Antarctic History: Scott Snowbound in a Tent

As most of you know, this past Antarctic season marked the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen reaching the South Pole. Amundsen's triumph was the culmination of an epic struggle between the Norwegian and his British rival Robert Falcon Scott, who arrived a few weeks later to find that he had lost the race to plant his nation's flag at 90ºS. Beaten and dejected, Scott and his remaining men faced a long, cold march back to the coast where their ship was waiting to take them home. We all know that they suffered mightily on that return trip before ultimately succumbing to their fate just 11 miles from a supply depot that would have made the difference between life and death.

Scott and his four remaining companions turned away from the South Pole on January 19th and for two months they struggled to complete their fateful journey. Along the way, one of the men, Edgar Evans, suffered a fall that left him badly injured. He managed to continue forward for several more weeks, but on February 17th he fell once again and this time he wouldn't get up. Nearly a month later, on March 16, Lawrence Oats, suffering severely from frostbite, would exit the tent in the middle of night and wander off into the Antarctic expanse. He was never seen again.

On March 20th, one hundred years ago today, Scott and his two remaining companions, Edward Wilson and Henry Bowers, found themselves caught in a major Antarctic blizzard. That storm left them stranded in their tent, unable to move forward and woefully low on food, fuel and supplies. While their spirits were no doubt incredibly low and the three men were both physically and mentally exhausted, they knew that their supply depot was probably only a day or two away. That depot would provide them with everything they would need to complete the last leg of their journey back to the coast, where their ship the Terra Nova, waited.

Unfortunately that blizzard would last for nine straight days and Scott and his men would slowly run out of food and fuel. Of all the hardships they suffered on that expedition, sitting there in that tent, waiting to die, had to be the worst.

The last entry in Scott's journal came on March 29th. But that is another story.

Explorers Club: Changing of the Guard

Over the past few months I've written several times about the internal dispute that has been going on at the Explorers Club. Members of the prestigious organization have been at odds with one another for some time over the way the EC was being run, with President Lorie Karnath directly at the center of the storm. Many questioned the way she governed the Club and there were even accusations that she had used her station for personal gain. The story went very public with articles in both the New York Post and Outside magazine, which exposed the infighting that went on between Karnath, and her supporters, against a group of high profile members who weren't happy with the way she ran the organization.

This past weekend the controversy was put to rest when the EC held their annual dinner and conducted elections for leadership. The ballots were cast anonymously and in the end Karnath was voted out of office in favor of new president Alan Nichols. Four other board members were also voted out of office, including Josh Bernstein, the former television host whose clash with Karnath helped to bring the entire story to light.

Outside has a short follow-up to their story, which you can read here, that gives more details on this changing of the guard. In that article new president Nichols is described as someone who can mend the rift in the membership and help bring the organization back together. A new era has begun at the EC and the members that I have heard from are more than ready to put these squabbles behind them and get on with regular club business.

Gear Closet: SeasonFive Phantom Paddling Shirt

A quick glance at the calendar will tell you that spring is here and warm weather won't be far behind. That means its time to put away our cold weather gear for another year and start getting ready for our favorite warm weather activities like mountain biking and kayaking. This year when I hit the water I'll have a new piece of paddling gear that I've already found to be a wonderful addition to my gear closet. The Phantom long sleeve shirt from SeasonFive has already proven itself on some early season paddles here in Texas where the weather is nearly always right to hit the water.

Made from SeasonFive's waterproof and breathable Atmos fabric, the Phantom is a comfortable and form fitting shirt that has no problems keeping you dry throughout your paddle. That's because it combines three distinct layers including a water repellant outer layer, a waterproof membrane in the middle and a soft interior fabric close to the skin. It also features tapered seams that are designed to help prevent chafing and a convenient zippered extension in the back helps to seal the shirt further.

SeasonFive doesn't have a deep product line like a lot of other outdoor gear manufacturers, as they prefer to focus on a few high quality products over large numbers of items. If the Phantom is any indication of what the rest of their gear is like however, I can honestly say that I'll be adding more of their clothing to my line-up in the near future. I found this shirt to be extremely comfortable to wear, even on longer paddles and while it was form fitting, it never interfered with my ability to move easily both in and out of the cockpit. The four-way stretch fabrics were lightweight and supportive, keeping my muscles warm throughout my time o the water. That translated to less sore muscles at the end of the day and quicker recovery time over all.

Wearing the shirt on a breezy day proved that it was great as wind shirt as well. We don't get especially cold in Texas, which is good as the shirt isn't designed for that kind of weather, but it does help shield against the wind and I imagine it would make a fantastic layer under a wetsuit as well. Either way, the Phantom is an excellent addition to any paddler's closet and I recommend it whole heartedly. It will make a great spring (or fall) kayaking shirt. At just $99 it also packs a lot of performance into a single, versatile piece of gear. Something we can all appreciate.

Video: Fourth Grader Learns To Ski Jump

This just might be the video video you'll see all week. It is shot from a helmet cam of a fourth grade girl who is about to make her first ski jump. You can hear her psyching herself up for the run and you don't have to see her face to hear the trepidation in her voice. The end results are awesome however and I have to give her major props for overcoming her fears and making the jump. Not sure I could do this!

North Pole 2012: New Team Hits The Ice, Others Waiting To Begin

Despite my doom and gloom headline from last week, the North Polar season isn't quite over yet. In fact, while several teams have already aborted their expeditions for the year, another hit the ice over the weekend and a few more hope to join them in the days ahead.

The Norwegian team of Mads Agerup and Rune Midtgaard have started their journey to the North Pole. They were dropped off at 83.5ºN on Cape Discovery and according to their first blog update, they found the conditions to be better than expected. The duo didn't waste and time in getting started either, as they apparently started hauling their sledges immediately and managed to cover 8.3km (5.1 miles) in about 3 hours. No word on their progress today, but best of luck to the boys who hope to reach the Pole by April 22nd, which is when the last flight off the ice is tentatively scheduled.

Meanwhile, the same plane that dropped off Mads and Rune also picked up Japanese solo skier Yasunaga Ogita. You may recall that he pulled the plug on his expedition last week, although we weren't entirely sure why at the time. Turns out Yas wasn't all that happy with the ice conditions, which were apparently deteriorating at a rapid pace. Those conditions slowed his progress considerably and so he decided it was best to turn back rather than take the risk of continuing northward.

Three Frenchmen are preparing for their North Pole adventure, which is now set to get underway on Thursday of this week. The men plan on spending the next month at the North Pole where they'll be conducting scientific research on the Arctic Ocean and the effects of climate change on that region.

Also setting out soon are the Six Ordinary Men who have set their sights on a last degree expedition to the North Pole. They'll be raising funds for Sparks, an organization dedicated to children's health issues, and will begin their journey north on the first of April.

Finally, Mark Wood is expected to begin the second leg of his North South Expedition later this week. You may recall that Mark had planned to ski back-to-back to both the North and South Pole. Having already completed the Antarctic portion of the journey he has been gearing up to take on the Arctic ever since. Due to timing and ice conditions however he had decided to begin his journey at 90ºN and head south instead. He tells ExWeb that most of the logistics are now in place for the expedition to get underway, but he is still working out funding for his extraction from the ice. He hints that a few big decisions will have to be made this week or the entire project could be jeopardized.

Good luck to everyone about to get underway. Enjoy the journey!

Outside Announces 2012 Travel Award Winners

Last week Outside magazine unveiled their 2012 Travel Award winners giving a nod to the best travel companies, tours, hotels, cameras and more. If you're still planning your adventures for the year ahead, you'll probably find some great ideas on this list.

One of the most prestigious awards on the list has to be the Best Travel Company, which was awarded to Geographic Expeditions, a company that has been in the business of adventure travel for more than 30 years. GeoEx offers great itineraries to some of the most remote locations on the planet and the company can take you to Everest, the Antarctic and beyond. Beyond that, Outside gives them props for their emphasis on safety and their work with local non-profits and NGO's as well.

Geographic Expeditions will no doubt take you to just about any destination you can think of, but there are a number of great trips spotlighted on Outside's list.  For example, their Best Off-the Beaten Path trip goes to Chiapas, Mexico, while their Best New Safari takes place in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Congo. The give a big thumbs up to a new trekking tour of the Tsum Valley, courtesy of Mountain Madness, naming it their Best Himalayan Trip and an amazing new Tour de France cycling experience gets the nod for Best New Biking Trip.

There is plenty more to discover on the list as well and they've even created an Adventure Travel Hall of Fame for destinations that remain great travel options on a yearly basis. I did something similar in recent years when writing my own "best trips" suggestions at Gadling.com, as places like Kilimanjaro, the Antarctic and Peru always deserve a place on these lists but sometime prevent other destinations from getting the credit they deserve as well.

2012 is still full of possibilities and there are some great travel bargains to be had. Outside's Travel Awards can help you fill up that bucket list and introduce you to some new options you probably didn't even know existed.

Norwegian Sailor Runs Into Trouble In The Antarctic Again!

Remember that Norwegian sailing ship called Berserk that sunk off the coast of Antarctica last year? The ship was operating in the Southern Ocean without proper permits when a major storm hit the region. Three crew members lost their lives in the accident, although the captain of the vessel, Jarle Andhoey, was actually on the Antarctic continent at the time. He and another man were attempting to travel illegally to the South Pole on ATV's and were unaware of the sinking of their ship until later. When he and his companion were later rescued, Andhoey faced a criminal investigation back in Norway and was ultimately fined $5000 for not having the proper permits or insurance to operate near Antarctica.

Fast forward a year and Andhoey seems to be up to his old tricks. According this story on Jon Bowermaster's website, the Norwegian sailor has returned to the Antarctic once again this year and has once again run into trouble. As of this writing, no one has seen or heard from Andhoey and his crew for nearly a week. One of the crew members did phone home to his wife using a satellite phone a few days back and reported that the ship had broken a mast and was out of diesel fuel and food, but after that there has been no direct contact with the vessel. A legal representative of Andhoey later confirmed that the ship, a 52-foot yacht named Nilaya, was in trouble and was attempting to make its way to an Argentinian base on Antarctica to seek help.

What exactly was this self-proclaimed "Viking" doing back in Antarctic waters this year? He claims he was headed back to conduct his own search for the Berserk, the ship that went missing a year ago. Of course, he was also once again operating without proper permits or insurance, which prompted officials from Norway to alter the authorities in New Zealand to keep their eyes peeled for the Nilaya.

As Jon reports in his story, Andhoey and his crew found no trace of the Berserk and were apparently attempting to reach Cape Horn and what they thought would be potential safety from prosecution in Argentina. Those waters are treacherous this time of year however and it seems that the ship has once again run into trouble and now one is sure of its whereabout at this time.

Back in January I had read about Andhoey's return to the Southern Ocean and his search for his missing ship. I had also read that he was most likely entering those waters illegally once again. At the time, I didn't want to give the guy any more publicity than he had already received. Of course, I didn't think that he could possibly run into trouble again this year, but apparently his reckless nature knows no bounds. If he were sailing solo I would simply chalk this up as someone who was too careless for his own good and say that he is only getting one he deserves. But Andhoey keeps putting the lives of others in danger as well and he may now be responsible for the deaths of several more people. If they do find him and his crew alive and adrift off the coast of Antarctica, I hope they make sure that he never sails anywhere again.

Video: Aurora Borealis in Timelapse

I think we'll close things off this week with this amazing video of the night skies over Norway where the unusually heavy solar activity this year have created some breathtaking images in the night sky. This is truly spectacular stuff to say the least.


Aurora Timelapse. Fire in the sky. from Anna Possberg on Vimeo.

Video: Ultrabook Temptations

Intel is looking to spread the word about the Ultrabook laptop designs which are being built by a variety of manufacturers and feature super-thin notebooks that are both powerful and have long lasting batteries. To that end, they've launched a "social experiment" to see what people will go through to earn one of the computers and they're calling this campaign Ultrabook Temptations.

One of the videos from the campaign can be found below. It was shot on Bondi Beach in Australia, where ten Ultrabooks were hidden in cases and visitors to the beach were encouraged to use a metal detector to find them. They also dropped in things like a kitchen sink or mannequin parts to throw those searching off the scent. The results were often kind of humorous. I especially liked the woman who was continually digging holes as she randomly looked for the prize.

What does this have to do with adventure? Not much exactly, but the videos are kind of charming and the Ultrabooks are fantastic for travel. I own one and love how thin and lightweight it is when I'm looking to pack as light as possible. Definitely worth a look if you're in the market for a new PC.

Everest 2012: Conrad Anker Leads Nat Geo/North Face Expedition

As I mentioned a few days back, we're just a few short weeks away from the start of another spring climbing season on Everest. Even now there are climbers across the globe who are busily packing their gear, making last minute arrangements and preparing to set out for Kathmandu. One of those climbers is Conrad Anker, who will lead an expedition sponsored by National Geographic and The North Face.

Anker and his team, which will include Corey Richards, Kris Erickson, Hilaree O’Neill, Emily Harrington and Sam Elias, will be taking on the West Ridge, which is a more technically challenging climb. The expedition looks to celebrate the first ascent of that route back in 1963 and Richards will film the entire climb for a documentary film project.

In support of the expedition, Nat Geo has launched a new website that has everything you would want to know about Everest and then some. That includes a great piece on how the gear used to climb the mountain has evolved over the past fifty years. The site's blog will also provide insights into the climb leading up to its start and will host dispatches and progress reports directly from the team starting around mid-Apriil. Even more extensive coverage will be available in real time directly from the National Geographic Magazine iPad app, which will be released on April 16. That is likely about the time that they'll be establishing Base Camp on the mountain.

In addition to climbing the mountain and documenting the ascent, the expedition team has some other goals in mind as well. They'll be working closely with a team of geologist who will be in BC throughout the expedition as well, taking samples from the region and exploring the unique geography and geology of the region. Some of that work will also be applied directly towards developing a new curriculum to be used with fifth graders.

This will be yet another exciting expedition to follow this season. The fact that Conrad is a part of this and Corey is filming means that we should get a good look at the West Ridge route, which is seldom seen and not nearly as well known as the routes along the North and South Faces, which are used so commonly.

Watch for updates from the team starting soon.

Deepsea Challenge: James Cameron To Dive The Mariana Trench

At 10,912 meters (35,800 ft) below sea level the Mariana Trench is the deepest point on our planet. It is so deep in fact that it has only been visited by humans once and that was back in 1960 when explorers Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard made the perilous voyage to the bottom of the sea. That means that more men have walked on the moon than have visited the trench, which is simply amazing when you think about it. Now, director James Cameron is planning on diving into the trench as well and, as you would expect, he plans to make a movie about the experience.

Last week Cameron completed testing of the specially designed and built submersible that he'll use on this dive. On the last test run he took the vehicle down to about five miles below the surface of the Earth and the equipment all checked out and performed to spec. Following that shakedown cruise he immediately traveled to Guam, where he is making the final preparations for his journey into the trench, which runs for more than 1500 miles along the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition is being called the Deepsea Challenge and Cameron has partnered with both National Geographic and Rolex on this endeavor. During the dive, he'll spend approximately five hours at the trench's lowest point, known as the Challenger Deep, where he hopes to gather a variety of samples to be used in a number of research projects. The voyage down and back up will take an additional 90 minutes in both directions and all the while he'll be filming the expedition in High Definition 3D. That footage will be used in a documentary, most likely for IMAX, sometime down the line.

There is no exact date yet set for the dive, but Cameron and his team are working towards launching the expedition in the near future. The video below gives us a bit of perspective on what he can expect as he makes this journey to the ocean's deepest point.

Skydiver Makes 13-Mile Test Jump

Felix Baumgartner is a skydiver who hopes to make a record setting jump later this year. Yesterday, in preparation for that attempt, he made a test jump from 13-miles in the sky. Baumgartner used a hot air balloon to carry a small capsule up to 71,580 feet then, wearing a pressure suit that looks like something an astronaut would use, he leapt into the air and eventually floated back to Earth.

Baumgartner was in free fall for three minutes 43 seconds and reached speeds in excess of 364 miles per hour. It took him eight minutes to complete the leap but he hopes to top that this summer when he'll raise the bar to 23 miles up.

Outside To Screen Three Climbing Films Online

Outside magazine has announced plans to screen three more climbing films online. The mag has held a couple of these sessions in the past, including a screening of Cold with filmmaker Corey Richards, but this is the first time they're hosting a triple-feature.

The screening is set to take place Thursday, March 22nd, at 7PM Mountain Time. That is exactly one week from today. Each of the three films come to us from the talented crew over at Sender Films and feature some very well known names in the adventure community. Those films include Swiss Machine, which features Ueli Steck climbing in the Alps and Himalaya; Fly or Die with Dean Potter, who deftly mixes free climbing and BASE Jumping; and Alone on the Wall which follows Alex Honnold as he attempts a freesolo of Half Dome in Yosemite.

After the films are shown there will be an online Q&A session that will include Ueli and Dean, as well as some of the cameramen and producers from Sender Films. All in all, it should be a fun way to spend an evening and having already seen a couple of these films, I can tell you that they are quite good. If you're interested in climbing and/or any of these three men, you'll definitely want to put Outside's online event on your calendar for next week.

Video: We Are Living In The Future

I came across this video earlier today and thought that it showed an amazing blend of technologies. It is an 11-minute long tech demo of a Microsoft Surface-powered interface for exploring space. For those who aren't familiar with Surface, it is a touch based interface that is designed to be used on displays that are integrated directly into a table. In this case it results in something right out of Minority Report with some amazing results.

Anyone who is interested in technology and space will immediately want to place an order for this thing. Cost is rumored to be about $8000.

Winter Climb Update: Search Called Off on GI

On Monday of this week I posted a story about three climbers who had gone missing while attempting a new route on Gasherbrum I. At the time, a number of mountaineers were gathering in Base Camp to begin searching the mountain for their missing friends, but bad weather was preventing the use of helicopters to aid in the search. Now, just a few days later, that search has been called off altogether and all hope is lost for the missing trio.

Last Thursday, Gerfried Goschl, Cedric Hahlen and Nisar Hussein all set off for the summit of GI in good weather. They were hoping to not only complete the new route but also the first winter ascent of the mountain and they even called home to say that they were only 450 meters from to top and that they felt confident that they would make it. The worst was behind them, or so they thought. What happened next will likely remain a mystery. The support team never heard from them again, although they held out hope that the battery could have simply died on their sat-phone.

The following day the talented Polish team that had also been working the mountain accomplished their goal of claiming the first winter summit of Gasherbrum I. When they returned, Adam Bielecki, Janusz Golab and their two Pakistani guides, Ali Sadpara and Shaheen Baig, claimed to have spotted Gerfried, Cedric, and Nisar from the summit. They said the three men were still climbing after they appeared to have bivouacked high on GI the night before. Presumably the tree men met an untimely fate after that.

Over the past couple of days, climbers have gone as high as Camp 2 on the normal GI route and have seen no sign of their companions. Had they been successful on the summit, the team was expected to descend along that path. Eventually the weather did clear, allowing the helicopters to join the search at last, but they too have turned up no trace of the missing men. So it was with heavy hearts today that the search teams announced that they were calling off the operation. They have accepted that Gerfried and company have succumbed to the mountain.

My condolences to the friends and families of these three men.

New Search Engine Helps Us Find Gear While Raising Funds for Charities

Mountain-Op.com is a newly launched search engine designed to help us find the best deals possible on new gear while simultaneously raising funds for charity and environmental causes. The site lets you search by the type of equipment you're looking for (backpack, boots, etc.), specific models or even brands, and then crawls the web looking for the best bargains for the criteria that you input. You can also simply browse the best deals of the day or by various categories as well.

When you make a purchase through Mountain-Op 25% of the profits go directly to a charity that the site has elected to help fund. Currently their proceeds are being given to an organization called Endless Abilities, which works allow able-bodied and disabled athletes compete with one another on a level playing field.

I took the new search in for a spin earlier and found that the actual search algorithm could use some work. I typed in a number of common search terms and didn't exactly get the results I was looking for. For instance, I searched for both "backpack" and "North Face" and the returned results offered a few items in those categories, they were far from the most prominent. Changing the display options to show the most "relevant" didn't really help clear that up either.

Questionable search results aside, the site did find some good bargains although I had to mostly browse for them on my own. Perhaps the search function is still being fine tuned and it will improve over time, but so far I've been unimpressed with that aspect of Mountain-Op.

I do however appreciate their approach of sharing the wealth with charitable or environmental organizations. If they get their search formula figured out it could be a good way to buy new gear while also contributing to a good cause at the same time.

North Pole 2012: Another Season Over Before It Begins?

Last year's North Pole season was a slow one, mostly because bad weather delayed the start for every team and an already tight window slammed shut before the season could truly get underway. This year things looked more promising as two teams were able to get out on the ice in relatively short fashion, but now it appear that bad weather, precarious conditions on the ice and delayed schedules could bring an end to the Arctic expeditions once again.

Earlier in the week we found out that the Irish team of Clare O'Leary and Mike O'Shea have decided to call off their journey to the North Pole, mainly due to logistical issues. Now it seems they aren't alone pulling the plug on their expedition, as ExWeb is reporting that Japanese solo-skier Yasunaga Ogita is also returning to Resolute Bay and the big Indian Army team isn't even going to start their planned mission to the Pole.

No reason is given as to why Yas has turned back, but a few days ago we learned that some of his equipment was damaged during one of the blizzards that recently hit Cape Discovery. It is possible that what ever is damaged is preventing him from continuing north. In the case of the Indian team, ExWeb says they decided to abort the expedition due to the bad weather and poor condition of the ice, as well as because their sleds were late in arriving in Resolute Bay. They hope to return next year and give it another try.

Unfortunately I suspect that this is a trend that will only continue in the years ahead. While I won't go so far as to suggest that we won't ever see teams making the journey to the North Pole again, I think it is becoming abundantly clear that an Arctic expedition is becoming increasingly more challenging things to climate change. The pack ice use to be incredibly solid and dependable, but now the open leads of water are becoming larger and more frequent, making the passage North much more difficult than it was in the past. If these trends continue, those conditions are going to make a full North Pole expedition nearly impossible in the years ahead.

There are still a few teams who are planning on going and once the Barneo Station opens at the beginning of April we'll have some teams making the journey, albeit along a shortened route, from the Russian side of the ice. For now we'll have to wait to see how everything fares, but it seems the 2012 North Pole season will be another very quiet one.

Iditarod 2012: Dallas Seavey Wins!

The 2012 Iditarod crowned a new champion yesterday when 25-year old Dallas Seavey crossed the finish line in Nome at approximately 7:30PM local time. He is the youngest person to ever win the event which is dubbed the "Last Great Race."

Seavey's victory comes after ten days of intense racing across a trail that is nearly a thousand miles in length. He finished exactly one hour ahead of his closest competior – Aliy Zirkle – who claimed second place. Late charging Ramey Smyth was third with Aaron Burmeister and Peter Kaiser finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Four other mushers have also made it to Nome including Dallas' father Mitch who finished the race in seventh place. Last year's champ John Baker ended in ninth.

At the moment there are still 44 other teams still out on the trail and several of those are expected to finish today. In that group are fan favorite DeeDee Jonrowe, currently running in 10th place, as well as Brent Sass and Yukon Quest champ Hugh Neff.

With the win, Dallas joins his dad as an Iditarod champ. Mitch won the race back in 2004. But more than that, the younger Seavey fulfills the promise that he has been showing over the last couple of years. Not only did he race very well in the Junior Iditarod a few years back, he also became the youngest person to win the Yukon Quest last year. Since first entering the Last Great Race at the age of 18 he has continued to improve his position every year. Following a fourth place finish last year, he was amongst the contenders heading into the 2012 edition of the race.

Congrats to Dallas, Aliy and Ramey on a great race to the finish and good luck to the remaining competitors who will continue to come in over the next few days.

Gear Closet: CamelBak All Clear

Travelers, hikers, and backpackers looking for an alternative method for purifying water while on the go have a fantastic new option from an unlikely source. CamelBak, the company that perfected the hydration pack, has recently released a new water bottle with a built in purification system. Dubbed the All Clear, this system uses ultraviolet light to kill 99.9% of all bacteria, viruses and parasites found in water, making it safe to drink no matter where you are.

The All Clear features a tough plastic 750 milliliter water bottle with a high tech lid that incorporates the ultraviolet light, a small LCD screen, and an on-off button. Travelers simply fill the bottle with water, screw the cap on and hit the power button. That will turn on the UV light and start a sixty second countdown timer. While that timer is ticking away, you simply rotate the bottle 180º to circulate the water, ensuring that all of the liquid is exposed to the bacteria killing rays. Once the timer stops the water is safe to drink.

UV purification systems obviously aren't new but what makes the All Clear unique is the fact that the light is integrated so nicely into the the lid of the water bottle. After all, we rarely go anywhere without a good water bottle these days and the fact that that same bottle can clear harmful bacteria from the water we drink is a convenience that is hard to deny.

CamelBak has integrated some other excellent features into the All Clear as well. For instance, the UV light is powered by a rechargeable batter that is good for about 80 uses before needing to be plugged in. The battery can also be charged via USB, which means it can be plugged directly into your computer, a battery pack or even a portable solar charger. That makes it perfect for those wanting to travel light. The USB charging cable is included and the package also includes a second lid – one that is more suitable for drinking – and a nice carrying case.

The All Clear is a well built and well designed purification system and it is difficult to find fault with it in any way. CamelBak has made it a snap to use and the powerful battery and light are good for 10,000 total purifications. The only real knock I have against the product is that the UV lid is a bit on the heavy side, especially when compared to the competition, although it is by no means particularly large.

If you're in the market for a new water purification system, and you're tired of using iodine tablets, then perhaps its time to move up to a UV solution. The All Clear from CamelBak is a fantastic option that costs just $99, which is a small price to pay to ensure the water you're drinking on the trail is safe.

Tip: I'd recommend using the bottle to purify several liters of water at one time, pouring each dose into a hydration bladder in your pack, and then stowing the bottle for future use. That way you have all the water you need for the day close at hand and you can hike for hours without having to find more.

Video: The Entire Universe is Connected

Recently the famous astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked what the most astounding fact about the universe was he gave the answer that you find in the video below. It is one of those things that will make you feel both incredibly humble and yet oddly comforted all at the same time. The images are simply breathtaking as well.

Thanks to the Best Hike blog for sharing. 

Everest 2012: A New Season Is Nearly Here!

Spring. Who doesn't love that season? It is a time for renewal. A time to put away the trappings of winter and prepare for the warmer months ahead. Of course, if you happen to be a blogger with a penchant for adventure, it also means a time to look to the Himalaya and the start of another climbing season. And while the start of that season is still a few weeks off, climbers and guides across the globe are busily putting the finishing touches on their preparation for an early April launch to their expeditions.

Of course, the mountain that is the biggest draw is also the tallest. Everest always holds an undeniable allure for mountaineers of all types, including the armchair variety. With that in mind, over the next few months we'll be hearing a lot about the teams climbing that peak, as well as a number of others in the region.

One of the expeditions that I'll be following closely this year is the First Ascent team that will attempt to recreate the 1963 American expedition that not only completed a traditional climb up the South Col, but also pioneered a new route along the seldom visited – and much more challenging – West Ridge. That expedition not only put the first American, Jim Whittaker, on the summit, it also featured the first traverse of an 8000 meter peak.

Later this spring, Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot will guide Leif Whittaker, the son of Jim, to the top of Everest via the South Col route. Meanwhile,  Jake Norton, Brent Bishop, Charley Mace, and Dave Morton will be tackling the West Ridge, which remains the most challenging climb on the mountain to this day. If successful, Hahn will notch his 14th summit of Everest, extending his record for the most climbs of the mountain by a non-Sherpa. Arnot can make history of her own, as a successful summit on her part would bring her total to four, the most by any non-Sherpani in history as well.

The two teams, along with many others, will be setting out for Nepal before the end of March. You can learn more about their plans by clicking here and follow their dispatches on the First Ascent blog.

Iditarod 2012: And Then There Were Three

The 2012 Iditarod will be decided today, we just don't know who will claim victory in Nome just yet. The frontrunners have arrived in White Mountain, which is just two checkpoints away from the finish and at the moment they are serving out a final mandatory 8 hour rest before they begin the final run to the end.

As I write this, Dallas Seavey is in first place with a one hour and 11 minute lead over Aliy Zirkle. Racing in third place is Ramey Smyth who is another 52 minutes back. Aaron Burmeister is the only other musher to reach White Mountain at this point and Peter Kaiser is currently holding down the fifth position on his way into the CP.

Once they have completed their mandatory rest, the teams will head back out onto the trail. That means Dallas will maintain his lead as they resume the race, but what happens after that is what will ultimately decide the outcome. The leg from White Mountain to Safety, the penultimate checkpoint, will be a challenging 55 miles in length and from there it will be just 22 miles to Nome.

The wildcard in the top three is Ramey, who struggled at the mid-point of this race but has come back very strong now. Smyth has bolted past a number of very good teams and is now in position to contend for the win, something that seemed unthinkable just a few days ago.

Now it all comes down to who has the fresher dogs and sets the right pace. Nome is close but there are still many miles to go until these teams are done. Trail tactics can still play a role in who will come out on top. No matter who wins however, it is going to be an exciting finish.

The winner should arrive in Nome sometime early evening today.

For more Iditarod coverage be sure to check-out the Iditablog.

Video: The Conquest of Everest

We all know the story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay becoming the first men to summit Everest, but this video is still just too great not to share. It is an hour plus long documentary that was put together not long after that historic climb and it is as much fun to watch for the nostalgia as it is for learning about the actual climb. This is definitely a throwback to a different era and well worth watching in its entirety. Great stuff!

Iditarod 2012: Frontrunners Begin Stretch Run for Nome

Things are heating up in this year's Iditarod as the front runners have managed to separate themselves a bit from the pack and are now preparing for the stretch run to Nome. Over the weekend the top contenders sparred with one anther out on the trail, but as the race enters its second week it appears they are now ready to push on to the finish line in what could be one of the most exciting finishes in quite some time.

As of this writing, 24-year old Dallas Seavey leads the race with Aliy Zirkle running a close second. The two mushers are the only racers who are in and out of the Koyuk checkpoint, although several other teams are currently resting there at the moment. Aaron Burmeister holds down the third spot on the leaderboard, with defending champ John Baker in fourth and Peter Kaiser currently in fifth. Mitch Seavey and Ramey Smyth are the only other two competitors to reach Koyuk and are ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

The Koyuk CP is officially listed as 852 miles into the race, which leaves just 123 more miles to go until Nome. At this point in the competition, each of those miles starts to become a very precious commodity as the racers start to jockey for position on the stretch run. Strategy will play a vital role here as they try to strike a balance between speed out on the trail and getting plenty of rest in the four remaining checkpoints. At the moment, any one of the top three or four racers can still win the Iditarod and is should be a very exciting finish for fans of the race.

There was one notable scratch over the weekend as four-time champ Jeff King was forced to withdraw yesterday when his dogs decided they had had enough. King and his team were reportedly 12 miles outside of Unalakleet when they simply stopped running and elected to just lay down in the snow. The experienced musher knew that there was something wrong and immediately called for a vehicle to pick up the dogs. The action is another indication of how much the racers care for their teams, as most would prefer to pull-out rather than risk the health of their teams.

Stay tuned for further updates. It is beginning to look like we will have a winner sometime tomorrow.

For more Iditarod coverage be sure to checkout the Iditablog!

North Pole 2012: Irish Team Headed Home

The 2012 North Pole season has been an incredibly trying one to say the least. Two teams were able to take advantage of a narrow weather window and get started on their expeditions, but that window soon slammed shut and Cape Discovery has been hit with successive blizzards ever since. Today we have word that one of those teams is calling it quits while the other is struggling with damaged equipment.

ExWeb is reporting that the Irish team of Clare O'Leary and Mike O'Shea have decided to abort their attempt to travel to the North Pole due to the expense that they would incur to cover the costs of their resupply along the way. Apparently the duo had hoped to share the costs for the planes with other teams, but since there are so few of them at the moment, those expenses were going to rise to the point that it didn't make sense for them to continue.

Clare and Mike have already turned around and are headed south, back to Cape Discovery, where they hope to be picked up by plane on Thursday or Friday of this week. As you can imagine, they are a bit dejected by the change in plan but they also don't want to bankrupt themselves in their attempt to reach the Pole.

The only other explorer out on the ice right now is Japanese solo-skier Yasunaga Ogita. Yas spent the weekend trying to avoid the storm as much as possible, but apparently he still suffered damage to some of his equipment. It isn't clear which pieces of gear were damaged and hopefully it isn't something that is critical to his expedition. As ExWeb points out, Yas is going to the North Pole without resupply which means the logistical costs that Clare and Mike faced won't have an impact on his journey.

Finally, ExWeb is also reporting that work on the Barneo ice station has begun for 2012 as well and the base is on track to open on April 2nd. For those who aren't familiar with Barneo, it is a temporary base that is constructed on the Russian side of the North Pole at approximately 89ºN. The base serves as a launching point for "last degree" journeys to the Pole and is used to retrieve skiers headed there as well. For 3-4 weeks each year it is a hub of activity for arctic expeditions that don't launch out of Canada.

Video: Snowboarding Across Switzerland

Professional snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue spent his February traveling through Switzerland where he rode the famous Glacier Express train and visited several top ski resorts to get some snowboarding in. The results are the beautiful video below that will leave you wanting to recreate the trip for yourself. Xavier and a group of friends traveled from Zermatt to St. Moritz and found some of the best powder in Europe along the way.


Xavier de Le Rue: jumping cliffs and train trip through Switzerland - TimeLineS02E04 from TimeLine Film on Vimeo.

Winter Climb Update: Climbers Still Missing On GI

Last Friday seemed like a triumphant day on Gasherbrum I, as the Polish team that has struggled on that  mountain for more than two months, notched the first winter ascent of the mountain. But the joy of that climb has been tempered with the fact that three climbers from another team have gone missing and there has been no news on there whereabouts for the past two days.

Late last week Gerfried Goschl, Cedric Hahlen and Nisar Hussein were the first to set out from Base Camp on GI to take advantage of a weather window that could give them access to the summit along a new route. Late in the day on Thursday they called home to report that they were just 450 meters (1476 ft) beneath the summit and that they felt good about their prospects of topping out. Their support team hasn't heard from them since.

When the Poles went to the summit along the normal route the following day, they reported that they saw the three climbers continuing their ascent along the mountains East Ridge. That was the last anyone has seen of the men and what has become of them after that remains a mystery.

The brief weather window has now closed and high winds and bitterly cold temperatures have returned to  the Gasherbrums. Those conditions have made if very difficult to launch a search and rescue mission at the moment, as all helicopters in the region have been grounded. There are a number of climbers standing by to begin the search, but for now they are waiting for a some kind of break in the weather. That break may not come for another few days.

Alex Txikon, who was part of the missing climbers' team, is back in Base Camp after his attempt to summit went awry late last week as well. He and Tamara Stys gave up on their GI climb but attempted to summit nearby Gasherbrum South, which wasn't successful either. It seems likely that the Basque climber will now try to lend some aid to finding his missing friends, but all further attempts to climb Gasherbrum I are done.

Finally, the Poles have posted a summit report from their successful climb last week, which you can read here. They also posted the video of the climb, which you can see below. It gives us an indication of how challenging the final push was and what kind of weather they were dealing with even at the end. Congrats to that team on a job well done.

Lets keep our fingers crossed for Gerfried, Cedric, and Nisar that they are found alive and well.