Russian Teens Skied to the North Pole in Just 5 Days

The 2016 Arctic Season may be over, but there are still a few interesting stories to share. For instance, ExWeb has posted an article about a team of Russian teens who skied to the North Pole (last degree) in just 5 days following a host of delays that cut into their planned time out on the ice.

The group of seven teens had planned to make a last-degree ski expedition to the North Pole via the Barneo Ice Camp. Their original schedule gave them 7-10 days to complete the journey, which covered roughly 125 km (77.6 miles) over the frozen Arctic Ocean. That means they were able to sustain a pace of about 25 km (15.5 miles) per day, which is an excellent pace considering the conditions they encountered on the ice.

The challenges of the Barneo Ice Camp have been well documented on this blog, and elsewhere, this year. The ice flows that the temporary base is built on were being buffeted by ocean currents throughout the season, causing the blue ice runway there to crack multiple times. That caused a lot of delays, causing the Russian teens, and a number of other teams, to back up while they waited for their chance to fly out to the camp. Eventually the runway was completed, and the flights started arriving, but it took awhile to catch up on the backlog of people who were waiting to arrive in the Arctic. This cut into the time that the skiers had to reach the Pole.

According to ExWeb, when the team was retrieved from their finish line at 90ºN, they did not look tired or exhausted. In fact, they still had a lot of energy and were so excited to have reached the North Pole. It was quite a journey for these young adventurers, many of whom have wanted to ski through the Arctic for the better part of their lives.

I know that this is "only" a last degree ski expedition, but it is still an impressive feat to see these teenagers make that journey in such a quick pace. Five days to cover a degree of latitude is quite a short time frame, and I know a few polar explorers who would be hard pressed to maintain that same pace themselves. Also, how cool is it to be a teenager and get to go to the North Pole. I clearly went to the wrong high school.

Video: Climbing a New Route in Tibet

This past October, mountaineers Nick Bullock and Paul Ramsden traveled to Tibet to make the first ascent of Nyainqentangla South East, a tough 7046 meter (23,123 ft) peak that has seldom been visited in the past. As you'll see in the clip below, the two men faced incredible challenges and were pushed to their limits on this expedition into the unknown as they approached the climb not in a fast and light style as has become the trend, but in a more thoughtful, methodical pace that adheres to the mantra of slow and steady wins the race.

Nyainqentangla South East, Nick Bullock from MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking the Albula Haute Route in Switzerland

If you're in need of three-and-a-half minutes of pure mountain biking porn, this video will be just what you're looking for. It takes us to the Albula Valley of Switzerland to ride the Haute Route there, with some stunning scenery serving as a dramatic backdrop. This is the kind of ride that mountain bikers live for, with beautiful single track, snowcapped peaks overhead, and lush forest all around.

Trail Tales - Episode 02: Albula Haute Route from Filme von Draussen on Vimeo.

Extension of Everest Climbing Permits Clears Another Hurdle

It's no secret that the past couple of years have been tough ones on Everest. In 2014, the season was shut down after an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 porters, and last year the massive earthquake in Nepal killed 19 more people, bringing an abrupt end to operations on the mountain as well. Since then, expedition leaders and climbers have been anxiously awaiting word as to whether or not the climbing permits issued last year would be honored moving forward. A few days back, they inched a bit closer towards a resolution, with the outcome looking very positive.

Over the past weekend, it was announced that Nepal's Finance Ministry has approved a plan from the Tourism Ministry that would extend the permits issued in 2015 for two years. That would mean that climbers who purchased a permit last season could return in 2016 or 2017 to attempt Everest once again.

The proposal isn't quite a done deal yet however. It has now been sent to the Nepali governments Cabinet for final approval. It seems likely that they'll rubber-stamp the plan however, allowing mountaineers to return without having to purchase another pricey permit.

This will come as good news for climbers who weren't on Everest as well. Many mountaineers on a variety of peaks in Nepal had their expeditions disrupted or cancelled altogether in 2015, and most of those will see their permits extended too. According to reports, 801 people were issued climbing permits for mountains in Nepal last year, with 357 of those designated for Everest.

I'm sure this news will bring a sigh of relief to many climbers who have been waiting to finalize their plans. The 2016 season isn't all that far off at this point, so if they're hoping to climb this year, they still have a bit of time to get everything together before setting off for Kathmandu in a little over a month.

168 Years After Sinking in the Arctic the HMS Terror has Been Found

After years of searching in the Arctic, the missing ship of explorer Sir John Franklin has been found at long last. Earlier this week it was announced that the HMS Terror, a vessel that Franklin was using to explore the icy waters of the Northwest Passage, had been found after 168 years.

Franklin and his crew had been exploring the Arctic Ocean north of Canada back in 1848 when they ran into thick pack ice that prevented them from continuing their voyage. Both the Terror and its sister-ship, the HMS Erebus became trapped, forcing everyone onboard to abandon the two vessels. Eventually, all 129 members of the crew perished in the Arctic, and what became of the ships remained a mystery.

A few years back the Erebus was discovered by a search crew, but the location of the Terror remained a mystery. Now, thanks to a tip from a local Inuit tribesman, that mystery has been solved. The Terror  was found in – of all places – Terror Bay, where its mast was spotted sticking out of the ice by passing hunters a few years back. That tip led to an archeological team going to the site to check out the area, only to discover the very vessel they had been searching for.

According to early reports, it seems that the ship is in relatively good condition, and may contain most of the things that were left onboard when it was abandoned by Franklin and his crew. In comparison, the Erebus has suffered hull damage, and Arctic currents had spread out its contents over a wide area. It'll be some time before salvage crews can truly get a look at the Terror however, so just what might be on the ship remains a mystery.

As for Franklin and his men, it seems that after they abandoned their ships, they began a long and perilous march across the Arctic with the hopes of reaching the Hudson Bay Company – a fur trading outpost far to the south. None of the men made it to the safety of that place however, vanishing in desolate white expanse of the north. Inuit oral histories talk about the foreigners passing through their area, but their ultimate fate has never been fully told.

The disaster that beset the Franklin crew is one of the worst in British naval history. It was quite a blow to that country, which ruled the seas and was pushing the boundaries of exploration at the time. Now, after more than a century and a half, at least part of the mystery has been solved.

Video: Trail Angel - Finding Inner Peace on the Appalachian Trail

For many of us, the outdoors provide solitude and tranquility that we don't always get in our daily lives. They are an escape that reconnects us with nature and the world around us. In this video – brought to us by REI – we meet Paul Stiffler, better known as Ponytail Paul, who discovers his own personal peace on the Appalachian Trail, where he has taken on the role of "Trail Angel" helping many thru-hikers to accomplish their goal of walking the AT end-to-end. The short film shares Paul's story, and gives us a glimpse of the joy he gets from helping others.

Trail Angel from REI on Vimeo.

Video: Hiking Angels Landing In Zion National Park

Angels Landing is easily one of the most popular hiking trails in Zion National Park. The five-mile long route offers stunning views throughout the walk, but the trail is very narrow, making it a fun, but sometimes scary endeavor. The video below gives you a taste of that, as well as a glimpse of what to expect when you visit Zion itself.

Angels Landing from David Lerman on Vimeo.