Video: The View From the Summit of Annapurna

As I write this, teams of climbers are preparing to go for the summit of Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain in the world, but one of the most challenging and deadly. Ever wondered what it would look like at the top? Take a look at this brief clip, which was shot last season. It'll give you a sense of what it is like to stand on the summit of this iconic mountain and take in the Himalaya as it spreads out below.

Video: Snowboarder Xavier De Le Rue Paramotors into the Alaskan Wilderness

Extreme mountain snowboarder Xavier De Le Rue is well known for going to great lengths to reach some of the most remote areas of the world. In this video, he shows that spirit once again as he and his team use paramotors to fly into the Alaskan wilderness to reach places that no one has ever snowboarded before. This is certainly a unique way to travel, and very different from taking a helicopter into the backcountry, which is the way many of these videos are shot. In the clip below, you'll fly along with Xavier and his crew through some beautiful landscapes before they drop off and snowboard down some incredibly steep slopes. It is an impressive display all around.

Video: Into the Northland

This video takes us into the dense forest and remote wilderness of northern Minnesota, a place that for my money is an often overlooked outdoor playground. The footage shown here was captured by drone along the shore with Lake Superior, and as you'll see this is a stunningly beautiful place that remains remote and wild. If you haven't visited this spectacular place yet, you'll certainly want to add it to your list once you've watched this short clip.

Northland from Jake Strassman on Vimeo.

Video: Night Skiing with Flares

We've seen some interesting ski videos over the years, but this one ranks near the top. It follows Greg Tuscher and Nicolas Vuignier as they take to the backcountry in Wallis, Switzerland to ski at night using nothing but emergency flares to light their way. The shadows that are cast on the surrounding landscapes make for a unique look to say the least.

Video: Paddling China's Salween River

This video takes us to a remote region of China with Travis Winn, a paddler who visited the same area 15 years ago to make the first descent of the Salween River with his father. Now, he has returned to that same waterway, which is being threatened by damming, to take us on a tour of this amazing part of the world, which is increasingly altered by the industrialization of the landscape.

Salween Spring from NRS Films on Vimeo.

Video: GoPro for a Cause - Remember the Nepal Earthquake

Next week will mark the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Nepal. Over the past 12 months there have been a lot of efforts to help the country – which is a haven for outdoor adventure – to rebuild itself. In this video, we see yet another one of those efforts as paragliders and hangliders join the Cloudbase Foundation in its efforts to help with the cause. Along the way, we get some great views of the legendary Himalayan landscapes found in Nepal.

Video: A Look at the Newest U.S. National Monument – Bears Ears

One of the big stories that occurred while we were away celebrating the holidays was that President Obama declared a new national monument in the form of Bears Ears in Utah. Stretching out over 1.3 million acres, the landscape there is utterly beautiful, and contains not only great opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, but is rich in culture and history for the Native Americans that once lived there. In this oh-so short, but wonderful, video we get a glimpse at this newly protected region, which is already on my list of places to visit.

Himalaya Spring 2016: Annapurna Summit Push is On, Progress Elsewhere

It is safe to say that the spring climbing season in the Himalaya is now in full swing, with teams now focused on acclimatization and preparation for eventual summit bids. For the most part, it has been a relatively quiet season so far, which is a welcome change from the past few years when we've seen everything from brawls on Everest to tragic deaths to serious disagreements between climbers. But so far this year, there has been a sense of calm pervading the entire region, which could lead to a very successful return to form. 

We'll start today's update with news from Annapurna, where several teams are now on the move with the hope of topping out over the next few days. The plan is to reach Camp 4 tomorrow, spend a brief time resting there, and then launching the final push to the top. At the moment, the weather looks like it will be good, with winds dying off as they climb higher. If everything goes according to plan, they should complete the ascent on Sunday, May 1, most likely ending the season on Annapurna for the year. 

Over on Everest, a ladder was expected to be installed along the route up the Lhotse Face that was closed yesterday due to an ice collapse. That ladder will help the teams overcome this new obstacle in a safe fashion and allow them to continue on to Camp 3 as part of their acclimatization efforts. We're also told that the Sherpa team that is fixing ropes up the mountain is progressing nicely, and should finish their work all the way to the summit in the first week of May. After that, it'll just be a matter of when the teams are properly prepared for the altitude and a weather window opens to the summit. Most likely that will occur around the middle of May. 

On the Northside of Everest things are progressing as well, although at a bit slower pace. The Chinese-Tibetan team has started installing the ropes there and have now reached 7000 meters (22,965 ft), and by all accounts Base Camp is quiet, well maintained, and orderly. Teams are acclimatizing there as well, with the process continuing on schedule. 

Meanwhile, progress is being made on other mountains in the Himalaya as well. ExWeb is reporting that Sherpas have now established C1 on Dhaulagiri and are pressing forward with installing the ropes up to C2 as well. On Shishapangma, Ueli Steck and David Göttler are waiting out some high winds before proceeding upwards, but everything looks good at there at the moment. On Cho Oyu, teams are still arriving and getting settled, but one group has already reached Camp 2 at 7000 meters (22,965 ft), while on Makalu, the route up Makalu La has been installed up to C2 as well. 

Things aren't going quite as smoothly on Manaslu, where heavy snows are keeping teams grounded for now. Above Camp 1 – located at 5800 meters (19,028 ft) – the snow is said to be more than a meter and a half deep, and still falling. That has kept all climbers from going much higher than C1, which has hampered their efforts to acclimatize. As you can imagine, all of the teams are watching the forecasts closely, and working out plans to break trail to C2 and higher. 

We're in the part of the climbing season that is a bit of a grind for the teams. They still have lots of work to do before any eventual summit pushes, and there are lots of challenges to overcome before that happens. Still, things are going according to the plan for the most part, with progress being made across the region. In a few weeks time, we'll be reporting on serious summit pushes during a season that needs to come off safely and without controversy. 

Himalaya Fall 2016: Bad Weather Delays Summit Bids, Sad News From Manaslu

When last we checked in with the big commercial teams in the Himalaya this fall most were in the process of wrapping up their acclimatization efforts and had started planning their summit bids. Some were even expected to top out on their respective mountains by the end of last week. But as usual, mother nature had other plans, with bad weather hitting the region and delaying any attempts to reach summit on several of the big peaks. But, the forecast calls for improved conditions in the days ahead, and details are starting to emerge on a new schedule.

Over on Cho Oyu, the Adventure Consultants report heavy snow over the past few days. But yesterday, the storm finally broke, and it now appears that they will have five solid days of good weather ahead which should serve as summit window. No word on exactly when they'll depart Base Camp, but it would seem that the team is ready to go and may leave as early as today. That means they should reach the summit over the next few days provided the forecast is accurate and the weather holds. The entire squad is rested, acclimatized and ready to go.

On Manaslu, the teams have pretty much wrapped up their acclimatization rotations and are now preparing to summit as well. That includes the Seven Summits Trek squad and the contingent of Himex climbers too. Interestingly enough, it appears that the teams haven't finished fixing ropes to Camp 4 yet, and there is some dispute over how that process is being handled. Typically, the Himex team – which is amongst the most experienced on the mountain – takes the lead, but with Seven Summits becoming more prominent, their Sherpas have played a role too. Unfortunately, they apparently got lost in whiteout conditions last week and installed ropes to the wrong location – something that has annoyed Himex boss Russel Brice. You can read about that here. Otherwise, the teams seem to be well acclimated and ready to go once the weather improves.

There was some sad news from the Manaslu region last week when it was reported that a landslide claimed the lives of three Nepali citizens and a Spanish traveler trekking in that part of Nepal. Amongst the dead was Dorjee Lama Sherpa, who was a mountain guide that had summited Everest eight times. He also served last the president of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association as well. My condolences to the friends and family of those who were killed.

The Altitude Junkies have checked in from Dhaulagiri, where they report mostly dry conditions. This has caused some problems of their own, including cracked and melting glaciers and challenges with fixing ropes. The team ordered six ladders to be delivered from Kathmandu, which will allow them to safely cross over large crevasses that have opened up along the route, but until those ladders are put into place, the team can't move forward with any summit plans. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Shishapangma is seeing its usual share of visitors this fall, and progress is being made there as well. High winds forced the RMI team to retreat back to BC a day early however, but otherwise everything is going about as smoothly as possible. No summit bids in sight at the moment though.

Finally,  Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki continues his solo Everest expedition, although there have been few updates. He has been acclimatizing as expected, but heavy snows on Everest are making things difficult. This is his sixth attempt at a solo summit in the fall. Hopefully things will go his way this year.

That's it for now. Expect more news later in the week once summit bids truly get underway. Both Cho Oyu and Manaslu should see teams on top in a few days time.

Video: K2 By Drone!

There is no question that K2 is amongst the most dangerous and difficult mountains to climb on the entire planet. It also happens to be located in a remote and beautiful place that most of us won't have the opportunity to see for ourselves. But, thanks to this wonderful short film, you can make the journey, and get some stunning images of the landscapes around the mountain too. It was shot by drone pilot and filmmaker Petr Jan Juračka, who traveled to K2 with Czech climber Klára Kolouchová. The results speak for themselves. Check out the clip below to get a look at this incredible place.

Video: A Year In Review With GoPro

By now, we all know just what a GoPro camera can do. But just in case you need a reminder, we have the video below, which includes some fantastic action scenes (and scenery!) that was all captured on the GoPro Hero3, the company's flagship product. Essentially you're getting a year in review from 2013, with a whole lot of adventure packed on film.

GoPro HERO3: 2014, Music by Rithmk from RITHMK Productions on Vimeo.

Himalaya Spring 2016: Weather Window Slams Shut on Annapurna, No Summits

It was a tough weekend on Annapurna, where a number of teams had hoped to make a summit push amidst a narrow weather window. But that window proved to be shorter than expected and as a result no one managed to top out as planned.

On Friday, several climbers managed to reach Camp 4 at 7000 meters (22,965 ft) right on schedule.  After a brief rest in C4, they then set off for the summit that evening reaching as high as 7800 meters (25,590 ft) before high winds prevented them from going higher. This winds reportedly approached 60-70 km (37-43 mph), which is simply too strong and dangerous to allow anyone to press on to the top. All of the climbers turned back, and the majority of them have now safely returned to Base Camp while a few squads have rotated up to Camp 1 and 2 as they acclimatize.

According to Chris Jensen Burke, her team moved up to Camp 3 on this most recent summit push, but heavy snows at C2 slowed progress, and by the time they got to C3 it was becoming clear that the weather window was closing. Things were quiet at that point on the mountain, but higher up the winds were swirling dangerously. So, she and her group elected to abort their push and head back down.


Several teams are preparing to leave Annapurna today. Their resources and tie have run out, and now they must depart. But others remain, with Burke herself saying she has everything she needs to make one more attempt. That won't come until after April 22 though, as the weather forecasts now indicate that the high winds and snows will blow through than. After that, they hope to make another summit push. That would start late this week or next weekend.

Elsewhere in the Himalaya, teams are getting settled in their Base Camps and starting their acclimatization rotations. On the South Side of Everest and Lhotse, the first teams have now moved through the Khumbu Icefall and climbed up to Camp 1. On the North Side of Everest in Tibet, teams are just arriving and getting settled as well. Rope fixing is underway, but acclimatization efforts haven't fully launched just yet. That will change soon however as climbers go on the move.

That's it for today. More to come soon.

Video: On the Appalachian Trail with Jennifer Pharr Davis

Jennifer Pharr Davis is a n Appalachian Trail thru-hiker. In fact, when she walked that iconic route end-to-end back in 2011, she set a speed record for the time, covering the full 2200 miles in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. To put that in perspective, that means that she averaged 76 km (46 miles) per day, which is an impressive feat to say the least.

In this video, we travel to AT with Jennifer to experience just a small portion of the trail as she shares her thoughts about this amazing hiking route. Over the course of her hiking career, she has walked the entire thing three times, and visits it often from her home in North Carolina. She calls it the great American trail, and as you'll see, it is hard to argue with that.

On The Appalachian Trail (With Jennifer Pharr Davis) from Kerrin Sheldon on Vimeo.

Winter XGames 2017 Day 2: A Well Oiled Machine

Yesterday was my second day at Winter XGames 2017 in Aspen, Colorado and much like Day 1, it was filled with lots of energy and excitement, not just from the athletes, but from the spectators too. With great weather, relatively warm temperatures (25ºF/-3ºC), and lots of things to do in and around the XGames arena, the fans turned out in large numbers to cheer on their favorite actions sports athletes, who didn't disappoint.

The first competition of the day got started early was some of the best skiers in the world hitting the slopes for the men's slopstyle skiing final, which was won by Øystein Braaten of Norway. He started a bit slow on his first run, crashing out early on some rails. But but his second attempt was nearly flawless, giving him a solid win agains some great competition, which weren't far off in terms of scoring.

Next up, was women's snowboard slopestyle finals, which went Julie Marino of the U.S. This competition wasn't quite so hotly contested as the men's ski final, but the ladies did put on a good show, with a large crowd starting to gather in the XGames village. With music, food, contests, entertainment, and plenty of fun booths to visit, the fans had a lot to do between competitions.

The big draw for the daytime events was without a doubt the snowmobile freestyle final. This is the crazy event in which snowmobile riders attempt to push their powerful - but heavy and ponderous – machines through some amazing stunts in the air. Each year, this competition seems to get more intense, and 2017 was not different. This is one of those sports where I'm much happier watching than actually participating, as on more than one occasion I thought to myself "these guys are crazy."

As the event rolled along, the riders continued to push the envelope, with Colten Moore setting the pace with some high-flying stunts that wowed the crowd. But at the end of the day, the gold medal went to Joe Parsons, who on his final run strung together an impressive set of tricks that impressed the judges enough to just edge out his rival.

Following the crazy antics on the snowmobiles, we had a bit of time to catch our breath before the start of the next competition. During that period, I had the chance to chat with a couple of different athletes, including skier Kevin Rolland and snowboarders Sebastian Toutant and Christy Prior, who wasn't on hand to compete as she recovers from injury. The take away I got from chatting with each of them was that the XGames are as big for these athletes as the Olympics, and that they all look forward to competing with their friends in Aspen. This is a tightly knit group of friends who also happen to be rivals, and it was clear that they all knew each other well and enjoyed going head to head with one another.

In speaking to with Rolland in particular we chatted about the number of crashes that had been occurring on the superpipe over the course of the week. I mentioned this yesterday, and said that it marred the competition to a degree, as not everyone got the chance to truly shine. Kevin told met hat the edges of the pipe were not quite what the athletes were use to, and it was making it very difficult to stick the landings after coming off some of their high flying antics. He had crashed badly on one of his runs the night before, but fortunately was just a little bruised and shaken up the next day. After we chatted, he was getting on a plane to fly to Europe, where he would be skiing at the World Cup next week. Fortunately, he should be ready to go for that competition.

Early in the evening, the focus of the games shifted back to the slopes, where the ladies gathered once more for the ski Big Air finale. That competition was won by German Lisa Zimmerman, who is amongst the best big air competitors in the world. She edged out the competition with some serious height and tricks that had the crowd cheering, even as they regathered for the evening's events.

After that, the snowboarders returned to the superpipe once again, with the ladies final in that event. American Elena Hight took her first ever gold in that event, fending off some stiff competition from a who's who list of female snowboarders. Fortunately, there were fewer crashes in the pipe for this event, although the same problems that had caused the men issues the night before were still somewhat common for the ladies too.

The final event of the night was the men's skiing Big Air final, which got off to an auspicious start when Swiss rider Luca Schuler crashed badly on his first run of the night. That accident brought a hush to the crowd, which looked on with obvious concern as medical staff slowly stabilized him, placed him on a stretcher, and rushed him off the snow. The prognosis later would be that Schuler suffered a concussion, and he spent some time in a local hospital where tests were negative and he was later released. It seems like he'll be just fine, but it was a scary moment for the games for sure.

Once the competition resumed, the rest of the field put on quite an aerial show. The skiers flipped, tumbled, soared, and spun through the thin Aspen air, quickly reenergizing the crowd. In the end, it was Brit James Woods who took home the gold, the first person form his country to earn that honor at the XGames.

After the competitions wrapped up for the evening, the crowd moved over to one of the music stages to listen to some of the bands booked to entertain them at the XGames. For me, it was time to head home and get some rest. It had been another fun, but long day, during which I had yet another chance to see these athletes not only shine in their field, but interact with their fans too. The one thing I'll definitely take away from my XGames experience is how down to Earth and grounded all of the athletes are, and how happy the are to be here. That includes meeting and greeting their fans, who find them accessible and accommodating at every turn. There are other pro athletes that could learn a thing or two from that.