Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Predictable.
There had to be a downside to running in bare feet.
Science of Sport:
Vibram shoes named in lawsuit: The danger of barefoot running
Vibram Five-finger named in lawsuit – zealousness, unfiltered advice creates more problems than it fixes
The main problem seems to be heel strike impact force.
related – ‘Born to Run’ author helping search for Boulder ultrarunner Micah True
True, better known as Caballo Blanco, went missing while out on a run.
A new documentary, Last of the Great Unknown, looks terrific.
It will premiere at the 2012 5point Film Festival in Carbondale Colorado, April 26-29th.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on Vimeo.
Deep within the Grand Canyon’s vast wilderness are secret and intimate tributaries rarely visited by man, hiding some of the Canyon’s most remarkable features.
The barrier to entry is steep. To explore them, one must have a knowledge of backpacking, packrafting, rappeling, anchor building, and off-trail navigation. The Last of the Great Unknown is the story of these slots, the canyoneers who systematically explored their drainages, and the secrets hidden deep within their walls.
Scott 2012 Expedition:
No one has ever walked from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back again.
In 2012 … Ben (Saunders) and his team mates Alastair Humphreys and Martin Hartley take on arguably the most ambitious polar expedition in the last century: the four-month Scott 2012 – the first return journey to the South Pole on foot, and at 1,800 miles, the longest unsupported polar journey in history …
Last November they spent a week training, and getting to know one another, on the Isle of Skye.
Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.
Good luck team.
(via Alastair Humphreys)
_____
Alastair just finished rowing across the Atlantic. How did that go?
“If you ever see me anywhere near a boat again, you have my permission to shoot me!” – Sir Steve Redgrave after winning his fourth Olympic gold medal for rowing. Four years later, he won a fifth…
“This is bloody stupid!” – John Fairfax after becoming the first person to row the Atlantic solo. Two years later, he rowed the Pacific…
Frank (Our Hiking Blog) recommended a fascinating Sydney-based site called Sons of the Desert – a bushwalking blog
They post gorgeous BIG photos.
They got “lucky” with the notorious weather. Except for the wind. Tasmanian wind can destroy tents. And Maytag them.
Here’s how they tried to hold down one.
This is a great read – An Attempt on the Mt Anne Circuit, posted Jan. 2012.
If you like that, check their South Coast Track trip report.
Gawd. I still remember that mud.
… Yet I’m still planning a trip to Australia for Sept / October. Can hardly wait.
Megan Michelson:
On January 20, 2003, seven people were killed in a class 3 avalanche on a peak called La Traviata near Selkirk Mountain Experience, a backcountry hut and guiding operation outside Revelstoke, BC. The guide that day was SME owner and lead guide, Ruedi Beglinger, a Switzerland native with the highest level of mountain guiding certification and decades of experience. Until that day in 2003, SME had never had a serious injury or death during its then 18 years in business. …
… a new feature-length documentary called ”A Life Ascending” about the life and family of guide Ruedi Beglinger has been released on the film festival circuit. It recently won the audience choice award at Colorado’s Docuwest Film Festival …
The DVD goes on sale Feb. 28th.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.
social media – Facebook | @alifeascending
I’ve subscribed to the blog, too.
RIP Rob and Mark Glaser, friends of mine killed by avalanche in 2011.
Barefoot Jake doesn’t always go barefoot. On this weekend adventure out of Ozette Lake he wore his Luna ATS Huaraches and Vibram Five Finger KSO.
This terrain and climate is ideal for minimal footwear.
… over 90% Board Walk made up of new, old and really old planks that have been in place for probably longer than I have been born. Figured this would be a perfect opportunity to to break in my Luna ATS Huaraches further. Felt great to let the feet air out …
Evocative photos. Check them out here – Weekend of Barefooting the Ozette
That post caught my eye linked from Hiking in Finland as I’d been to Ozette myself last week.
… when you have a Therm-a-rest NeoAir in the pack.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
That was a year ago. …
The team is off again – Team GearJunkie starts 2012 Patagonian Expedition Race!
Ross proved the doubters — including me — WRONG:
On Saturday, 29 January, at 12.45 South Africa time, our entire team of six barefoot climbers, … and four support crew (in shoes) reached Uhuru Peak, at 5,895m, the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro and the highest point in Africa. …
Barefoot Kilimanjaro: Mission Accomplished – The Video Diary
Respect.
Colleen Contrisciane-Lewis, of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania won an all-expenses-paid grand prize from Backpacker magazine: an assignment to hike—and report on—her dream trip.
Read about her 85-mile, weeklong transect of Glacier National Park on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail:
Naturally, Rowan and I want quality time alone–we eloped just weeks before our hike, and this Continental Divide-crossing route will not only be my Reader Leader dream trip, but also our honeymoon. …
… When I backpack solo, I can do breakfast and pack in 30 minutes. With Rowan, it takes two hours, and my frustration is building to a boil. …
… “Would you mind silencing your bear bell?” Rowan asks. “The incessant jingle is grating. And I’d love to see a bear.”
Who am I to argue with a man who’s lived with lions? So, against my better judgment, I silence my bell, and zip my lips. We hike 30 minutes before seeing a grizzly 20 yards off the trail …
read her trip report – GLACIER MAGIC
That’s one unforgettable honeymoon!
Backpacker posted 7 more reader submitted trip reports:
Shoal Creek Loop, Gros Ventre Wilderness, WY
International Appalachian Trail, Parc National de la Gaspesie, Quebec
Creekside Loop, Pisgah NF, NC
Evolution Loop, Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP, CA
Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, Castle Rock SP, CA
Grasshopper Glacier, Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, MT
Appalachian Trail, 100-Mile Wilderness, ME
The barefoot movement is going too far with this project.
Ross on Science of Sport:
Only 3 days to go before I jet off to Kilimanjaro to tackle Africa’s highest summit, and the world’s highest free-standing mountain…barefoot…
My mission is to help get ONE person to the top barefoot, and to do it safely. …
It’s an attention getter, that’s for sure. Funds raised go to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in South Africa.
related – Killian Jornet record for summitting Kilimanjaro in light shoes – 7 hours 14 minutes return. (VIDEO)
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