Off On An Adventure

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I won't be updating the site for the next few days. I'm off to the Florida Keys and the Everglades for a writing assignment, and will most likely be out of touch. It's a short trip though, and updates will resume on Monday as usual.

Yes, the trip will be a bit of work, but it's the best kind of work. Visiting one of the greatest natural environments on the planet in the Everglades, snorkeling the Keys, sea kayaking, and staying at an amazing resort. It's going to be brutal! ;)  Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll be back before you know it. In the meantime, here's a glimpse of the views I'll be dealing with over the next few days.

Paddling South Korea

Five 2 Nine Productions produces a regular series of videos called Currents that it uses to educate viewers about various rivers and waterways from around the world. In their  most recent video, they pay a visit to South Korea, a country that has more than its fair share of rivers, but according to the video, all but one of them has been dammed, most many times. In fact, Five 2 Nine reports that although the country is roughly the same size as the state of Indiana, but has more than 18,000 dams. To make matters worse, the rivers there are so contaminated, they can't even be used for agriculture.

But, the country has a comprehensive plan for moving forward, and opening up those waterways. Known as the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, this plan is likely to have a dramatic and indelible impact on the people of South Korea. This video shares details of the plan and how the country hopes it will aid them moving forward. It also has some great shots of the kayaking there as well.

Thanks to Canoe & Kayak for the tip!




Currents - Episode 4 - South Korea from Five 2 Nine Productions on Vimeo.

Yukon River Quest Race Report From Robyn Benincasa

The Yukon River Quest took place a few weeks back, with dozens of top endurance paddlers descending on Whitehorse, in the Canadian Yukon, to make the 460 mile run along the Yukon River to Dawson City. The annual event is one of the top paddling races of the year, offering up plenty of great competition and spectacular scenery, along one of North America's best river ways.

Racing in this year's event was Robyn Benincasa, one of the best adventure racers and endurance athletes around. Robyn has filed an excellent race report over at Adventure World Magazine in which she talks about her own win in the women's solo category, as well as the impressive showing from the rest of her Merrell/Akali teammates.

Robyn does a great job of sharing what it is like to sit in the cockpit of kayak for more than two days (her winning time was officially 51 hours, 43 minutes), while managing your eating schedule, staying focused on paddling, and trying not to get to cramped up in a boat she had rented the day before the race. Nothing she hasn't seen before however, as she is one of the most decorated adventure racers in history.

In the end, Robyn says she may have found a new sport that calls to her adventurous spirit, and obviously she's off to a great start, winning the first endurance paddle she entered. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's easier on the hips than Primal Quest, huh Robyn? ;)

Alberto Contador No Longer Rides For Team Astana

The post-Tour de France news continues today, with VeloNews reporting that three time Tour champ Alberto Contador and Team Astana were at a contract impasse. That was later followed up with a story at Roadcycling.com that Contador has parted ways with the team that escorted him to victory the last two years.

Apparently, the 27-year old rider and Team Astana were not far apart in their negotiations, but there were some philosophical differences that were preventing them from moving forward. To add insult to injury, Contador informed the team via his press service, not even bothering to call the manager or sponsors himself.

On the open market, Contador is sure to be in line for quite a hefty pay day. But Road Cycling is speculating that he'll end up Bjarne Riis' new team, which is believed to be called Team SunGard-Specialized. That makes a lot of sense, as Contador, along with his chief rival Andy Schleck, have been featured prominently in advertising for Specialized bicycles in recent months.

Obviously this is a pretty big shake up in the world of competitive cycling and it comes just three days after the end of the Tour. It's hard to tell exactly what went on here, but reading the statements from Team Astana, it seems that Alberto blindsided them with move, and seems to be acting in a selfish manner that has become his pattern. He is the most talented cyclist in the world without a doubt, but he is also a huge prima donna, and it shows through regularly. It'll be interesting to see who joins him on the new team and whether or not he can compete with out the Astana squad around him.

Steps to The Summit - Step 26: Simple Solutions

The Expedition Hanesbrands team delivers another Step to the Summit today, and as usual, it provides a great lesson mixed into an entertaining message. In this case, team leader Jamie Clarke tells us about how simple, and elegant, solutions can often lead to great benefits, and in his example he talks about how his team overcame the always precarious issue of exploding bags of potato chips at altitude.

The video opens with Jamie talking about how many calories a climber consumes while on the mountain, often in excess of 10,000 per day. He points out that it is often quite difficult to eat that much food, so the teams look for tasty, but not always nutritious, snacks. Potato chips are always a favorite, but when carrying them in those nice, tidy little bags, they tend to blow up. The simple solution? Chips in a can! Of course, Jamie is far more eloquent talking about the subject, so you'll have to watch the video to get the full story, but as a side note, this explains why Pringles were so popular on the trek to EBC!

Is it Time for the Tour de France to Come to North America?

In my post-Tour de France haze, I've been working through my withdrawal by surfing the web and wishing I could find something – anything, that could possibly fill the void. So far I haven't had much luck, and I've pretty much resigned myself to waiting another year before the world's best cycling event returns. But thanks to Jeff Doran over at HikinginTheSmokys.blogspot.com, I've at least got something to ponder.

In a blog post this morning, Jeff wrote an open letter to Tour Director Christian Prudhomme suggesting that he consider bringing Le Tour to North America, with the justification that the race has already visited 10 other countries, albeit all European nations. He even suggests a possible itinerary, with the Prologue being held in Quebec City in Canada, and Stage 1 being run  between Quebec and Montreal. Stage 2 would then jump over to the States and run from Albany to New York City, with the following day being a rest/travel day back to France. Jeff even goes so far as to suggest that the Tour make the jump for the 100th anniversary, which will be run in 2013 as well. He further bolsters his argument by saying that bringing the Tour to North America would increase its popularity in the States, and bring in more fans in the post-Lance Armstrong era.

This is a very compelling case, and as a fan of cycling and the Tour, I'd love to see it here in North America. Heck, I'd probably even try to make the trip to watch it in person myself. Unfortunately, I doubt it would ever happen, as the travel back across the Atlantic to France would probably incite a riot amongst the cyclists who are a touchy bunch as it is. I do think it would be great for the sport, and give the Tour great exposure outside of Europe, and while I support this idea whole heartedly, I think realistically it'll never happen. Still, it is fun to think about and speculate some. So? Who else would love to see the Tour her in North America?

Ski the Himalayas - Season 2, Episode 1

We followed along with Ben Clark and Jon Miller when they headed to the 23,390-foot tall Baruntse last year and had their Ski the Himalayas climb chronicled on the Rest of Everest video podcast.  It seems the duo returned to the  mountain this past spring, and have launched their own video series to share their adventures.

In the first episode, which you'll find below, we follow Ben and Jon from their home in Colorado to Nepal, where they hit the streets in Kathmandu for a little shopping before heading out to the mountains. This season also promises a little bit of drama, as a portion of this episode also deals with Jon's doctor explaining to us how a cyst on his brain may or may not impact his ability to climb. We'll have to stay tuned to find out.

This looks like it should be a great new series to follow, and is brought to us by Mountain Hardwear and Osprey Packs.



Ski The Himalayas Season 2 Episode 01 from Ben Clark on Vimeo.

WideWorld Mag Interviews Pen Hadow on the Changing Face of the Arctic

WideWorld Magazine has posted an interesting interview with polar explorer Pen Hadow in which he talks about a number of great topics, including the continued importance of exploration in the 21st century, his approach to organizing and conducting an expedition, and his thoughts on the impact of global climate change on the polar ice caps.

Pen has visited both the North and South Pole, and back in 2003, he became the first person to make the solo, unsupported journey to 90ºN via the Canadian side of the Pole. He was also a member of the ice team on the 2009 Catlin Arctic Survey and served as the project director for the 2010 survey as well.

Needless to say, he's logged plenty of time in very cold places, and talks about how those places are now changing, with the ice caps shrinking dramatically thanks to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is in turn absorbed by the oceans. As a result of this increase, and due to a general warming of the planet, the ice is disappearing from both poles, but especially the North. Pen says that in another 20-30 years, the North Polar Icecap will cease to be a year round fixture at the top of the world, and will be replaced by open water for a good part of the year.

The interview is a good one for a number of reasons, and offers some great insights into travel in the polar regions, both now and in the future. As the headline says, we may all be going to the North Pole by kayak in the years to come.

Solo Sailing Update: Laura Free To Sail!

Big news coming out of the Netherlands this morning with the news that 14-year old Laura Dekker will be allowed to attempt her solo sail around the world. A court lifted their imposed guardianship of Laura, who had been relegated to the care of Child Protective Services, freeing her up to leave as soon as she is able.

Laura has spent the majority of her life at sea, and was actually even born aboard a ship off the coast of New Zealand. She's been sailing since she was six and had her on boat at the age of ten. Her 26-foot yacht, the Guppy, will become her home for the months ahead, as she attempts to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe. She'll need to do that before her 17th birthday, to set the new record.  She has approximately two years to complete the voyage.

In the past, I've been fairly outspoken about someone as young as Laura sailing solo around the world, and I remain so, although recent information brought to my attention has cleared up a few things. According to Laura's WikiPedia entry, she'll avoid sailing around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, choosing to instead go through the Panama and Suez Canals. This will take away some of the danger of navigating through those perilous waters, but will instead replace that danger with higher ship traffic, increasing the chances of a collision. That said, if something should go wrong, she's a lot closer to shore and rescue teams.

On top of the difference in her route, the Wiki entry also notes that she'll have a support crew that will be with her for at least a portion of the voyage. As long as they don't join her on her boat, or aid her in the journey, Laura will continue to have the "solo" status applied to the trip, but the support crew will be close at hand should she need their assistance. This is a very different approach than the one that Jessica Watson and Abby Sunderland used, in which they were truly alone at sea. Witness the efforts that it took to rescue Abby a month or so back when her mast broke in a storm on the Indian Ocean. It took several days just for a ship to arrive on the scene and retrieve her from her crippled vessel.

In light of this information, do you have a different opinion about Laura's voyage? I do think that this sounds like a safe approach and knowing that she has another ship shadowing her, makes it a bit easier to understand how she can be allowed to go. I do wish her the best of luck, and I'm sure, after months of speculation and waiting, she is very relieved to be setting out soon. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she were to begin the voyage within the week.

Update:  ExWeb is reporting that Laura will begin her voyage within two weeks. Still won't be surprised if it happens sooner.

Karakorum 2010: Summit Push Canceled On K2

Yesterday the news from K2 was that a weather window was opening, and a number of teams were in place and preparing to make their summit bids today. But what a difference a day can make, as ExWeb is now reporting that all summit attempts have been canceled, and all of the teams are now retreating from Camp 4.

Apparently the climbers encountered high winds and incredibly unstable snow as they went higher on the mountain yesterday, and considering the difficulty of climbing K2, discretion was certainly the better part of valor. With time running out, the mountaineers, who were mostly working together, elected to head down and wait for a better opportunity to summit. When that opportunity will come is still up in the air, as winds have reportedly continued to increase, and the dangers of avalanches remain high.

Multiple teams, including Fredrik Ericsson, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, and the Field Touring Alpine squad, have all posted updates that give insights into what the conditions were like, and needless to say, with these strong climbers leading the way, they must have been very challenging indeed. The climbers have now returned to Base Camp, where they will rest, regain their strength, and look for the next weather window. Patience is the key on K2, and they'll need plenty of it if they intend to stand on top.

Karakorum 2010: The Stage Is Set On K2

It was a very busy weekend on the world's second highest peak as teams scrambled up the slopes on K2 to put themselves into a position to summit tomorrow. A predicted weather window looks like it should arrive on schedule, and the mountaineers are now poised to stand on top of "the Savage Mountain."

Perhaps the two men most looking forward to reaching the summit are Fredrik Ericsson and his partner Trey Cook. They were the first to arrive in Base Camp, and have been diligently working away at the mountain ever since. According to their latest update, which was sent yesterday, the boys were above 7100 meters and safely into Camp 3, with the home team reporting that they sounded strong and anxious to get on with the climb. If everything went as expected, they should be in C4 now, and setting off shortly for the summit. Remember, they also hope to ski back down the mountain, which sounds like a crazy endeavor to me.

Also in Camp 4 today is Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and climbing partner/husband Ralf Dujmovits. They're preparing to make the final push to the summit as well, and if they are successful in their push, Gerlinde will become the first woman to summit all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. This isn't her first go around on this mountain however, so you can bet she is eager to scratch it off her list as well.

The Field Touring Alpine squad is on K2 now as well, and while most of them are hunkered down in Camp 2, and waiting their turn on the next weather window, team leader Fabrizio Zangrilli is up in Camp 4 and working cooperatively with Ralf, Gerlinde, and others to set the route to the summit. Fabrizio hopes to reach the top of the mountain along with the rest of the lead teams tomorrow. He'll then return with the FTA team next week sometime. The entire team is fit and in good spirits, and ready to go after acclimatizing on Broad Peak.

The K2 climb is over before it ever started for Mike Horn and Kobi Reichen, who topped out on Broad Peak last week, but due to all the time they spent there waiting out the weather, they have given up their attempt to bag a second peak in the Karakorum this summer. Horn will now continue his Pangea Expedition.

Stay tuned for big news from Pakistan in the next 24 hours, and keep your fingers crossed that everything goes okay up there, and everyone gets down safe.

The Wildest Dream Sneak Peak: Himalayan Superstition

It has been a few months since we got our first look at The Wildest Dream the biopic that focuses on George Mallory and Sandy Irvine's attempts to climb Everest. The film is still set to open across the U.S. on August 6th, and will star Ralph Fiennes (as the voice of Mallory), Natasha Richardson (voice of Ruth Mallory), Hugh Dancy (voice of Irvine), and Alan Rickman (voice of Noel Odell). Liam Neeson will provide the voice of the narrator, while most of the tough stuff is done by Conrad Anker and Leo Houlding.

Below is another clip from the film that talks about the Himalayan superstitions surround Everest, and the warnings that Mallory received from monks living in the area that implored him not to go. They told him that they feared something bad would happen to him, and as we all know, he and Irvine never returned from that fateful expedition in 1924.

The film looks great. Can't wait to see it for myself.

50 Peaks, 50 States, 50 Days Update

A couple of weeks back I posted about 12-year old Matt Moniz who was attempting to reach the highest point in all 50 states in less than 50 days. Matt, along with his dad Mike, had dubbed the expedition the 50 in 50 in 50 climb, and when I wrote about their summer trip, they were closing in on the end.

When last we checked in on the father and son climbing team, they were taking on Granite Peak in Montana. That mountain stands 12,799 feet in height, and after a successful summit, the boys got down safely and hopped a flight to Hawaii for the final obstacle in their path – the 13,796 foot tall Mauna Kea.

Since that time, I've been watching their website for updates, and noticed that on Matt's Twitter feed that he and his dad completed their quest back on July 16th. All told, it took them just 43 days, 3 hours, and 51 minutes to complete the high points, beating the old record by more than two and a half days.

Well done young man, and congratulations on the milestone. You've set the bar hight for the rest of your classmates when you return to school in the fall and someone asks, "What did you do on your summer vacation?"

Rock Climbing in South Dakota

Last year I had the pleasure of going to South Dakota for Primal Quest and had a great time playing in the Black Hills and Badlands. I was especially impressed with the great hiking, camping, and mountain biking opportunities in the state, with plenty of scenic backcountry to explore just a short drive in any direction from Rapid City.

By virtue of having been chosen to host Primal Quest, I knew SD had to be a great destination for all of those activities. But what I didn't realize prior to going there was how great the rock climbing was as well. We set up a spectacular climbing course for the race, designed by climbing legend Jay Smith, and many of the teams noted that it was not only their favorite part of the race, but also the best climbing routes they had ever done. The video below captures some of what it is like to climb in the region.

Summer is slipping away quickly, but if you're still looking to make a great outdoor trip this year, definitely consider going to South Dakota. It'll definitely be worth your visit.

Thanks to April for sharing the video with me.

Plastiki Project Completes Pacific Journey

The crew of the Plastiki, the boat that was built almost entirely out of 12,500 recycled bottles, has completed its voyage across the Pacific, arriving in Sydney, Australia today. The ship set sail from San Francisco back in March, and now, 130 days and 8000 nautical miles later, the journey is done.

The ship, and the entire project, is the brain child of environmentalist David de Rothschild, the founder of Adventure Ecology. He came up with the concept more than four years ago, and after going through all the planning and design phases, it was the realization of a dream to see the ship set sail at long last.

The voyage was made to help raise awareness of the impact of plastic, and other man made elements, on the environment. Along the way, the Plastiki and her crew paid a visit to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a section of ocean the size of Texas where garbage from around the world has collected and created one giant mess of plastic and other junk.

Joining de Rothschild on the four month long journey were Skipper Jo Royle, Co-Skipper David Thomson, Olav Heyerdahl, Graham Hill, Luca Babini, Matthew Grey, Max Jourdan, Singeli Agnew and Vern Moen. Each was an integral part of the crew with several members working on putting together a film of the journey. It should be a interesting one to watch once it is complete, as I'm sure it'll have quite the commentary on health of our oceans.

Congrats to the entire crew of the Plastiki for completing the voyage. Well done!

Steps to The Summit - Step 25: Unknown Teammates

In today's Step to the Summit, our expedition leader Jaime Clarke advises us to keep our eyes peeled for teammates we might not eve know we have. He says that on our road to the summit, whether that is literal or figurative, we'll likely run into people who aren't part of our defined group, but are still part of our team. These people offer help and assistance along the way, and often arrive on the scene when we least expect them to. Sometimes we only need to ask for help, and we'll gain a new teammate without even knowing it.

To illustrate his point, Jaimie talks about an incident that happened on a climb on the North Side of Everest in which one of the climbers unclipped from the rope and slid down the face of the mountain. Despite efforts to grab him, and his own attempts to self arrest, the man appeared to be headed for a several thousand foot plummet, and most likely death. He was saved by another climber however, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Jamie's telling of the tale is far more dramatic and useful, but you get the idea. The bottom line is, we all have teammates on our journeys, but sometimes is the unknown, and unexpected, ones that give us the biggest boost towards our goal.

Tour 2010: Contador Rides To Paris In Yellow!

On the penultimate day in the 2010 Tour de France the riders faced a 52km (32.2 mile) individual time trial that would see them out on the road alone and racing against the clock. Heading into the day, the race came down to a two-man duel between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, both of whom were pre-race favorites, and have done little to disappoint over the past three weeks.

Today's time trial ended as we expected, although for a time it looked like the results could be in doubt. Contador went into the day 8 seconds ahead of Schleck, but is considered to be a much better time trialist, meaning that Schleck would have to have the ride of his life to take the Jersey from Contador.

At the first time check out on the road, it looked like that could be a possibility. With both men through that point on the course, Schleck had taken back six seconds and was within striking distance of his rival, but from then on Contador focused in and began to take time back from the younger man, increasing his lead with each of the subsequent checkpoints. When the day was done, Contador finished the time trial in fine form, and completed his Tour win by 39 seconds. He'll now make the ceremonial ride into Paris tomorrow as the 2010 champ.

The 39 second difference between first and second place is an ironic one, considering that is the exact amount of time that Contador took back from Shleck on Monday when Andy dropped his chain on the final climb of the day. Alberto was criticized by some for attacking while his rival had a mechanical problem, as there is often a gentleman's agreement to hold up in those situations. Few riders want to actually win the race in that manner, and Contador's detractors will certainly be quick to say that his win this year is a tainted one.

With the time trial over, three of the four race jerseys are now decided. Contador owns Yellow for the third time, and Schleck once again takes White as the best young rider of the Tour. The King of the Mountain title goes to Anthony Charteau, who will go home with the Polka Dot Jersey as the best climber this year. That leaves just the Green Jersey to be decided with the sprinters going head-to-head tomorrow on the Champs Elysees. At the moment, Alessandro Petacchi wears the Jersey, but he'll have to hold off Thor Hushovd, who is currently in second place, and the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, who has four stage wins this year and is charging hard at the moment. Cavendish would like nothing more than to return to the U.K. with the sprint title.

The ride to Paris tomorrow is a simple affair, just 102.5km (63.6 miles) that begins in Longjumeau. Out on the road, there will be no attacks, but once on the Champs Elysees, the sprinters will burst out of the peloton, and rush for the last of the points. That's where the excitement will be, and likely the only real excitement of the day.

For those wondering, Lance Armstrong finishes his final Tour de France nearly 40 minutes behind the leaders, in 23rd place.

Archeologists Search For Franklin Ships in the Canadian Arctic

Back in 1845, Sir John Franklin set out in search of the then mythical Northwest Passage. Unlike today, the Passage didn't exist, and he and his crew of 128 men died a horrible death hundreds of miles from civilization, stranded without the hope of rescue. But that death didn't come quickly. According to historians, Franklin and his crew spent three long years in the Arctic, while scurvy, botulism, starvation, and sub-zero temperatures slowly did them in.

The remains of the crew have been found and extensive forensic studies have been done to help determine what exactly happened to the ill fated team, and while those studies have revealed a lot, such as the fact that the crew apparently resorted to cannibalism, the expedition's ships have remained missing.

Now, according to the BBC, a team of Canadian archeologists are heading to the Arctic in search of Franklin's long lost ships – the HMS Terror and the HMS Erebus. They'll take with them sophisticated sonar systems to search the ocean floor and they'll investigate locations that local Inuit tribes once reported seeing the ships locked in ice 150 years ago. They'll also be searching for the HMS Investigator, the rescue ship that went looking for Franklin and also disappeared in the process.

The BBC articled that I've linked to above has more details on the Franklin expedition, but describes the explorer as a man obsessed with finding the Northwest Passage. At that time, it meant a major new trade route, and could have been worth a fortune for the man who discovered it. It also talks about some of the men who went in search of the missing crew, and the stories and legends that have arisen about what happened out there on the ice.

I have to admit, I don't know a ton about this story, but it is a fascinating one. It reminds me a bit of Shackleton's ill fated expedition, although that one ended up with a happy ending. I can't imagine spending three years stranded out on the ice, wondering and hoping that someone would come. Amazing.

Thanks to the National Geographic Adventure Blog for the tip on this one.

Karakorum 2010: Weather Delays On K2

It has been a busy week throughout the Karakorum range, where climbers have topped out on a number of mountains, but all eyes are now turning towards K2, as teams there prepare to make their summit bids, with a new weather window expected to open early next week.

According to ExWeb, a new weather forecast has now moved the K2 summit window to Tuesday of next week, and teams are adjusting their schedule appropriately. A number of climbers are planning on setting off tomorrow, with an eye on hitting the summit on schedule with the new weather window. Amongst them are Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner who is hoping to become the first woman to climb all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Fredrik Ericsson and Trey Cook are also hoping to go up tomorrow, with the eventual goal of making a ski descent of the mountain. On their blog, Trey has posted a story that explains how it is possible that Bulgarian cimber Petar Unzhiev died earlier this week while in Camp 2 on the mountain, without anyone knowing. It seems that Petar arrived at BC, but proceeded up the mountain far too quickly, skipping past ABC and moving on to Camp 1. After spending the night there, he would have normally gone back down the mountain to recover, but instead, he and his high altitude porter, chose to move up to Camp 2 instead. Other climbers heard Petar in his tent with very labored breathing, but they assumed that his porter was watching out for him. As it turns out, the porter had gone down to BC without alerting anyone, and it seems that Unzhiev developed and succumbed to HACE in the process. A very sad story that should provide a number of lessons for high altitude mountaineers. 


Also headed to K2 are the Field Touring Alpine Team, who have finished their acclimatization on Broad Peak, and are now moving to K2 Base Camp. While the team didn't summit on BP, they are now hoping to take advantage of their experience on that mountain to knock of K2 instead. They are eying the weather window for early next week as well, but are also considering a second window which is in the forecast for the 30th of the month, so it seems they are in no rush to scramble up the mountain. 


A few days back there was quite a bit of action on the Gasherbrums where Colombian climber Felipe Ossa became the first person this season to scale GI. Next door, on GII, the Altitude Junkies put several of their climbers on the summit, while the Czech team of Petr Masek, Radek Jaros, and Libor Uher also topped out, but are still only halfway to their goal. That team of strong climbers hopes to knock off GI yet this season as well, claiming a Karakorum double-header on the Gasherbrums.

It seems the teams on K2 are the ones gearing up for action now. This weekend will likely be spent heading up the mountain and waiting for the weather window to appear on Tuesday. Lets hope everything goes well, and everyone climbs very safely. We all know what this mountain is capable of.

Tour 2010: The Sprint To Bordeaux

With the Pyrenees behind us, and the big showdown on the Tourmalet between Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador over, the Tour de France returned to the flatlands today, giving the sprinters a little relief, and letting them stretch their legs at last. The stage was a mostly paint by number affair, that ended quite predictably.

For the most part, the peloton was content to ride the stage without pushing it incredibly hard. It was 198km (123 miles) of very flat riding, a welcome respite from the mountain the cyclists have endured for most of the past week and a half. It was a scenic trip from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux that featured the usual breakaway, that was inevitably reeled back in near the end, followed by a mad dash for the line by the top sprinters in the world. 


The stage win went to Mark Cavendish, who once again made it look easy. Remember back in the early days of this year's Tour when everyone was wondering what was wrong with Cav? Turns out, nothing was wrong, he just needed the right opportunities. He went on to win four stages at this year's race, a fine accomplishment for any rider. He was followed across the line by Julian Dean and Alessandro Petacchi, who grabbed the Green Jersey back from Thor Hushovd in the process. 


In terms of the General Classification, nothing has changed today. Contador still sits 8 seconds in front of Schleck, and their respective fates will be decided in tomorrow's individual time trial. As a result, heading into the TT, Contador is still in Yellow and Schleck has a firm lock on White Jersey as the Tour's best young rider. The Polka Dot Jersey, which goes to the King of the Mountain, has already been awarded to Anthony Charteau, as there are no more KOM points to be earned. 


Which bring us to the Green Jersey, which it seems will be decided on the streets of Paris on Sunday. The current standings have Petacchi ahead of Thor by ten points, with Cavendish another six points behind Hushovd. All three men are in a position to win the Jersey, although if Cav races on the Champs Elysees the way he did last year, my money is on him. It should be fun to watch, and will give us a reason to tune in despite the GC already being locked up.


The time trial tomorrow will be 52km (32.3 miles) of flat out racing, with the Yellow Jersey up for grabs. The question heading into the day is whether or not Andy Schleck can gain more than eight seconds on Contador, who is amongst the best TT riders in the world. It's going to take a titanic ride by Schleck to do so, and personally I think the odds are against him, but it should be interesting to watch. 

Want To Be On Discovery Channel's Out of the Wild Season 2?

Casting is about to begin on the second season of Discovery Channel's Emmy-award winning Out of the Wild, a show that dropped nine amateur adventurers into the Alaskan backcountry and followed them as they learned to survive in the harsh environments there. The second season of the show will follow a similar formula, but will send the new team of explorers off to South America instead.

Pilgrim Films, the company that produces the show, is now looking for people to join this new reality show expedition. To be eligible you must be at least 21 years of age, and be available for a series of interviews coming up in October. If you're selected to be a part of the team, you must also be available for approximately a month later in the year for filming the show as well. If you're interested in being a part of the show, send an e-mail to OTWCasting@gmail.com with your name, phone number, a recent photo, and a brief explanation of why you should be on the show. For more information on the casting process click here.

The interesting thing to me is that they are headed to South America this time, but they don't say where they are going. The possibilities are nearly endless with places like Patagonia springing to mind, as it would provide a similar environment to Alaska. But even more intriguing is the thought of them going to the Amazon Jungle or perhaps the Atacama Desert or some place else that would provide an extreme environment that is very different from the last season. Could be interesting. If any of you try out for the show, good luck!

Steps to The Summit - Step 24: Teamwork

The vast majority of climbers reach the summit of what ever mountain they are climbing because they are part of team. To achieve big goals, working with others can be an essential, and rewarding part of the experience, and even though a few people actually get to stand on the summit, they can only achieve that goal thanks to the support team that helped put them there.

That's the message conveyed by today's edition of Steps to the Summit. Expedition Hanesbrands team leader Jaime Clarke tells us that working as part of a team allows others to be our Sherpa and gives us the opportunity to do the same for them. And the shared experience of working together towards a common goal becomes a bond that can last a lifetime. How we contribute to our team is just another step towads achieving our goals.

The Life of an Adventure Travel Guide

Admit it. The thought of being and adventure travel guide sounds like fun! You get to meet new people all the time, go on hikes, mountain bike rides, or other exciting activities, all the while showing off some exotic, and often visually stunning, locale. Better yet, you get paid for to do it! Seems perfect right? Well, guess again.

The REI Blog has a good little article up on what it's like to be an adventure travel guide, which takes a nice, behind the scenes look at all of the things guides have to do to ensure that our trips go off without a hitch. It involves a ton of planning and work long before you ever step foot on the trail, and often it is a difficult and thankless job. The article also includes a brief interview with one of REI's guides from their REI Adventures travel service. He talks about how he got into guiding, what made him want to do it, and how he stays enthused about his job. Quite an interesting read.

While I read through the post I kept thinking about our guide on my recent Everest Base Camp trek. One night while we were sharing a conversation in a teahouse, he intimated a few things about the job that let a few of us know that it was not all fun and games. He said that while he loved the trekking and the scenery in the Khumbu Region, he had to balance a lot of things to make a trip a success. Somehow he had to find a way to keep the customers happy as well as the owners of the restaurants and teahouses that we stopped in satisfied as well. All the while working closely with the assistant guides and porters to ensure that they are content too. He shared a few horror stories about customers who were never going to be happy no matter what the circumstances, and mentioned how he had to be, at varying times, a guide, entertainer, accountant, mediator, nurse, coach, and more. It seemed like a very challenging juggling act, but despite all of that, he loved his job and was very good at it too.

I'm not sure I have the patience to play the role, but it sure is nice to dream about it. :)

Walking The Amazon Update: 18 Days To Go!

After 841 days walking the Amazon Jungle, Ed Stafford is finally nearing the end of his expedition to cross the rainforest on foot. In fact, he even has a detailed schedule of his final days planned out, and promises daily updates to his blog to help us follow along over the final stage of his incredible journey.

Today Ed announced that there are just 18 days left until he crosses the finish line, in this case the finish line meaning a plunge into the ocean. He says that media attention has begun to increase, and he was even joined by a reporter who will be tagging along with he and Cho over the next six days. She's going to get an education on survival in the wilderness, as those next six days include a trek "straight through the unknown jungle on a compass bearing. No paths, no settlements to stay at, just swamps, river crossings and sore shoulders that never go away."

Ed's final schedule looks like this:

22nd to 27th July - last 6 days of walking through rainforest.
28th - Walk the Trans Cametá Highway to Cametá.
29th - Paddle across the Trocantins River.
30th - Walk back on the far side of the said river to correct any advance downstream the previous day [see rules on FAQ page].
31st to 3rd August - 4 days walk down highways into Belem City itself.
4th - Meet Keith (photographer) off plane. Interviews.
5th to 8th - 4 days walk towards the Atlantic Ocean to just short of Marudá.
9th August dawn - final 5km in the dark and arrive at Marudá, the Atlantic, for sunrise (0630 local time, 0930 BST, 1030 BST). Fall in the sea. Job done.

I love his "Fall in the sea. Job done." comment to end the schedule. I think you've earned it Ed. Good luck on the final two-and-a-half weeks. Nearly home!

Tour 2010: All Over?!?

Today was the day that fans of the Tour de France had circled on their calendar since the course was first announced. A deciding stage if ever there was one. Stage 17 would send the riders on a 174km (108 mile) ride that would end on the summit of the Col du Tourmalet and would likely have a direct impact on who would be wearing Yellow when we head to Paris on Sunday. The grueling climb up the Tourmalet is legendary, and the top climbers battled it out on the slopes of that famous route, in the end though, little changed in the over all standings, but it likely means that the 2010 Tour is, for all intents and purposes, over, with two competitive days of riding yet to come.

As we all know, heading into today, just 8 seconds separated Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, with Contador wearing the Yellow Jersey thanks to a mechanical problem on Schleck's bike on the final climb on Monday's 15th stage. Controversy swirled in cycling circles as fans debated whether or not it was the right move on Contador's part to attack while his rival suffered a break down. Some said that it was part of the sport, and Alberto should take advantage of every opportunity. Others thought that it would taint his win, and that he should have waited for Schleck so they could duel one on one.

All of that is water under the bridge at this point. Today it came down to a climbing competition between the two men, with the rest of the Peloton chasing behind the two leaders. Over the course of the final push up the Tourmalet, neither man could shake the other, and while Schleck looked a bit fresher, Contador stayed with him on every move. It wasn't exactly a sprint to the finish line, although Schleck did claim the stage win with a final push that put him about a half bike length in front.

The stage win is small consolation however, as the two men finished with the same time, leaving Contador still 8 seconds out in front. Alberto is the better time trialist of the two riders however, and that makes it very difficult for Andy to try to catch him on Saturday's penultimate stage, which is a 52km (32.3 mile) time trial that will decide who goes into Paris with the win. The question is, can Schleck make up 8 seconds of time on Contador? Possibly, but it is highly doubtful.

In the race for the other jerseys, the competition is still quite close. Especially for the Green Jersey that belongs to the top sprinter. Thor Hushovd is back in Green, but Alessandro Petacchi is only a few points back. These two men will be fighting it out all the way to the Champs Elysees on Sunday I'm sure. Petacchi seems to be the faster man in the sprints right now, and has done a great job of rejuvenating himself this year. Anthony Charteau has a nice lead in the Polka Dot Jersey and seems to have wrapped up the King of the Mountain this year. The last three stages will have no effect on outcome of that competition. Finally, the White Jersey for the Tour's best young rider once again goes to Andy Schleck, and that won't change before Paris either.

Tomorrow, the sprinters will take center stage once again. The route is a 198km (123 mile) ride from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux that is mostly flat and should be relatively flat. While the GC contenders wait until Saturday to have their final word, the burners will be working hard for more Green Jersey points. It should be fast and furious, but Saturday will be the one to watch.


So? What do you think? Does Schleck have a chance?

7 Summits, 7 Flights Update: One Down!

Last week I posted a story about the Seven Summits, Seven Flights Team, who were just setting off on their quest to climb the Seven Summit and then paraglide off of each of them. They had hoped to begin with Denali in June, but were denied access because of permit issues, but were instead en route to Russia, where they would attempt Elbrus.

According to the expedition's blog, the team reached the summit of Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, on Tuesday, and did indeed fly off the summit. Reading the story however, it seems like it was much tougher than they expected, both on the climb and then the takeoff of the flight as well. During the climb the team suffered the usual issues with altitude, including headaches, nausea, etc., but despite all of that they reached the 18,510 foot summit by 11 AM local time.

The blog entry also says that it was a clear, beautiful day for a climb, but not so much for a flight. There was zero wind, which made it very difficult for them to get up to speed and lift off in their paraglider. They had to run quite quickly to achieve flight, and anyone who has ever tried to run at altitude can tell that isn't easy to do. Despite those challenges however, they did manage to get airborne and successfully fly from the summit, which means they have one summit down, and six to go.

Yesterday, the team posted another blog entry, this time sharing their thoughts and feeling on reaching their first goal. As you might expect, they seem tired, recovering from the altitude, but generally in good spirits and happy to have made the first climb.

No word on which of the Summits is next, but a hearty congratulations to the team for getting off to a good start.

Gear Junkie Checks Out Vibram's 2011 FiveFinger Line-Up

Over the past few weeks I've made a couple of posts regarding my foray into the world of barefoot running, and so far I have nothing but success to report. I find that it is becoming far more natural the more I go out with my Vibram FiveFingers Bikila on. My mileage has slowly begun to increase, the last run I did was two miles in length (following a 15 mile bike ride), and I'm already itching to go further.

The couple of times that I've posted on barefoot running has spawned some comments and e-mails with readers asking questions about the non-shoes that I wear. Vibram has done a great job of designing very lightweight shoes that are comfortable to wear, and yes, even kind of fun. They look a little strange, but it definitely gets the attention of others when you're out for a jog. They also must be doing something right, as the local REI store told me they can't keep them in stock, and my Backwoods store said that they were the best selling item that they had right now.

If you're considering a pair for yourself, you may want to take a look at the Gear Junkie's sneak peek into what Vibram has planned for their 2011 version of the shoes. He has some images posted of the redesigned Bikila LS, which now uses a speed lacing system to tighten up as opposed to the velcro straps on my pair. There is also a new pair designed for "fitness" what ever that means, called the Komodo, and another pair for "fashion" for those that just want to kick around town in you FiveFingers. (Which begs the question. Are these the next Crocs? Let's hope not!) The Gear Junkie even says that there are kids versions in the works too, but offers little other information at this time.

It's hard to tell yet if the barefoot running craze is here to stay or if it just a fad. I can say that I'm very much enjoying it so far, and can't wait until I can do further distances in my shoes. I got my pair from TravelCountry.com, who features them on their front page and has good prices on the entire line of FiveFingers.

Erik Weihenmayer Climbs Alpamayo

Alpamayo is a 19,511 foot tall, snow capped peak in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of the Peruvian Andes. It is a very prominent peak in the area, and is widely considered one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. It was for all of those reasons, and more, that Erik Weihenmayer and his climbing partner Eric Alexander, recently made the trip to Peru to attempt the mountain. 


Erik shared the details of the climb on his blog, which included some great photos of the trip and the video below. The trip involved a 2-day trek to BC, which is located at 14,500 feet, and establishing an intermediary camp at 16,000 feet before going to the summit. The two men had to work in rain and snow, and some technical portions of the climb, but eventually they stood on top. The story of their climb is a good one though, with lots of challenges to overcome along the way.


This climb marks the first blind ascent of the mountain. As many of you know, Erik is the first person to climb Everest without the use of his sight, and has since added the rest of the Seven Summits, including Carstenz Pyramid. He's also scaled El Cap in Yosemite and Mt. Kenya in Africa, amongst plenty of other peaks. 

The Himalaya Then and Now

A few days back I posted a story about how recent  photos showed the effects of climate change on Everest and the glaciers that surround it, when compared with similar photos taken by George Mallory back in 1921. The man who took those photos is none other than filmmaker and mountaineer David Breashears, who has directed a number of films on Everest, including the famous IMAX film from back in 1996.

Breashears has been traveling throughout the Himalaya taking photos of other famous mountains and comparing them to older images, and the results have been startling. The glaciers are retreating at a surprising rate, and that is putting a strain on the indigenous people of the region who now have to hike longer distances to find fresh water.

The photos are part of an art exhibition that opened last week in Manhattan. The exhibit is called Rivers of Ice and is being put on by the Asia Society through August 15th. Below is a video of Breashears discussing the project more fully.

Steps to The Summit - Step 23: Professor Failure

Our own personal steps to the summit continue today with another episode in the video series that is brought to us by the Expedition Hanesbrands team. This one conveys yet another important message and key to success, no matter what goal you've set out for yourself.

In this episode, team leader Jamie Clarke talks to us about failure, and how it can be an incredibly useful tool in learning and moving forward toward our goals. He says that failure is the greatest learning tool he's ever known, and it is an inevitable part of life. We all fail at some point. What is important is that after we fail, we pick ourselves back up, learn from the mistakes we made, and continue on. Failure builds the path to success.

Solo Sailing Update: Laura Dekker's Fate To Be Decided Next Week

14-year old Laura Dekker's plans to sail solo around the world received both good and bad news this week, as the courts in the Netherlands have announced that they'll decide her fate next Tuesday, July 27th. If they rule in her favor, she could potentially set sail immediately on her voyage.

Laura did receive permission from one very important person to being the journey – her mom! Laura's mother, who is divorced from her father, has  been a bit hesitant to allow her daughter to sail at times in the past, but she has now given her blessings, saying "Of course no mother on earth likes it if her daughter goes to sea alone. I will have sleepless nights from the worry, but this is about Laura and how I can help her."

Meanwhile, the authorities who will actually decide whether or not she can set sail are divided on their opinions. Social works that have been working directly with the family are now asking the courts to allow Laura to go on her adventure, but the national child protective services department disagrees and they feel she shouldn't be allowed to sail for at least a year. Which one of the two sides will prevail remains to be seen, and the decision sits in the hands of the judges who will handing down their ruling next Tuesday. 

Laura has taken advantage of her delays to develop her first aid skills, register for distance learning classes so she can continue her education, and worked on her ability to solo sail for longer distances while staying awake and attentive. All skills that will serve her well on this voyage if she is allowed to go.

So? What are your thoughts? The current record for youngest to sail around the world is Jessica Watson of course, who finished up in May and completed the journey a few days shy of her 17th birthday. Should a 14 year old be allowed to chase that record now?

Poachers Kill Last Female Rhino In SA Reserve

I wrote about this over at Gadling this morning, and thought it was worth mentioning here as well. According to this story from the Guardian, poachers have killed the last female white rhino in a popular South African game preserve in order to harvest her horn. The brutal act also orphaned her calf and brought the death toll to 136 rhinos at the hands of poachers so far this year.

The incident occurred last week in the Krugersdorp game reserve, not far from Johannesburg. Rangers believe that the poachers flew into the park in a helicopter and shot the rhino with a tranquilizer from the air. They then land, and use a chainsaw to cut off the horn. They're generally back in the air before they even shut the rotors down, and the animals are left behind. Most end up bleeding to death or overdose on the drugs that knock them out. 


The horns are then smuggled out of the country and sold on the black market in Asia, where they are prized for their alleged medicinal purposes. Made almost entirely out of keratin fibers, which are thin and resemble hair. The substance is the main ingredient of a number of traditional medicines throughout Asia, and the booming economy there has caused a spike in demand. 


South Africa has ramped up its enforcement of these crimes in recent years, and they are now generally handled by the "organized crime" division of the police force. Sentences have also gotten stricter and longer, and criminals are being pursued more aggressively in the past. Prior to 2005, the country averaged less than 36 rhino deaths per year by poachers. Last year that number was 129, and we're on track for a record number of kills this year.


I found this to be an incredibly sad story. Poaching is a horrible crime and when you consider that only an estimated 18,000 rhinos still live in all of Africa, you begin to see the magnitude of what is going on there. I suspect that this will continue as long as their is a demand or until there are no rhinos left in the wild. 

Beat The Summer Heat With A Skiing Video!

What better way to beat the summer heat than with a ski video? Check out this one, entitled The Way I See It, that comes our way courtesy of Matchstick Productions. The video deftly mixes style and substance to create a beautiful end product.

And yes, I do realize that my Southern Hemisphere readers are in the middle of winter already. You can enjoy the video too, you'll just get to go out and hit the slopes afterwards!

Tour 2010: Competitive Day Set The Stage For Thursday

Today's 16th stage of the Tour de France was a good one, and was literally competitive right down to the finish line, but it really was just a warm-up for what should be a big day on Thursday, following tomorrow's rest day.

The stage today ran from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau, covering 199.5 km (124 miles) in the process. The climbers had plenty of opportunity to stretch their legs on this one, with two Category 1 climbs to get things started, followed by two tough beyond category climbs in the middle, including the dreaded Tourmalet, which will play a bigger role in two days time. Following the second of those BC climbs, it was a fast and furious race to the end, with a break away group that included Lance Armstrong, battling for the stage victory.


Spaniard Carlos Barredo led the way for much of the later portions of the race, and for a time it seemed like he would survive for a solo stage win. But he was caught by a group of riders with less than 1 km to go, and was clearly heartbroken when Chris Horner, Christophe Moreau, Armstrong, and others swept passed him. Pierrick Fedrigo took the stage win at the line, holding off Sandy Casar and Ruben Plaza by fractions of a second. Armstrong ended up finishing in sixth place, while Barredo finished in ninth. Interestingly enough, Thor Hushovd claimed 10th place, which is very impressive for a sprinter on this stage, and clawed his way back into the Green Jersey. 


Despite his promises of seeking "revenge" today, Andy Schleck didn't attack Alberto Contador, and this stage wasn't a good option to do so regardless. Instead, the Yellow Jersey group hung together and there was no movement in that area. Presumably, they'll take tomorrow's rest day to regroup and prepare for Thursday, when it is imperative that Schleck gain chunks of time on the Tour leader. If Schleck isn't in Yellow Thursday night, he has no hope of catching Contador on the time trial.


With Contador still in Yellow and Thor back in Green, that leaves just the other two Jerseys to report on.  Anthony Charteau keeps the Polka Dot Jersey and currently has a solid lead in that department. He'll be challenged on Thursday as well, but is climbing strong right now. The White Jersey belong to Andy Schleck as the best young rider of the Tour, and he seems to have it well wrapped up, regardless of what happens on the way into Paris. 


As I mentioned, tomorrow brings the second, and final, rest day of this year's Tour, with a big day looming on Thursday. That will be a 174 km (108 mile) run that begins in Pau and ends with a punishing climb up the Col du Tourmalet, one of the roughest and most legendary climbs in the Tour's history. It is likely that it will all be decided right there on those slopes. If you're going to call in sick to work to watch one stage of the Tour, make it that one. 

Outer Edge Magazine Article

I'm extremely happy and excited to report that I have begun contributing to the wonderful Australian outdoor/adventure magazine Outer Edge. It is a top notch publication that focuses on all the things that regular readers of the Adventure Blog love, including climbing, adventure racing, kayaking, and much more.

My first regular column appeared in the latest issue of the magazine, with me weighing in on my thoughts about the young adventurers who have been so prominent lately. Young men and women like Jessica Watson, who sailed around the world solo at the age of 16 and 13-year old Jordan Romero who summitted Everest this past spring. 

Regular readers here already know where I stand on the issues, but as I wrote that article, a real life drama was unfolding in the Indian Ocean, where Abby Sunderland was waiting to be rescued. In fact, as I put the finishing touches on the story, it was unclear what her status was, and I had to edit some of it as the situation resolved itself. Thankfully, the outcome of that particular rescue operation had a happy ending, but it didn't impact my thoughts too much. I still think that many of these young men and women are not prepared to undertake some of these journeys, and eventually it's going to end badly. 

But that's not the point of this post, and I've shared those thoughts a number of times already. I do want to thank the fine folks at Outer Edge for asking me to contribute and I look forward to being part of the team moving forward. I'm already working on my next article and I hope all my friends down in Oz enjoy my contributions to an already great magazine. Now, I just need to head back to Australia on a regular basis to stay in touch with my audience. Because I need excuses to head back to Australia. Love it there!

Karakorum 2010: Mixed Results and Tragedy on K2

It was a bit of a mixed bag for teams across the Karakorum this weekend. While the weather window opened as expected, copious amounts of snow high on the mountains prevented many from reaching their goals. Still, there were some successful summits and word of a death on K2.

ExWeb is reporting this morning that Bulgarian climber Petar Georgiev Unzhiev passed away on K2 this weekend, succumbing to altitude sickness at Camp 2. He was climbing as part of the Adventure Tours Pakistan team, and other than receiving word from his family to bury him at C2, not much else is known about the situation. My condolences go out to Petar's friends and family. 


Staying on K2, we received word over the weekend that Christian Stangl has returned to the mountain to make another attempt at a speed record. The Austrian climber turned back last year 316 meters beneath the summit, and he's hoping that he can finish the job this year. ExWeb says that now that he's set the speed record for completing all of the Seven Summits, he's going for the "Second Seven", or the second highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Next up, he'll return to Antarctica and go for Mount Tyree.


Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, the Basque BAT Team hoped to complete their traverse of the mountain's three summits this weekend, and they were successful after a couple of very long days in the mountains. They also managed to establish a new route in the process, marking the first new route by a Basque team on an 8000-meter peak. Check out their video below for more. 


Also on Broad Peak, explorer Mike Horn and climbing partner Kobi Reichen reached the summit over the weekend as well. The duo climbed without the use of supplemental oxygen, topping out at 2 AM local time. The long climb followed nearly three weeks of waiting patiently for the weather to clear and for the massive amounts of snow on the summit to come down in the form of avalanches. 


The Field Touring Alpine squad weren't so lucky with their ascent. They called off their planned summit bid just below the Col on BP due to heavy amounts of snow along their route. On Saturday they were all back in C3 and in good health and spirits, and there has been no word yet if they'll have another go at the summit or if they'll just proceed to K2 now. 


On the Gasherbrums it was success for one team while another turned back. The Czech team on GII topped out on Saturday and was back in BC safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Don Bowie and Alexey Bolotov didn't have the same luck on GI however. The boys were forced back down the mountain due to chest deep snow. They're back in BC now too, with no word on another attempt for now.


A second weather window is expected this week and some of the climbers, such as Gerlinde and Ralf, were taking advantage of one more acclimatization rotation this weekend. They're likely to make their summit bids on K2 this week if the weather holds as expected. The next few days could be very interesting once again. 

Tour 2010: The Pyrenees Are Here!

It was an interesting day of riding in the Tour de France following a busy and active weekend that saw the arrival of the Pyrenees at last, although the big fireworks have yet to appear, and it seems that the winner could be decided by (mis)fortunes this year as much as anything else, although there is still plenty of riding to be done.

Saturday's stage was another rolling affair, with plenty of ups and downs, but no major climbs, but a challenging ride none-the-less. That day belonged to a very emotional Alexandre Vinokorov, who rode like he had a lot to prove, which of course is very true. Sunday was a different animal, with the first major climbs of the Pyrenees testing the riders. GC contenders Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador sparred on the slopes, with neither gaining an advantage, while Christophe Riblon rode to the stage win after leading the way for nearly 160 km (99 miles).

Today, we had several Category 2 climbs lining the route, but it was the huge beyond category climb, and subsequent drop, at the end of the stage that would put the pressure on the peloton. The route ran from  Pamiers to Bagnères-de-Luchon, covering 187.5 km (116.5 miles) in the process. The big winner of the day was Thomas Voeckler who rode alone to the finish line, well ahead of the field, but while he was celebrating his victory, the real drama was taking place behind him in the battle for the Yellow Jersey.


On the final big climb of the day, the Port de Balès, Contador and Schleck were once again dueling for the lead in the race, with neither giving an inch and neither seeming to hold an advantage over the other. But misfortune struck Schleck, who blew his chain while shifting, causing him to have to stop to make a mechanical adjustment. Taking the opportunity to pounce, Contador took off up the slope, knowing that he had a big opportunity to gain back the 30 seconds he trailed his rival. 


Schleck made the adjustment quickly, but the damage was done, and he spent the remainder of the race trying to track down Contador, but to no avail. In the end, the Spanish rider took back the 30 seconds and then some, and donned the Yellow Jersey today, fully 8 seconds ahead of Schleck. 


The crowd was none too pleased with the outcome, and Contador was booed a bit while on the podium. There is already some debate going on as to whether or not he should have stopped and waited for Schleck to catch up, as there is often a gentleman's agreement between rivals that they don't want to win the Tour because of a mechanical issue. We've seen that happen on more than one occasion. Whether or not that even occurred to Contador is up for speculation, as he has shown little regard for cycling convention in the past. 


So, for now at least, Contador is in Yellow, and honestly I think it will be really difficult to take it off his back. There are several big days of climbing ahead, including the Tourmalet on Thursday, but Contador is a great climber, and Schleck is going to have to really go hard to drop him now. Especially considering how much better of a time trialist Contador is. In my opinion, Schleck needed all of that 30 seconds that he lost, and then some, to hold off Alberto anyway. My prediction is that while we may see an epic battle yet, the 2010 Tour de France is, for all intents and purposes, over. I'd love to see Schleck prove me wrong, but that's the feeling I have today.


The other jersey's shake down like this. Alessandro Petacchi now wears the Green Jersey and is racing well. He'll be competing for sprint points when ever possible the next few days. Anthony Charteau leads in the King of the Mountain competition and is wearing the Polka Dot Jersey, although the competition will be fierce through Thursday. Finally, Andy Schleck as taken back his White Jersey, as the best young rider in the race. While he was in Yellow, the Robert Gesink spent time in White. 


Tomorrow we have another massive day that will crush the peloton for sure. Stage 16 is nearly 200 km (124 miles) in length, running from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau. The route features two Category 1 climbs, both near the start, followed by two beyond category climbs, that give way to a break neck descent and two opportunities for the sprinters to pick-up points. The stage will be brutal early on but offers a fast finish that will favor the descenders. It should be a good one!