Nat Geo Adventure Interviews Simone Moro

Italian alpinist Simone Moro is amongst the best high altitude mountaineers in the world today. His list of accomplishments include multiple summits of Everest and Lhotse, as well as the first winter ascents on Shisha Pangma, Makalu and Gasherbrum II, amongst others. Recently National Geographic Adventure caught up with Simone for a brief interview, which you can read by here.

In the interview, which is conducted by Freddie Wilkinson who is no slouch of a climber either, Moro discusses his recent efforts to launch a climbing school in the Karakoram, his thoughts on the use of supplemental oxygen on the world's tallest mountains and his epic traverse of Everest. On that expedition Simone climbed up the South Side of the mountain in Nepal but descended on the North Side into Tibet, where he received a fine from the Chinese for making an illegal climb. He completed that adventure without the assistance of guides or Sherpas no less.

The interview itself isn't particularly long, but there are a lot insights to be gained from it. Simone is an interesting guy and he obviously knows a lot about mountaineering. He has made some of the most difficult climbs ever and seems to thrive on suffering. He also seems to favor winter climbs on the big peaks as the crowds are far smaller and the challenges are bigger.

Definitely worth a read if you're interested in high altitude climbing.

Deepsea Challenge Update: Cameron Survives The Abyss, Returns Without Aliens

Yesterday was a historic day in the exploration of our planet's oceans. James Cameron became just the third person – and the first to dive solo – to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the lowest point on our planet. Cameron made the dive inside a specially designed submersible that took him nearly 11km (7 miles) beneath the surface.

The project, which is called the Deepsea Challenge, has been a dream of Cameron's for some time. He partnered with National Geographic and Rolex on this expedition, which was shot in high definition 3D for an upcoming documentary. It took him about 2.5 hours to descend into the Challenger Deep, the lowest point in the Mariana, at which point he spent roughly 3 hours exploring and filming the trench. He then proceeded back to the surface, more quickly than anticipated, with a return trip that took just 70 minutes.

Those hoping that he would find giant sea creatures or aliens lurking in the depths will be sadly disappointed in what was actually down there. In a post-dive press conference Cameron described the bottom of the ocean as "lunar, desolated, isolated." He also noted that what life he did see was quite small and didn't include large jellyfish or anemones.

The voyage to the bottom of the sea wasn't without a few issues. A mechanical arm that would have been used to collect samples from the trench failed to work and a mechanical failure caused him to lose his starboard thrusters. That meant he was simply spinning in place for a time, which caused him to cut about three hours off the dive. For the most part the mission was a big success however and plans are already underway to make another return trip sometime in the next few weeks. No word on whether or not Cameron will be the one piloting the sub or if one of the other team members will be able to take over those honors.

Congrats to Cameron and his entire team on a job well done. I can't wait to see some footage from the bottom of the ocean. I'm already looking forward to the documentary, which is probably at least a couple of years away at this point.

Deepsea Challenge Update: Waiting For Calm Seas

Last Friday I posted a story about James Cameron's attempt to dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is the lowest point on our planet at 10,912 meters (35,800 ft) below the surface of the ocean. Considering that there was a lot of interest in Mr. Cameron's little journey, I thought I'd follow-up with some news today.

When I first wrote about the Deepsea Challenge it wasn't clear exactly when Cameron would attempt the dive, although we did know that he intended to do it soon. The Hollywood director and his crew are racing to beat four other teams, including one sponsored by Richard Branson, to the bottom of the sea and after completing the testing phase of their submersible, a specially designed vehicle named the Deepsea Challenger, they are eager to get underway. With that in mind, earlier this week the team left Guam and have proceeded to the South Pacific where they are anxiously awaiting calm seas and good weather to begin the long and perilous journey to the depths of the ocean. You can read the Captain's Logs on the conditions by clicking here.

And just how perilous is this journey? Cameron will be making a solo dive inside the Challenger to seven miles below the surface. At that depth the ocean exerts 1000 times more pressure than it does at sea level, which is strong enough to crush anything not specifically built to resist those conditions. He'll be going where only two other men have ever gone – those two men being ocean explorers Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard who did it back in 1960. Yep, the journey is so dangerous that it has only been done once before and that was 52 years ago.

While he's down there, Cameron intends to collect a number of samples for use in a variety of scientific research. He'll also be shooting the entire voyage in high definition 3D which will be used in an upcoming documentary and possibly even for some scenes in Avatar 2. When Walsh and Piccard visited the bottom of the trench, they weren't able to see much at all, let alone bring back quality film footage. Technology has improved dramatically since then however, and we can expect some stunning visuals when the film is eventually released.

Stay tuned for more updates. It sounds like the dive could happen any day now. When it does, it'll take nine hours both directions and Cameron is planning on staying at the bottom for as many as five hours as well. I get the feeling he won't be the only one holding his breath until he returns to the surface.

Everest 2012: What To Pack

Have you ever wondered what climbers take with them, in terms of gear, for an Everest expedition? Then you're in luck as a new article on the Beyond The Edge expedition site takes an in depth look at what one climber is packing for Everest this year.

The Beyond The Edge expedition is the team that I told you about last week that is led by Conrad Anker and will attempt the West Ridge this spring. The climbers have just arrived in Nepal and will spend the next few days getting their gear organized and making last minute preparations before they begin the trek to Base Camp. One of those climbers, ski mountaineer Hilaree O'Neill, shared her packing list for the trip and as you can imagine there is quite a lot of gear to carry along.

Hilaree's list is a bit longer then some others due to the fact that she is bringing her ski equipment along as well. You can view the entire list, which spells out exactly which brand and specific model she elected to bring, by clicking here. Since the expedition is co-sponsored by The North Face, you will of course find plenty of their products on the list, but you'll also find gear from Black Diamond, Scarpa, Dynafit and more. Hilaree even lists the technology she's bringing alone (her iPad and iPhone are in her pack!) as well as her favorite foods that will help see her through the journey.

Considering the fact that most of these climbers will be in the Himalaya for upwards of two months, the list isn't necessarily all that long. Still, it gives you a good idea of what they have in their packs and what they've found works best for the environments they are about to tackle.

Expect many more updates from this team as they get going. They are expected to hit BC around the 15th of April, which is when things should really start to get interesting.

Everest 2012: Conrad Anker Leads Nat Geo/North Face Expedition

As I mentioned a few days back, we're just a few short weeks away from the start of another spring climbing season on Everest. Even now there are climbers across the globe who are busily packing their gear, making last minute arrangements and preparing to set out for Kathmandu. One of those climbers is Conrad Anker, who will lead an expedition sponsored by National Geographic and The North Face.

Anker and his team, which will include Corey Richards, Kris Erickson, Hilaree O’Neill, Emily Harrington and Sam Elias, will be taking on the West Ridge, which is a more technically challenging climb. The expedition looks to celebrate the first ascent of that route back in 1963 and Richards will film the entire climb for a documentary film project.

In support of the expedition, Nat Geo has launched a new website that has everything you would want to know about Everest and then some. That includes a great piece on how the gear used to climb the mountain has evolved over the past fifty years. The site's blog will also provide insights into the climb leading up to its start and will host dispatches and progress reports directly from the team starting around mid-Apriil. Even more extensive coverage will be available in real time directly from the National Geographic Magazine iPad app, which will be released on April 16. That is likely about the time that they'll be establishing Base Camp on the mountain.

In addition to climbing the mountain and documenting the ascent, the expedition team has some other goals in mind as well. They'll be working closely with a team of geologist who will be in BC throughout the expedition as well, taking samples from the region and exploring the unique geography and geology of the region. Some of that work will also be applied directly towards developing a new curriculum to be used with fifth graders.

This will be yet another exciting expedition to follow this season. The fact that Conrad is a part of this and Corey is filming means that we should get a good look at the West Ridge route, which is seldom seen and not nearly as well known as the routes along the North and South Faces, which are used so commonly.

Watch for updates from the team starting soon.

Video: 2012 Adventurers of the Year

Last week we celebrated the announcement of Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa as National Geographic's 2012 Adventurers of the Year. Today we have a video of the daring duo, who climbed Everest, rode a paraglider off the summit, then cycled to the river and paddled to the Indian Ocean.

The shots from their GoPro cameras while in flight are fantastic and you have to love Babu and Lakpa's sense of adventure. Their bonds of friendship are also very evident in the video as well.

Nat Geo Announces 2012 People's Choice Adventurer of the Year

Back in November, National Geographic Adventure announced their list of the Adventurers of the Year for 2012. The group featured 12 individuals from diverse backgrounds in mountaineering, snowboarding, surfing, and more. At the same time, Nat Geo also opened up voting to the general public to help pick the People's Choice winner for Adventurer of the Year as well. Today, that winner was announced, and it may come as a bit of a surprise.

Over the past three months, more than 72,000 of us have cast our votes in favor of our favorite adventurers and now that the votes have been tallied, the award goes to Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa. The two men not only managed to climb to the summit of Everest, they also paraglided off the summit, flew to Namche Bazaar, and trekked to nearby river, and paddled all the way to the sea. They did all of that on a shoestring budget, without any corporate sponsors, and without much fanfare at all. That approach truly embodies the spirit of adventure and makes them more than deserving of this honor.

Sano and Lakpa beat out such other notable adventurers as Corey Richards, who was part of the team that made the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II, Alastair Humphreys, who encouraged us all to take micro-adventures, and kayakers Jon Turk and Erik Boomer, who completed the first circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island in Canada. All in all, this was a really excellent group of adventurers, and they are all deserving of the recognition.

Congrats to Sano and Lakpa for taking the top honors. It is much deserved as well.

Video: Hiking The John Muir Trail With Andrew Skurka

I caught this video this morning over at the National Geographic Adventure blog. It features uber-hiker Andrew Skurka and Gerry Mortion, President/CEO of EnergyFirst, hiking the 224-mile (360km) John Muir Trail. The two mean were able to cover the entire distance, from Yosemite Valley to the Mt. Whitney, in just seven days, averaging an impressive 32 miles (51.5km) per day.

The video serves as a great introduction to the trail and some of the amazing scenery found along its length. While not in the same league, in terms of length, with the Pacific Crest or Appalachian Trails, you will get an understanding of why the John Muir is considered to be amongst the best hikes in all of North America.

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: Sh!t Climbers Say

The Nat Geo Adventure blog posted a series of funny videos today that will leave you cracking up and spitting your drink all over your computer screen. The videos, which come to us from the very creative team over at Louder Than 11, pokes fun at outdoor personality stereotypes. The video for climbers can be found below, but the NG blog also has specific ones for kayakers, skies, and snowboarders as well.

Funny stuff! Dude, can I get a drink of your water?



Shit Climbers Say from Louder Than 11 on Vimeo.

Reminder: Vote For The Nat Geo Adventurer Of The Year

Just a quick reminder that you only have a few days left to cast your votes for the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. Voting for the People's Choice Award will close on Wednesday of this week (January 18) with the winner being announced in a few weeks time.

In case you have forgotten who the nominees are, you can meet all the adventurers, and get a rundown of their amazing accomplishments, by clicking here. And after you've selected your favorites, you can cast your vote (once per day!) by clicking here.

I'm not going to reveal my personal pick for Adventurer of the Year, but I can tell you that this is a particularly strong group of candidates. I also like that they represent a variety of outdoor pursuits ranging from mountaineering to paddling to long distance hiking, and more. This diversity makes it even more challenging to select one overall, which is why it has been great that we can vote more than once!

It should be fun to see who ends up coming out on top.

Nat Geo's Adventure Travel Destinations For 2012

As 2011 grinds to its inevitable end, it is now time to start looking forward to 2012 and making plans for our adventures in the year that is ahead. With that in mind, the National Geographic Adventure blog has shared their picks for the top destinations and activities for 2012.

Some of the places earning a spot on the list include Mammoth Mountain in California, which is famous for its great snowboarding and skiing. Those looking for a different kind of mountain experiences are encouraged to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a mountain biking adventure or visit China to take on the 7498 meter (24,600 ft) tall Mustagata. Paddlers will have plenty to choose from as well, as the list provides kayaking opportunities in Idaho and Rhode Island, as well as an epic canoe trip through the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania.

All in all, a pretty great list of suggestions for making plans for next year. I'll be writing my own top ten travel list for Gadling.com soon, and this year I'm going to take a slightly different tact. Instead of listing a specific destination, I'm going to list a specific adventure from a specific travel company that can help you get the most out of your travels. So, rather than saying go to Nepal because its great for the following reasons, I'm going to instead recommend trekking the Annapurna Circuit with a specific adventure travel company. This is just an example, but I'll be sure to share my list here once it goes live over at Gadling too. I think you'll like some of the suggestions.

Until that time, be sure to read Nat Geo's list, as it does have some great suggestions, not all of which will destroy your bank account.

Outside To Premiere Cold Online

The mountaineering film Cold has been getting a lot of positive buzz lately, picking up awards at various festivals and earning climber/filmmaker Cory Richards recognition as one of Nat Geo's Adventurers of the Year. The film follows Richards, along with climbers Simone Moro and Dennis Urubko, as they make the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II, an 8035 meter (26,362 ft) peak located in Pakistan, hence the title "Cold."

Now, the film is set to make its online debut thanks to Outside Magazine. Tomorrow night, December 8, the magazine's website, OutsideOnline.com, will present the entire 19-minute film starting at 7 PM Mountain Standard Time. The site will also host a Q&A session afterwards with Richards, Moro, and filmmakers Anson Fogel and Kelly Cordes.

This is a great opportunity to catch a film that the entire mountaineering community is buzzing about. Check out the trailer below to get a glimpse at what makes this film special and then make plans to attend the online premiere tomorrow night from the comfort of your own home. It looks like it should be well worth watching and I'm looking forward to seeing the whole thing for myself.



COLD - TRAILER from Forge Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

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.

National Geographic Announces 2012 Adventurers of the Year!

National Geographic has announced their selections for the 2012 Adventurers of the Year. As usual, the group is an eclectic lot, with climbers, explorers, surfers, skiers, and more making the cut.

Regular readers of this blog will recognize more than a few names on the list. For instance, Alastair Humphreys received a nod for his efforts to inspire everyone to add a little adventure to their lives. Kayakers Jon Turk and Erik Boomer, whom we followed around Ellesmere Island this past summer, get some much deserved recognition, as does Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who became the first woman to summit all fourteen 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen when she conquered K2 at last. Others earning Adventurer of the Year honors include climber Corey Richards, AT thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, and mountain biker Danny MacAskill.

As they've done the past few years, Nat Geo is allowing us to weigh in with our own selection for Adventure of the Year by letting us all vote in their annual People' Choice poll. Starting today, and running through January 18th, we have the chance to vote each and every day for the person we think is most deserving of the title of Adventurer of the Year. The winner of the People's Choice award will be announced in February.

The folks at Nat Geo Adventure have also put together a fantastic photo album of this year's winners as well. You can check those images out by clicking here.

So? What do you think of this list? Personally, I think it is a great cross-section of the many adventures that took place this past year, but in all fairness I have to disclose that I was part of the selection process to a degree and recommended some of these folks for inclusion. Did we miss someone who should have made the list? Who is your choice for the Adventurer of the Year? I happen to like all of these men and women, but if I were forced to pick one, I'd go with Gerlinde.

Congrats to all the winners. This is a much deserved honor.

Get Your Gear Fix!

If you've been looking for a gear fix in recent days, I have a couple of articles that are sure to help out. First up, we have this story, over at Outside Online, that comes our way via the Gear Junkie himself, which lists the best equipment for adventure racing. Some of the items that make the list include the USA AS-1 Backpack from Out There which has been called the best AR pack ever (My review is coming soon!), and a new watch from Suunto that GJ calls "mandatory gear." He also gives a nod to his pick for the best shoes, helmet, jacket, and more. Definitely a must read for fans of AR or those considering getting into the sport.

The other gear article that comes our way today is the Nat Geo Adventure Blog's picks for Gear of the Year for Fall-Winter 2011.  Gear items earning that distinction include jackets from the North Face, Mammut, and Eddie Bauer, as well as a nice sleeping bag from Sierra Designs and boots from Danner. That's really just scratching the surface however, as there is plenty of other gear for playing in the snow as well.

These lists arrive in time to not only tempt us to go shopping for new gear for ourselves, but also to buy for the outdoor adventure enthusiasts on our holiday shopping lists. With all of the great gear, there is sure to be something to please even the pickiest person.

Nat Geo Adventure Interviews Kayaker Jesse Coombs

National Geographic has posted an interview with kayaker Jesse Combs on their Adventure Blog today, in which he talks about making huge drops off waterfalls, such as 96-foot Abiqua Falls, which he went over in April. The video for that drop has recently shown up on websites once again, despite the fact that we featured it here on the Adventure Blog just days after it happened.

In the interview, Jesse talks about what the experiencing of making a big drop like Abiqua from the moment he gets into his kayak to the moment he breaks the surface after the drop. He also touches on the dangers of running these big falls and the injuries they can bring on, his dream kayak trip, and the best paddling adventure he's ever been on.

The interview is a good one and offers some insights into the world of paddling these big falls. The current record for a big drop is 186-feet, but Coombs says he believes someone will try to break that record soon.

And it case you missed it the first time, here is the video of Jesse going over Abiqua Falls in April.