Traveling Light

Yahoo has a wonderful travel blog, that I just discovered, called Traveling Light. It's written by Rolf Potts, who wrote the book Vegabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel Some recent articles that may be of interest, and certainly are to me, include this one on Patagonia and this one about a writer who traveled through the remote Siberian region of the Lena River. Interesting stuff, and I'll most likely be updating on future articles that strike my fancy as well. :)

Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa!

A friend of mine forwarded this image to me today. She received it from her friend who actually took it while visiting Moshi, in Tanzania, recently. It's a great shot of Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, overlooking the village. It's just such an awesome picture on so many levels.

I've written in other posts how my next big adventure is to go to Africa, climb Kilimanjaro, and go on safari. But as I sit here in my office. eying that picture, that day can't come soon enough. It simply looks amazing, and I can't wait until the day that I can visit it in person.

Top 7: Himalayan Treks

The latest issue of online magazine Adventure Journey is up, and that brings us another edition of their Top 7 lists. This time it's the Top 7 Himalayan Treks, with such classics as trekking to Annapurna and Everest Base Camp. But you'll also find some lesser known treks such as trekking to the Kingdom of Mustang and Nanga Parbat, which is number one on the list. They all sound amazing. I think I've added another seven items to my life to-do list. :)

Everest: Alpine Style

MountEverest.net, which is your one stop source for all news related to the tallest mountain on the planet, has posted this article today about a trio of Spaniards who are attempting to summit Everest in the Fall, alpine style, via the Hornbein Couloir. The three are already on the mountain, and have been acclimatizing in prepartaion for a mid to late September summit attempt. They report that the mountain is deserted, which is not uncommon this time of year, following the monsoon season, when there are layers of snow everywhere. On top of that, the route they have chosen, along the north face, is seldom used, which adds to their isolation.

It'll be interesting to follow their attempt and see if they are successful. The cold and snow on Everest this time of year are huge hurdles to overcome, and climbing alpine style means going in unsupported, carrying your own gear. On top of that, they will attempt the summit without supplemental oxygen, which will only add to the challenge.

Outdoor Adventure in Japan

Our old friends over at Outside Magazine have published another great article. This one is called Land of the Rising Fun and it takes a look at all the great outdoor activities to do in Japan, including some awesome climbing, kayaking, and mountain biking, all of which sound great to me. Most of us think about the hustling and bustling city of Tokyo when we think about Japan, but the country also has some great hidden outdoor gems. This article should give you some things to do the next time you visit, and want to get away from the big city.

Adventure Racers Descend on Quebec!

The Raid is now just a little over four days away, and the best adventure racers in the world are arriving in Quebec in preparation for the 1000 km+ expedition length race. Leading up to the race Check Point Zero has posted this article that gives a little insight into the area in which the race is being held, and what the racers can expect over the coming days.

The Raid is the last major race of this length of the year, so a lot of teams will be gunning for the win. It also has roots that date back to the early days of adventure racing, which makes it a special event as well. There will be some great teams competing in the event, but it's hard to bet against Team Nike who just cointue to roll along, winning major event after major event. I'm sure there will be some other great teams pushing them every step of the way, but with their experience and skill, they seam nearly unbeatable at times, unless they make a mistake on their own.

Update: Sleep Monsters has a news brief about the trail that will be used in the Raid. It seems that it was "made famous" by fur trappers, who orginally used it as a trade route. The trail will wind through "dense forests, across majestic lakes, along sheer cliffs and a fabulous fjord" over it's course, and challenge the 26 teams competing in the event on many different levels. Can't wait for this one to get underway!

Yet More On Everest 2006

Is it just me, or has the 2006 Everest climbing season become the en vogue topic these last few months on all the outdoor related websites? Mine included I suppose. Well, we've got yet another article, this time from Outside Magazine. As with all things from Outside its a very well written and indepth piece that does a great job of recapping the season in general, and discussing the raging debates about ethics on the mountain, commercial climbing, the ambitions of those who go to Everest. I highly recommend this article, even if you're already bored to death with the topic.

NG Sudan Spy Case Update

A few days ago I posted about a National Geographic reporter who had spying charges leveled against him while on assignment in the Sudan. Today, we get this update on the case which states that the President of Sudan and State Department officials have met to discuss the situation. Omar al-Bashir, the President, has said that he'll consider the case of the reporter from "a humanitarian" standpoint. Lets hope cooler heads prevail here, and Paul Salopek, the reporter in question, will soon be on his way as a free man.