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?

Running The Silk Road Update: Under 1000km To Go

Last week I posted a story about a team of athletes who are running the length of the Silk Road in an effort to raise funds and awareness of the need for clean drinking water throughout Asia. The expedition began in Turkey back in April, and since that time, the runners have been heading east. Now, they have less than 1000km (621 miles) to go until they reach the finish line in the ancient city of Xi'an, China.

The run was organized by The Home Expedition, a non-profit organization that seeks to fund charitable projects through adventurous activities. The Silk Road run is their first expedition, but they have others planned for the future, including a cycling journey along the Trans-Siberian Highway and an adventure along the Amazon River.

Two of the runners on this journey, Kevin Lin and Bai Bin have run the entire distance so far. That includes more than 8000km (4971 miles) through Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and into China. They hope to wrap up the final leg of their journey by September 16th, their target date for arriving in Xi'an.

When I wrote about this expedition last week, I mentioned that updates on the website had been infrequent over the last few months, but it turns out the best place to follow along with the journey is on The Home Expedition Facebook page. There, I discovered that Kevin and Bai Bin are still knocking off about 70km (43.5 miles) per day as they continue to pursue their goal.

For those that don't know, the old Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected China with Europe. It's origins can be traced back to 200 BC, although at that point it was mostly used throughout Asia. As time passed, and the road expanded, merchants from as far away as Italy used the road to trade goods, and it eventually became one of the most important trade routes ever. Marco Polo was said to have traveled the Silk Road in his dealings with China, and to this day, the road continues to inspire adventure.

I'll continue to keep an eye on the progress of Kevin, Bai, and the whole team. If all goes as scheduled, they should be finishing up in a just a few weeks. Big thanks to Andrew for sharing information and updates with me!

Jornet, Hawker Win North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc

As I mentioned last Friday, this weekend was the annual North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world. Late Friday, 2300 competitors set out on the 166km (103 miles) course, which circles Mount Blanc, the tallest peak in western Europe, and crosses through Italy, Switzerland, and France in the process. It is a truly spectacular trail with plenty of wonderful scenery and tough challenges.

The race got off to a rocky start when storms delayed the event for more than five hours, and once it was underway, it turned into one of the most challenge UTMB's ever. Rock slides forced the course to be extended to 169km, while rain and snow tested the competitors at every turn. In the end though, it didn't seem to matter, as Kilian Jornet came in first, crossing the finish line in a record time of 20 hours, 36 minutes, 43 seconds. Lizzy Hawker would take first place for the ladies, coming home in 25 hours, 2 minutes even.

So what's it like to run the Ultra Trail do Mont Blanc? Check out the beautiful video below to see for yourself. It is both inspiring and exhausting at the same time. Wow!

Conquering A New Solo Route On The Matterhorn

Yesterday I posted a story about three climbers putting up a new route on Mount Blanc at the beginning of the month. In that story, I mentioned that one of the climbers, Hervé Barmasse, had also completed a solo climb along a new route on the Matterhorn back in April. Today, I found a beautiful video of that climb that I think you'll enjoy.

With its sharp, distinctive peak, the Matterhorn is one of the most recognizable mountains in the entire world. Rising 4478 meters (14,692 ft), the mountain sits along the border of Italy and Switzerland. It was amongst the final big European mountains to be climbed, with the first summit coming in 1865, and has remained a proving ground for many alpine climbers in the decades that followed.

Barmasse climbed it as part of his Exploring The Alps expedition, during which he's attempting to open new routes on three peaks in the Alps. With the Matterhorn and Mount Blanc already under his belt, he'll next turn his attention to Mount Rosa, the highest peak in Switzerland.

Enjoy the video.



Hervé Barmasse, New route solo on the Matterhorn/ Hervé Barmasse, nuova via solitaria sul Cervino from Hervé Barmasse on Vimeo.

The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mount Blanc Begins Today

One of the toughest ultra-trail runs in the world gets underway today in Chamonix, France, where some of the best long distance runners will set out on the North Face Ultra-Trail du Mount Blanc. The race, which stretches for 166km (103 miles) and includes 9600 meters (31,496ft) of vertical gain, runs through the Alps in the shadow of Mount Blanc, one of the most famous peaks in all of Europe.

The race will start with approximately 2300 competitors, although not all will make it to the finish. The trail actually circles around the mountain, passing through three countries – France, Italy, and Switzerland – along the popular Tour du Mount Blanc trekking route. Hikers who make the trek usually take 7-9 days to finish the entire trail, but the top runners will do it in about 20 hours, while the cut-off for the race is 46 hours.

When heading out on the course, the runners are expected to carry a minimum of safety gear with them along the trail. That includes a rain jacket, warmer clothes, extra food and water, a safety whistle, survival blanket and a head lamp. They'll be able to resupply with food and water at stations along the course, which are spaced out about every 10-15km (6-9 miles).

The UTMB is always a challenging race to say the least, as the trail is not an easy one, and it has plenty of altitude to contend with as well. Bad weather has been a problem in recent years as well, but hopefully this year the weather will hold, and the racers will be able to run the trail safely.

New Route Opened On Mount Blanc

Three North Face sponsored climbers opened a new route on one of Europe's most iconic mountains earlier this month. The team, which, consists of Italian Hervé Barmasse and Spaniards Iker and Eneko Pou, free climbed the southern Italian face of Mount Blanc, naming their new route La Classica Moderna as an homage to Walter Bonatti, who pioneered many routes in the Alps in the 50's and 60's.

Carrying only essential gear, the three men attempted a true alpine style ascent. Their approach to the mountain was hampered by knee-deep snow, but once on the face they were able to make steady progress, despite cold weather. The team worked the new route for three days, finally completing it on August 1st, after a 3300 meter (10,826 ft) vertical gain. Upon reaching the summit, the men descended on the French side of the mountain, eventually arriving in the classic mountain-town of Chamonix.

At 4808 meters (15,774 ft) in height, Mount Blanc is the tallest peak in Western Europe. The peak has been a popular climbing destination for more than 200 year, and has long been a proving grounds for alpine climbers. In fact, the mountain was first summited in 1786, which many climbing historians point to as the genesis of modern mountaineering, and it remains a formidable challenge to this day.

This newest route on Mount Blanc was completed as part of the Exploring The Alps expedition, which looks to be a trilogy of great climbs in the region. Back in April, Barmasse opened a new solo route on the Matterhorn (4478 meters/14,691 ft), and next the team will set its sights on Mount Rosa, the highest peak in Switzerland at 4634 meters (15,203 feet).

Alan Arnette Summits Elbrus

Congratulations are in order to my friend Alan Arnette this morning, as he has knocked off yet another of the Seven Summits. In an audio dispatch this morning Alan announced that he had successfully reached the top of Mt. Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe. This is the fourth successful expedition in Alan's  7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer's project.

Located in the Western Caucasus Mountains in Russia, Elbrus stands 5642 meters (18,510 ft) in height. It is a popular climbing destination in Eastern Europe, and is considered one of the more moderately challenging climbs in the Seven Summits. That said, Alan reports that it took his team about seven and a half hours to reach the summit, from High Camp, today, although he sounded in great spirits and good health when he phoned in his dispatch.

Alan has now added Elbrus to his list of successful summits, joining Vinson in Antarctica, Aconcagua in South America, and Everest in Asia. Back in July he attempted to climb Denali, the tallest peak in North America, but was eventually forced to give up the climb due to persistently bad weather. Next up, he'll head to Africa in September to climb Kilimanjaro.

The 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer's is a very important and personal project for Alan, who lost his mother to that awful disease a few years back. He is climbing to raise awareness of Alzheimer's as well as money to fund research with the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. A great cause for sure, and a great way to help the process.

BASE Jumping Off Mont Blanc

Last week, Russian mountaineer and BASE Jumper Valery Rozov climbed up Mont Blanc, perhaps the most famous peak in Europe, and jumped off the Italian side of the mountain. According to Red Bull, the sponsor for the event, he then proceeded to make an 800 meters (2625 ft) free fall in his wingsuit, before opening his chute and drifting gently to the ground.

Watching the video of the jump below, it's clear that he didn't go to the summit, but he did climb a big wall on the mountain, where he finds a small ledge to leap from. Still, watching Rozov zip through the air is an impressive sight, and of course, the Alps always look nice too!

Tour 2011: Le Tour Is Off To A Fantastic Start!

The 2011 Tour de France got underway over the weekend, much to the delight of cycling fans across the globe. If you've been watching the race thus far, you probably already know that the course has been well designed this year to add a lot more excitement to the race early on, and changes to the point system have made for some interesting duels out on the road already, as every Sprint and Climb point is now very important.

The early stages of the race are often designed for the sprinters to strut their stuff, but this year the course designers have added a few smaller climbs to the mix, which has made for a more interesting start. Two of the four stages have already had hilltop finishes, which has made the top contenders of the General Classification pay more attention and stay closer to the front of the Peloton. The sprinters have had their fun as well, but have only had a single sprint finish thus far, which will change over the next few days.

The race kicked off on Saturday, when Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert, who has been having an amazing season, took the win in Stage 1, pulling away from the crowd on a climb to cross the finish line in front. His stay in the Yellow Jersey was a short one however, as on Sunday the Team Garmin - Cervelo won the Team Time Trial, putting their man Thor Hushovd in Yellow. The god of thunder continues to wear the leader's jersey after successfully defending it out on the road over Stages 3 and 4 as well.

Yesterday, the battle for the Green Jersey heated up, with the sprinters taking center stage. There were plenty of points to be earned out on the road and at the end of the day, it was Jose Rojas of Spain who grabbed the lead in that competition. The stage win went to American Tyler Farrar however, who looks to have taken the label of "promising" off his back and is now a serious contender in all of the sprints. At the moment, Mark Cavendish, who is one of the top sprinters in the world, is strangely absent from the competition for Green.

The Polka Dot Jersey, awarded to the top climber, now rests on the shoulders of Cadel Evans after he claimed a huge stage win today, edging out defending champ Alberto Contador at the line. This is Cadel's first stage win ever in the Tour de France and shows that he is in fine form for this year's race. He has been amongst the top contenders for several years, but has not had luck always go his way.

The biggest news thus far is the position of Alberto Contador, widely considered the run away favorite to win the race once again this year. Over the weekend, Contador found himself blocked by a massive crash out on the road which cost him 1:20 in time to his main rivals, namely Evans and Andy Schleck, who has finished second to Contador the past two years. The Spanish rider tried to make up time on the final climb of today's stage, but ended up gaining nothing and looked rather gassed in the process. He's already in a deep hole, which should lead to some big risks and great head-to-head battles in the days to come.

The next few stages are definitely designed for the sprinters, which means that it is likely that Thor Hushovd will stay in Yellow for a couple of more days. He holds just a one second lead over Cadel Evans, and was expected to surrender the Jersey today, but an inspired ride kept him in contact with the leaders. It is likely that he'll now stay in Yellow until Saturday, when Stage 8 takes the riders into the Pyrenees for the first time.

The only other jersey in play is the White Jersey, which goes to the best young rider on the Tour. At the moment, that is Thomas Geraint of the U.K. Geraint rides for Sky Procycling, which has a number of good young riders on the squad.

Stay tuned for daily updates on the race. The first few days have been good ones, and if it continues like this, we're in for a classic Tour it seems.

Hitting The Road With "A Sense Of Adventure"

Have you ever wanted to take an epic road trip that covered thousands of miles and offered you an opportunity to truly explore the region you were traveling through? That's exactly what Rupert Grey hopes to do in September, when he and his wife will set out to drive from Bangladesh back to their home in England. But Rupert doesn't just want to just go on a road trip, he wants to do it in style. Which is why he is making the journey in his classic 1936 Rolls Royce.

Independent film company Rover Films is hoping to make a documentary of the drive, following Rupert and his wife out of Bangladesh, into the Himalaya, and westward along the Arabian Sea, through Iran and Turkey, and beyond. You can check out the trailer for the film below, and if you feel inclined, donate to the cause for getting this movie made. Rover has set up a Kickstarter page to take donations to help fund the project, which looks like it should be a good one. I mean, where exactly do you find parts for a 1936 Rolls Royce while rolling through the Himalaya?

This looks like a fantastic travel experience, and as I've mentioned before, I'd love to do a long distance, overland road trip like this with friends. My road trip of choice would be Cairo to Cape Town, but his looks like a great route as well. I hope the gang over at Rover get the opportunity to make their film!



A Sense Of Adventure OFFICIAL TEASER from Rover Films on Vimeo.

New Speed Record Set On The Eiger North Face

According to the Mammut Blog, one of their sponsored athletes, Dani Arnold, has set a new speed record on the North Face of the Eiger, speed up the iconic face in just 2 hours, 28 minutes. The 27-year old Swiss climber shaved 20 minutes off the previous record, set by Ueli Steck back in 2008.

Arnold climbed the Heckmair route solo, passing other teams along the way. Setting out just after 9 AM, he was on top of the mountain by 11:33 AM.  Unlike Ueli's ascent from a few years back, he didn't free climb the Hinterstoisser traverse however, as by spring, the route isn't safe for that kind of approach.

The Eiger is one of the most well known and popular climbing destinations in the entire world. Standing 3970 meters (13,025 ft) in height, the mountain was first climbed back in 1858, although the North Face wasn't conquered until 1938. It took the better part of two days to complete that climb, which makes it all the more amazing that modern climbers are topping out in just 2.5 hours.

No word yet on if Ueli will attempt to reclaim the record. After all, he is a bit busy in the Himalaya at the moment.

Croatian Adventurer Sends Welcome Message To The World

This is a fun story I shared over at Gadling today, but wanted to post about it here as well. An outdoor enthusiast from Croatia has embarked on an ambitious project which he hopes will send a gigantic "welcome" to the rest of the world from his home country.

On Tuesday of this week, Daniel Lacko set out on a pre-set course that will take him through some wild Croatian backcountry on foot, kayak, and bike. The journey will cover more than 2500km (1553 miles) and will pass through eight national parks, three nature preserves, and a number of other protected areas. Lacko will climb ten mountains and paddle or swim on six different rivers, not to mention Croatia's legendary sea coast. All the while, a GPS device will be tracking his progress and marking his route, which if he adheres to properly, will end up spelling out the word "Welcome" in giant letters across the map of Croatia.

The entire journey is expected to take two months to complete, and Lacko hopes to arrive in Dubrovnik by June 5th, which is World Environment Day. That means he'll have to make good time through some very challenging terrain, and he must stay on his prescribed course in order for the project to succeed. So, no matter what obstacles are thrown in his way, he must find away to forge ahead.

You can find out more about the project, and read Daniel's blog, on the official website and keep updated on his progress on the Facebook page as well.

8 Month Long, 6 Continent, Cycling Tour Annouced

Are you anticipating a little time off from work in the semi-near future? If so, you may want to sign up for the latest cycling tour announced by Pedalers Pub and Grille, an adventure travel company that specializes in cycling adventures all over the planet. In celebration of their 25th anniversary, the company has announced an epic ride that also comes with an epic price tag.

Dubbed the Once In A Lifetime Tour, this new option will send 30 lucky travelers off on an eight month long journey that will cross six continents and nearly 30 countries. The tour will kick-off in June of 2012 with a shakedown cruise in Vermont that will allow riders to get to know one another and get use to the rigors of the ride. From there, it's off to Europe, where they'll take a spin through France, Austria, Italy, and a number of other great cycling destinations. In the weeks that follow, the group will ride through parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America, experiencing some great destinations along the way.

The tour won't come cheap though. If you want to join the fun, you'll need to plunk down $95,000, which includes all of your transportation costs, accommodations, most meals, guides on the trip, and a custom built bike. While nearly $100k for a vacation is a lot of money, you really are getting a lot for what you pay.

For more information on the trip, including a complete list of countries, click here, and for a detailed look at the itinerary, click here.

Best Hike's Top Ten Hiking Towns Worldwide: #4

The Best Hike Blog continues its countdown of the Top Ten Hiking Towns in the World today by revealing the #4 location on their list. That honor goes to Cortina, Italy, a sleepy little mountain village of 6000 people located at 1224 meters (4015 feet) in the Dolomites.

Cortina serves as the base camp for a number of excellent hikes into the Alps and is just as popular in the winter as it is during the summer. Best Hike editor Rick McCharles says the best time to visit is mid-June to  early-October if you hope to hike the near-by mountains, but the region is also home to some great skiing come the winter months as well.

Check back tomorrow for the number 3 hiking town. Europe keeps on getting the love for all the great hiking in the Alps, but perhaps the top three spots are dominated by other destinations. We'll just have to wait to see.