Antarctica 2015: Outer Edge Polar Challenge Set to Begin at Last

Just when it appeared that the curtain was preparing to fall on the 2015 Antarctic season, we have another expedition that is preparing to get underway, and it is one that we've been hearing bout for a long time, but it is finally getting off the ground.

On February 7, Australian Charles Werb will set out for the South Pole in a specially built sled that is designed to capture the wind and sail along at a quick pace on top of the ice. His expedition is called the Outer Edge Polar Challenge, and we first told you about it way back in May of 2014. At that time, it was expected to take place in December of that year, but due to changes in plans and team members, it has gotten delayed and rescheduled on more than one occasion. Now, it is ready to go at long last.

Werb will set out from the Novolazareskaya Antarctic Station by truck and will cover the first 400 km (248 miles) by motorized vehicle. From there, he'll then get into his sled to travel the remaining 300 km (186 miles) using the wind to propel him along. He expects it will take him roughly 7-14 days to complete the journey depending on the weather and wind conditions.

The Aussie adventurer is undertaking the Polar Challenge in an effort to raise funds for research to battle Leukemia, a form of cancer that manifests itself in a person's blood. He'll also be carrying a number of scientific experiments with him as well, which will be used to conduct lesson plans and curriculum for school kids back home.

Charles will leave Brisbane on February 4 and make his way to Cape Town, South Africa, which serves as the gateway to the Nova station. He'll then spend a day or two getting acclimatized ahead of his February 7 departure date. Weather could cause some delays in those plans however, so we'll just have to watch to see exactly when he gets underway.

Meanwhile, the last South Pole skier – Emma Kelty – is nearing her goal. She started the day with 12.5 nautical miles (23 km /14.3 miles) to go before she reaches 90ºS. She and her guide should be able to knock that off today, and are expected to arrive in the early evening at the Amundsen-Scott Station. From there, she'll hop a flight back to Union Glacier and prepare to head home. But before that can happen, she still has one very long and difficult day out on the ice.

That's all for now. I'll share more news as it unfolds.

Gear Closet: Dynafit Cho Oyu Down Jacket

If there is one piece of gear that every outdoor enthusiast needs to have in their closet for winter, it is probably a good down jacket. This is the insulating layer that keeps us warm when the temperature starts to plummet, and it plays a vital role in allowing us to play outdoors longer, even when the weather is less than favorable.

Over the past couple of weeks – as the temperature has been on a roller coaster ride where I live – I've had the chance to test out a new down jacket from Dynafit that I've found to be exceptionally warm and comfortable. In fact, I'd say that the Cho Oyu Jacket is easily amongst the best that I've ever worn, and if you're in the market for something new in this category you'll want to have it on your list.

Made with a durable ripstop fabric covered in a DWR finish, and insulated with DownTek hydrophobic down, this jacket is built for use in a wide variety of conditions. In fact, I've worn in cold temperatures, freezing rain, freezing fog, drizzle, flurries, and even outright downpours, and it has performed fantastically in all cases. The water-resistant down never loses its loft, and continues to perform well even as the jacket gets wet, although the DWR coating also plays a big role in ensuring that you stay warm and dry no matter what's happening around you. 

With its athletic cut, the Cho Oyu – named for the 8000 meter peak – hugs the wearers body snugly, which helps in keeping warm air trapped inside. But, at the same time, the jacket doesn't impede movement in any way, allowing you to stay fully in control on the slopes or on the trail in the backcountry. I personally hate feeling like my layers are restricting my motion in any way, but with this jacket I don't have to worry about that. In fact, aside from perhaps the new Mountain Hardwear StretchDown puffy, this might be the best jacket I've worn in terms of not getting in the way of your natural athletic motion. 

Other nice features of the Cho Oyu include a comfortable hood that is helmet compatible, and an adjustable hem that makes it easy to adjust the fit. This comes in especially handy for keeping cold winds and snow from reaching the interior of the coat, which is obviously something we all can appreciate. The jacket also has four pockets, including two hand-warming pockets and a zippered chest pocket on the front, and an interior pocket that doubles as a stuff sack when packing for a trip. 

After wearing this jacket in a number of different capacities over the past few weeks, I've come away very impressed with how well it performs in pretty much every capacity. Not only is it very warm, but it is super-comfortable to wear too. On top of that, it is also incredibly durable too, shrugging off wear and tear and with ease. I've also found that it is easy to keep clean too, and does a good job of venting excess heat and moisture when things start to get active. 

One of the aspects of this jacket that has been both pleasant and confounding at the same time are the zippers. On the one hand, they may be the smoothest, easiest pulling zippers I've ever used, but at times I've found myself struggling to get the jacket closed too. That's because the Cho Oyu uses a double-zipper system on the front, which is handy when you want to keep your chest warm, but vent out excess heat at the same time. But, when first closing up the jacket, it can be a bit of a challenge to get things started, in part because of the second zipper. Sometimes it works like a charm, and at other times I find myself working hard to get it seal up properly. After wearing this coat many times, I think I've finally got it down to a science, but it was a bit vexing at first. Most of this challenge probably was the result of user error, but it is important to point this out nonetheless. 

The Dynafit Cho Oyu down jacket is an exceptional piece of gear, and one that I recommend without question. But, it also comes with a steep price tag. The jacket sells for $319.95, which makes it amongst the more expensive coats that I've reviewed. That probably puts it out of reach for the average consumer, but if you're an outdoor athlete who doesn't want to compromise performance in the winter, this jacket should be in your closet. It is a fantastic layer for skiers, snowboarders snowshoers, or anyone else who likes to play outdoors in the cold weather. Yes, it is an expensive piece of gear. But it is also worth every damn penny. 

Purchase the Dynafit Cho Oyu at CampSaver.com. 

Adventure Tech: Land Cruisers Used as Wireless Network in the Outback

Staying in communication with the rest of the world while traveling through a remote landscape can be difficult and expensive. But a new project sponsored by Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia,  automaker Toyota, and a communications and advertising agency called Saatchi & Saatchi shows off a new concept that uses a fleet of Land Cruisers as mobile WiFi network that can keep travelers in contact, even when miles away from an Internet connection or cell network.

The Land Cruiser is one of the most popular expedition and adventure travel vehicles on the planet, often found in remote places where few other motorized vehicles can go. That's true in the Outback of Australia too, with travelers using them to wander far from civilization. Recently, Toyota equipped some of those SUV's with a new device that creates a network between other vehicles in the area, with data being shared between these mobile hotspots until it can be handed off to a unit that is also within range of a permanent Internet connection.

These high-tech communications devices have a range of 25 km (15.5 miles) and can handle both voice and data. That makes them useful for making emergency calls from a remote place, or sharing social media updates while in the field. It uses standard WiFi, UHF signals, and Delay Tolerant Networks (DTN) to help pass along the data. The information can hop from Land Cruiser to Land Cruiser until it finds one with an Internet connection, at which point it is send out to the rest of the world.

The video below gives you an idea of how the whole thing works. It seems like it has a lot of promise for communications in remote places. 

Video: Alan Arnette Presents Summiting Nepal's Manaslu

A few days back I shared details of a live stream of Alan Arnette's presentation of his Summiting Manaslu slideshow that was brought to us courtesy of Jon Miller of the Rest of Everest Fame. The event was your opportunity to not only learn about an 8000 meter climb, but also get to hear Alan speak. It was a fun, interesting experience for sure, and it included a major announcement about a Himalayan expedition that 16-year old Matt Moniz that you'll be hearing a lot about in the weeks ahead. Both spoke at a fundraiser for the dzi Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives people living in Nepal.

If you missed the event, Jon has kindly posted it online so you can watch it for yourself. It contains some great info about climbing Manaslu specifically and 8000 meter peaks in general. The video is more than an hour in length, so get comfortable.

Mountain Biking to the Summit of Kilimanjaro

In February of this year, mountain bikers Rebecca Rusch and Patrick Sweeney set off on an epic ride to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. They spent six days riding up – and down – the mountain, which is the tallest in Africa at 19,341 feet (5895 meters) in height. They rode that challenging route to raise funds for World Cycling Relief, a nonprofit that seeks to provide bicycles for people living in developing countries. The Kilimanjaro ride managed to raise nearly $20,000 for the cause, which allowed the organization to purchase 131 new bikes.

Now, several months after cycling to the roof of Africa, Rusch was interviewed about the experience by the team at Gear Junkie. In the article she talks about how they got organized for the expedition, why they chose Kilimanjaro, and what it was like on the trail. Rebecca, who is an experienced endurance and adventure sport athlete, called it the hardest ride she has ever done, which should give you an indication of how challenging this undertaking was for her and Patrick. She also shares some insight into what the trail was like, and the gear that she used along the way too.

For an even better look at this amazing mountain bike ride, check out the video below. It is a 7-minute short documentary on the endeavor that will provide even more insights into the ride. Having climbed this mountain myself, I can tell you that it wouldn't be easy to go up or down it on a bike.

Will Everest Be Empty This Year?

The past two years have been very difficult on Everest, with only a single summit from the South Side in Nepal during that time period. In 2014, an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 Nepalese porters, and last year's devastating earthquake killed another 19 people, not to mention thousands more across the country. Both incidences resulted in the complete closure of the mountain and left many climbers scrambling to pay for expeditions that never got off the ground. Now, as we prepare for the 2016 season to arrive this spring, it seems that the tallest mountain on the planet could be a very different place this year.

Expedition leader Russel Brice, who runs Himalayan Experience, the largest and most well known company that operates on Everest, was interviewed by Stefan Nestler for his adventure sports blog. In that interview, Brice says that the demand for climbing Everest and Lhotse with Himex this spring has "Very small numbers compared to past years."

This is probably to be expected considering the issues that teams faced both in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, but it is still noteworthy none the less. For years Everest has been seen as a place that has become too crowded, with climbers often standing dozens deep waiting for a chance to go up to the summit. That doesn't seem like it will be the case this year however, because if Himex is seeing low numbers of climbers signing up for the climb, the other major outfitters probably are too.

Brice goes on to say that many would-be clients are watching the 2016 season closely. They want to see that Everest is safe again before the spend their hard earned cash on a climb. The events of this spring will go a long way towards luring them back, provided everything goes according to plan.


As usual, Brice doesn't hold anything back when he speaks about the Nepali government and its inability to make meaningful change that can be beneficial to the climbers and Sherpas working on Everest. In the interview he shares his thoughts on new regulations for climbing 6500 meters peaks prior to Everest, the enforcement of age restrictions (no one under 18 or over 75 years old), and the honoring of past permits for these disrupted seasons. He also shares his disappointment with Nepalese officials for not being able to distribute earthquake relief funds properly, and his fears over whether or not the current fuel embargo on Nepal will be lifted before the start of the season. If it isn't, logistics on the mountain will be very difficult indeed.

If you're someone who follows the Everest season closely, this is an excellent interview you won't want to miss. It provides some good insights into how things operate in Nepal and on the mountain in general. Brice is a guy who has years of experience running expeditions in the Himalaya, and elsewhere, and he never pulls any punches when it comes to speaking his mind.

The 2016 climbing season will be a fascinating one to watch unfold for sure.

Heading to Outdoor Retailer!

I know we've only just returned from the holiday break, and just started getting back to normal around here, but it is already time for me to head off once again. I'll be spending most of next week in Salt Lake City attending Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, where I'll spend several days getting a sneak peek at the latest outdoor gear and apparel. When I return, I'll write a couple of post sharing my thoughts on the show, and the best new items that I saw there. But, if you'd like to get a sense of what's happening while the show is going on, follow me on Twitter or like my Facebook page. I'll be posting updates throughout the event with thoughts on the things that catch my eye. 

Today and tomorrow I'll also be spending my time relocating The Adventure Blog world headquarters to its new, permanent location. While I'm getting my office set up and running once again, there may be some temporary disruptions in posting. But, I hope to be ready to get back on a regular schedule after I get back from OR at the end of next week. 

Thanks for being patient while we work through these busy couple of weeks. With the holidays now behind us, and Outdoor Retailer just about to start, 2017 is about to get rolling. Stay tuned for lots of great adventures and inspiring stories to come. It should be a great year.