursday, March 11
Exploring The Himalaya By Paraglider
When most of us think about Himalayan adventures, our minds conjure up images of mountaineers in their down suits struggling to summit 8000 meter peaks or even intrepid trekkers exploring mountain passes. But the Himalayan Odyssey team wanted to explore those iconic mountains in a different way, and from a very unique perspective.
The expedition got underway a few weeks back, with Brad Sander, Antoine Laurens, and Mike Laengle, setting out to explore over 700 miles of Himalayan territory, stretched out through India, Nepal, and Sikkim, not on foot, but on paraglider instead. The journey is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete, and with much of it being filmed and photographed along the way. The team is also joined by guest pilots along the way, adding new faces to the expedition for some of the segments.
A typical day for the Himalayan Odyssey crew is to get up and check the thermal air currents to see how they'll impact their daily travel. If all is well there, they'll climb up above 2000 meters and launch out into the open skies, riding those thermals and traveling from one valley to the next along their route. As the day whittles away, they'll scout the ground below for a good place to camp, only coming in for a landing when they've found a a good site to pitch their tents.
While exploring the Himalaya from a paraglider probably is its own reward, the team has other goals in mind as well. Besides having an adventure of a lifetime, they're also exploring the amazing Himalayan culture, while also working to raise awareness of the plight of the Himalayan Condor, a bird that is dying out at an alarming rate.
You can track the progress of the expedition on the website, and follow along on their Twitter account as well.
Thanks to Alan for the tip on this one!
The expedition got underway a few weeks back, with Brad Sander, Antoine Laurens, and Mike Laengle, setting out to explore over 700 miles of Himalayan territory, stretched out through India, Nepal, and Sikkim, not on foot, but on paraglider instead. The journey is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete, and with much of it being filmed and photographed along the way. The team is also joined by guest pilots along the way, adding new faces to the expedition for some of the segments.
A typical day for the Himalayan Odyssey crew is to get up and check the thermal air currents to see how they'll impact their daily travel. If all is well there, they'll climb up above 2000 meters and launch out into the open skies, riding those thermals and traveling from one valley to the next along their route. As the day whittles away, they'll scout the ground below for a good place to camp, only coming in for a landing when they've found a a good site to pitch their tents.
While exploring the Himalaya from a paraglider probably is its own reward, the team has other goals in mind as well. Besides having an adventure of a lifetime, they're also exploring the amazing Himalayan culture, while also working to raise awareness of the plight of the Himalayan Condor, a bird that is dying out at an alarming rate.
You can track the progress of the expedition on the website, and follow along on their Twitter account as well.
Thanks to Alan for the tip on this one!
Wednesday, March 3
North Pole 2010: 30 Down, 30 To Go For Dan and Amelia
For the North Pole explorers it was another challenging weekend with conditions on the ice varying greatly, and frustrations coming in all the usual flavors. Still, they continue their hike north, and with any luck, they'll start to pick up speed, and cover distance, soon.
The weekend had more than its fair share of challenges for Amelia Russell and Dan Darley, who are making good progress of late, but suffered a leaky fuel canister on Saturday. As a result, their food that night left a bit of a bad aftertaste, and they were a bit conservative on their fuel usage, keeping the tent cooler than normal. At the moment, they're knocking off about 8 nautical miles per day, but still suffering a small amount of negative drift. The Brits have now completed their first 30 days out on the ice, and have another 30 to go to reach the Pole. They've covered 2.5 of their 7 degrees, so there is still a lot of work ahead, but they're hoping that the remaining miles will be easier than they have been so far.
Solo explorer Christina Franco has passed a bit of a milestone herself, reporting that she is now under 600km to go to the Pole, or roughly 324 miles. She is reporting that high winds are still buffeting her, making progress tough, and covering her tracks in just minutes. She made the decision to load all of her gear on one sled, and left her other one behind, hoping to lighten the load a bit and speed progress. About half-way through the day Christina spotted a natural ice shelter out on the pan, and intended to use it to take a break, but as she neared it, she spotted very fresh polar bear tracks in the snow, and elected to keep moving on instead. Probably a wise choice at this point.
For Eric Larsen and his Save The Poles team, the wind is a constant nemesis as well, but it is the large chunks of ice, many five feet in height, or more. And when they're not dealing with those ice slabs, they're dealing with thin ice instead. At one point, Darcy St Laurent was out in front, navigating, he led the team on to a patch of thin ice, with Darcy himself falling through. The team rushed to set up camp and get the frozen gear off of their teammate, electing to call it a day at that point.
Tom Smitheringale reports that it is "blowing a howler outside" referring to the bad winds that seem to be hitting everyone. The solo, unsupported explorer is past the 84.5ºN mark, and is having less issues with the frostbite on his fingers, although they remain quite painful. The adventurous Aussie is whiling away the hours on his skis thinking about all kinds of wonderful foods he'll get to eat once he gets back home. At the moment, it seems to be driving him forward.
Finally, Ben Saunders is back in Resolute Bay following the catastrophic fuel leakage he suffered late last week. As you can imagine, he's quite disappointed to be back where he started, just a few days after setting out. As of Saturday he was still deciding what his next move was. If he can replace the fuel, and the food that was spoiled, he may head back out on the ice, and try one more time for the speed record to the Pole. We should know more in the next few days.
The weekend had more than its fair share of challenges for Amelia Russell and Dan Darley, who are making good progress of late, but suffered a leaky fuel canister on Saturday. As a result, their food that night left a bit of a bad aftertaste, and they were a bit conservative on their fuel usage, keeping the tent cooler than normal. At the moment, they're knocking off about 8 nautical miles per day, but still suffering a small amount of negative drift. The Brits have now completed their first 30 days out on the ice, and have another 30 to go to reach the Pole. They've covered 2.5 of their 7 degrees, so there is still a lot of work ahead, but they're hoping that the remaining miles will be easier than they have been so far.
Solo explorer Christina Franco has passed a bit of a milestone herself, reporting that she is now under 600km to go to the Pole, or roughly 324 miles. She is reporting that high winds are still buffeting her, making progress tough, and covering her tracks in just minutes. She made the decision to load all of her gear on one sled, and left her other one behind, hoping to lighten the load a bit and speed progress. About half-way through the day Christina spotted a natural ice shelter out on the pan, and intended to use it to take a break, but as she neared it, she spotted very fresh polar bear tracks in the snow, and elected to keep moving on instead. Probably a wise choice at this point.
For Eric Larsen and his Save The Poles team, the wind is a constant nemesis as well, but it is the large chunks of ice, many five feet in height, or more. And when they're not dealing with those ice slabs, they're dealing with thin ice instead. At one point, Darcy St Laurent was out in front, navigating, he led the team on to a patch of thin ice, with Darcy himself falling through. The team rushed to set up camp and get the frozen gear off of their teammate, electing to call it a day at that point.
Tom Smitheringale reports that it is "blowing a howler outside" referring to the bad winds that seem to be hitting everyone. The solo, unsupported explorer is past the 84.5ºN mark, and is having less issues with the frostbite on his fingers, although they remain quite painful. The adventurous Aussie is whiling away the hours on his skis thinking about all kinds of wonderful foods he'll get to eat once he gets back home. At the moment, it seems to be driving him forward.
Finally, Ben Saunders is back in Resolute Bay following the catastrophic fuel leakage he suffered late last week. As you can imagine, he's quite disappointed to be back where he started, just a few days after setting out. As of Saturday he was still deciding what his next move was. If he can replace the fuel, and the food that was spoiled, he may head back out on the ice, and try one more time for the speed record to the Pole. We should know more in the next few days.
Sunday, February 21
Himalaya 2010: Kathmandu Busy, Base Camps Showing Signs of Life
As I mentioned yesterday, the annual descent on Kathmandu has begun, with climbers and trekkers beginning their pilgrimages to the various mountains that have been calling their name over the past few months. Word from KTM is that the city it is busy and bustling at the moment, as our usual cast of adventurers make last minute preparations before heading out to the mountains. \
One team that has been in and out of Kathmandu, and on their mountain of choice, is Edurne Pasaban's Annapurna Squad. For the moment, they remain the only team on the mountain, and have already established themselves up to C2. In fact, the team has been fixing ropes to C3 the past few days, and have been living in Camp 2 since Wednesday, which puts them well along in their acclimatization process. The group is hoping to make an early summit then move over to Tibet to take a stab at Shisha Pangma, grabbing the last two 8000 meter peaks on Edurne's schedule.
ExWeb is reporting that another woman in pursuit of the 8000 meter peaks, Miss Oh Eun-Sun of South Korea, is set to arrive in Annapurna BC this week, after acclimatizing on Tharpu Chuli. Anna is the only mountain left to add to her resume as well.
Meanwhile, the Shared Summits Team is in Nepal and preparing to take on Makalu, the 5th highest peak in the world? The team consists of Chris Warner and Marty Schmidt, who will be attempting a new route on the mountain along the South Face.
The Adventure Dynamics Team is made up of a group of climbers from South Africa who are taking on Everest from the North Side. The team leaves in a little less than a week for Kathmandu, and are in the last minute stages of planning.
Similarly, the Peak Freaks have begun sending updates from their Everest team, with climbers arriving in Kathmandu. The dispatch from today notes that bad weather is once again delaying flights into Lukla and Phablu, another village nearby. Seems like a rocky start to the season, but not unusual for this time of the year, and the mountaineers are in no rush to get to Base Camp at this point anyway.
Hold on to your hats, by next week this time, things will really be getting interesting.
One team that has been in and out of Kathmandu, and on their mountain of choice, is Edurne Pasaban's Annapurna Squad. For the moment, they remain the only team on the mountain, and have already established themselves up to C2. In fact, the team has been fixing ropes to C3 the past few days, and have been living in Camp 2 since Wednesday, which puts them well along in their acclimatization process. The group is hoping to make an early summit then move over to Tibet to take a stab at Shisha Pangma, grabbing the last two 8000 meter peaks on Edurne's schedule.
ExWeb is reporting that another woman in pursuit of the 8000 meter peaks, Miss Oh Eun-Sun of South Korea, is set to arrive in Annapurna BC this week, after acclimatizing on Tharpu Chuli. Anna is the only mountain left to add to her resume as well.
Meanwhile, the Shared Summits Team is in Nepal and preparing to take on Makalu, the 5th highest peak in the world? The team consists of Chris Warner and Marty Schmidt, who will be attempting a new route on the mountain along the South Face.
The Adventure Dynamics Team is made up of a group of climbers from South Africa who are taking on Everest from the North Side. The team leaves in a little less than a week for Kathmandu, and are in the last minute stages of planning.
Similarly, the Peak Freaks have begun sending updates from their Everest team, with climbers arriving in Kathmandu. The dispatch from today notes that bad weather is once again delaying flights into Lukla and Phablu, another village nearby. Seems like a rocky start to the season, but not unusual for this time of the year, and the mountaineers are in no rush to get to Base Camp at this point anyway.
Hold on to your hats, by next week this time, things will really be getting interesting.
Wednesday, February 3
The Gear Junkie Heads To The Himalaya
Syndicated outdoor writer Stephen Regenold, also known as the Gear Junkie, is headed to the Himalaya as part of the Hanesbrands Climb With Us Expedition. He's heading to Kathmandu this weekend and will begin blogging from Nepal next week, although he's post his first entry, a pre-expedition update, today as part of his Daily Dose Blog.
In that story, GJ discusses the trek to Everest Base Camp, which he'll be starting next week. He notes that it is roughly 40 miles from Lukla, the starting point of the trek, to BC, where he'll be spending the next few months hanging out with the Hanesbrand team of climbers while they make the long trip to the summit of the mountain. Regenold will chronicle the climb, sharing each phase with us back home.
The expedition, led by climber Jamie Clarke, will be testing out some revolutionary new mountaineering products while in the Himalaya, including the Champion Super Suit we've all been hearing so much about. The suit uses aerogel to make it incredibly thin and lightweight, but also super warm. The results of the expedition could potentially have a far reaching impact on the future of gear used on Everest.
Expect to hear a lot more from the Gear Junkie in the days ahead. The team is eyeing a summit bid sometime in May, but of course that is a fluid target at this point. How the suit performs will no doubt be of interest to the mountaineering community too.
In that story, GJ discusses the trek to Everest Base Camp, which he'll be starting next week. He notes that it is roughly 40 miles from Lukla, the starting point of the trek, to BC, where he'll be spending the next few months hanging out with the Hanesbrand team of climbers while they make the long trip to the summit of the mountain. Regenold will chronicle the climb, sharing each phase with us back home.
The expedition, led by climber Jamie Clarke, will be testing out some revolutionary new mountaineering products while in the Himalaya, including the Champion Super Suit we've all been hearing so much about. The suit uses aerogel to make it incredibly thin and lightweight, but also super warm. The results of the expedition could potentially have a far reaching impact on the future of gear used on Everest.
Expect to hear a lot more from the Gear Junkie in the days ahead. The team is eyeing a summit bid sometime in May, but of course that is a fluid target at this point. How the suit performs will no doubt be of interest to the mountaineering community too.
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