Video: Therapy On A Bike

Adventure Journal delivered up another fantastic video this morning, this time in the form of Suspension Therapy. This beautifully shot mountain bike video that will leave you longing for more days on the trail – which are becoming increasingly rarer here in the Northern Hemisphere, as the colder weather sets in. Even the music is hauntingly beautiful in this short film.

Apparently the video was shot as a promo for a new business, aptly named Suspension Therapy, which helps riders to properly tune their bikes. Not sure how the business is doing, but the video is an absolute success.


Suspension Therapy from nsmb.com on Vimeo.

Raid The North Extreme Joins AR World Series!

One of the major adventure races taking place in North America this year is, without a doubt, the Raid The North Extreme, which is scheduled to take place in the West Kootenays of Canada's British Columbia from July 23rd - 31st. Over the weekend, organizers of the race also announced that they are re-joining the AR World Series, making the RTNX the only qualifying event in North America this year. That means that teams competing in the 500+km (310+ mile) race will now be vying for an all expense paid entry to the AR World Championship to be held in Tasmania in November of this year.

This announcement marks the return of Raid The North Extreme to the AR World Series fold. The race was originally part of the series when it formed back in 2000 and it even served as the championship event in 2004. After that, the RTNX dropped out of the ARWS, but by returning both events are made that much better.

As of this writing, the RTNX is just two teams shy of its cap of 50, which means if you aren't already signed up to race, you will probably want to get your application in today. The news of the race now being a qualifier for the AR World Championship is sure to seal the deal for any teams that have been on the fence about competing. A chance to head to Tasmania in November sounds like a fantastic reward on top of the already great prizes for winning the event.

Kudos to the RTNX staff for joining the ARWS. This is yet another feather in their cap for an event that was already looking like it was going to be one of the best races of the year.

Paddling Dipper Creek In British Columbia

Looking for a fast, furious, and beautiful place for your next paddling expedition? Then look no further than Dipper Creek, British Columbia.  But beware, the river isn't for the faint of heart or the beginner, as you'll see in the beautifully shot video below. Paddlers will find a little of everything there, including deep gorges, waterfalls, challenging rapids, and more. Looks like a fantastic place to visit, either in your boat or on foot.

Thanks to Canoe & Kayak Magazine for sharing the video.


Dipper Creek, BC 2010 from Fred Norquist on Vimeo.

Adventure Travel Company Accused Of Killing Over 100 Sled Dogs

An adventure travel company has come under scrutiny in British Columbia, Canada after a former worker filed a compensation claim for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The employee says that the condition came about because he was ordered to shoot more than 100 sled dogs over a two day period last year.

According to this story from CTV News, Outdoor Adventure Whistler conducted a "horrific" culling of their sled dogs last April, killing more than 100 of the them and throwing them in a mass grave. The culling took place April 21-23 and in the original claim, the worker says that he helped kill 70 dogs. The article says that the company later corrected that number to 100.

The tales that the person filing the claim has to tell are certainly not easy ones to read, and dog lovers will especially want to take caution when reading the story. A follow-up article, found here, says that Royal Canadian Mounted Police have now joined the investigation into what actually happened, and they will now dig up the mass grave to further investigate the allegations.

The story says that Outdoor Adventure Whistler did not respond to inquiries about the incident, but indications are that with the economy still sluggish and the travel industry still recovering, the dogs were killed off following a particularly slow winter season last year. One Vancouver group has already called for a complete ban of dog sled tours following this report.

Reading this story earlier was a extremely tough for me. As an animal lover, I wouldn't want to see any creature treated this way. This is a glimpse of a darker side to adventure travel, and while I believe that this is probably an isolated incident, it doesn't make it any easier to read about. If the allegations prove to be true, I hope action is taken very swiftly against the people involved.

Thanks to Eric Chan for sharing this sad story.