Himalaya Update: Rescue on Makalu!

ExWeb posted an update on Santiago Quintero, who earlier this week was reportedly suffering from altitude sickness and was stranded at Camp 3 on Makalu. Today Santiago was assisted down the mountain by a group of Sherpas and climbers, and is now resting in base camp.

Last Sunday the Ecuadorian climber reached the summit of Makalu without bottled oxygen. His ascent was quite rapid, as he arrived in Camp 3 at 6:30PM the night before, rested for four hours, then set off for the 12 hour climb to the summit. He arrived two hours ahead of the cut off time and spent some time at the summit. After that he began to experience the effects of HACE and had to be helped down the mountain to high camp by Ralf Dujmovits. He remained in Camp 3 for the past few days, where he received aid from other climbers, but it wasn't until today that an organized team was able to go up and help him down the mountain.

This isn't the first rough experience that Santiago has had in the mountains. Back in 2002 he contracted frostbite while on a solo climb of Aconcagua, and lost many of his toes. ExWeb notes that if he recovers fine from this episode on Makalu, he intends to go after K2 next year.

From the sound of things, everything is good now, and he should be begin to recover quite nicely now that he is back at lower altitudes. I'm glad to hear that he's down safe and sound and hopefully he'll recover fully soon so he can begin planning his K2 expedition. Get well Santiago!

Annapurna IV Expedition Update: It's Over!

The latest dispatch from the Annapurna IV Team indicates that their attempt to summit, and then make the first ski descent of the mountain, is over. Poor weather and plenty of snow made the decision easy for Josh and Ben, who were camped at 20,000 feet, and have been poised to make the final push today.

The original plan was for Ben Clark, Josh Butson, and Tim Clarke to summit the 24,680 foot Himalayan peak, and then ski it's North ridge back down, some 9000 feet of near vertical wonderland. Tim took ill a few days back and was forced to go back down the mountain to base camp, but Ben and Josh tried to give it another go. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. The area has been plagued with storms since their arrival in a soggy BC several weeks back, and the snow has continued to fly pretty much ever since.

The men turn back a bit let down, but still very happy for the time they spent on the mountain together. They enjoyed the technical challenge of the climb, and still got to ski plenty of the mountain as well. The dispatches, written by Ben, generally showed that they were in good spirits, and that they had a sense of wonder and excitement about the place they were visiting. That's not always the case in these kinds of expeditions, and it was always fun to read Ben's upbeat words.

Thankfully they're coming home safe and healthy. Sure they didn't bag the summit, but sometimes it's more about the journey rather than the destination. They seem quite content with their efforts, and happy for their time together. In the end, can you ask for anything more?

Everest 2008: Alan Arnette Begins Summit Bid!

Alan Arnette has posted his latest dispatch today, with the news that he hopes to begin his summit bid tomorrow, May 17th.

The schedule for Alan, and there rest of the Mountain Professionals Team, looks like this. Tomorrow they'll climb to C2, and on Sunday they''ll spend the day resting there. On Monday, the 19th, the team will move to C3 and on Tuesday they'll go up to C4 at the South Col. Once there, they'll start on supplemental oxygen, and spend the majority of the day resting, eating, and re-hydrating, as the prepare for the final push to the top. About 9 PM that night, they'll begin the ascent.

For Alan, this brings into a focus a full year of climbing. It was about this time last year that he first announced that he would be returning to Everest in an attempt to summit for a cause. And he's spent much of the past year raising funds, and awareness for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. At the time when he announced his return, Alan shared his plan with a few of us, and I was privileged to be included in that group. Since then, I've followed him as he went to Denali, Shisha Pangma, Aconcagua, and Orizaba in preparation for Everest. It's been my pleasure to get to know Alan better and share in his journey on the Road Back to Everest, and I can't wait to see him stand on top at long last. I know how hard he has worked, and I know how much this means to him on many different levels.

Climb safe Alan, and don't forget to look up from time to time, and take in the view on the way up.

Jake Norton and Conrad Anker Take Us Up Everest!

I've posted links to Jake Norton's MountainWorld Blog on numerous occasions, as Jake, who is a mountain guide and has been on Everest a number of times, always posts thoughtful and well written blog posts on many of the topics I like to cover. He's also an excellent photographer, and I appreciate his ability to capture magnificent shots from some amazing locations. It seems Jake has gone and outdone himself again, as he has posted a great video on his site that takes us up the North Side of Everest, using his amazing photos. As if that wasn't enough, the narrator for our little virtual journey is none other than Conrad Anker.

Apparently the video was put together in conjunction with NPR and their show The World which is amongst my favorite programs. They were doing a piece on Everest, no doubt for coverage of the Olympic Torch, and asked Conrad to lend his voice, and Conrad suggested they use images from Jake.

The results can be seen and heard here, and speak for themselves. Really amazing stuff.

Ten Uncrowded National Parks

Forbes Traveler is back again today with another great list for those of us planning an adventure getaway soon. This time it's their 10 Uncrowded National Park Gems.

As the name implies, every one of the places on the list is a U.S. National Park, and they make the list because they are amongst the least visited of all the parks. A place like Yellowstone, perhaps the most iconic of National Parks in the United States, gets over 3.1 million visitors each year, and the traffic jams can be legendary. That won't be the case with these ten parks however, as you're likely to have the place mostly to yourself.

Amongst the places on the list are Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, which offers hikers the chance to wander from the Oregon Dunes to the hilly forests of hemlock with fir and spruce trees. Looking for something a bit more challenging? Then check out Black Canyon at the Gunnison National Monument in Colorado. The canyon was carved by the Gunnison River, which drops at a rate of 95 feet per mile, offering up amazing white water, while the rock walls beacon to climbers. Heading to Alaska but want an alternative to Denali National Park? Then check out Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. The highlight of the trip will be a six mile wide collapsed cinder cone left over from the volcanic activity that war prevalent here 3500 years ago. Best way to get their? By float plane that will land on nearby Surprise Lake.

There are some great suggestions on the list, and most regions of the U.S. are represented with something that is within a day or two driving distance. One other suggestion I'd add to the list would be Big Bend National Park, located here in Texas. It's huge with more than 800,000 acres of remote backcountry, and seldom visited except for a few peak times throughout the year. Chances are, you'll find a lot of seclusion in Big Bend.

Summit The Highest Peak In Your State For A Cause!

I caught this story over at Trailspace today and thought it was a good event for a good cause.

It seems that the American Foundation for Children with AIDS is organizing an event called Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up in which we are all encouraged to climb the highest peak in one of the 50 United States to raise funds and awareness for children who have AIDS.

In the Summer Summit Challenge, participants will be asked to raise $115 in sponsor money as an individual, or $5000 as a team, and then attempt their "summit" between June 27th and July 6th of this year. The money raised will be used to purchase medical and supplies for kids living in Africa who are afflicted with the HIV virus.

If you would like to join in, just go to this age and sign up. Before hand, you may want to have a look at this page however as it lists the tallest peak in all 50 states. You might want to know what you're getting yourself into ahead of time. ;) For instance, in Alaska you'll be facing the fearsome Denali, which stands 20,320 feet in height and is a challenging mountaineering climb. On the other hand, if you live in Illinois, you'll be topping out on Charles Mound at just 1235 feet. Does a place with "mound" in the title really have a summit? Maybe those climbers should have to go up twice or something.

Anyway, it's for a great cause, and obviously there are challenges here for all skill levels. Back in my home state of Iowa, I'd be facing the 1670 foot Hawkeye Point, but here in Texas it's the slightly more daunting Guadalupe Peak at 8749 feet. Hmm... maybe I should schedule a trip home that weekend.

North Pole 2008: Barneo Camp Closed for the Season

ThePoles.com is reporting that the Barneo Camp has closed for the 2008 season bringing to an end the Arctic expeditions for this year and signaling the approach of summer in the northern hemisphere.

It was a fairly quiet season for the North Pole in 2008. The two big expeditions were derailed fairly early on, as Hannah McKeand was sent home with an injury and Ben Saunders had to abandon his solo bid for the speed record following equipment failure. There were a few "Last Degree" North Pole journeys of course, but they're generally reserved for the adventure tourist with plenty of cash.

Barneo saw plenty of action however, as it was barely open for business when Matvey Shparo and Boris Smolin blew into town, fresh from their expedition to the North Pole, the first ever completed entirely in winter and darkness. When Mat and Boris were plucked from the Pole they had a lay over at Barneo before returning to Moscow, and then presumably some place tropical.

Participants in the Arctic Marathon also dropped by and used Barneo as their base of operations while they ran the "World's Coolest Marathon". Reports are they shredded up the floor of the mess tent while they were there as well, forcing a complete rebuild of the site.

ThePoles.com has a more through overview of the season with more highlight, and lowlights for that matter. Needless to say, while the North Pole was mostly quiet this year, Barneo was still quite active. For those that don't know, it is the camp site from which most arctic expeditions from the European side of the Atlantic begin. It's located roughly 60 miles from the North Pole, and has to be rebuilt each year thanks to the shifting of the ice. Usually a bulldozer is airlifted in clear the area and to build a runway for planes to land on the ice to delver supplies and people. A tent city follow not long after, and the season officially gets underway.

With it's closure, the 2008 season is pretty much over, and we'll have to look towards 2009 to see if Hannah, Ben, or anyone else attempts another big expedition up top.

The Rest of Everest: Episode 82

Wednesday brings us another great episode of The Rest of Everest as our journey along with Jon Miller and Scott Jacobs through Tibet and eventually culminating with a visit to Everest Base Camp on the North Side.

The episode begins with us still in Shegar, a small town along the road to BC. Jon opens the show with a demonstration of how mens and women's bathrooms are the same around the world, no matter how primitive and remote the facilities are. From there it's on to a tea house to see the inside of one of the traditional tourist inns.

Later we get a shot of Lobsang, Jon and Scott's guide, and their driver, enjoying the Rest of Everest podcast on Jon's video iPod. The two men seem to quite enjoy the show as they catch up on some of the older episodes, and in an art imitates life imitates art moment, we get new video footage for the Rest of Everest, of two people in Tibet watching the Rest of Everest. Does all that makes sense? ;)

Other highlights of the episode include the world's most pathetic cat, outside of my own of course, begging for dinner from Scott, and the famous sign showing the turn off to Everest. Which means we're getting close to the destination. The mountain is nearly in sight, and it won't be long until we're there.

Jon ends the episode by saying that next week we will indeed see the mountain, but these Tibetan episodes help to underscore what kind of journey the climbers go through just to get to the mountain. At this point, Jon and Scott are in their 11th day of their trip, and they still haven't seen the mountain. Not long now though. Not long now.

Indiana Jones' Favorite Destinations

With the release of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull next week, it seems that Indy fever has hit the web as we all anticipate another adventure with our favorite archeologist.

Not to be left out, Forbes Traveler has put together another one of their great slide shows, this time with the Indiana Jones' Favorite Destinations. The list is filled with the exotic places that Indy has visited in the three feature films released so far. Places that have inspired a generation of adventure travelers you can be sure.

The list starts off in Choquequirao, Peru of course, as where else would you start a list of places that Indy has visited. We got our first glimpse of the man in the fedora in the jungles of Peru when he went searching for a golden idol in a the lost ruins of an Inca temple. From there it's on to Kathmandu and then Egypt, where you can search for your own treasures even to this day.

The rest of the list covers the remaining movies and even speculates on a location from Crystal Skull. It's a fun list and great reminder of all the places that Indy has visited that you just might want to as well. I know that part of the reason I wanted to visit Egypt as a kid was because I saw Indy there in Raiders. Visiting it for myself was amazing though, and I nearly recreated one of the scenes in the film when I got lost one night in the Khan EL Khalili Bazaar. Of course that's a story for another time, but lets just say I wished I had a trusty bullwhip with me at the time. ;)

Top 7: Adventure Mistakes

Here's a great little list from Adventure Journey. It's the latest in their series of "Top 7" lists, and this one is the Top 7 Adventure Mistakes.

We've all been there. Off on some far flung adventure when we over, or under, estimate something, or we're not paying attention to directions, or horribly distracted by the wonderful scenery forcing us to make some silly mistake that we wish we hadn't. For example, number 6 on the list is "Getting Ripped Off". Who hasn't been over charged for something they purchased while abroad or taken to the cleaners by a taxi driver who threatens to never return you to civilization if you don't pay his exorbitant fees.

Other items on the list include not learning a few phrases of the native language of the place your visiting, not reading a bit of history on the location, and not getting out of the cities and seeing there real countryside. Quite honestly though, these never been issues for me, as they are always included in my travel planning.

Quite frankly the items on this list are not really ones that a seasoned traveler, especially an adventure traveler, would make. They're more like common mistakes for beginners. Still, they are a good list to remind us all of things to keep in mind before we head out somewhere. After all, you wouldn't want to take off on that dream vacation and have something go horribly wrong because you forgot to learn how to order beer in the native language. That one is very important, no matter where you are going.

Everest and Himalaya Update: Maxut Makes It 12!

We have a rash of updates today from the Himalaya with all kinds of news. We'll start with ExWeb who brings us one of their traditional Himalayan Updates that we've all come to know and love.

First up, ExWeb is reporting that Maxut Zhumayev has topped out on Manaslu, claiming his 12th 8000m peak in the process. Max called his wife Olga from the summit at 10 AM local time to share the good news. It is reported that he was breaking trail most of the way, and arrived at the summit alone, with several other teams struggling behind him. Max has once again shown why he is amongst the premiere mountaineers in the world, and now he has just two summits left to join the elite club of men who have topped out on all 14 8-thousanders. Congrats on a job well done Max!

The news isn't so good on Makalu where there are reports that Santiago Quintero may be stranded at C3. The Ecuadorian climber summitted on May 11th, but had to be helped down the mountain by Ralf Dujmovits, who managed to get him back to C3. He's been there ever since and been cared for by Argentinean Hernan Wilke. Preliminary reports are that two Sherpas have gone up the mountain to try to help Santiago down, but we have no definitive word about what exactly is his state of health. Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll update as more becomes known.

On Lhotse, Brian Oestrike's climb is going according to schedule. He's currently back in Dingboche, where he'll rest and recuperate for a few days before making his final summit push. He's eyeing a projected weather window for around the 20th of the month, and reports that he is strong and healthy, despite making a climb nearly to the Yellow Band just two days ago. Brian is climbing to test out new gear from his sponsor Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems who are working on a system to help climbers acclimatize even when not at altitude.

Meanwhile, the Peak Freaks have updated their dispatches from Everest once again, and they're saying that the team is doing well, and there are climbers in a number of spots on the mountain, but that they don't anticipate a summit bid until the 17th or 18th. They also note that the Indian Army Team are probably in the best position to actually reach the summit first on the 17th, while most of the other teams are waiting for a predicted weather window that should arrive around the 20th of the month. Living at altitude has begun to take it's toll however, as they report that climbers have started to lose weight and soon that will effect stamina as well.

IMG's latest Everest reports indicate that they are just about finished stocking Camps 3 and 4 and will do so over the next few days. Once that is complete, they'll be set to begin their summit bids, which should put them on schedule with the Peak Freaks to possibly go up as soon as this weekend.

It looks like it's going to be a very busy weekend with the first round of summits on Everest coming as early as Saturday. Otherwise we'll be looking at mid-week next week before teams start topping out. Hopefully the weather holds, the traffic jams aren't awful, and everything goes according to schedule.

Mellow Johnny's Grand Opening Report

Last week I mentioned that Lance Armstrong was opening a new bike shop in Austin, Texas called Mellow Johnny's. The shop is designed to infuse bike culture in Austin, and has some unique aspects to it that will make it a cool place to hang out for cycling crowd. For instance, there is an in-house coffee shop, and a place to sit and watch as the mechanics go to work on your bike.

The Outside Blog got to drop by and take in the grand opening festivities this weekend, including some time with Lance, and have posted their thoughts on the new shop here. There is also a video interview with Lance himself as he talks about his vision of a cool bike shop and where he'd like to go with it in the future.

After reading this article, and hearing about the cool things they go to do this past weekend, I have to first ask: Why wasn't I invited? Seriously Lance, I live right here in Austin. I'm sure it was just an oversight though. You can make it up to me with a private interview. ;)

I actually did drive by the shop this weekend, but when I went by Saturday morning it didn't appear to be open just yet. I'll probably drop in soon to check out all the cool gear and the bikes I can't afford. Should be a fun new addition to the already eclectic atmosphere in downtown Austin.

Now seriously Lance, give me a call.

Thoughts On Storm Over Everest

So did anyone else catch Storm Over Everest last night? It aired for two hours in prime time, and was some of the best television I've seen in a quite a long time.

The show was filmmaker David Breashears' return to Mt. Everest to take a closer look at the events that took place on the mountain back in 1996. The story is told through limited narration by Breaashears himself, and interviews with a number of the survivors, and some dramatic recreations of the events, interspersed between amazing photos and video of Everest itself.

The survivors, who told their tales in a very compelling fashion included the likes of Michael Groom, Beck Weathers, Charlotte Fox, Sandy Hill, Makalu Gau, and many more. Listening to them talk about their various experiences was mesmerizing at times, even though I've heard some of them talk about it in the past. It seems that they were more willing to open up now, since so much time has passed, and share what they were going through.

The film was very well edited and offered a flair for the dramatic, as the events unfolded on screen, with images and footage to complement the stories being told. It was all shot in high def as well, which made for a stunning visual of what life on Everest is like. It was, for the most part, a fairly straight forward telling of the events, with the first hand accounts of the climbers, and there was really no blame being placed on anyone or attempts to make it seem like it was the fault of any particular person. More like a series of unfortunate circumstances.

Personally, I thought the show was great. It was riveting to watch, and I can't recall ever seeing so many of the climbers in one show at the same time. It was a quick two hours of television and definitely brilliant filmmaking out of Breashears whose track record speaks for itself.

So? Who watched? Post your impressions in the comments section. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Or, if you missed it, you can catch the whole thing online, so go watch it and come back and report in! :)

Top 10 Extreme Vacations

Shermans Travel has whipped up a list of the Top 10 Extreme Vacations and posted them on MSNBC.com for us all to read. What makes "Shermans Travel" an authority on "extreme vacations" you might ask? Good question, and I'm not really sure either. They are a travel deal site, but not sure that constitutes them being an authority.

Well, lets take a look at the list and see how they did. A quick glance at the list tells you that they went fairly broad in the definition of an extreme vacation, but they do have some great suggestions. For instance, coming in at Number 10 on the list is a "Titanic Dive", which does indeed sound rather cool. Who wouldn't want to explorer the legendary "unsinkable" ship up close and personal. So far so good, the list is off to a great start.

Next up at number 9 is a "stunt vacation" for those who fancy a job as a stuntman in Hollywood. Hmm... that one doesn't appeal to me so much, but I guess I can see where it would others. The next three items are all good, as Spelunking, Space Travel, and Shark Diving make the list at 8, 7, and 6 respectively. Space travel in particular is pretty extreme considering it's really not readily available for tourists yet. But if it's clocking in at number 7, the top five slots must be really EXTREME!!!!

Checking out the top five we get started with Sandboarding, which is kind of cool. Like snowboarding, but without the cold weather and, well, the snow. Number 4 "Mountain Climbing", with Everest being their example. Okay, I'll grant them this one is pretty extreme. Heli-skiing takes the number 3 spot, and number 2 goes to a Gorilla Safari in Rwanda. Both very cool and adventurous. I can live with both of those. So far the list isn't bad.

But, they kind of ruin it with their final choice. Topping the list, coming it at number 1 on the most "Extreme Vacations" is... *drum roll*... Drag racing. *crickets chirping*. Ok. They kind of lost me there. Drag racing? Seriously? To each their own I suppose. I might not have even minded if this were on the list but lower. But how is this a more extreme vacation than say Everest or going into space? Definitely odd.

Thanks to Sierra Blogging Post for alerting me to this EXTREME list!

Travel Nightmares!

Do you have a particularly bad travel story? Dare I say a nightmare? The Times Online is asking for us to share our holiday nightmares to that we can find solace in our misery.

To get the stories flowing, they've posted four tales of travel woe that will either leave you saying: "Oh yeah?!? I can top that..." or "Wow! That sucks! Glad it wasn't me!". Each of the four stories have a few things in common. For instance, they all take place in amazing, exotic and distant locals that I"m sure we'd all love to visit. They also involve a story of some misfortune that is only more exasperated by the fact that you're in some amazing, exotic and distant local.

The stories start off with a tale of star crossed lovers who must part ways, but not before spending one last night together on an remote and beautiful beach. The trouble? Well the manage to snap the key for the car off in the door, leaving them stranded on that remote and beautiful beach. From there we get a story of gastric distress made all the worse by a lovely ferry ride to Zanzibar. Next up comes the crazy story of a bus crash in Nepal, in which everyone walked away alive, if a bit beaten up, including a goat scheduled for sacrifice but granted a stay of execution thanks to the good will of the gods. And finally we have a tale about getting mugged in France, and finding your way home, despite being without money or shoes.

All in all, some great travel stories, and if you've traveled extensively, I'm sure you have similar tales to tell and can sympathize with these. My worst story is contracting the "Curse of the Pharaohs", for the second time in a little over a week no less, while in Cairo, and facing a 12 hour plane flight home. Good times! ;)

Have your own Holiday Nightmares to share? Then click here and post your story.

High Crimes In The Himalaya?

A couple of interesting, and at the same time, sad stories today of alleged crimes in the Himalaya.

First, we have a strange story over at MountEverest.net about a possible murder on Makalu. It seems that a few weeks back the Expedition Andalusia Team was fixing ropes and setting high camps on the mountain when one of their Sherpa guides slipped and fell more than 100 meters to his death. The team, both climbers and guides, spent some time retrieving the body and lowering it down the mountain. Later they attempt to arrange for a helicopter to fly to base camp and ferry the body back to Lukla, but when those attempt failed, the simply buried their fallen comrade in the ground, not far from base camp.

The team decided to return to Lukla, for what reason it is a bit unclear, but perhaps they were looking to rest and recuperate before making their final summit push. However, upon reaching that city, one of the porters told authorities there that the dead man had been pushed off the mountain by his companions. This resulted in five of the porters being arrested and thrown in jail and the team was not allowed to leave Lukla while the accusations were investigated.

All of this occurred around May 2nd, and the team had been sitting and waiting there since that time. On May 11th they were allowed to return to Makalu and finally reached base camp once more. They intend to finish their climb, and are hoping that their high camps are still in place, as they had set everything up to Camp 4 at 7700m.

Right now we have no word on whether or not there is an ongoing investigation as to what happened on the Makalu. Was the man pushed or did he simply slip as was first reported? We may never know for sure, but it's scary to think about the entire situation.

Thanks to The Adventurist for bringing this one to my attention. You can read his comments on the affair here.

If a little murder mystery wasn't enough to get you to break out your Junior CSI Kit, how does extortion sound? According to this article over at the New Zealand version ofStuff Magazine's website, Adventure Tour Managing Director Gary Cotter claims that teams in Everest BC on the South Side were forced to pay for the food and fuel of military personal that were stationed there. Cotter claims his group alone paid more than $2000 to feed the Nepalese soldiers, who were there to insure that the teams didn't break the strict code of rules set down at the beginning of the season.

Cotter went on to claim that the soldiers treated everyone as "potential terrorists" and was also quoted as saying: "It is insane. We have paid to cover the costs of the food and fuel for these guys. It is extortion to pay for your own persecutors."

Adventure Tours, which operates out of New Zealand, has 11 climbers and 33 Sherpa on Everest presently. The group has paid $110,000 for climbing permits and have played by the rules that the Nepali Government set fourth, but according to Cotter those rules "changed on a daily basis" in BC where the military did what ever they wanted.

This article was written back on May 5th, before the Chinese summit and lifting of the communications ban. I'm willing to bet we're going to hear a lot more of these types of stories once the climbers are off the mountain and out of Nepal. Many of them are ready to speak, but don't feel safe doing so just yet, fearing that if they spoke out they could have their own permits yanked and they could be sent home without a chance to climb, and a lot lighter in the wallet.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The stories that we'll begin to hear in a few weeks time are going to be really interesting. I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that this isn't the last report like this we'll see. Thanks to Outdoor Ed for this one.

Himalaya Update: Summits!!

The past few days have seen some good activity on the other Himalayan peaks. Remember those? The ones not called "Everest"?
ExWeb brings us an update.

It seems that there were several summits to celebrate over the weekend, not the least of which was Juanito Oiarzabal topping out with Pasang Nuru Sherpa and Roberto Rojo on Makalu. The three men have already returned to base camp, but the climb has left it's mark, as Juanito is showing the effects of frostbite. Having suffered from the affliction in the past, he is more susceptible to it now, and once again he is threatened with the loss of more toes. A small price to pay however for claiming his astonishing 22nd 8000m peak. Amazing work Juanito, hope the toes thaw properly.

Expect more summits on Makalu soon, as the word is that Brazilians Waldemar Niclevicz and Irivan Burda, Argentinean Hernán and Ecuadorian Santiago Quintero have all moved up to C3 and should be making their summit bids at any time in the next day or so.

Meanwhile, over on Dhaulagiri, the mountain where the summit parties never end, comes the news that the Polish Team has also topped out yesterday. Artur Hajzer and Robert Szymczak reached the top at approximately 2:45PM. More news on the team is expected one they reach BC, and they were headed for C3 at the time of their last report, so it's likely they are already back down the mountain.

Carlos Pauner and Javier Pérez are on their way to the Khumbu Valley, as they are hoping to take advantage of their acclimatization on Dhaulagiri to go for a rare double-header. After reaching the summit of Dhaula a few weeks back, they'll now pit their skills against Lhotse as well. They are expected in Kathmandu tomorrow, and from their they'll head to Everest BC where they hope to make one long, alpine style, attempt on the summit. Good luck guys!

Finally, over on Annapurna, Iñaki Ochoa and his partner Horia Colibasanu, have announced that they will no longer be climbing with Don Bowie. It seems there has been some kind of personal falling out between the men, with Iñaki saying: "ue to irreconcilable differences, Horia Colibasanu and I have decided not to continue climbing on Annapurna with Canadian Don Bowie, who has not been up to the level of demand required and has thus upset our trust in him". Harsh words coming from one of the top climbers in the world. Iñaki and Horia hope to make their own summit bid in just a few short days if the weather cooperates.

Reminder: Storm Over Everest Premieres Tomorrow Night

I first mentioned this a few weeks back but I wanted to remind everyone that David Breashears' Storm Over Everest appears tomorrow night as part of the long running Frontline series on PBS. The show is set to air from 9PM to 11PM EDT, so check your local listing to be sure it's airing in your area.

The film marks Breashears' return to Everest to recount the events that occurred there in 1996, the year that saw eight people die on the mountain, including experienced guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher. Breashears was on the mountain that year to film an IMAX movie, but he ended up aiding in the rescue efforts as well. Now, he'll be sharing his stories and those of some of the other survivors in what promises to be one interesting and intense two hour program.

Set your DVR's, set your VCR's (Do people still use them?), or set your butt on the couch to catch this one. Should be good stuff. A sneak peek can be found below. It's the same as the one I posted last time, but if you haven't seen it yet, it'll definitely give you an idea of what to expect.

Ed Viesturs and John Stetson Complete Their Arctic Trek

Yesterday Ed Viesturs and John Stetson completed their two week arctic odyssey by returning to Pond Inlet, the starting point of their adventure on Baffin Island. You can read or listen to their final dispatch here.

The two set off with two purposes in mind. First, the wanted to explore the effects of climate change on the Baffin Island region by taking measurements of key conditions while they traveled and by speaking directly to the Inuit people that inhabit the region to find out how their lives have changed already. The second objective was to test their equipment for a possible future trip to the South Pole, and judging from this final dispatch, it seems it was at least successful in doing that. Ed notes that their shakedown cruise allowed them to see what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be changed before they would embark on any expedition at the South Pole.

The initial plan was for the guys to cover around 150 miles on their journey, but a couple of storm days made it difficult going, and they were forced to shorten things up some. In the end, their GPS told them they had traveled 107 miles before they returned to their starting point. Still no small feat when you're dragging a heavy sledge behind you and battling snow and icy conditions over uneven and challenging terrain.

Ed is of course the first, and at this point only, American to have climbed all 14 of the 8000m peaks without oxygen. He is one of the premiere mountaineers in the world and has climbed and guided all over the globe. John Stetson is a renowned arctic explorer and dog musher who is also very respected. The two have yet to announce official plans for a South Pole expedition, but reading between the lines in these dispatches, and sounds like it could be a very distinct possibility. I guess we'll just have to stay tuned to see if Ed and John have another big adventure planned together.

Everest 2008: Schedules Set!

With the communications ban lifted, we've finally started to hear more from Everest this past week. The May 8th summit by the Chinese caught a few off guard, and some had to scramble back to base camp after having gone down the Khumbu Valley for a few days of relaxation in one of the small villages there. Now that it's back to business as usual on the world's tallest mountain, we at last have some idea on when we can expect to see some summits.

The Peak Freaks Team have posted that they have climbed up to C2, where they've been resting for a day or two, and intend to go up to C3 first thing tomorrow morning. They intend to spend one night at C3, then retreat to either C2 or base camp, depending on how they feel. They'll begin their summit push on May 17th, this coming Saturday, if the weather holds and everything goes as expected. The Peak Freaks were the first team in BC at the start of the season, but by now I'm guessing that everyone is pretty much on equal footing when it comes to acclimatization and preparedness, so you can guess that there are a number of teams on this schedule. Expect to start seeing summits as early as next weekend!

Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the rest of the Everest Challenge Team are already in C3 according to their latest dispatch. The reached C2 on Saturday and endured a night of heavy snow fall before making their push to the higher camp. They'll like spend the night there today before proceeding back down. Everyone is reportedly in good health, and feeling fine. Tomorrow they'll descend to BC, which they note is presently empty, and wait for their weather window.

Alan Arnette is telling a very similar story to the ones above in his latest dispatches as well. He arrived in C3 yesterday, doing so in his best time and condition ever. This is Alan's third trip to Everest, and it would be his first successful summit. But this time, he climbs with a purpose as he has worked for more than a year to raise awareness and funds for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. The year of preparation seems to have served him well, as Alan as been consistently upbeat and very positive in his written and audio dispatches. He did note that the traffic on the Lhotse face was quite bad on his way up, but while he waited for his turn past one of the bottlenecks, he caught great views of the Yellow Band and Geneva Spur above the team. He estimates that they'll be climbing those spots in another 10-12 days, which gives you an idea of his teams schedule for making their summit bid as well.

Speaking of Lhotse, the climbers on that peak have been effected by the BC veil of silence as well, and we're finally beginning to hear about their climbs too. Remember, Everest and Lhotse climbers share the same base camp and the first three camps up the mountain before they part ways.

Brian Oestrike is on Lhotse, climbing to test out some new gear for his sponsor Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems. His dispatches have begun flowing again since the Chinese summit as well. Brian is currently making his way to C2, where he'll spend 4-5 nights in his acclimatization process before moving up to C3, then proceed up to C4 just long enough to turn around and head back to C3 for a night. After that, he'll descend all the way to Deboche where he'll rest for a few days, then begin his summit push. The Sherpas expect to have the ropes fixed to the summit by the end of this week.

There you have it. I guess we now have a rough idea of when we can expect teams to begin summitting. It won't be long now as long as the predicted weather window opens as expected later in the week.

Book Review: Riding The Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean

Adventure Travel has become one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Veteran travelers are increasingly searching for new and different experiences when they go abroad. More often than not, they're looking to get off the beaten path, and away from the typical tourist crowd, to see their destination in a unique way. These are the travelers who take the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu rather than hopping the train. They sleep in Himalayan teahouses, they visit remote places, and when they come home, they're already planning their next getaway. Usually to some place even more remote and adventurous than the one they just visted.

Riding The Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean is a new book, from National Geographic, written with adventure travelers in mind. The book is a collection of 50 of the best adventures from around the globe. Some of them are tried and true adventure travel classics, while others are new and take place in emerging adventure destinations.

The books is written by Don Mankin and Shannon Stowell (along with a group of contributing travel writers), and comes with a forward penned by Richard Branson. Hulahula is broken down into sections for various regions around the planet. Each region then has several suggestions for a great adventure travel experience somewhere in that area. For instance, when you reference the section on Asia, you'll find such suggestions as trekking in Bhutan or wildlife spotting and cultural exploration in India. Flipping over to the section on Europe offers tips for cycling through Tuscany and hiking the Pyrenees in Spain.

The Introduction to the book is an excellent resource for anyone about to embark on one of these journeys. It offers up all kind of tips for the experienced traveler and newby alike. For instance, it makes suggestions on getting in shape for you adventure, buying travel insurance, and things to bring on your trip. The last section can prove invaluable to someone who hasn't experienced travel in a remote location before. For instance, when traveling to Disney World you generally don't need to worry about bringing your own toilet paper. Making a journey through rural China may be a different story.

Each chapter focuses on one of these adventures, and opens with a brief intro to the location in which it takes place. From there you'll find a trip description which goes into a bit more detail on what the adventure entails, including a first hand account of the author's experiences, which helps to make a more personal impression on the reader.

From there, we find sections on "Why Go" that helps to define, in the most basic terms, what appeals most about the trip. The section labeled "Special Issues and Challenges" offers a few things to keep in mind before heading off on these adventures, which can be quite demanding on a physical and emotional level. The "Variations and Options" portion of the chapter will suggest some additions or changes that will allow you to personalize the adventure to suit your own tastes. "Resources and Information" closes the chapter and lists prices, tour operators and websites for finding more information.

Of course the real highlight of the book are the amazing trips that the authors recommend. These adventures range from active to extremely active. These are not trips for the traveler who prefers to sit on the beach for a week. They're for the person who wants to pack everything they possibly can into their vacation, and come home exhausted and happy.

Adventure travelers will go kayaking, both fresh water and on the sea. They'll go backpacking, trekking, and cycling as they explore every corner of the globe, and along the way they'll have cultural and spiritual adventures to go along with all adrenaline fueled ones that they'll enjoy as well. They'll go on walking safaris in Africa and take in the culture and history of Greenland, while glacier hiking. There are options to visit remote jungle tribes in Papua New Guinea or exploring Copper Canyon in Mexico by Rail. And of course, there is the title adventure. You can always ride the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean, which in this case refers to kayaking the Hulahula River out of the Brooks Mountains in Northern Alaska. An 11 day adventure that winds it's way through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Once you've worked your way through the initial 50 trips however, the fun isn't done just yet. The latter half of the book offers up another 26 trips, described more briefly than the original batch. There is also an analytical look at where adventure travel is headed, both geographically and philosophically. This section of the book takes a nice look at ecotourism, sustainable travel, and volunteer vacations that allow you to have as much of an impact on the places you visit as they do on you.

Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean attempts to be a guidebook for adventurer travelers, and for the most part, I'd say it succeeds. It covers a lot of ground in it's 304 pages and serves as a really great reference for the seasoned traveler who is looking for something a little different. There were times when I wished that the book provided a bit more detail on the various trips it describes, but on the other hand it always provided direction to find more info on your own, and part of the theme of the book is exploration. The descriptions are very well written though, and always stir the imagination and serve their purpose of inspiring us to travel to those locations.

One word of warning about this book however. Hulahula will be dangerous to your "Life List". If you thought that you were whittling away at all those things you wanted to accomplish, then you may want to stray away from this one. Hulahula is pretty much guaranteed to add new items to that liast, thus extending it even further. If, on the other hand, you have no problem with the fact that your Life List should be an ever expanding and changing work in progress, than this is the book for you. My personal list certainly grew while reading the book, and that's a alone should earn it a place in your travel library.

Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean will be available Tuesday, May 20th from National Geographic Books. Cover price for this trade paperback is $18.95.

Primal Quest News

With just over 40 days to go until the Primal Quest Montana there have been a few new developments to report on.

In an effort to remain transparent and upfront on my coverage of the event, I'd first like to announce that I am now officially a part of the Primal Quest team. About a month ago PQ CEO Don Mann (read my interview with him here) asked me to take on the roll of Media Director for the race. I accepted the offer, and have been working in that capacity with Don and the rest of the Primal Quest team since then. So far it's been a great experience, and I'm looking forward to heading to Montana in a few weeks to meet everyone in person.

With that out of the way, lets move on to other news related to the race. Earlier this week, it was announced that satellite messenger service SPOT has come on board as a presenting sponsor for the race. SPOT manufactures the SPOT Messenger, a very cool device that works not only as an emergency locator beacon, but it also allows friends and family to track your location and progress while out on an adventure. The Messenger works anywhere in the world, and interfaces with Google Maps, so your friends and family can see where you are at at any time.

During the race, each team will be carrying one of the SPOT Messenger devices and we fans will be able to watch their progress online. The Primal Quest website will have a new interactive leaderboard and tracking system, thanks to SPOT, that will make it easier to follow the race than it has ever been before. I'm excited to see how it all comes together during the race, and how it enhances the over all coverage of the event.

Finally, this Saturday, May 10th, at Pocahontas State Park in Virginia, the very first Primal Quest Sprint Series race will take place. These shorter, faster events are designed so that regular athletes like you and me can take part in a Primal Quest event without having to take a week off work to do so. Earlier this week we posted the newsletter for this race, which includes information on what type of gear is required, what the rules for the event are, and what disciplines the teams will be taking part in. There are more than 30 teams signed up to compete this weekend, and I look forward to hearing about the race.

Later in the year there will be two more Primal Quest Sprint Series races. On Sept. 6th the second race will be held at the Moraine State Park in Pennsylvania, and on Oct. 4th a third race will take place at the U.S. Whitewater Center near Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2009, the series expands further with 10-12 races planned, a full point system being employed, and the overall winner receiving an entry into the Primal Quest expedition race.

So, stay tuned. The Primal Quest coverage is just starting to ramp up here. I hope to be able to give more insight into the event while covering it first hand. I'll keep you posted on developments with both the Sprint Series and the Expedition Race, which is likely to go International next year. And no, I can't tell you where it's probably heading. Not yet anyway! ;)

Lance Armstrong Opens Bike Shop This Weekend

Lance Armstrong is set to open "Mellow Johnny's" this Saturday, May 10th, in Austin, Texas. The festivities will get underway at noon local time, with the seven time Tour de France winner on hand of course. Joining him will be Michael Ward, lead guitarist for Ben Harper who has written a children's book entitled Mike and the Bike", endurance coach and long time friend, Chris Carmichael and mountain biking legend Gary Fisher.

Mellow Johnny's derives it's name from Mailot Jaune, the French term for the Yellow Jersey that is worn by the overall leader of the Tour, something that Armstrong is quite familiar with. The shop will carry a large assortment of bikes and gear of course, but will also feature showers and lockers for bike commuters to use on their rides to and from work, free bike lockers to store your ride during the day, a service center, and a coffee house.

Lance has been quoted as saying that he want to create "the coolest bike shop in the world" and that he's hoping to develop a bike culture in Austin that is like the one in Portland, Oregon. He wants to encourage more people to ride their bikes to and from work, which not only provides great exercise, but also is great for the environment. You can learn more about Lance's new shop in this article.

Living in Austin, I can't wait to check out Lance's store. There is already a great bike culture here really, but this could give it more of a focal point and cool destination for bikers to gather at. If I get the opportunity, I'd like to swing by the store tomorrow and check out the festivities, but I have a feeling that it'll be crowded beyond belief. If I can't make it, I'll plan a visit in the near future and report back on what I find. I'm sure the store will do quite well here however, and I'll bet Lance has some great things planned. By the way, the official website is: MellowJohnnys.com, but there isn't a whole lot in place there yet. Hopefully it'll open soon as well.

Gear Junkie Climbs Devil's Tower

The Gear Junkie Stephen Regenold recently made a trip to Wyoming and spent part of his time scaling Devil's Tower, the iconic volcanic neck which came famous thanks to the Steven Spielberg classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

GJ and his friend TC Worley joined Frank Sanders, owner of the Devil's Tower Lodge, to spend a day climbing the a route known as El Cracko which is rated as a 5.8, with a couple of challenging pitches, and some long sections of easy climbing mixed in as well.

His trip report offers up more information and some cool photos of the Tower and their day spent climbing there. Stephen says he's actually climbed the Tower on a number of occasions, and on more challenging routes, but he still enjoyed the ascent and the opportunity to return to a familiar place.

On a side note, I have to say that the Gear Junkie has a damned cool job. He gets to go off on these adventures on a regular basis, testing all kinds of new gear for