Video: Aurora Borealis in Timelapse

I think we'll close things off this week with this amazing video of the night skies over Norway where the unusually heavy solar activity this year have created some breathtaking images in the night sky. This is truly spectacular stuff to say the least.


Aurora Timelapse. Fire in the sky. from Anna Possberg on Vimeo.

Video: Snowboarding Across Switzerland

Professional snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue spent his February traveling through Switzerland where he rode the famous Glacier Express train and visited several top ski resorts to get some snowboarding in. The results are the beautiful video below that will leave you wanting to recreate the trip for yourself. Xavier and a group of friends traveled from Zermatt to St. Moritz and found some of the best powder in Europe along the way.


Xavier de Le Rue: jumping cliffs and train trip through Switzerland - TimeLineS02E04 from TimeLine Film on Vimeo.

Adventurers Push Boundaries on Long Distance Equestrian Expeditions

Thanks to my friends at the Long Riders Guild, I've been made aware of two fantastic long distance expeditions that are gearing up to get underway, both of which will use horses as an integral part of their journey.

The first of those expeditions will be undertaken by Long Rider Filipe Leite, who is planning to travel 16,000km (9942 miles) on horseback from Toronto, Canada to his home town of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Filipe is calling his expedition the Journey America and he estimates that it will take him roughly 2 years to finish the ride, crossing through 11 countries in the process. Along the way, he'll be shooting a documentary of his experiences as he travels across North, Central, and South America. He'll take two horse with him on this trip which is slated to get underway later this spring.

The second expedition isn't scheduled to begin until May of 2013 but is even more ambitious than Filipe's journey. Dubbed One Steppe Ahead, this expedition will send Brits Matt Traver and Jamie Maddison on a 30,000km (18,641 mile) journey on foot, bike, rail, and horseback across the Eurasian continent. Their path will follow that of British explorer Howard Bury, who was the leader of the 1921 Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition which eventually paved the way for climbers like George Mallory and Sandy Irvine to visit that mountain. Bury's travels took him all over Asia however, and Matt and Jaime intend to explore much of the same territory, including the Jungar Alatau mountain range, the wilds of Eastern Kazakhstan, remote regions of Russia, and much more. It should be an exciting expedition to follow next year.

Because these two expeditions have the Long Riders Guild seal of approval you know that the horses that they use on these journeys will be treated well and cared for throughout their journey. They are amazing animals that can travel for many miles provided they are treated well along the way. The Guild's Hall of Shame is filled with the names of other riders who haven't been so kind to their mounts.

Good luck to Filipe and Matt and Jaime on their respective expeditions. Both should be amazing journeys to follow.



An Introduction by Matt and Jamie from Ugly Monkey Productions on Vimeo.

Video: Major Mountain Bike Descent In The Alps

I came across this video over at the Adventure Journal earlier today, and thought that it was too good not to share. It follows four riders as they make an epic 10,800 foot (3292 meter) descent in the Alps. They started their ride on the Plaine Morte (Plains of Death) and ended in the Valais Alps near Mount Blanc. Along the way, they found plenty of great single-track and breathtaking views, which you can also enjoy. If this doesn't get you ready to ride this spring, nothing will!



The Seekers. from Filme von Draussen on Vimeo.

Video: Circumnavigating Ireland By Kayak

In the spring of 2011, British sea kayakers Jeff Allen and Harry Whelan spent 25-days paddling around Ireland. Their adventure is now being made into a documentary by photographer/filmmaker Vaughan Roberts, who has entitled his project Into The Wind. You can get a sneak peek at that film below, which features some amazing shots of Allen and Whelan out on the water in BIG swells. After you're done watching the video, check out this interview with Vaughan over at Canoe & Kayak too.

Nat Geo Launches Global Exploration Fund

Earlier today, National Geographic announced the launch of its new Global Exploration Fund. The initiative is designed to research funding for conservation and exploration efforts in regional centers around the planet. The first of those regional programs will be in Stockholm, Sweden, where an advisory board consisting of a group of explorers and scientists will review projects to receive possible funding.

The new Stockholm office will be led by Executive Director Stefan Nerpin, who, along with his team, will serve as the primary point of contact for receiving grant applications. Those applications are currently being accepted from the 14 regional countries that are eligible. Those countries include: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

In a press release sent out this morning, Nerpin is quoted as saying "I am excited to be part of this effort and hope to establish this National Geographic office as a significant source of funding for Northern European scientists and explorers." He goes on to add "It is also our goal to find additional sources of income, so that we can continue to grow this program to support even more explorers in the field."

The plan is to open more of these regional centers over time, providing grants to other researchers and explorers in other countries that might otherwise have a difficult time raising funds.

For more information on the program and to find out how to apply, click here.

Bungie Jumping Into The Abyss

Bungie jumping has never been all that high on my "to-do" list, and bungie jumping into a pitch dark cave seems even scarier. But that's exactly what this group of crazies did when the set up a jump in an abandoned gold mine in the Czech Republic and then filmed their little adventure to share with the rest of us.

The sensation of falling is always a bit unnerving. What must it feel like when you're free falling into the abyss?