Expreso De Los Andes: The Best Laid Plans..

A few days back I posted an update on the Expreso De Los Andes expedition which has seen ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely, along with some of their closest impossible2Possible friends, attempting to run from Chile's Pacific Coast to Argentina's Atlantic Coast. A distance of more than 1700km (1056 miles) that includes a tough crossing of the Andes mountain range. In that update I noted that the team was facing a number of tough challenges, not the least of which was the fact that torrential downpours and flooded the entire region. Now it turns out those rains have altered the plan completely as Ray explains in the video below.

In a nutshell, much of the runners' intended route is now under three feet of water, making it nearly impossible for them to continue along their planned path. Where the route is accessible on foot they are left without support vehicles for incredibly long lengths as well, which adds an entirely different problem. They attempted to run along a different road, following a nearby highway, but that proved to be completely unsafe and was soon abandoned.

So now what? Well Ray, Kevin and the rest of the i2P squad have now moved on to Buenos Aires, their intended finishing spot, where they will continue run a portion of the route to wrap up the expedition. This isn't how they hoped to finish things out, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans for us. Find out more below.


Day 17 - Altered Plans from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes Update: Challenges Abound!

It has been a few days since I last posted an update on the Expreso De Los Andes expedition which currently has Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and other members of the impossible2Possible crew running across the South American continent. Since we last checked in, the team has been making steady progress although there have been a number of serious challenges to overcome as well.

For those who haven't been following this adventure so far, endurance athletes Ray and Kevin are attempting to run from the Pacific Coast in Chile to the Atlantic Coast in Argentina. To do so they'll have to cover approximately 1700km (1056 miles) and cross over the Andes Mountain Range. Along the way, they're interfacing with a number of classrooms where they hope to inspire students and teachers alike to pursue a healthy lifestyle and mix exercise into their daily routine.

Over the past week the runners have covered significant chunks of mileage, although not the distances they had hoped for. By now they had hoped to be running in the neighborhood of 70km (43.4 miles) per day but tougher than expected conditions haven't helped to facilitate that. For instance, temperatures have been very warm and the trails that they are running haven't always been the best either. On top of that, Ray suffered an injury to his quadricep muscle which has slowed him down some as well.

Those aren't the only issues they've been dealing with however as they've also faced some strong headwinds which have made it tough going at times as well. They've also had their fair share of encounters with the wildlife too including a variety of snakes, insects, and tarantulas. As if all of that wasn't enough, the entire region they are running through received torrential rains yesterday which flooded the entire area. As a result, the planned path of their run is currently underwater and some of the main roads are dangerous as well. That means they're likely to see little progress today although they are continuing ahead as scheduled.

The team has moved into Argentina now and the hope is that once the Andes are completely behind them that the distances can amp up to 100km (62 miles) per day. But in order for that to happen the weather conditions must be right and the runners need to be fully healthy. They still have several weeks to go before they are done, but considering Ray and Kevin's track records, we know they'll do everything in their power to reach the finish line, aka the Atlantic Ocean.

Expreso De Los Andes: Crossing The Andes

As I mentioned last week, Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the rest of the impossible2Possible team have started their Expreso De Los Andes expedition. Over the next few weeks, they will be running west to east across the South American continent, covering more than 1700km (1056 miles), while also inspiring students and educators back home to adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle.

When last we checked in with Ray and Kevin, they had dipped their toes into the Pacific Ocean and were just getting underway. The plan was to ease into the run with a few days of shorter distances to get things started. In this case, "shorter distance" means about 45km (28 miles), which would eventually climb up to 70km (43.4 miles) per day once they felt acclimated. That didn't take very long however, as the runners have already started hitting those marks, and yesterday alone Ray ran more than 100km (62 miles).

The team has also now crossed the border between Chile and Argentina and are firmly into the Andes Mountains, which will of course be their biggest challenge. When they first got underway, the heat of the austral summer was taking its toll, but now that they are hitting the higher altitudes of the journey, cooler weather has set in. Those cooler temps bring a bit of relief of course, but now the team is dealing with thin air at altitude and long, steep climbs up the mountains.

To get a sense of what the conditions are like, check out the video below. It was shot a few days back when the team covered approximately 65km in a single day, of which 35km was climbing. The views are spectacular of course, but when you're running at altitude, I'm not sure you feel much like taking it all in. Still, it looks like they're having a great time on this adventure.


Expreso de los Andes Day 7 - 65km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012: They're Off

Last week I mentioned that Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and the impossible2Possible crew were getting ready to launch their Expreso De Los Andes expedition, during which they'll be spending the next few weeks running west to east across South America. The run did get underway as expected, and the athletes began by dipping their hand in the Pacific Ocean and then starting to head east. They'll finish when they reach the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The video below gives us glimpse of what their first day was like. They managed to cover 45km (28 miles), but after the find their rhythm, they hope to amp that up to closer to 70km (43.4 miles) per day. That isn't going to be easy however, as the terrain will be very demanding, including a traverse over the Andes Mountains, and it is also incredibly warm where they are at right now. Still, Ray and Kevin are two very experienced endurance athletes, and if anyone can complete this run, it will be these two. It should be fun to follow their progress.



Expreso de los Andes Day 1 - 45km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Expreso De Los Andes 2012 Expedition Begins Tomorrow

A month ago I posted the announcement from the impossible2Possible team that they would be setting off on a new expedition, this time to run west to east across South America. This new adventure was dubbed the Expreso De Los Andes 2012, and it is set to officially get underway tomorrow.

The plan is for ultra-runners Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely to being their journey in the Chilean city of Concón, which sits along that country's Pacific coast. From there, they start running east, with the intention of covering roughly 1700km (1056 miles), before eventually ending at the Atlantic Oceain in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To get there, they'll first  have to traverse the Andes Mountain Range, and deal with running long distances at higher altitudes.

In the early stages of the run, Ray and Kevin intend to average about 70km (43.4 miles) per day. Once they clear the Andes however, they hope to amp those distance up to as much as 100km (62.1 miles) per day. They'll be aided along in the journey by a support crew, who will drop water and supply caches for them ever 20-30km as well.

As usual with any of the i2P expeditions, this run has an educational and inspirational component to it as well. On the Expreso De Los Andes expedition, the team is hoping to inspire young people to become more physically active, and to do that, the've enlisted a number of teachers and school administrators in a physical challenge program. One of those administrators is George Singfield, who is preparing to run a half-marathon in May. "Principal George," as he is known, happens to be diabetic, so he is learning the importance to taking care of his health, while improving his physical conditioning for the run. He, and a number of others, are hoping to inspire the children in their classrooms and schools by leading by example.

According to the i2P Twitter feed, the crew arrived in Santiago, Chile yesterday and, they should be making their way to Concón today, with the intention of setting out on schedule tomorrow. Throughout the run, we'll be able to track Ray and Kevin's progress on the expedition's official website, where they'll regularly be posting updates and videos.

Three Women Backpackers Hiking The Length Of South America

Three American women have set out on quite an adventure, as they look to hike nearly the entire length of South America, south to north. Along they way, they've been chronicling their journey on the aptly named eat hike sleep hike blog.

Two of the ladies, Sarah Field and Trinity Ludwig, first met at summer camp when they were just 13 years old. They remained friends after that, and continued to attend the same camp together for the next several years. Eventually, they joined the staff and connected with Shelley Brook, and the three have stayed in constant contact ever since. When Trinity got the idea of making this South American hike, Shelley was quick to join the expedition and it wasn't exactly difficult to talk Sarah into coming along either.

The women started in Ushuaia, Argentina last October and plan to spend the first six months of their trek exploring that country and Chile. Their complete route can be found here, and also includes visits to Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela too. In their most recent blog updates, the trio reported that they have passed from Lanín National Park in Argentina and have now moved into Chile for the first time.

Reading through their blog posts, it seems they're having a wonderful time in South America, although as you might expect, not everything always goes as planned. Still, this is a fantastic adventure, and it is wonderful to read about their experiences and their love for travel.

Thanks to Scott Ireland for sharing this great story. Much appreciated my friend!

Nat Geo Adventure Reports On The Bolt Removal On The Compressor Route

If you've been following climbing news over the past few weeks, you've probably already heard about the bold climb of Cerro Torre by Jason Kruk and Hayden Kennedy. The mountain, which is amongst the more famous in the world, has a lot of history to it, and these two young men were able to nab the first ascent, by "fair means," along its Southeast Ridge. That "fair means' qualifier is an important one along that route, and what the climbers did after their summit has reverberated through the climbing community and left a more lasting impact than their successful climb itself.

Standing just 3127 meters (10,262 ft) in height, Cerro Torre, located in Patagonia, is not known for its altitude. Instead, it is the incredible technical difficulty of the climb that is the draw. Back in the late 50's the towering rock spire was the subject of intense scrutiny by some of the best climbers of the day, including Walter Bonatti, who failed to scale its walls in 1958. A year later, rival Cesare Maestri went to Cerro Torre and claimed that he, and climbing partner Toni Egger, reached the top, but that on their descent, Egger was swept off the mountain by an avalanche, taking their camera, and summit evidence, with him. The climbing community of the day took Maestri at his word, and celebrated the accomplishment of a mountain that was previously deemed unclimbable.

In the subsequent years, Maestri's story fell under extreme scrutiny, and over time, the community changed its tune. Critics accused him of orchestrating a hoax, and the Italian fell out of favor with many. In an effort to reclaim his damaged reputation, Maestri returned to Cerro Torre in 1970 in an attempt to go back up the route that he climbed a decade earlier. But instead of climbing it using the regular equipment and techniques of the day, he used a gas-powered air compressor to blast bolts into the rock face, something that had never been done before. Using more than 400 bolts, Maestri proceeded up the mountain, building bolt ladders all the way, but even using that technique, he stopped short of the summit due to a large ice cornice at the top. That didn't stop him from declaring it as the second successful summit however, and he left his air compressor in place as one final insult, earning it the moniker of The Compressor Route.

When Kruk and Kennedy finished their climb back on January 16, they took advantage of the unusually good weather to do a little clean-up on the Compressor Roue. The two men removed more than 125 bolts from the wall, which had been in place since Maestri had left them there back in 1970. The removal of those bolts cleared out the route, making it a more naturally challenging ascent once again, but it set off quite a debate in the climbing community once again, as people argued whether or not the bolt removal was the right thing to do.

National Geographic Adventure has a much more in depth, and better, story on the entire affair, including the history of Cerro Torre and the reaction, both good and bad, to this most recent ascent. It is an all around good read and definitely worth a look if you're interested in climbing history and the politics that can be associated with it. You can read the entire story by clicking here.

Video: Patagonia Timelapse Is Simply Beautiful

These timelapse videos just keep getting more and more beautiful. Earlier this week we had those amazing views of Yosemite and now we have this one, which was captured in Argentina's Patagonia region. This is simply one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet and it is captured very well here. Sit back and be mesmerized.


PATAGONIA - ARGENTINA - TIMELAPSES from Ignacio Leonardi on Vimeo.

i2P Announces Expreso De Los Andes 2012 Expedition

The crew over at impossible2Possible are gearing up for another expedition, this time turning their sights back to South America and the Andes Mountains. This morning, they launched a new website to share all of the details of their Expreso De Los Andes 2012 expedition, and as always with i2P, the mission goes well beyond just an adventure in the wild.

Starting February 18, Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely will set out on foot from the city of Concón, which sits along Chile's Pacific Coast. They'll begin heading east and won't stop until they reach Buenos Aires, on the Atlantic Coast of Argentina. The 1700km (1056 mile) run will traverse the South American continent and include a very challenging crossing of the Andes Mountains along the way.

The plan is for Ray and Kevin to start out averaging about 70km (43.4 miles) per day, even into (and over!) the Andes, and then increasing the pace to 100km (62.1 miles) once they have put the mountains behind them. A support crew will place resupply caches about ever 20-30km as well, keep the runners will stocked with food, water, and gear along the way. Those are some very impressive numbers when you consider that much of the journey will be conducted on mountain roads and trails, and sometimes over open terrain as well. But both of these men are experienced ultra-runners who have faced similar daunting situations in the past.

If you're familiar with i2P, than you already know that the organization always manages to weave an educational element into each of their programs. On previous expeditions to India, Bolivia, the Antarctic, and a host of other destinations, the members of the team have always interacted with students in classrooms in a variety of locations, looking to inspire them through adventure, while also educating them about some of the more pressing issues of the day. The Expreso De Los Andes expedition will be no different, although it has a few new elements to the formula as well.

This time out, the i2P team is focused on health and physical activity, and they're looking to inspire not only the students, but teachers and administrators as well. To help in that cause, they've enlisted school principal George Singfield, who is transforming his life from one that is lacking in on the sedentary side, to one that is much more physically active. "Principal George" has worked with Ray to develop a training program, and while the guys are busy running across South America, he'll be preparing for the Ottawa Half-Marathon, which takes place at the end of May. George, who also suffers from diabetes, also has his sights set on a 50km trail run event in the fall as well.

The teachers and students in George's three schools are also being challenges as well, and the i2P staff has created some very basic conditioning and running programs for them to undertake too. The hope is that by following Ray and Kevin on their adventure, and watching their Principal reshape his life, that others will be inspired to do the same. The program is open for other schools to join in as well, and a special Student Challenge section has been created on the website that will allow everyone to get in on the fun and share their own experiences as well.

I'm always amazed at how ambitious the i2P projects are. They are such a great blend of education and adventure, and I love that Ray and the team have found a way to inspire young people in this way. This looks like it'll be another great example of that, and I can't wait to follow along with the daily updates, blog reports, and videos from the field in February.