Aussie Woman to Attempt Solo Sailing Circumnavigation of Antarctica

Aussie sailor Lisa Blair is about to set out on a very difficult sailing expedition. So much so, that no woman has ever accomplished it solo before. Next week, she will attempt to become the first female – and only third person ever – to sail solo and unassisted around Antarctica, navigating the challenging Southern Ocean, which remains treacherous even in the 21st century.

The journey is expected to take about three months to complete. She'll first depart from Albany in Western Australia, and will head south into the waters off the coast of the Antarctic. In order to maintain her solo and unassisted status, she'll need to spend the entire voyage onboard her ship, without making land stops of any kind, nor having personal contact with another person. She'll also have to sail completely without assistance.

In order to write her name in the history books, Blair must keep her ship below 45ºS latitude at all times. She'll also have to pass three of the most treacherous spots of land on Earth in the form of Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, and Cape Agulhas. Along the way, she hopes to set a new speed record for the Antarctic circumnavigation, besting the time set by Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov back in 2008. He managed to sail around the frozen continent in 102 days, 56 minutes, 50 seconds, covering some 16,400 miles (26,393 km) in the process.

Blair had intended to set out by now, but weather and upgrades to her ship have caused a few delays to the start of the expedition. The countdown clock on her website indicates that she will now get underway on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, provided there are no more unexpected interruptions. When she does depart, she'll also be taking part in the Antarctica Cup Ocean Race as the lone competitor. The race is actually between Lisa and the clock, although she will try to stay in one of three electronically mapped "lanes," each of which have 18 individual "gates" that she'll pass through along the course.

Hopefully all will go according to plan, and Blair will start her epic voyage next week. You'll be able to follow Lisa's progress on her website as she makes her way through this wild and uncharted part of the world. It should be an amazing trip.

Winter Climbs 2017: Waiting Out the Weather on Everest

A summit push is underway on Everest, where Alex Txikon and his team are attempting a winter ascent of the highest mountain on the planet. But the current ascent hasn't been an easy one, and although a weather window is still expected to open later this week, the team is currently in Camp 3 at 7400 meters (24,278 ft) waiting for an opportunity to climb higher.

Posting on Twitter, Txikon says that the team actually made it all the way up to Camp 4 at 7950 meters (26,082 ft), but because the winds were so high he, along with Nurbu Sherpa and Chhepal Sherpa, were forced to retreat. Winds in excess of 70 km/h (43 mph) made it impossible to build their tents and take shelter there, so they have dropped back down to C3 to rest and wait out the current storm. That may take another day or two, as conditions are expected to remain the same through Tuesday, meaning they could move back up to C4 by Wednesday, with a final push to the top coming on Thursday.

Alex is attempting to summit the mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen, which is hard enough during the prime climbing season in the spring, let alone in the winter. This feat has only been accomplished once in the past, so we could potentially see history in the works. Of course, there is a lot of climbing to be done yet and the weather has to cooperate, but the team is reportedly fit, in good spirits, and ready to go. They have said however, that this will be there one and only summit bid, so hopefully everything comes together to give them a legitimate chance of topping out.

We'll continue to keep an eye on Alex's progress. If the weather forecasts are true, it seems likely that he'll hold in place tomorrow as well, although if the winds do subside, the team could move up to C4 and be ready to take advantage of the anticipated weather window that is coming later in the week. I'll post more news as it comes, but for now, take a look at the video below to get an idea of what Everest is like during the winter.

Video: Mission Iceland Trekking

Here's a wonderful video of an adventure that two brothers shared as they trekked 115-miles across Iceland, exploring some of that country's amazing landscapes in the process. It is a beautifully shot short film that will leave you longing for a hike like this of your own, while also touching on some of the sensitive environmental issues that Iceland faces. Thanks to filmmaker Hank Leukart for sharing this with me. Very well done sir!

Mission Iceland: A Tale of Two Brothers from Hank Leukart on Vimeo.

Video: How The Wolves Of Yellowstone Impacted The Environment There

Yellowstone National Park is one of my favorite places on the planet. It is a beautiful, breathtaking landscape, with some amazing wildlife on display. Back in 1995, wolves were famously reintroduced to the park, without anyone knowing for sure what they would do to the ecosystem there. Turns out, they have had quite an impact, in ways that no one could have predicted. The video below shares some insights into that vary thing. It is four minutes that are likely to fascinate anyone who has a love for the outdoors.

Video: To The Summit of Everest

Over the past few days we've seen the first successful summits of Everest in two years, and if everything goes according to plan, we should see many more over the weekend and next week. If you have ever wondered what those climbers are facing on the way to the top of the world, this video will give you a brief glimpse of that challenge. This 2+ minute clip takes us from Base Camp to the summit, passing through the Khumbu Icefall, up the South Col and on to the very summit itself. Over the next few days, dozens of climbers will be making this same journey. Hopefully everyone gets up and down safely.

Video: Beautiful Skies From Around the Globe

There is nothing like a beautiful sky hanging over a breathtaking landscape. We're reminded of this by this great video, which was shot at a variety of locations around the globe, including Singapore, Sydney, Big Sur, Yosemite, Death Valley, and numerous other locations. While just three minutes in length, it is a mesmerizing look at something that we all see everyday, but often take for granted.

Skylight from Chris Pritchard on Vimeo.

Video: Timelapse From The Valley Of Fire

The Valley of Fire is a  popular state park in Nevada that makes for some dramatic backdrops for photos and video. The short clip below captures those landscapes in timelapse, giving the place an otherworldly feel. I've never been to this park, but I have to say that it looks spectacular. I guess I'll need to start adding great state parks to my list of destinations along with the national parks I love so much.

Goldpaint Photography & eMotimo from Goldpaint Photography on Vimeo.