It’s inevitable that the people of the Himalaya take increasing leadership over adventure tourism there. This is a great story.
The Super Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa, have a cool website offering the gamut of great Nepali treks.
Why are these guys so super?
Apa Sherpa is the only man in history to reach the top of the world 17 times. As the world record holder of the most summits of Everest, Apa is widely recognized to be one of the greatest living mountaineers.
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When Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set out to set an Everest speed ascent record, little did anyone know he would not only break the late Babu Chirri Sherpa’s Everest speed ascent record of 16 hrs 56, but shatter it altogether with a time of 10 hrs 56 min and 46 sec – 6 hours faster than Babu’s seemingly unbeatable record. …
During a 30 minute meeting Secretary Kempthorne and Andrew Skurka discussed some of the Secretary’s most important agenda items, most notably getting funding for the National Parks Centennial passed by this Congress, and their shared concerns about Americans’ increasing detachment from the natural world, especially by the youth. The main focus for Skurka was to share his first-hand view of the effects of global warming on National Parks …
… Andrew Skurka, “a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir,” as 2007 Adventurer of the Year for his epic 6,875-mile hike through the American West calling attention to the magnificence of the landscape and the environmental and ecological threats affecting it. …
Champagne flowed freely at Grandview Point when Andy arrived, not all of it into cups. Their was no doubt that Andy was caught completely off guard as the champagne was showered all over him.
Guests at the biggest UK festival include Sir Chris Bonington, Doug Scott, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Greg Child, Joe Simpson, Simon Yates, Canadian Will Gadd and many, many others.
“Since 1980, the very best showcase for mountain sports, culture & environment”
First we have news of a film coup on the opening Friday night: Far North
Only shown at the Venice and London Film Festivals, this is a dark epic tale set in the harsh beauty of the Arctic starring Sean Bean, Michelle Yeoh and Michelle Krusiec. A powerful film that combines action, love and survival in the frozen wastes. Shot in Svalbard and Northern Norway in by Asif Kapardia, director of Warrior.
His is the greatest hike of all time, all things considered.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Andy will finish his hike on November 3rd at the Grandview Point in the Grand Canyon. He will be coming out of the canyon between noon and 3:00. Probably closer to 3:00. Please come and join us for the celebration. We will be getting together some place in Flagstaff on Saturday evening. Come join the party.
I saw Wielicki present during the Book Festival. And just now he launched the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
He’s old school. Tough. Thinks nothing of losing the odd finger or toe. Says you must learn to enjoy suffering to be a real climber. (That’s why I’m a hiker.)
The Polish climbers are the world’s best (most would say, craziest) at Himalayan Winter Ascents.
A contemporary of Reinhold Messner, Wielicki’s controversial. And very entertaining.
Polish mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki’s accomplishments place him among the world’s greatest mountaineers. In more than three decades of climbing, he has concentrated his efforts on difficult new routes and Himalayan winter climbs.
Wielicki became the fifth person in the world to climb all fourteen 8000 metre peaks and the manner in which he accomplished this astonished the climbing community: almost half of them were solo expeditions and Everest, Lhotse, and Kangchenjunga were first winter ascents. He has since led two Polish winter expeditions including an attempt of K2 via the North Pillar in 2003 and of Nanga Parbat via the Schell Route in 2007.
Wielicki and the interviewer finished off most of a bottle of “Rescue Drink” (Vodka) during the performance where he screened some never before seen footage of classic winter climbs. (The “official photographers” rarely ever made it even to Base Camp.)
At the 2007 Banff Mountain Book Festival John Harlin III (the son) gave us the background for his new book, The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father.
It’s a moving story. John was very emotional while telling it.
In 1966, when John Harlin II set out to climb a new route straight up the North Face of the Eiger, he was 30 years old, with a wife and two young children. Six hundred metres from the top, Harlin’s rope broke and he fell 1200 metres to his death. His son, John Harlin III, who was only nine years old at the time, and who had completed his first alpine climb at the age of seven, vowed to his mother that he would never climb another mountain. However, his passion for the mountains led him to break that vow.
Throughout his life John Harlin has honed his skills as an adventurer, editor, and writer. He has made first telemark and ski descents, has climbed new routes and made first river descents in Peru, Bolivia, Tibet, Alaska, Canada, the U.S. and the Alps. He is the author of a series of guidebooks, The Climber’s Guide to North America, and has worked as the editor of Backpacker and Summit magazines.
In 2005, Harlin decided to return to the Alps and face the Eiger. Like his father, he left behind a nine-year old child when he went to climb the 1800-metre wall. His book, The The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father, is a memoir of his family and his lifelong obsession with the Eiger, culminating with the thrilling account of his ascent.
Harlin is now editor of the prestigious American Alpine Journal, a frequent contributor to numerous publications including Outside magazine, and appears as the main character in the latest IMAX film, The Alps: Large Format, a film about his emotional quest to climb the mountain where his father died. Harlin lives in Oregon with his wife Adele and daughter Siena.
This is an unforgettable story about fathers and sons, climbers and mountains, and dreamers who dare to challenge the earth. The Eiger Obsession is more than just the story of one man’s climb, it’s a memoir of loss, survival and choosing to face your biggest fears head-on.
Note to self: In future, arrive 15min late for festivals to avoid the predictable, boring introductory speeches.
The opening act at the Banff 2007 Mountain Book Festival was quite entertaining, and refreshingly open-minded for an environmentalist. This is no Al Gore clone.
David de Rothschild
Adventure Ecology
Britain’s David de Rothschild has traversed Antarctica, has set a new record for the fastest crossing of the Greenland icecap, and has reached the North Pole. He is both an adventurer and an environmentalist, and at 29, he is the head of Adventure Ecology, an expedition group he founded to raise awareness about environmental issues and climate change.
Following a 2004 Antarctica expedition, de Rothschild came to the realization that he could create a deeper understanding of the natural world through incorporating education as the main vein running through his adventures. “I spent three months surrounded by one of the world’s most astonishing and fragile ecosystems, and it had a profound effect on my outlook and on those with whom I shared my experience.”
In 2005 he launched Adventure Ecology, and now uses his adventures to captivate, to inspire, and to share information about the environment. Adventure Ecology’s goal is to create a greater connection with the natural world through a series of high-profile expeditions. The associated website features videos and information from live expeditions, as well as blogs and interactive games that act as a gateway for children to learn about global environmental issues. The focus on children is deliberate. “There’s a native Indian proverb that says we don’t inherit the Earth, we borrow it from our children,” says de Rothschild. “Curiosity is a great driver of change. But in protecting our children, we’ve also made it very hard for them to go out and experience nature. That’s something our website can address.”
The first mission in the series, “Top of the World”, began in March 2006. With a four-member team, de Rothschild traversed the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Canada. Mission 2 is called “Adventures in Waste” and will include a series of expeditions in 2007 and 2008 with scientists, artists, and filmmakers to some of the world’s most environmentally troubled areas — from the site of an oil spill in Ecuador to heavily polluted areas in China’s Henan province. The series will culminate with a sailing trip from Hawaii to California, raising awareness of the little-known fact that the largest accumulation of garbage in the world can be found in the Pacific Ocean. “We’ll sail a boat made entirely from recycled bottles to document the massive problem of ocean trash.”
De Rothschild was selected as one of National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers for 2007, and as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum. He has written educational books for children, created a naturopathic/ecological education centre in New Zealand, and founded “Sculpt the Future”, a charitable organization working with environmentally disadvantaged communities.
Michelle is everywhere these days. Look for a cover article on New Zealand Wilderness magazine.
Promoting her new book (which will certainly be a huge success) has Michelle on the book tour, both virtual and in the real world.
She was even interviewed by The Outdoor Station: listen to the audiocast.
Sex in a Tent: A Wild Couple’s Guide to Getting Naughty in Nature, Wilderness Press 2007
Sex in a Tent is a new book that tells you everything you need to know (but were too embarrassed to ask) about thoroughly enjoying the outdoors with a romantic partner.
Sex in a Tent is a mostly fun, sometimes serious guide to love, sex, and adventure in the great outdoors. In this penetrating look at what really goes on behind the tent flap, expert camper and outdoor love-maker Michelle Waitzman reveals everything you need to know to fulfill your wild fantasies. Showing you the best positions for campers (the tent tango), to recipes for a romantic meal in a Ziploc bag, to how to look and feel sexy when you’re wearing grimy zip-off hiking shorts and haven’t bathed in days (hint: zip ’em off and go skinny-dipping), she inspires you to leave behind the boring bed sheets and crawl into a tantalizing tent.
About the author:
Michelle Waitzman was a late bloomer when it came to the great outdoors. Born in the urban wilds of Toronto, she didn’t fall in love with camping until her late twenties, when a trip around Australia and New Zealand introduced her to the pleasures of a starry sky and a cozy sleeping bag.
Now spending time in the wilderness is an integral part of Michelle’s life, and she shares her passion for the outdoors (and outdoor passions) with her partner Gerhard. They live in Wellington, New Zealand where a tramp in the bush is never far away. Michelle decided to write this book after a decidedly uncomfortable and unsatisfying night in the woods, trying to break in their new tent. While there were lots of books on the market about how to start camping, or take your kids camping, couples seemed sadly under-represented.
Polish mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki’s accomplishments place him among the world’s greatest mountaineers. In more than three decades of climbing, he has concentrated his efforts on difficult new routes and Himalayan winter climbs.
In 2005, Harlin decided to return to the Alps and face the Eiger. Like his father, he left behind a nine-year old child when he went to climb the 1800-metre wall. His book, The 
Michelle is everywhere these days. Look for a 
besthike.com 