Video: How Would You Describe America's National Parks?

In this video, photographer and filmmaker Corey Arnold traveled to America's national parks where he challenged the next generation of travelers and explorers to describe the landscape there. Some of their responses were surprising, others were revealing, and some were downright insightful. The result, is this short clip which not only includes lovely shots of the landscapes they saw, but these individuals sharing their thoughts on the natural spaces around them.

Video: Climbing the South Face of Annapurna

In terms of pure altitude, Annapurna ranks 10th amongst the 8000 meter peaks, topping out at 8091 meters (26,545 ft). But when it comes to level of difficulty to climb, it ranks second to perhaps only K2. In fact, it is considered the most dangerous mountain on the planet by many thanks to its frequent avalanches and technical challenges, and yet it continues to hold an allure over many climbers who travel to its flanks each spring to have a go at the summit.

This video a short documentary about such a climb. In it, we join famed Swiss mountaineer Jean Troillet as he attempts Annapurna back in 2012. The clips gives us some impressive shots of the mountain, and provides plenty of insights into what it takes to take on such a difficult and dangerous climb. If you're a fan of Himalayan expeditions to the big peaks, you'll definitely want to watch this short-film, which takes us along on one of the toughest climbs of all.

Video: A Two-Minute Journey Through Beautiful South Australia

If you're looking for an escape to some place exotic, but just don't have the time to get away at the moment, perhaps this video from National Geographic can help. It takes us to South Australia where we get a glimpse of some of the stunning landscapes, amazing wildlife, and wonderful people that can be found there. It is a two-minute journey through one of my favorite places.

And when you're ready to go see what Australia has to offer for yourself, check out the tours of that country that Mountain Travel Sobek has to offer.

Video: Take a Tour of a Himalayan Base Camp

Ever wonder what it is like to live in Base Camp on a Himalayan climb? Than you'll definitely want to watch this video. It takes us to 15,000 feet (4572 meters) on Ama Dablam, where Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions takes us on a tour of BC. While obviously located in a remote – and very scenic – location, you might be surprised at how comfortable and accommodating Base Camp life can be.

Video: Adventure Highlights From 2015

Now that 2015 is squarely behind us, we can look back at the year that has passed an think about some of the amazing adventures that took place over the course of those 12 months. There were some amazing expeditions, challenges, and accomplishments for sure. In this video, Redbull reviews their own very adventurous year with some great clips of climbing, BASE jumping, mountain biking, and so much more. It is a good video retrospective of some of our favorite activities. Here's to another adventurous year in 2016!

Video: Miles Away - Exploring the World Through Trail Running

Exploring the world around us on foot is nothing new. Man has been doing it for ages. But in this video, trail runner Alicia Hudelson pontificates on the joys of exploring a new place while running. Along the way she takes us to some truly beautiful locations across Europe, including Switzerland, Catalunya, and elsewhere. This is adventure travel at its purist. Just heading out to a trail and running across some spectacular landscapes.

Miles Away from Dave MacLeod on Vimeo.

Gear Closet: Osprey Manta AG 28 Daypack

If you're a regular reader of my "Gear Closet" stories here at The Adventure Blog, you probably already know the I have a habit of going on at great length about the product that I'm writing a review for. That is likely to be the case with the Manta AG 28 from Osprey as well, but for those of you who would rather get to the bottom line on this bag, I thought I would save you some time. So, for those folks wondering whether or not this pack will get a good review, let me just tell you now. It is amazing. Go buy one. Thank me later.

For those of you who are still around, we can now get into the details.

The Manta line of packs have been a part of the Osprey catalog for some time. But this pack, which was released this past spring, adds a nice new dimension that truly helps to separate it from the crowd. The "AG" in the bag's title stands for "Anti-Gravity" which is the name given to Osprey's innovative suspension that not only helps the pack to sit more comfortably and naturally on your body, but it can effectively carry more weight over a longer distance too.

The Anti-Gravity suspension was first introduced on Osprey's Atmos series, which is designed for backpacking and adventure travel. But now, it has trickled down to these daypacks as well. The suspension really does make a noticeable difference, and the integration of the mesh backpanel plays a big role in keeping you cooler and drier while hiking.

I have to say that I was a bit skeptical that the AG system would have as big of an impact on a daypack as it does on the larger backpacking models. But, after putting this bag to the test in the field, I can honestly say that my doubts were unfounded. The suspension is remarkable, and I think you'll find yourself coming off the trail at the end of the day feeling much better than you would with a traditional daypack without AG integration.


The Manta comes in three sizes – 20L, 28L, and 36L. (There is also a women's specific model called the Mira that comes in 18, 26, 34-liter models.) For me, the 28L version is the sweet spot for a daypack, offering plenty of room to carry everything you need, without getting so large that its starting to infringe on the small backpacking pack level. Of course, your particular needs may be a bit different than mine, but I found the 28L Manta to be just right.

As you would expect from a pack from Osprey, the Manta comes with a wide variety of pockets to store all of your gear. From its cavernous main chamber to the front pocket with mesh organizational sleeves – complete with key fob – this pack has plenty of ways to keep all of your important items organized and close at hand. There are also two surprisingly large pockets on the hipbelt as well, which I always appreciate for storage of small items such as snacks or my phone.

In terms of staying hydrated, the Manta comes with dual water bottle holders that can be found on each side of the bag, as well as a dedicated hydration sleeve. Osprey even throws in a high-quality 2.5 liter hydration bladder, which is a nice addition considering many companies require you to buy one separately. Considering the price of this pack, and all of the features it brings to the table, it was really nice to open the hydration sleeve and find the bladder tucked away inside.

That isn't the only nice little detail that Osprey has included on this pack. It also comes with its own integrated rainfly, which should be a common practice these days, but surprisingly isn't. There is also a helmet attachment loop for when you're cycling or climbing, and stretch mesh front pockets for quickly storing away extra gear, including a spare pare of shoes. Of course, Osprey has made always been good about paying attention to details, but it is nice to see that tradition continue here.

All of these features aside, the best thing about this pack is just how comfortable it feels when you're out on a hike. I can load it up with just a few small items, or stuff it to the brim with way more gear than I'll need, and it not only happily swallows up everything I throw at it, it feels good on your back too. The AG suspension is a true revelation, and a welcome addition to the daypack line. And of course, this being Osprey, the pack is very durable too, but still comes backed with the All Mighty Guarantee, which says the company will repair or replace the bag for its lifetime. You can't ask for better coverage than that.

As if all of that weren't enough, the Manta AG 28 costs just $165, which is a relative bargain when you consider everything this pack brings to the table. It is filled with excellent design decisions, includes the best suspension system on the market, offers lots of carrying capacity, and it is durable enough to survive just about anything you throw at it. It also comes with a built-in rain cover and has an excellent hydration sleeve that you'll want to use in all of your other packs as well. All of that adds up to an excellent daypack that you'll certainly want to have with you on your future hikes and adventure travel excursions.

This is the best daypack I've ever used, bar none. I think you're going to love it too. But it now at REI.com, CampSaver, or Backwoods.


Osprey Packs | Manta/Mira AG™ Product Tour from Osprey Packs on Vimeo.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #2 - How To Prevent Jetlag

A few weeks back I posted the first in a new series of videos in which our friend Richard Bangs shares travel tips that will sure come in handy for any of us who hit the road on a regular basis. In that first video, he shared tips on how to avoid getting the dreaded "traveler's tummy" and in the second video he tells us how to avoid jetlag. If you've ever experienced severe jetlag, you'll appreciate any options that help alleviate the problem. It can be a brutal to overcome, but if you follow Richard's advice you might be able to get through your next bout with out too much trouble.

Himalaya Fall 2016: Everest Permit Denied to 12-Year Old

The age debate on Everest reared its ugly head again this week when 12-year old Tyler Armstrong of California was denied a permit to climb the mountain. Tyler had hoped to attempt the North Side of Everest in Tibet, but the Chinese government turned down his application that would have allowed him to try to become the youngest person to scale the world's highest peak.

China has recently imposed age limits on Everest, requiring mountaineers to be older than 18 and younger than 75 to attempt the climb. Tyler had hoped to get an exception to the rule based on his climbing experience. The young man has already summited Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Elbrus. Of course, none of them compares to Everest, which is thousands of feet higher than even Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya.

Tyler continues to focus on bagging each of the Seven Summits however, and says that he'll travel to Australia in August to climb Kosciusko, shortest and easiest of those mountains. For now, he'll continue to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to attempt Everest. Whether or not that will happen before his 18th birthday remains to be seen, but considering the current climate there, he may have to wait a few years to get his chance.


Meanwhile, teams have been filing into Base Camp on the South Side of Everest all week long. Mountaineering blogger Alan Arnette arrived a few days back as he prepares to summit Lhotse, as did the Adventure Consultant who were joined by Ed Viesturs for a visit. The Altitude Junkies are also in BC and held their Puja Ceremony today in preparation for the start of the climb.

By most reports, BC is quiet so far this year. More teams are arriving, so I'm sure it'll start to pick-up a bit over the next week or so. But since the number of climbers is down over previous years, it'll probably remain somewhat sedate throughout the season.

Over on Annapurna, the ropes are fixed and the teams are in place for a weekend summit push. The weather looks like it'll hold off for another day or two, so the time is right for an early season attempt on the top. I'll be keeping a close eye on those attempts, and hopefully we'll have news of successful summits over the next few days.

Video: Polaris RZR and Brantley Gilbert Bring Holiday Cheer to Veterans

With Christmas just a few days away at this point, it's hard not to share some of the more heartwarming stories we've come across recently, and this one definitely falls into that category. Below we have a video put together by Polaris RZR and featuring country singer Brantley Gilbert, who came together with the Disabled American Veterans organization to make the dreams of three families come true. The families – each of which has a disabled vet as part of the group – were brought in under the guise of helping to film a promo video for Polaris. But, it turns out they got quite a surprise that they'll no doubt remember for a lifetime. Check it out below.

Video: Mission Steeps Snowboarding Trailer

Following their very successful Mission Antarctica project, snowboarders Xavier de Le Rue and Sam Anthamatten return with the second phase of their Missions Series, this time entitled "Mission Steeps." As the name implies, they'll be riding some impressive big mountain slopes, that have unbelievably steep angles. The trailer below gives us a taste of what to expect, with the boys first climbing some serious peaks then snowboarding back down. The footage is equal parts scary and beautiful. Don't try this at home folks!

MISSION STEEPS - trailer from TimeLine Missions on Vimeo.

Video: [R]evolution - A Film About Down Hill Mountain Biking In Greece

I came across this great looking documentary about the mountain biking scene in Greece earlier today and thought that it was very well done. The full length film is just over an hour long, so you'll want to have some time to devote, but even if you can only take in a bit at a time, it is worth a look. The film is incredibly well shot and simply looks stunning. Plus, the Greek trails look pretty damn great too. Enjoy!

[R]EVOLUTION from Emmanouel Armoutakis on Vimeo.

Nefertiti's Tomb Not Found in King Tut's Tomb After All

One of the more fascinating stories that we've been following over the past year was the possibility of hidden chambers inside King Tut's tomb in Egypt. The story first broke when an archeologist by the name of Nicholas Reeves proposed the theory that such hidden rooms might exist after making laser scans of Tut's burial chambers. He then postulated that those hidden areas could belong to the lost queen of Nefertiti, who was Tut's step mother and may have ruled Egypt before him.

Fuel was added to the fire last fall when it was announced that ground penetrating radar has been used at the ancient site, and those scans had revealed that there indeed blank spaces hidden behind Tut's walls. This seemed to show that Reeve's theories were proving accurate, and that archaeologists were on the verge of making a major discovery.

But now it has been revealed that those scans may not have been accurate at all, and that there really isn't anything hidden in Tut's tomb as first thought. A second scan of the tomb, funded by National Geographic earlier this year, reportedly found no evidence of hidden chambers. Furthermore, there are Egyptologists who are claiming that the Egyptian government is suppressing the news as long as they can in order to maintain the illusion that a discovery may be imminent for as long as possible. The idea of finding Nefertiti's remains was seen as a major find, and could potentially be a boost to the country's flagging tourism sector.


Apparently, Nat Geo's second scanning operation is wrapped up in non-disclosure agreement, which means no one can officially confirm the story at this time. We'll have to wait for the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to make a statement before we know for sure, but those close to the story say that Egyptian officials are in a bit of a panic over the lack of a new discovery and are looking for alternate opinions and evidence before proceeding.

This story made headlines just a few months ago, but now seems to be completely without merit. That's a bit depressing considering how much hype surrounded the potential discovery. Hopefully we'll get the real story soon so we can either move ahead with learning more about what's in Tut's tomb, or put in behind us altogether.

Video: Curious Humpback Whale Gets Close to Boat

Having spotted whales in the wild on a couple of occasions, I can tell you that it is a magnificent sight to see them up close. But, I've never seen them as close as they are in this video, in which a very curious humpback swims up to a boat to get a better look. The result is a clip that is about as close you can get to a massive whale without getting into the water yourself. Amazing stuff.

Family Dedicates Website To Climber Lost On Nanga Parbat

Much like this winter climbing season, last year at this time I was posting frequent updates on the teams who were attempting to summit 8000 meter peaks in the coldest, harshest months of the year. One of the climbers that I followed closely was a Joël Wischnewski, a French climber and snowboarder who was attempting a solo summit on Nanga Parbat. Reading his posts from the mountain were both a joy and a challenge. It was clear that he loved being in the mountains, but it was evident that he was struggling physically and emotionally. Eventually those updates from Nanga stopped, and we all feared the worst. For days the mountaineering community held out hope that Joël would appear safe and sound, having lost power to his satellite phone or some other issue. But as time went by, we all acknowledged that the mountain had claimed the life of another climber.

This past fall, Joël's body was discovered on Nanga Parbat by a group of climbers. Eventually, it was brought down the mountain and laid to rest in the Herrligkoffer climber's cemetery, closing the last chapter on his life and hopefully providing some closure for his family too. I'm sure not knowing his ultimate fate was a challenge.

Now, his family has posted a note on Joël's website, dedicating it in his honor. They have also shared a link to the photos that he had taken while climbing on Nanga Parbat. Those images were found on Joël's camera when his body was discovered. The photos are beautiful and serve as a lasting legacy of a young man who loved to climb and was taken from his loved ones at too early an age.

Joël's family asked me to share these links with readers, many of whom no doubt followed his expedition last year. I am happy to do so now, so that we can choose to remember him as the talented and ambitious climber that he was. He perished doing what he loved most, and I continue to offer condolences to his family.

Video: The Official Trailer for Planet Earth II

Way back in 2006 – when this blog was still in its infancy – a groundbreaking television show called Planet Earth was released. Narrated by the incomparable David Attenborough, it went on to capture the imagination of millions of viewers, and set a high-water mark for nature documentaries that has yet to be surpassed in my opinion. Now, the BBC is back at it and will release Planet Earth II in November. We recently got a sneak peek at what we can expect in the form of a 2+ minute long trailer, which you'll find below. When it was released a decade ago, the original series was filmed in high definition, revealing to the public just how stunning that format could me. Now, the show has been filmed at 4K resolutions, which is just as dramatic of a leap forward as HD. As you'll see, the team behind this program looks like they delivered on the epic heritage of the original. I can't wait to see it.

Kayakers Complete Greenland to Scotland Challenge

For the better part of the summer we've been following the progress of Olly Hicks and George Bullard, two British adventurers that had undertaken the difficult challenge of kayaking from Greenland to Scotland, and endeavor that included several legs of the journey that required them to be out on the open ocean for days at a time. Over the weekend, the pair reached their final destination at last, bring an end to their odyssey that was both mentally and physically taxing.

Hicks and Bullard launched their expedition from the Denmark Strait in Greenland before proceeding across open water to Iceland. From their, the two men followed the Icelandic coastline until they reached the North Sea, from which point they turned their boat towards the Faroe Islands, a very remote destination located just north of the British Isles. Next they crossed 50 miles (80 km) of rough seas to  reach the tiny island of North Rona before pressing on with the final leg, which ended
at Balnakeil Bay in Scotland. Along the way they faced several stops and starts due to inclement weather and exhaustion, but all told they managed to cover approximately 1200 miles (1931 km) over the the length of their adventure.

The expedition came to and end in the early hours of Sunday, September 4. Tired, but sensing that the end was near, Olly and George pushed on, paddling through the night. They reached Balnakeil Bay before sunrise, and although the blog reports of their progress say that they were exhausted, they were happy to reach the end of the journey at long last.

While this expedition saw little attention from the media, it was an audacious one to say the least. The waters that these two men paddled through were incredibly challenging, with ice floes blocking their way and heavy seas often making things rough. There are sections of the route that even commercial ships take care not to pass through, and yet Olly and George did it in a 22-foot sea kayak. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment indeed.

Congratulations to both men on a job well done.

Sherpani Named Nat Geo 2016 People's Choice Adventurer of the Year

Back in November, National Geographic revealed its selections for the 2016 Adventurers of the Year. That list was long, and distinguished, with such names as Dawn Wall climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, long-distance paddler Freya Hoffmeister, and ultrarunner Scott Jurek. After the list of recipients of the awards are released however, Nat Geo also launches an online campaign that allows the general public to cast their votes for their favorite adventurer personalities as well. This award is known as the People's Choice Adventurers of the Year, and yesterday the winner was announced at long last.

This year's top vote getter in this category was Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, a female Sherpa – aka Sherpani – who is redefining what we know about the women of Nepal. Her list of mountaineering accomplishments is impressive to say the least, with successful summits on Everest, K2, Lobuche Peak, and a host of others. She is also one of the first students to attend the Khumbu Climbing Center, and became Nepal's first female climbing instructor as well. But what really stands out is her tireless efforts to help rebuild her home country in the wake of last year's devastating earthquake that left more than 9000 people dead, and destroyed whole villages.

Through her efforts, both climbing and humanitarian, Pasang Lhamu has become an important role model to the women of Nepal. She shows them what is possible, even in a country where women are still struggling to find their own voice and identity. Because of this, she has become a major personality in her country, where there were organized campaigns to vote early and often to get the People's Choice award for her. And it is much deserved!

Congratulations to Pasang Lhamu on receiving this honor, and to all of the 2016 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year.

Video: The North Face Presents - Lost Gringos

This video is definitely for those who enjoy a good story with their beautiful clips of mountains. It follows ski mountaineer Sam Smoothy – and friends – as he travels to the Andes mountains in Bolivia to follow in his father's footsteps. Year's earlier, Sam's dad went to the mountains to make some first ski descents, and now his son is doing the same. The story is both inspiring and touching, with some great scenery as well. Get comfortable for this one, you'll want to watch it all the way through.