Video: Alaskan First Ascents on Arrigetch Peaks

Awhile back I posted a great video that highlighted some tough climbs on the Arrigetech Peaks in Alaska's Brooks Range. Today we have another video from that expedition, this time shot by Corey Rich. On that excursion, the team skied 20 miles from their drop-off point just to reach Base Camp, where they then proceeded with the climbing. The video captures that adventure quite well, while also giving us an idea of how spectacular the wilderness is in that area.

The entire short film, which is nearly 20 minutes in length, was shot on a Nikon D7000, which is a very affordable and high quality DSLR that is perfect for these kinds of expeditions. It's amazing that we've come to the point where we can get great photos and video from the same camera.



Nikon - Deep North from Corey Rich on Vimeo.

Video: Joshua Tree Timelapse

Located in the California desert, Joshua Tree is one of the most beautiful and tranquil settings that I've ever seen. I had the opportunity to visit the area for the first time last year and simply fell in love the place. The video below reminds of just how spectacular a setting Joshua Tree really is, particularly at night, when a billion stars appear overhead.

The timelapse imagery was captured by the gang over at Sunchaser Pictures, who took these photos while visiting this past weekend. The short two-minute clip is a wonderful way to start the day.


Joshua Tree Journey: Part 2 from Sunchaser Pictures on Vimeo.

Video: VIMFF Photo Contest Winners

Way back in December I posted a story about the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival photo competition that was being sponsored by Climb For Change. At the time, organizers for the contest were looking for submissions, but now the competition has wrapped up, and they've released a great video showing off the best entries. The video, which can be seen below, features some great photos and is a salute to not only the photographers who took them, but also adventurers across the planet as well. Enjoy!

Reminder: Win A Nikon CoolPix AW100 Ruggedized Digital Camera

I know I mentioned this earlier in the week, but I wanted to post one more reminder that we're giving away a Nikon CoolPix AW100 digital camera over at Gadling.com this week. This is Nikon's ruggedized point and shoot, which features a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor for taking great photos and 1080p HD video, which are nice stats in their own right. But what sets this camera apart, and makes it appeal to Adventure Blog readers, is that it is designed to withstand abuse. The AW100 is waterproof down to 33 feet, can withstand temperatures down to 14ºF/-10ºC, and is shockproof, which allows it to survive a drop of more than five feet in height. In short, it is perfect for all of our outdoor adventures.

To enter the contest, all you have to do is click here and leave a comment on the blog post. The contest closes tomorrow, Friday Feb. 10 at 5PM Eastern time, at which time we'll randomly pick a winner from the comments. This is a great chance to score an impressive little camera, as the AW100 is not only rugged, it also happens to be fairly light weight, thin, and small too. In short, it is a traveler and adventurer's dream.

Go sign-up and good luck!

Nikon CoolPix AW100 Camera Giveaway On Gadling

As many of you know, I cover adventure travel news and write gear reviews for Gadling.com, one of the top all-around travel sites on the Internet. Yesterday I posted a review of the new Nikon CoolPix AW100, which is a great little camera that I think many of you would be interested in for your outdoor adventures. This is Nikon's entry into the ruggedized point and shoot category, which means it is waterproof (down to  33 feet), freezeproof (down to 14ºF) and shockproof, which means it can survive a drop of about 5 feet without suffering any ill effects. In short, it is a great camera that you can take with you just about anywhere, and abuse it along the way, without fear of it crumbling in your hands.

As I mention in the full review, the camera isn't just about being tough however, and it has plenty of great technology under the hood. For instance, it packs a 16 megapixel sensor for capturing great photos, and it can even shoot full 1080p HD video as well. My favorite feature by far is the built in GPS functionality, which not only includes a world map, complete with thousands of points of interests, but it also geotags your photos, allowing you to share the location from which they were taken with friends and family. This is a great little addition to have built into the device, and was fun to play around with while putting it through its paces for the review.

Now, here's the great part of this story. We're also giving away one of these cameras on Gadling right now, and it is very easy to win. All you have to do is go to this post and leave a comment before 5PM Eastern Time on Friday, and you'll be automatically entered to win. We'll randomly select one person to receive the camera, which is valued at $380. So, if you'd like to add a great, rugged, new camera to your gear collection, this is a great opportunity. I personally have the camera that we're giving away in hand, and will ship it out to the winner ASAP. I'd love to see one of the Adventure Blog readers win, as I think you'll really appreciate what the CoolPix AW100 brings to the table.

Good luck!

Winter Climb Update: Evacuation On K2, C2 On Nanga Parbat

It has been a busy couple of days in Pakistan for the teams making winter ascents on the big peaks there. As is always the case, it is the weather that decides how much progress they can make and how much they'll suffer while doing it. For the teams on K2 and Nanga Parbat, it has now been a month since they arrived on the mountain, while over on Gasherbrum I, the teams are just starting to settle in.

The Russians on K2 were forced to evacuate a teammate yesterday when a helicopter dropped by BC to pick up Vladimir Belous, who was suffering from frostbite on several fingers. The team had hoped to send Belous out sooner, but bad weather prevented the helicopter from landing for a number of days, and as a result, Vladimir's fingers had to be treated on site. He has now been flown back to Skardu and will make his way to Islamabad, and then home to Moscow.

Meanwhile, the rest of his teammates have continued to work the route. Several climbers were above Camp 2 yesterday fixing ropes, but high winds forced them to retreat all the way back down to Base Camp. The skies have cleared there however, which brought some sun at last, but the high winds and cold temperatures are expected to continue. The mercury has been hovering around -37ºC/-34ºF for the past few days.

On Nanga Parbat, Denis Urubko and Simone Moro have resumed climbing and went up to Camp 2, located at 5000 meters (16,404 ft) yesterday. After taking three days of rest, the two men are feeling re-engergized and ready to climb, and while they were accompanied by three others on their way up to C1, they are now in Camp 2 all by themselves. No word yet if they'll go any higher or if this is just the next round of their acclimatization process.

The Polish Team on Gasherbrum I is getting settled in and preparing to move up the mountain. They arrived in BC over the weekend, and have been busy getting their camp established ever since.  They did find time to post an excellent image gallery online, which you can check out here. The photos give you a good sense of what life is like in Base Camp on one of these big mountains. Look for the team to start working their way up to Camp 1 in the next day or two.

Finally, Alex Txikon and Carlos Suarez are also in BC on GI and have reportedly started working the route themselves. The two men took their turn fixing the lines yesterday, so progress has started towards C1, and it appears that there is a good sense of cooperation between them and the Poles. Alex and Carlos are also working hard to establish their Internet connection from the mountain as well, as they have plenty of photos, and hopefully video, to share with the rest of us following along back home.

Good luck to all of the climbers as they continue to challenge these monsters of the Karakoram in the days and weeks ahead.

NPR Does Russia By Rail

It's no secret that I think rail travel is still one of the most romantic and interesting ways to travel over long distances. I'd love to take a cross continental train-trip, stopping in various places along the way, and soaking up the scenery from a comfortable car, while chatting with friends and other passengers.

Someone at NPR obviously agrees with me, as they've sent reporter David Greene and photographer David Gilkey on a 6000 mile odyssey across Russia By Rail. They two Davids started in Moscow and end their journey in Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean, covering the entire length of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. Along the way, they got the chance to experience modern Russia in all of its glory.

This special report kicked off yesterday and will continue through tomorrow. It features a number of great stories about how Russia's tumultuous history has shaped the country even today, and takes a look at where it is headed now that twenty years have passed since the fall of the Soviet Union. Greene's words introduce us to the Russian people and give us a glimpse of their daily lives, while Gilkey's amazing photographs capture moments in time from their epic journey.

Russia By Rail is equal parts travelogue, investigative reporting, and photo journalism. It all comes together very well, and will likely inspire some thoughts of making the journey for yourself.

Video: Adventure Athletes Answer "Why?"

This week the annual Consumer Electronics Show will take place in Las Vegas, where thousands of new gadgets will be revealed to the public, who will be eager to get their hands on the new technology. At the show, Nikon will introduce their new D4 camera, which, with a reported price tag of $6000, is anything but "consumer" focused. To celebrate the launch of their new toy, and to show what it is capable, of filmmaker Corey Rich used the new camera to create the video below. It features a number of our favorite adventure athletes (Alex Honnold, Rebecca Rusch, Dane Jackson) doing what they do best and explaining why it is they do those things.

It is a beautifully shot 7 minute film, that captures the spirit of adventure in these athletes very well. It'll also have the photographers and videographers amongst us drooling over the D4, which looks like it is capable of some great things.




WHY - Nikon D4 Release Video from Corey Rich on Vimeo.

Video: Backpacking Around The World In Five Minutes

In 2011, Kien Lam spent 343 days traveling around the world, visiting 17 countries in the process. Along the way, he took 6237 photos, and now has compiled them into the five minute timelapse video below. The video now serves as a great reminder of the year that has just passed, and an excellent inspiration for the finding our own adventures in the year ahead. Enjoy!

Climb For Change Launches VIMFF Photo Contest

Climb For Change, a website that serves as a hub for climbers who are undertaking expeditions for charity, is sponsoring the Mountain Photography Competition for the 15th annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, which takes place in February of 2012. Submissions are being accepted now through January 15th, with the finalists, which will be selected by a jury of professionals, being put on display at the festival.

The grand prize winner of the competition will earn a two week guided expedition through Northern Pakistan and the "People's Choice" Winner, which is decided by an online vote, will win a Venta SV jacket from Arcteryx.

You'll find more details on the Climb For Change Facebook page, including a submission form and a gallery of entries to the competition so far. Judging from the entries on that page, you'd better bring your A-game, as there are some great photos already in the competition.

This is an opportunity for aspiring photographers to really show their stuff, and get your images displayed at a world-class mountain film festival. Who knows, you may even earn yourself a trip to Pakistan as well.

Time Lapse Landscapes That Will Leave You Breathless

As far as time lapse videos go, the one below is certainly amongst the best that I've seen in awhile. If you've been stuck inside for far too long, this will help you to remember why you want to get back outside and go play in a some wild space.

The video was shot with a Canon 5D2 DSLR in Arizona by filmmaker Dustin Farrell, and is like an interactive postcard on why we should all go visit that state. Very beautiful!

Thans to The Goat for sharing this one.


Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

Get Your Photos Or Art On To Windows 7

Like me, I know that a lot of you are aspiring photographers who love to take photos of your outdoor and travel adventures. Over the years I've come to appreciate well shot images of some of the amazing places that I've either been to personally or hope to visit in my travels at some point, and many of them end up gracing the screens of my various devices, such as laptops, iPad, smartphone, and so on. Now, you have the opportunity to get some of your best photos on the screens of millions of others, thanks to an open call for art and photography from Microsoft.

The Windows Personalization Gallery already has some amazing images to choose from, and computer users visit the site on a regular basis to find new wallpapers and themes to customize the look of their screens. But with this open call, we all have the potential to share our images with a huge audience. The details are on the submission page, but in a nutshell, all you have to do is e-mail your uncompressed image to winpgal@microsoft.com with your name, e-mail address, website address (if you have one!), and a brief description of your photo. They ask that you submit one image per e-mail, so if you have a dozen to share, you'll need to do 12 e-mails, but other than that, the process is very straight forward. If you do submit multiple images, they may even be combined into a Windows theme of your work. For more information, checkout the FAQ on the program.

For an aspiring photographer, this really is a great opportunity to get your work in a highly visible place and in front of a lot of people. I know when I get the chance, I'm going to pair through some of my travel photos and hopefully find a few good ones to share.