Video: Climbing Link Sar - A Remote Peak in Pakistan

Last summer, climbers Andy Houseman and Jon Griffith traveled to the Karakoram in Pakistan to attempt a 7041 meter (23,100 ft) unclimbed peak known as Link Sar. The mountain gave them the biggest challenge of their life, testing their resolve and considerable skills along the way. You can see how this expedition unfolded in this fantastic video that comes our way courtesy of The North Face.

Video: Meet the Man Behind the Most Grueling Footrace on Earth

The Barkley Marathons is considered one of the toughest races on the planet. How tough you ask? Consider this. Since the race's inception back in 1986 only 14 people have managed to actually finish it. This video introduces us to Gary "Laz" Cantrell, the man who created this grueling endurance challenge that sends runners out on an incredibly demanding course where they have to complete 5 laps of a 20-mile (32 km) route in under 60 hours. Find out more about the race and Laz himself in this video profile.

How Kilian Jornet Plans to Set a Speed Record on Everest

One of the expeditions to Everest that we'll be watching very closely this year is Kilian Jornet's attempt to set a new speed record on Everest. As an amazing mountain runner, Kilian has already set records for fast ascents of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Denali, and Aconcagua, but now he's taking his considerable skills to the Himalaya where he hopes to go to the summit of the tallest mountain on the planet in record time.

Recently the Spaniard sat down with Men's Journal to talk about his upcoming adventure. In that interview, Kilian talked about what he learned last year on Everest when the April 25 earthquake hit Nepal, bringing an abrupt end to the climbing seasons. He also talks about his biggest concerns for his upcoming return to the mountain, the gear he'll take with him on the summit attempt, and more.

Probably of the most interest to readers is Kilian's game plan for the upcoming expedition. He'll be climbing from the North Side of the mountain in Tibet, and hopes to ascend via either the Horbein or Norton couloir depending on conditions. He'll scout out the route ahead of time, and spend some time acclimatizing before making the attempt, with altitude and safety being amongst his biggest concerns.  As you would expect, he'll be going as fast and light as possible, and make the ascent without bottled oxygen.

As of this writing, Kilian has not left for the Himalaya yet, so it is unclear when he'll set out for Everest. Speculation has him traveling to Tibet this spring to attempt his climb, but in the Men's Journal interview Jornet says that he will be going at the end of the summer, which would indicate he's planning a fall attempt on the speed record. According to his social media, the ultrarunner is still in Europe, but he still has plenty of time to set out for the mountain and get ready for a late season summit attempt. We'll just have to keep an eye on his plans to see what happens. A lot of people have been waiting for Kilian to take a shot at the Big Hill, and hopefully we'll see him go for it soon.

Winter Climbs 2017: Txikon and Company in Camp 2 on Everest

With Lonnie Dupre abandoning his attempt to summit Mt. Hunter in Alaska this winter, we have one less expedition to follow this season. Still, there are major climbs taking place on Everest and Manaslu that should keep us occupied over the next two months, which is exactly the amount of time remaining until winter comes to an end. That may seem like a long time, but with winter weather often keeping teams stuck in Base Camp for extended periods, those days and weeks can disappear in a hurry. But for now, at least one team is making good progress towards their goal.

It has been about a week since we last had an update from Elisabeth Revol regarding her winter expedition to Manaslu. At the time, she had just arrived in Base Camp and was reporting heavy snow falling on the mountain, with 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) of snow falling in the first half of January alone. But since then there has been no further updates on her team's progress, so we can only presume that things are proceeding, but how well the expedition is unfolding remains a bit of a mystery for now. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.

On the other hand, Alex Txikon has done a good job of keeping us up to date on the progress of his small team on Everest. After completing a route through the Khumbu Icefall last week, the group made its way up to Camp 1 for an acclimatization rotation. After securing a campsite there, and depositing some gear, Alex and his climbing partners – Carlos Rubio and Nurbu Sherpa – descended back to BC for a rest.


Fortunately for them, the weather has been fairly cooperative so far however, so it wasn't too long before they were headed back up the mountain. Yesterday we received word that they had established Camp 2 at 6400 meters (20,997 ft) and have spent the night there as part of the ongoing acclimatization process.

It is possible that if the weather holds, the team will stay at that spot for another night or two, before once again returning to Base Camp. This is all according to plan, and much like an Everest expedition that would take place at any other time of the year. The difference being if the weather does make a shift, Alex and company will probably see incredibly cold temperatures and heavy snow start to fall. How they react to that change in weather, and jus how severe the conditions are, will play a major role in the eventual outcome of the expedition.

Txikon is hoping to summit without the use of supplemental oxygen, something that has happened only one other time during the winter months. If he can pull it off, it will be no small feat, as temperatures will likely be around -60ºF/-51ºC at the top of the mountain when a summit bid finally does come. It is impossible to judge when that might happen, although if they manage to stay on their current schedule, we could see an attempt in about two weeks time. The weather will ultimately dictate the schedule however, so don't count on that happening just yet.

We'll continue to keep an eye on Everest and watch Alex's progress closely. So far, he has to be pretty pleased with how things are proceeding.

Winter Climbs 2016: Soap Opera Continues on Nanga Parbat as International Team Breaks Down Again

There still isn't a lot of news to report from Nanga Parbat. The weather remains awful, and as a result the remaining teams are stuck in Base Camp, waiting for an opportunity to go up. Over the weekend, 15 cm (6 inches) of new snow fell on the mountain, which only adds to the recent accumulations that will make breaking trail challenging once again.

But the ongoing saga of the dispute between Alex Txikon and Daniele Nardi seems to have taken another turn. First, we heard that a rift had come between the two men, and that they would no longer be working together on the attempt to complete the first winter ascent of the mountain. Then, a few days later, we were told that the entire story was blown out of proportion, and that they were continuing to work together. Now comes word once again that Alex and Daniele have gone their separate ways, and it seems that there is bad blood indeed.

Stefan Nestler has been watching the events on Nanga Parbat play out all season long, and posting updates to his Adventure Sports Blog. Over the weekend he shared yet more news from the mountain, not the least of which was a quote from Alex that said “Although tried to give more than one chance to this cooperation, it was finally impossible," indicating that he and Daniele have indeed split.

We know that Txikon and his partner Ali Sadapara are continuing to work with Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger. What Nardi's plans are remain unclear at this time, but as far as I can tell at this point, he is still in BC and possibly planning to make a solo attempt on the summit. We'll just have to wait to see how that unfolds.


Meanwhile, in that same blog post, Nestler shared an interview with Lunger who talks about what the team is doing in Base Camp to stay fit and ready to make a summit push. She also touches on trying to stay patient, why her and Simone's plans have changed, and the conditions they expect to see along the route to the summit.

Lunger is also asked about the rift between Alex and Daniele and simply says "I am, or rather, those who are still here are suffering from these disagreements. A particular person has played a dirty game and now has to live with the consequences."

So, while there has been no progress made towards the summit of the mountain, it seems safe to say that there is plenty of drama taking place. Hopefully the four-some that remain working together will get a chance to summit yet this year. For now though, they continue to play the waiting game in BC.

Video: Skiing the Hardrock 100

The Hardrock 100 is considered one of the toughest ultramarathons on Earth. Held each summer in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, it challenges endurance athletes to cover 100 very tough miles (160 km) as quickly as they can. It is a difficult trail to run, even in the best of conditions, and no one has ever attempted to cross it in the winter. That is, until now. In this short documentary film we join ultrarunner Jason Schlarb as he attempts that very thing. In brutal conditions he sets off to test himself on the Hardrock trail in January, when swirling winds, deep snow, and cold temperatures are at their worst. Does he make it? You'll just have to watch the video below to find out.

Skiing the Hardrock 100 from Schlarb-Wolf Productions on Vimeo.

Video: Stand-Up Paddling the Length of the Mississippi River

A few weeks back I posted a story about British adventurer Kev Brady, who was just about to embark on a 1200 km (800 mile) journey by stand-up paddleboard along the length of the longest river in Sri Lanka and up its coastline, which is expected to take 4 months to complete. But, it turns out that this isn't the only long distance SUP expedition that Kev has undertaken. Back in 2013 and 2014, he also paddled the length of the Mississippi River too, covering some 3781 km (2350 miles) in the process. The video below chronicles that journey, taking us source-to-sea on one of the longest rivers in the world. Quite an adventure indeed.

North Pole 2016: Race Against Time Team Changes Direction Again, Delays at Barneo Continue

After a number of false starts and delays, the North Pole season is underway at long last. But while the first team has now hit the ice, challenges remain at the Barneo Ice Camp, where regular flights are just now starting after bureaucratic issues caused even more issues.

First, an update on the Race Against Time team, which was finally dropped off on the ice yesterday, although they have once against changed direction due to their shortened window for skiing across the Arctic. Originally the plan was for British explorers Mark Wood, Paul Vicary, and Mark Langridge to ski from the Russian side of the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole. When that route started look tenuous, they elected to change their plans and fly to the North Pole to ski south to Ward Hunt Island in Canada instead.

Now, thanks to all of the delays in flights and at the Barneo camp, the team has roughly two weeks to conduct their expedition. This has caused them to switch their plans once again, now skiing the final two degrees to the North Pole instead. The trio were dropped at 88ºN yesterday, and will now spend the next 12-15 days skiing to the top of the world. Along the way they'll conduct research on the impact of climate change on the Arctic while documenting current conditions there.


Meanwhile, the team of engineers at Barneo have now completed their fourth runway made of blue ice. The previous landing strips suffered cracks due to the movement of the ice, making them unsafe for incoming flights. The team was in desperate need of resupply, and immediately called for a large aircraft to bring them food and fuel.

But after that flight, the first aircraft carrying skiers, explorers, researchers, and other people was scheduled to take off in an attempt to get things back on schedule in the Arctic. Unfortunately, the Norwegian government scrubbed that flight and required the Barneo team to fill out permits for all 11 flights that they had already scheduled. This paperwork has caused further delays, but the first five flights are now on the docket with the others to follow.

It seems highly likely that Barneo will stay in operation for longer than usual. Typically it begins to wrap up operations in late April, but with these long delays it seems the Arctic season will probably stretch into May. How this will impact travel there remains to be seen, but with the spring melt already underway, it seems likely that this will continue to be a very unusual year indeed.

Men's Journal Gives Us the 50 Most Adventurous Men

If you're looking for something to read today that is equal parts inspirational and educational, than have a look at Men's Journal's list of the 50 Most Adventurous Men on the planet. You'll find more than a few names that get mentioned here on The Adventure Blog on a regular basis, as well as some that you may not have encountered before.

The list reads like a "who's who" of adventure, with guys like Alex Honnold, Kilian Jornet, and Conrad Anker all making the cut. Others who earn some recognition from MJ include Ueli Steck, Eric Larsen, and Mike Horn, all of which I've written about and covered their expeditions extensively on this very website.

Of course, those well known names are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak, with numerous other interesting, daring, and downright visionary individuals making their way onto the list as well. The article spotlights mountaineers, rock climbers, ocean rowers, explorers, and more. Each of the profiles includes a brief introduction to the person's accomplishments, some insights into their career highlights, and a glimpse of where they may be headed next. All in all, it is a pretty great way to learn about some of the men who are shaping the way we explore the world today.

While 50 individuals is a fairly lengthy list, there are always some who are left off. I'm sure that like me, you'll be able to think of a few individuals that probably deserve to be mentioned with this group such as Simone Moro for instance. There are others as well, but this is still a pretty interesting list and well worth a look for sure.

Now, when is someone going to do a list of the 50 most adventurous women?

Video: Nepal Now - One Year After the Earthquake

It has now been one year since the earthquake hit Nepal, and over the past 12 months the country has struggled to get back on its feet and get the rebuilding process under way. This video takes us back to the wild, chaotic streets of Kathmandu and the surrounding area to get an idea of where the country is at right now. In some ways, the people of Nepal have come a long way over the past year, and in many ways there is still so much further to go.

Nepal Now from Matter on Vimeo.

Video: More Than Just Parks Presents Zion in 8K

The latest video from Will and Jim Pattiz – the two brothers behind the More Than Just Parks project – is Zion National Park in Utah, a place that is remote, wild, and breathtakingly beautiful. As usual, Will and Jim do an amazing job of capturing the essence of the park, giving viewers a spectacular tour of this amazing place in just four minutes time. If you haven't been to Zion yet, you need to add it to your list of adventure destinations. But then again, after watching this video, you'll want to do that anyway. Enjoy!

ZION 8K from More Than Just Parks on Vimeo.

Gear Closet: Solavore Sport Solar Powered Oven

I'm a huge fan of using solar power for keeping mobile devices charged while traveling through remote locations. This has become easier that it was in the past thanks to improvements to the efficiency of solar panels and the plethora of options available to consumers these days. But, the sun can actually be used to do more things than just keep our gadgets powered up, as I learned recently when I put the Sport Solar Oven from Solavore to the test.

Perfect for use in your own backyard or a campsite, the Sport Solar Oven does exactly what you would expect – turn the power of the sun into heat for cooking a meal. In fact, it is so efficient that you don't even need to have direct sunlight for it to automatically start collecting the rays and generating enough warmth to cook a surprising number of types of foods. The oven comes with its own thermometer, and while testing it consistently kept a temperature above 220ºF (104ºC), which is hot enough to boil water, and while it might take a little longer, cook just about anything else too.

Set up for the Sport couldn't be easier. Simply find a good spot to place it in the sun, and you're pretty much done. Solavore does sell an optional reflector that can be added to the stove to help focus the sunlight further, which takes just seconds to install. It adds some extra speed and efficiency to the oven, but it works just fine without it as well.

The oven does ship with two graniteware pots, complete with lids, which are perfect for cooking in the Sport. Both are three quarts (2.8 liters) in size, which means they have plenty of capacity, and since the oven has enough space to hold both of the pots at the same time, you can actually cook two dishes at the same time.


The Sport Solar Oven is fairly large in size, but isn't particularly heavy. It weighs about 9 pounds (4 kg), which makes it not the best choice for carrying into the backcountry, but a great option for car camping or cooking without the use of gas or power at home too. There is just something really fun about using the oven and watching your meals come together using just the sun to cook them.

Because it uses the sun, and takes some time to cook a meal, a bit of planning and timing needs to go into food preparation using the Sport Solar Oven. I cooked several different things in my test model, and it usually took several hours for things to come together. That's a lot slower than a camp stove that uses gas of course and while getting the feel for the oven you'll want to keep an eye on things so that they don't get over done, but with some forethought and patience, you can eat some incredibly delicious meals anywhere that you can catch some rays from the sun.

To help you get started with the solar oven, Solavore offers some really great recipes on their website. I actually recommend starting with one or two of those options while learning how to use the Sport, as they'll give you exact instructions for preparing the food, as well as estimated cooking times. This will help you to get a feel for the product while you get some experience using it.

Other than the time it takes to actually makes the meal, the Sport Solar Oven is easy to use and works great. It really does open up the options for cooking around the campsite, and the fact that it doesn't need power or gas is a huge plus. The oven sells for $229 and comes with everything you need to make great meals just about anywhere. Just give yourself plenty of time for it to work its magic, and you'll be rewarded with some excellent meals.

Video: Watch a Helicopter Pilot Land on the Summit of Everest

Back in 2005, French helicopter pilot Didier Delsalle did something that most people thought was impossible – he landed a helicopter on the summit of Mt. Everest. And when people questioned if he was actually able to pull of that stunt, he did it again for good measure. In this video, we see one of those landings, in footage that I hadn't ever come across before. Considering the fact that most helicopters won't go much higher than Base Camp, this remains an impressive bit of flying indeed.

Video: Acadia National Park in 4K Timelapse

Acadia National Park is one of the hidden gems of the U.S. national park system. Tucked away in a beautiful corner of Maine, the park offers some of the best wilderness area in the eastern part of the country. This video captures the landscapes found there in a wonderful fashion, using high-resolution imagery and timelapse photography to show off this incredibly special place. Throughout the clip, you'll catch glimpses of the northern lights and the fantastic night skies, which are a hallmark of any visit to Acadia. Sit back and enjoy this all-too brief look at a wonderful outdoor playground.

Acadia National Park - 4K Hyperlapse/Timelapse from Mark Irion on Vimeo.

Best Hike Takes Us to the Villarrica Traverse in Chile

While I was spending my time snowshoeing and dogsledding in Canada a few weeks back, my friend Rick McCharles, who runs BestHike.com, was returning home from a month of trekking in Chile. While there, he discovered what he calls the absolute best route in the country while hiking along the Villarrica Traverse, an 81 km (50 mile) walk that he deems as quite challenging.

The hike takes visitors through remote wilderness that is dominated by volcanic peaks throughout the region. Not the least of these volcanoes is the active Villarrica itself, which looms 2860 meters (9380 ft) overhead. The walk itself takes place mostly above treeline, which helps to provide beautiful views throughout the trek, which takes roughly 5-6 days to complete.

As usual, Rick does a great job of providing information to readers about the hike, giving us tips about where to start, when to go, and what to expect along the way. He even writes daily summaries of the traverse, each of which offers really great information for those who would like to make the trek themselves. Not only do these summaries give you insight from someone who is a very experienced backpacker, and has walked some of the most iconic routes in the world, but the photos that are included are wonderful and helpful too.

If you'd like to hike the Villarrica Traverse yourself, read Rick's summary of the hike here, and then read his daily dispatches, which begin with Day 0 where we learn how to get Pucón, the start of the hike itself.

Looks like a great trek. Would love to do this myself at some point.

Greg Hill To Attempt To Climb And Ski 100,000 Meters In March

Remember Greg Hill? Back in 2010, we followed his attempt to climb and ski 2 million vertical feet (610,000 meters) in one year. It took him all 12 months, but he was able to achieve that goal. Now, he's back with another ambitious project that will push him to the limits and certainly test his endurance. In March, Hill hopes to climb and ski a total of 100,000 meters, a massive number for a single month.

This would be a big enough challenge on a well groomed trail at a nice resort, but that isn't what Greg has in mind. He'll climb and ski in the Canadian backcountry, taking on some tough mountains and even making a few first descents. Even more impressive, he won't repeat a single hill, but will instead move on to new challenges at all times.

Greg says that he isn't sure if it is even possible to pull off his big goal. He knows that injuries, weather, avalanches and other unexpected challenges could prevent him from completing this challenge. But, he will push on to see if he can pull it off none the less. To do so, he'll spend every day in March climbing and skiing mountains, with the hopes of getting to that big 100,000 meter numbers.

Good luck Greg! You're going to need it!

Greg Hill's March Madness 2014 from FD Productions on Vimeo.

Himalaya Fall 2016: Kuriki Calls it Quits on Everest, Vows to Return

One of the more interesting expeditions of the fall climbing season in the Himalaya has come to an end. Japanese alpinist Nobukazu Kuriki has announced that he is leaving Mt. Everest and will return home, bringing an end to his latest attempt to summit that mountain solo and unsupported.

You may recall that Kuriki launched a summit bid on the North Side of Everest on October 6, only to be turned back a couple of days later due to deep snow high up on the mountain. In that attempt, he made it as high as 7400 meters (24,278 ft) and was preparing for the final push to the top, but the route was covered in snow that came up to his waist. That heavy snow made it impossible to break trail on his own, so he wisely decided to descend back to Base Camp to reassess his options.

After spending a few days back in BC watching the mountain and regaining his strength, Kuriki took a look at the weather forecast and found it to be very unfavorable. The jet stream was moving over the summit of the mountain, making it impossible to summit for the foreseeable future. He realized that his chances of climbing Everest in 2016 were coming to an end, and his home team reports that he broke down in tears with the realization.

This was Nobu's sixth attempt at climbing Everest solo in the fall, and apparently it won't be his last. He has already said that he plans on returning next year to give it another go, and considering the level of determination we've seen out of him in the past, I would expect to see him back on the mountain again next year if at all possible.

Kuriki is an enormously popular figure in his home country, and in order to fund this expedition he launched a very successful crowdfunding campaign. Whether or not he can do that again remains to be seen, but part of the disappointment he has felt in not completing the expedition comes from the feeling of disappointing all of those who have supported him. As we all know however, mountaineering is not an exact science, and conditions have to be just right to be successful. Particularly on a peak like Everest when you are completely alone. Something tells me that his supporters understand this as well, and will be willing to back him again in the future.

To my knowledge this is the last expedition taking place on an 8000-meter peak in the Himalaya at the moment, although there may be a few smaller teams that have slipped below my radar. There are some ongoing climbs on 6000 and 7000 meters peaks however, so stay tuned for more updates as they happen.

Video: Emily Harrington and Alex Honnold Free Climb "Solar Flare"

It's always a joy to watch two amazing rock climbers ply their trade, and that is exactly what we get in this clip. We'll follow Emily Harrington and Alex Honnold as they free climb Solar Flare, a 5.12d route in the High Sierra mountains of California. As usual, these two make it look easy, but make no mistake, this is rock climbing at its finest.

Video: Traversing Iceland by Mountain Bike

We'll wrap up the year in fitting style with a fantastic video of a true adventure. This ten-minute clip takes us to Iceland, where we'll follow pro mountain bikers Hans Rey and Steve Peat as they traverse the country by bike north to south. Along the way, you'll get a chance to see some of the amazing landscapes that the country is so famous for, and since this is the last video of the year, let is serve as a good inspiration to get your 2016 off to an adventurous start too. Happy New Year!