Posts

Posted on

Google Earth flyover Everest Base Camp

Kraig Becker is getting revved up for the 2012 Spring season on Everest:

… The video below gives you a good idea of what that trek is like. It was created with Google Earth and give an accurate representation of the terrain that surrounds you while hiking through the region. Those that have visited the Khumbu before will recognize some familiar sights, including that grueling hike up the hill into Namche Bazaar, while those just following along at home can get a better sense of scale for the region. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Adventure Blog – Video: Trekking To Everest Base Camp With Google Earth

related – my 2009 17-day Everest trek via Lukla

Posted on

barefoot running backlash

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.

Posted on

Long Beach, Vancouver Island

Randall St. Germain loves the rugged west coast of Canada:

… One of my favorite photos. I don’t remember ever seeing a cloud reflection on the beach before. Looking toward toward Combers Beach with Wickaninnish Beach in the distance. …

see more pics – BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAYS AT LONG BEACH, PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK

Randall’s the author of Camino de Santiago in 20 Days, by the way.

Posted on

Grand Canyon slots

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.

http://vimeo.com/37927326

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.

official website

(via Northern California Hiking Trails)

Posted on

Pacific Crest Trail intro

The purpose of this audio slideshow (originally made for The Clymb) is to offer a glimpse into world of thru-hiking and inspire anyone considering a long distance trek to get out there and do it.

Completing the Pacific Crest Trail is an epic and life-changing experience; it can also be taxing and just plain shitty. Success often comes down to mindset and preparation.

Wend

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Posted on

Hiking Whitsunday Coast – Great Barrier Reef

Flight Centre’s in-house copywriter Lyndon Barnett is an avid hiker. He recently visited Tropical North Queenslands Whitsunday Coast of the Great Barrier Reef, which is easy to reach with domestic flights from the major cities of Australia such as Sydney and Brisbane.

Most visitors come to the Whitsundays to relax on the islands and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef – both of which are perfectly legitimate reasons to appreciate this incredible destination. However hikers might also be interested to know that the region has some terrific day hikes.

Around two hour’s drive south of Airlie Beach is the Eungella National Park. I really enjoyed hiking the various walks through the sub-tropical rainforest – the views across the valley are spectacular. The park itself is part of the wider Great Dividing Range that stretches the entire east coast of Australia. One of the big attractions for kids of all ages is the opportunity to spot a wild platypus swimming in the nearby river.

Whitsunday Coast
Whitsunday Coast

About the Author: Lyndon Barnett has travelled independently to 68 countries and extensively throughout Australia. He currently resides in Brisbane, Queensland.

Posted on

Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa

Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa are National Geographic’s 2012 Adventurers of the Year.

They climbed Everest, rode a paraglider off the summit, cycled to the river, then paddled to the Indian Ocean.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via The Adventure Blog)

Posted on

South Pole return on foot

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 …

about

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…