Ultimate Travel Library

A few days ago I posted the list of Top 7 Adventure Novels compiled by Adventure Journey. Well, if that didn't offer enough to whet your reading appetite for the summer, then you need to check out The Ultimate Travel Library brought to us by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. On the list you'll find dozens of great books focused on every region of the planet, including the Polar Regions. There is even a list of Classic Travel books. So, if you're planning a trip somewhere, or just wish you were, I'm sure you'll find something on the list to appeal to you. Looks like my Amazon "Wishlist" just got a lot longer...

Expedition: Macedonia

Yahoo's Adventure Beat is sending resident adventurer Richard Bangs off to explore Macedonia and we get invited along for the ride. On day one they explore Macedonia's ancient history, dating back to Alexander the Great. And to prepare us for the journey, they also put together a list of the eight wonders of Macedonia. Looks like it should be a fun and interesting expedition.

The Raid World Cup Marches On!

This weekend marks another race in The Raid World Cup, this time taking place in the Savoy region of France. This is the third, and final, qualifier for the 2006 Raid World Championship, being held in Quebec in September. For those that don't know, The Raid has been a stalwart in the adventure racing world for a number of years, and has metamorphisized itself into a series of shorter qualifying events culminating with their World Championship expedition length race. You can read more about this weekends event at Check Point Zero.

Climbing to Resume on Mount St. Helens!

The USDA Forest Service has announced on their website that climbing is set to resume on Mount St. Helens on July 21st! Due to volcanic activity in the past several months climbing was strictly off limits, but it seems like it's been deemed safe once again. More info is suppose to be posted on Thursday of this week, but it looks like you'll be able to reserve your climb soon.

The Vocabulary of Kayaking

Last week Stellar Magazine brought us the Vocabulary of the Tour and their back this week with another vocabulary lesson. This time we have The Newbies Kayaking Vocab Lesson with a breakdown of all the important terms that someone learning to kayak should know and understand. I especially like their explanations of the different classifications of rapids and the parts of the kayak itself. Good stuff once again. I'm not sure if these "vocabulary" lessons are going to be a new feature over at their cool website, but I've like what I've seen so far.

Gearbox: The Two-Second Tent?!?!

I saw this item over at Gadling earlier, and I just scratched my head a bit in disbelief. It's a new piece of gear called the two second tent, which basically is a self expanding tent that you simply toss in the air and by the time it hits the ground, you're ready to climb in. Sound great right? Well, in concept, I'd agree, but when looking at the site, I see the tent in it's collapsed state, and being carred around by a guy like a backpack. Which of course begs the question, where does your uh...backpack..go? I mean, when you're carrying this tent, where is the rest of your gear, as it doesn't seem to fold up small enough to actually fit inside of a backpack. Great concept. Needs more work. Still, for only $100, this might not be a bad tent for the right circumstances. It even sleeps two! :)

Julich Out of the Tour

American cycalist Bobby Julich, who some considered to have an outside chance of winning the Tour de France this year, was knocked out of the race today after a nasty crash during a time trial. Early indications are that he broke his wrist, and will be unable to continue. There were no other riders near him when he crashed, and it seemed to simply be a case of his tires giving out on the slick surface of the road.

Most of the other Americans in the race didn't fare well in the time trial either, with many giving up time, although Floyd Landis did finish second and seems to be setting himself up for a push in the big mountain sections.