Help Expedition Alaska Crowdfunding Efforts, Get Some Cool Gear

Last summer I was part of the team that put on the Expedition Alaska adventure race, during which we hosted some of the best AR teams in the world on a grueling 400+ mile (643 km) course through the Alaskan wilderness. It was an epic event, held in an epic location, that was both thrilling to watch unfold and rewarding to be a part of.

The race was filmed by a talented crew of faculty and students from the University of Cincinnati, which has a unique and innovative Production Master Class that is taught by CCM Professor Kevin Burke, DAAP Professor Yoshiko Burke and UC/CCM Alumnus and Emmy award-winning producer Brian J. Leitten. That group spent days in the field filming the race, capturing some amazing footage in the process. Now, they're looking to crowdfund a documentary, offering adventure racing fans a look at this amazing event. 

A few days ago, the team behind the documentary launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000 that will allow them to finish the project and produce 4 half-hour long episodes that show the drama and challenge of Expedition Alaska. There are multiple levels of pledges to be had - starting as low as $5 – which deliver some great perks to those who contribute to the cause. Those perks include everything from copies of the finished product, digital downloads of a "making of" documentary, and even some excellent outdoor gear. 

In an effort to help out the cause, I am donating some gear to help raise funds. In fact, there is a special "The Adventure Blogger" perk for someone who is willing to donate $500 to the campaign. If you select this perk, I will send you a mystery gear package that will definitely exceed the amount that you are contributing. You'll also receive all of the other perks that fall below that funding level too. 

The video below is the trailer for Expedition Alaska, and gives you a good idea of what to expect from this project. If you'd like to learn more, check out the Indiegogo page here.  

EXPEDITION ALASKA TRAILER from Hyperion XIII Productions on Vimeo.

Comedians Set To Hold Highest Gig Ever On Everest

The Everest climbing season may still be a month and a half off just yet, but we're already starting to see why some people feel the highest mountain in the world has devolved into a bit of a circus. This is the time of year when we get all kinds of announcements about unusual records or "firsts" that will be attempted in the year ahead. I got one such announcement yesterday in the form of a press release about comedy troupe that will perform in Base Camp later this year.

The team of comedians, which includes Rhys Darby, Stewart Francis, Craig Campbell, Glenn Wool, Simon Evans and Terry Alderton, all of whom intend to trek to EBC in Nepal this October. That means they'll miss the very busy spring climbing season in favor of the quieter fall season when few climbers are there, but trekking is good. The funny men are calling their hiking adventure Stand Up on Everest, and as you can probably imagine, they're doing it for a good cause.

The comedians will lead a massive group of 50 trekkers on the hike up the Khumbu Valley to Everest. Those trekkers will each agree to raise a minimum of £1000 (roughly $1645) for the Save the Children project, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children around the globe. For their efforts, those 50 travelers will be treated to two sets of comedy performed by their hosts on a special stage in the shadow of Everest.

The trek will begin on September 25 with the hopes that they'll reach EBC by October 4. The comedians will perform for anyone in Base Camp at the time, although in recent years there have been few climbers on Everest in the fall.

If you're interested in joining the trek or learning more about this project, visit standuponeverest.co.uk.