Video: Kayaking an Uncharted River in Papua New Guinea

Yesterday we had a great video that showed us what it is like to paddle through remote Iceland. Today we travel to a different part of the world to explore an uncharted river in Papua New Guinea. In this video a team of expedition kayakers set on on the Beriman River on the island of New Britain, which remains mostly uncharted even in the 21st century. As you'll see from the clip, they discovered a place that is as wild and untamed as it is beautiful. Along the way they dropped over rushing waterfalls, paddled through deep canyons, and battled raging whitewater. In other words, it was utterly fantastic.

Video: Into The Cave Of Wonders

There are two buzzwords we're hearing a lot about these days in terms of filmmaking (three if you count drones!). Those buzzwords include 4K and HDR. 4K shoots video at resolutions higher than HD, while High Dynamic Range video (and photography) captures colors in brighter, more saturated fashions. The result is an ultra-realistic looking video that has to be seen to be believed.

The filmmakers behind the video below used both 4K and HDR in the production of their short documentary entitled Into the Cave of Wonders. The results are pretty spectacular, as you'll see when you view the 9 minute clip. And before anyone asks, yes, the Cave of Wonders does exist. It is located in southern Spain near the town of Aracena. It is also open to the public, so start planning your visit soon.

Into the Cave of Wonders [4k HDR short documentary] from LovetheFrame on Vimeo.

Antarctica 2013: More South Pole Arrivals!

While I took a bit of a long weekend, the teams in Antarctica were busy steaming towards the finish line. As expected, several of those teams reached that mark over the past few days, while others continue to struggle towards their own respective goals. The end of the season is in sight, and soon there will be just one last team battling the elements. The team that started the season will also be the one to end it.

The big news over the weekend is that Lewis Clarke, along with guide Carl Alvey, has reached 90ºS. It took him 48 days to get there, but upon his arrival he achieved his goal of becoming the youngest person to ever ski the full distance to the South Pole. The 16-year old is already on his way back to civilization, and has even booked a speaking engagement in the U.K. for next weekend. That's a pretty ambitious schedule, but I guess he can sleep on the long plane rides he has ahead.

Also reaching 90ºS on Saturday was Chris and Marty Fagan, who limped into the finish line with hardly andy rations to spare. They enjoyed a little quite time at the South Pole station before flying to Union Glacier yesterday with the intention of returning to Chile today. Their journey took 47 days to complete, with the husband and wife team celebrating their achievement together.

Congratulations to these latest explorers to reach the Pole. It is a great accomplishment and an inspiration for those of us who have been following their progress over the past couple of months.


Still out on the ice, is South Pole cyclist Daniel Burton. Daniel is slowly but surely closing in on 90ºS as well, but his last stage of the journey hasn't been an easy one. In addition to wandering off course, both on purpose and unintentionally, he had run out of food until Antarctic legend Hannah McKeand appeared out of nowhere to bring him a resupply. Hannah works for ALE and was sent out to make sure Daniel had enough food to see him to the finish line. As of yesterday, he had 20 miles yet to go to reach that point, and his intention was to ride straight through to the end today. He says his next update will be from the South Pole, so hopefully we'll receive news of his successful arrival soon.

Finally, Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, collectively making up the Scott Expedition, continue to make progress. The duo have now left the Beardmore Glacier behind and have returned to the Ross Ice Shelf. They had hoped that by reaching shelf that things would begin to pick up for them, but they immediately found themselves in a nasty crevasse field, which made for tough (and slow!) going for awhile. After 88 days out on the ice, the boys are ready to be done and headed home. Unfortunately, they still have 418 miles (672 km) to go before they are finished. That's the equivalent of another couple of weeks of travel, which has to be a difficult proposition after nearly three months on the ice.

To help cheer the lads up, Prince Harry, who recently skied to the South Pole as well, sent them an encouraging message. That will certainly help lift their spirits as the press on. It won't be too much longer and they'll be the lone team still in the Antarctic. I'm sure Ben and Tarka will relish their "first to arrive, last to leave" status.

That's all for now. I'll post more updates as we get news on Daniel Burton's finish and other developments in the Antarctic season that is about to end.

Video: BMX Bike Tricks Like Nothing You've Seen Before

Think you've seen some riders do some impressive things on a bike in the past? Well, be prepared to see somethings you've never seen before. In this video, BMX rider Tim Knoll pulls off some stunts that are unbelievable to say the least. Throughout the 3+ minute clip he makes his bike do things I didn't realize were possible, and he makes it look effortless in the process. I'm not about to run out and try these myself, but it is certainly fun to watch someone else do it.

Video: The North Face Athletes Question Madness - Conrad Anker and Alex Honnold

Yesterday, I shared a video that launched a new brand campaign from The North Face that invited us to "Question Madness." The campaign celebrates the 50th anniversary of the company, which has become synonymous with outdoor adventure and exploration. Today, I have two more videos from that exemplify what the company is going for by introducing viewers to some of their sponsored athletes. In this case, those two people are mountaineer Conrad Anker and rock climber Alex Honnold. Check them out below.

Everest 2017: Cancer Patient Hopes to Climb Highest Mountain on the Planet

And now for your daily dose of inspiration. This story comes our way courtesy of the BBC, which posted an article yesterday about Ian Toothill, a 47 year old cancer patient who hopes to climb Everest this year.

Back in 2015, Toothill was diagnosed with bowl cancer and underwent treatment to beat that disease. Doctors said that his cancer was in remission and he was given a clean bill of health. But early in 2016 he was told that the cancer had returned, and he has been battling it ever since.

Ian tells the BBC that he has climbed in the Himalaya in the past, and it has been a lifelong dream to attempt Everest. He is currently trying to raise £250,000 ($313,000) to pay for the expedition and to provide funds for the Macmillan Cancer Support organization, which offers a variety of types of assistance to cancer patients at various stages of their treatment. So far, he has pulled in more than £18,000 ($22,590)

If successful in his efforts, Toothill would become the first cancer patient to climb Everest. With that in mind, he has been busy training and preparing for the altitude in any way that he can prior to leaving for Nepal, which will likely occur at the end of March or early April, when most of the climbers start to arrive.

The personal trainer says that he has always had a thirst for adventure, which was cultivated further by his service in the military. In addition to climbing in the Himalaya for three months, he has also trekked across Iceland, solo and unsupported. Everest would be the biggest challenge of his life however, which is why he is looking to take on the mountain now. He also hopes to use his expedition as inspiration for other cancer patients.

Toothill has set up a GoFundMe page for anyone who is interested in donating to his cause.


Climbing Everest for Cancer from Ian Toothill on Vimeo.

Video: The Earth in Ultra High Definition

This is another short, but oh-so sweet, video that has to be seen to be believed. It was shot from the International Space Station using an ultra-high def video camera. The result is some stunning shots of our planet captured at 4k resolutions. The Earth never looked so good.