Video: Exploring Ireland's Donegal Region

Ireland's remote Donegal region, located in the remote northeast section of the country, is home to some amazing landscapes, including a series of impressive sea stacks just off the coastline. Over the past few years, climber Iain Miller has been exploring the region and climbing those stacks, while documenting his adventures online. He has even created a series of YouTube videos to better show off the area. The one below will give you sense of what Donegal has to offer, and I have to say, it looks like quite a destination.

Adventures in... Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia isn't a destination that typically ranks high on the list of places for adventure travelers to visit, but my friend Richard Bangs recently shared his experiences there, which included visits to museums and historical sites, camping in the Empty Quarter, and a dizzying array of other wonders, both modern and ancient.

Richard describes the Kingdom as the "hardest place in the world to visit," but yet he finds plenty of friendly, accommodating people that welcomed him. Along the way he had the opportunity to explore some truly amazing places, including the Lost City of Qaryat Al Fau – the remains of a civilization that dates back to 1 B.C. – and the tombs of Qasr Al Farid, which are carved out of a single giant sandstone monolith in the desert.

Most visitors to Saudi Arabia come on a religious pilgrimage, although there is a tourism sector there that is growing slowly. The country has very restrictive visa restrictions, which include requiring visitors to have a sponsor before they arrive. Most visa are issued for business purposes only, with general tourism still remaining mostly off limits. In fact, the only company that currently offers regular tours of the Kingdom is Mountain Travel Sobek, which Richard is a co-founder of.

Read more about his adventures in Saudi Arabia in this article from HuffPo, and if you're looking for something a little closer to home, Richard also has details on what he calls "far and away, flat out, the West's best road trip."

Gear Closet: Altra StashJack Lightweight Running Jacket

Fall is here, which means cooler weather and unpredictable conditions that can make it much more challenging to know how to dress for our favorite outdoor activities. On some days you need a jacket, and on others you don't. And then of course there are those times when unexpected rain showers strike, making you wish you had brought a jacket with you even though you didn't think it was needed. That's exactly where the new StashJack from Altra comes in handy. It is a super lightweight option that has been so well designed that you won't ever have to decide whether or not you should bring it on your adventures.

A quick look at the technical specs for the StashJack provides some insights into why it is such a nice piece of kit. For example, it weighs just 3.3 ounces (93.5 grams), provides protection from both wind and rain, and it features a loose, tapered fit that gives your body room to move while taking part in fast-paced activities. It also includes some reflective highlights to help keep the wearer more visible in low conditions, and it is made with trimmed and flat locked seams that make it more comfortable to wear.

But, that is really just the beginning. Because what makes the StashJack so special is its ability to be stuffed into a tiny carrying pouch that comes complete with a built-in adjustable belt. This gives you the ability to wear the jacket around your waist until you truly need it, at which time it can be deployed in a matter of seconds without ever having the need to stop moving at all. The jacket even features an open back that is designed to wrap around your pack so you won't even have to remove it to put the jacket on.


This clever design comes our way from the team at Altra, a company focused on making excellent products for runners and hikers. Already this year I have reviewed both their Superior 2.0 trail running shoes and Lone Peak 3.0 hiking boots. In both cases, I came away very impressed with how comfortable and well made those products are. The StashJack doesn't disappoint in anyway either, only further increasing my confidence in Altra gear.

I've worn the StashJack on several runs this fall when I thought there was a chance of rain. On a couple of those occasions I managed to put in my milage before the bad weather set in, which normally would have annoyed me since I had brought a jacket along for no reason. But in this case, the StashJack attached securely to my waist, and because it is so lightweight, I pretty much forgot that it was even there. The included belt kept the jacket from bouncing around while I moved and it did nothing to impede my natural running movements.

On a couple of other occasions dark clouds did decide to open up and drop some rain on me while I ran. It was at those times that I was very happy to have this jacket along for the ride. I was able to quickly and easily pull it out of its stash pouch and put it on, taking just a few seconds to wrap myself in lightweight protection from the elements. This allowed me to happily continue with my workout without getting soaked to the bone.

It should be pointed out that the StashJack is made to be wind and water resistant, which means in more severe storms it can soak through, and heavy winds will still bring a chill to your body. But considering the fact that it weighs just 3.3 ounces, it performs quite well, even in those more demanding situations.

You don't have to be a runner to appreciate what the StashJack brings to the table. Hikers will certainly find this an appealing product as well. It's combination of convenience and svelte design make it a great choice for travel too, allowing you to wear it where ever you go, and instantly have a light jacket that you can pull on at a moments notice.

Priced at $130, the StashJack is more expensive than many will probably want to pay. But it is surprisingly durable for its size and packs in a high level of performance. If you're a daily runner (like me), you'll find this is a jacket you'll want to own. Having it in your gear closet for other occasions, like going on a day hike or traveling to a foreign city where rain is in the forecast, extends its value beyond just my regular workouts. Yes, it is possible to find a rain jacket at lower price, but you'll be hard pressed to find one that offers such versatility as well. For me, that makes the asking price well worth it.

Get one for yourself at Altra.com. And don't forget to grab one for the runner on your holiday shopping list too.

Video: Ultrarunning - The Pleasure and the Pain

"If you're going to be an ultrarunner you need to embrace suffering." So says 65-year old ultrarunner Errol "The Rocket" Jones, the subject of this excellent video from REI. In the 5-minute clip we get to meet Errol, learn about his philosophy of running, and watch him as he trains on the spectacular Bay Area Ridge Trail near San Francisco. Over the years, he has picked up quite a bit of wisdom about the sport, and it can serve as inspiration for the rest of us, even if we're running more modest distances. This is a story of perseverance and persistence, which can see you through just about any challenge in life.

Video: A Photographer's Search for the Perfect Moment

If you're even remotely interested in photography, you probably have, at times, gone to great lengths to capture the perfect moment in an image. In this video, we join photographer David Fontneau as he travel into remote and wild places to seek those same moments himself. Along the way, he captures some amazing photos and video of landscapes that are simply breathtaking to behold. Capturing these images isn't easy, but the rewards can be seen in the final product. These are the moments that many people don't even notice, but the camera captures oh so well.

 In Search of a Moment - 4K from David Fontneau on Vimeo.

Outside Gives Us the 5 Best Pieces of Gear From Interbike

A few weeks back, some of the top brands in the cycling industry descended on Las Vegas for the annual Interbike International Expo conference. Each year, that convention lays out the latest trends in the cycling industry and gives us a sneak preview of the best new products that are coming in the months ahead. And while reports indicate that attendance was a bit down this year, there were still some interesting things to show of. In fact, Outside magazine has collected their five favorite items that they saw at Interbike, and has posted them online for eager cyclists to discover.

The list includes a $20 bell from Kong, a sweet bike from Rawland Cycles, a new hitch-rack from RockyMounts, a light from Fabric, and a bike helmet with bone-conducting technology that allows you to safely listen to your tunes on a ride. Each of the products on the list is distinct and different, but each brings some good innovation to the table as well.

While not quite as exciting as Outside's list of favorite gear from Outdoor Retailer back in August, cyclists will no doubt appreciate these items nonetheless. After all, technology is making our rides safer and more enjoyable than ever before, and this is just a small sampling of what is to come in the weeks ahead. Plus, each of these five products was impressive enough to catch the attention of Outside editors, which should tell you that they are all very impressive in some way.

Fall may be in the air, but it isn't time to hang up your bike just yet.

Adventure Tech: The iPad As Mandatory Mountaineering Gear

There is no doubt that technological advances have altered expeditions to the remote corners of the globe, giving us lightweight, yet powerful gadgets that we can take with us to the ends of the Earth. This is especially true in mountaineering, where satellite Internet, lightweight laptops, and tablets have become more prevalent in recent years. The iPad in particular seems to be a popular device for those kinds of adventures, something that even Apple has taken notice of.

Recently, Apple launched a fantastic ad campaign with the theme of "What will your verse be?" The crux of the campaign is that we all add a "verse" to the poem that is life, as we share the things that we are passionate about. The iPad can be a tool to help facilitate how we write our own verse, whether its in filmmaking, photography, music, or even mountaineering.

Yesterday, Apple updated their website with a new page dedicated to showing how their tablet can be used on a mountaineering expedition. The story is entitled "Elevating the Expedition" and it shares how climbers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington use their iPads on the mountain. It discusses how the device helps them prepare for a climb, how it aids during the acclimatization process, and how it plays into the summit push. Other interesting segments include a look at their essential gear – iPad included of course – and profiles of some of their favorite mountains, such as Kilimanjaro, Ama Dablam, and Everest.

While this may be a marketing piece for Apple, it is also an interesting case study for the rest of us. It offers interesting insights into how the iPad can be put to good use on a climb. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested in expedition technology.

Video: Dropping a 60-Foot Waterfall in Mexico

If you're looking for a healthy does of adrenaline to get you week started, GoPro is here to help. This short clip takes us to the Rio Jalacingo in Mexico where kayaker Edward Muggridge drops a 60-foot waterfall called Tomato 2. Thanks to his helmet cam, we get a fist person perspective of the entire event.

Video: Yosemite in HD

I thought that this video was particularly fitting since the National Park Service just announced a record number of visitors to the parks last year. This four-minute clip takes us to Yosemite, one of the most spectacular landscapes that you could ever hope to see. Here, the stunning vistas of the park are on perfect display, with some breathtaking timelapse imagery that gives us a look at how light and shadow play across the valley. Truly a place that everyone should see at least once in their lives.

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Himalaya Fall 2016: Climbers Make Controversial Speed Ascent of Cho Oyu

Amidst all of the other summits of the big mountains in Nepal this past week, there is one interesting story that has captured the attention of the mountaineering community and created a bit of a rift at the same time. This controversial expedition has caused some to reconsider how to train for their high altitude endeavors, while others find it to be unconventional enough to label it as "unfair means." Either way, it could be part of the future of climbing as others pick up on the approach.

Last Sunday, Adrian Ballinger – of Alpenglow Expeditions – and his partner Emily Harrington completed a successful summit of Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain on the planet at 8188 meters (26,884 ft). That in and of itself wasn't too unusual, as a number of teams topped out during a great summit window last weekend. But, Adrian and Emily did it just ten days after leaving their home in California, something that has been unheard of until now.

Typically on a big Himalayan peak it takes weeks to acclimatize to the altitude. Most climbers arrive in Kathmandu two months prior to their projected summit date. They then travel to their respective base camps, follow a set process for acclimatization by going up and down the mountain several times, and wait for good weather to make a summit bid after their bodies have acclimated to the thin air. That can sometimes take 4-6 weeks, depending on conditions and the climbing schedule.

But Adrian and Emily trained back home using altitude tents to simulate the conditions they would find on the mountain. These tents were able to create an environment that closely approximates the thin air of a big Himalayan peak, but it allows them to stay home, sleep in their own beds, and have the comforts that they are typically accustomed too. Meanwhile, a support team established a Base Camp for them on Cho Oyu, making it ready for their arrival.


Two weeks ago, Ballinger and Harrington left the U.S. to fly to Nepal and then traveled to Tibet to reach the mountain. By the time they reached BC, they were fit, acclimated, and pretty much ready to go. Once the weather window opened last week, they were able to safely climb to the top, taking two clients who had prepared in a similar fashion along with them.

This approach to acclimatizing at home and shortening the length of an expedition isn't new. In fact, it is something that Ballinger and Alpenglow have been working on for some time. The company's Everest expeditions are just a month in length thanks to this novel program, and now he has proven that he can shorten the time considerably on shorter peaks too. This allows clients to spend less time on a potentially dangerous mountain, while having to be away from home for fewer days too. That makes it vacation friendly as well. The downside? An Alpenglow expedition is considerably more expensive than the competition.

This new approach has rankled some in the mountaineering community in the past, but this new Cho Oyu speed ascent has many talking once again. For some, it is an innovative new way to climb in the Himalaya, while others feel like it is still a bit unproven and could be potentially risky. There are those who see it as a bit of "cheating" – for lack of a better word – as well. Those detractors tend to be old school climbers who often consider the use of bottled oxygen as a performance enhancing drug too.

Either way, this could be the future of mountaineering. Alpenglow will of course continue to pursue this novel training technique with the idea of attracting more clients who want to climb on the big peaks, but don't necessarily have two months to dedicate to that proposition. As Ballinger and his team continue to refine their methods, I'm sure more than a few other climbers and guides will be looking to employ similar techniques to aid their expeditions as well.

World's Largest Viking Ship to Sail From Norway to the U.S.

Photo credit: Peder Jacobsson

A crew of 16 sailors are about to embark on an epic adventure that will take them across the North Atlantic as they look to recreate historical voyages that first took place more than 1000 years ago. On Sunday, the Draken Harald Hårfagre – the largest viking ship ever built – will set sail from Norway with the goal of eventually reaching the U.S., proving once again how Viking explorers reached North America hundreds of years earlier than Christopher Columbus.

Dubbed Expedition America, the journey is meant to learn about the conditions faced by the Vikings as they undertook voyages of discovery from 750-1100 AD. To that end, the Draken Harald Hårfagre has been built to exacting details in the same manner as the ancient Viking ships before it were constructed. It has an open-air kitchen and a sleeping area. The 16 crew members will take turns spending 4 hours manning the vessel and 4 hours off resting throughout the length of the voyage.

The ship will depart from Vibrandsøy, Haugesund, Norway, setting out across the North Atlantic with the goal of reaching Reykjavík, Iceland by May 1. From there, they'll continue on to the port of Qaqortoq in Greenland, skipping across the ocean just as their ancestors did before them. After that, they'll make a harrowing voyage across the Davis Strait – traveling a thousand miles north of where the Titanic went down – on their way to the viking settlement of L’anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. They hope to arrive there around the 1st of June.

The voyage won't end when they reach North America however. The Draken Harald Hårfagre will than proceed up the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Quebec City, before proceeding into the Great Lakes to visit places like Toronto, Chicago, Green Bay, and even traveling as far west as Duluth, MN before turning back east for a stop in New York City in September.

Of course, you'll be able to follow along with this voyage on the expedition's official website. It should certainly be interesting to watch unfold.

Video: The Beauty of Mountain Biking

I'm not going to be able to get some time on my mountain bike this weekend, so this video will have to satiate my craving to go for a ride. It is filled with stunning footage of mountain bikers riding through unbelievable settings, and it is a good reminder of why we love the sport so much. It isn't just about the speed or challenge of riding a tough trail, but also about the places we can go on a bike. After watching this, you'll have some new places you'll want to ride.

Winter Climbs 2017: Txikon in BC After Reaching Camp 3

Spanish mountaineer Alex Txikon has set a blistering pace for himself so far on Everest this winter, but he is currently back in Base Camp after reaching a milestone in his current expedition to that mountain. And while things have been going well so far, the biggest challenges are yet to come, and he hasn't accomplished all of his goals just yet. 

After arriving in Nepal a little over a month ago, and spending the first week and a half of the expedition trekking to Everest Base Camp, Alex and his climbing partner Carlos Rubio, along with a small but very dedicated team of Sherpas, began their expedition in the early part of January. Since then, the squad has completed a route through the difficult Khumbu Icefall, and shuttled gear up to several high camps as part of their acclimatization efforts. With good weather aiding the cause, things were evolving rapidly and surprisingly well early on.

But as we learned last week, Rubio was forced to leave the mountain when he developed a medical condition that was serious enough to prevent him form continuing the climb. That dealt a severe blow to the team's morale, but Alex is a seasoned alpinist and has soldiered on without his friend. In fact, while Carlos was getting evacuated from the mountain, Txikon was on his way to Camp 3, and even higher. Last week he reached that point, and 7300 meters (23,950 ft). Once there, they deposited some gear and spent the night, allowing their bodies to grow accustomed to the thin air. Later, they went up even further, reaching 7800 meters (25,590 ft), before returning to Base Camp for a much deserved rest. 

Since then, Alex has stayed in BC and is regaining strength while watching the weather closely. He also wrote a blog post in which he discusses the team's efforts so far, and provides some insights into what they've been going through. While from the outside, it seems they've had a fairly successful and relatively easy go of it so far, the reality is that climbing Everest is hard work, and doubly so during the winter with limited support. The mere fact that this team has to build and maintain its own route through the Icefall speaks volumes of the challenges that they've faced. During the regular climbing season in the spring, an entire team of very experienced Sherpas are dedicated to that very task. 

Alex also expressed his appreciation of the team that he has around him. It isn't large, but it is very dedicated, with everyone working very hard and focused on achieving their goal – a summit of Everest in winter without the use of supplemental oxygen. 

As of now, there is still more than a month and a half to go to achieve that goal. To do that, they'll need to overcome extremely cold temperatures, poor weather conditions, and sheer physical exhaustion. Can they do it? We'll just have to continue watching and waiting to see if it happens. If Alex and his team do summit however, it'll be the first time in decades anyone has done without oxygen during the most difficult season of all. 

Video: The Wild Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands rank amongst the top travel destinations in the world, and watching this clip its easy to understand why. The unique creatures found there are a big enough draw on their own, but the beautiful waters that surround the islands are enticing too. Enjoy!

Wild Galápagos from GALAXIID on Vimeo.

Announcing The Explorers Museum

Earlier this week a new initiative dedicated to sharing the exploits of explorers and the importance of exploration was announced in the from of the Explorers Museum. The new project, which is spearheaded by former Explorers Club President Lorie Karnath and Tim Lavery, director of the World Explorers Bureau-The Global Adventure Speakers’ Agency, is a not-for-proft venture that seeks to celebrate exploration in all of its forms.


The museum will be housed in the famous Charleville Castle, located in Tullamore, Ireland. The castle once belonged to Charles Howard-Bury, an explorer and botanist who was instrumental in the first scouting expedition to Mt. Everest in 1921. The first exhibit of the new museum will highlight Howard-Bury's achievements, along with those of other famous explorers. That exhibit will open later this summer.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg for what the Explorers Museum has planned. The new organization hopes to hold its inaugural awards night later this year, during which it will provide recognition for groundbreaking expeditions and discoveries that are taking place around the world today. An exploration hall of fame will also be established, inducting prominent figures from exploration history. Future exhibits, lectures and events will also be held in the castle, which will also serve as a launching point for future expeditions too.

In the future, the museum, which came about due to a generous and anonymous donation, also hopes to establish a research library and an expedition base outfitted with the latest high tech equipment to support teams in the field.

To find out more about the museum, visit the official website. It look like I need to ay a visit to Tullamore, Ireland sometime in the future.