Video: Ueli Steck Climbs 82 Peaks in 62 Days

One of the other most impressive accomplishments of 2015 was Ueli Steck's project to climb all 82 peaks in the Alps that are taller than 4000 meters (13,123 feet). The Swiss Machine managed to knock off all of those mountains in a mere 62 days, showing us once again why he is amongst the most talented alpinists of his generation.

In the video below, you'll get a chance to watch Ueli go to work in the Alps, while discussing the project, and what drives him to press forward with his expeditions to the mountains.

What will Ueli have in store for us in 2016? We'll just have to wait to find out. But I'm sure it'll be something unique and impressive.

Men's Journal Looks at the 24 Greatest Feats of 2015

As the final days of the year slip off the calendar, it is a good time to look back and reflect on some of the things that happened in 2015. As usual, it was a busy year, filled with great stories of exploration and adventure. So many in fact, that you sometimes forget everything that happened. Fortunately for us, Men's Journal has put together a great little slideshow highlighting the 24 Greatest Feats of the past year.

Some of the amazing accomplishments that earned a spot on this list include the first winter crossing of the PCT, the longest time spent in space by an American, and Freya Hoffmeister's circumnavigation of South America in a kayak. Scott Jurek's speed record on the Appalachian Trail gets a nod as well, as does Dani Arnold's new speed record on the Matterhorn.

I won't spoil all of the entires on the list, but I will say paging through the MJ slideshow is a bit like taking a walk down memory lane. It reminded me of so many great things that happened this year, a lot off which we covered right here on The Adventure Blog.

For my money, the greatest feat of 2015 occurred all the way back in January. That's when Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall in Yosemite. For a brief time, the world was transfixed by a pair of rock climbers taking on the hardest big wall on the planet, and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing way to start the year, and it still stands as one of the most impressive climbing accomplishments ever.

With 2015 quickly fading away, now is a good time to look back on these great adventures, before e start looking ahead to those that will come in 2016. It was a great year. Here's to many more!

Video: Norway in Timelapse and 8K

The utterly captivating landscapes of Norway are captured oh-so beautifully in this clip, which features three-and-a-half minutes of timelapse images of some of the best locations found in that country. From snowcapped peaks to mist-filled valleys, this short film will leave you losing to visit Norway for yourself. My friends from Mountain Travel Sobek can make that happen, if you let them.

NORWAY 8K from Martin Heck | Timestorm Films on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking Down a Volcano in Japan

This video takes us to Japan along with pro mountain biker Stevie Smith, where he sets off to ride down the slopes of a massive volcano. Stevie's ride beings right at the rim of the crater, and only gets more intense from there. It looks like quite a run, along a route that is both technical and fun. This makes me want to break out my bike today, even though there isn't a volcano anywhere close to where I am.

Skydiver to Jump From Stratosphere Without a Parachute, Spacesuit, or Oxygen

I had a curious email arrive in my inbox this morning. It announced an insane event that is scheduled to take place on March 25, 2016 at an as yet undisclosed location. That is when an unknown skydiver will reportedly leap from an airplane at 50,300 feet (15,331 meters) without wearing a spacesuit, oxygen mask, pressure suit, or parachute. They'll then plummet from more than nine miles up, into the ocean, in a place that is said to be teeming with great white sharks. The entire thing will be aired online as a pay-per-view event that will be sold for $15, with VIP tickets available for purchase for those who want to witness this strange occurrence live. Oh, and did I mention that the team behind this also claims to being doing it to raise awareness of water-related diseases which claim the lives of a child somewhere in the world every 60-90 seconds?

The even is being billed as the Death Challenge since the person making the jump seems to have very little chance of survival. After all, how is it possible that someone could fall from more than 50,000 feet up without a parachute and hope to survive? I suppose the organizers of the event are using that as selling point to get as many people to tune in as possible � at $15 a pop � with the morbidly curious hoping to see someone actually perish.

As if that wasn't enough, there will apparently be several "lifelines" that people watching on the Internet will be able to vote for or against. Those lifelines will reportedly offer the skydiver some things that could save his or her life, although ultimately it will be the audience that decides whether or not they receive them. Just what those things are has yet to be revealed.


The information I was sent about this event doesn't share the name of he person who is actually making the skydive. They only refer to him or her as "The Challenger." Why the shroud of mystery? That isn't clear, but I suspect it's because they don't actually have someone who is willing to commit to making the leap just yet, so their hedging their bets without sharing a name.

I have to admit, I was very hesitant about writing about the "Death Challenge" at all. On the one hand, this seems like a dangerous and stupid event that must surely result in someone either dying or getting severely injured. On the other, it is being billed as a way to raise awareness of an important issue, so I'm not really sure what to believe. All I know is that this "challenge" is marketing being pushed to the extreme, with the hopes of pulling in cash from those that can't wait to see someone else get injured or killed.

I've got to believe that there is something that the marketing for this event is not revealing just yet. Some way that the person who is jumping out of the aircraft will actually survive the fall. Perhaps they'll have a jetpack or special wingsuit to help with the descent. We all know that it is nearly impossible to survive a fall from that height without some kind of aid, even if you are landing in the water. After that, any sharks that are swimming nearby are least of the person's worries, as they're unlikely to attack a person anyway.

So, is this a marketing ploy taken to the extreme? A real event that is incredibly crazy? Something in-between? I guess we'll have to wait to learn more, but it certainly sounds very dubious to me.

The Cost of Climbing Everest - 2016 Edition

One of the most common questions that people have in regards to climbing Everest is just how much does it cost? I field those questions from curious people on a semi-regular basis, and I've only been to Base Camp, which is why it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Alan Arnette gets asked that same question all the time. Fortunately, Alan has once again posted a summary of the costs for the season ahead, where we discover that the options are getting both more, and less, expensive all the time.

Alan's 2016 version of his annual blog post on how much it costs to climb Everest is a comprehensive  look not just at the expenses of such an expedition, but the trends that operators on the mountain are now facing. When researching this topic, Alan reaches out to the guiding companies for insights into not just their pricing, but the factors that impact their costs. In recent years, there has been a few high profile companies pushing the costs upwards, while less expensive operators from Nepal jump into the fray for the first time. As a result, there may now the largest gap ever in terms of low- and high-end options.

Alan's says that a typical Everest climb will range from as low as $30,000 to as high as $85,000 in 2016. The high end of that market is dominated by companies such as Madison Mountaineering, Adventure Consultants, Himex, and Alpenglow. At the other end of the spectrum you'll find Nepali companies that are still looking to earn a name for themselves.

There is also a difference in price based on which side of the mountain you climb on. Nepal's South Side is the more expensive route, with the average cost running about $42,000. While on the North Side in Tibet an expedition is considerably less, averaging closer to $32,000. That's a considerable savings, but there are some bureaucratic obstacles to overcome when you go North, which is why the vast majority of climbers stick to the South, despite the increased costs.

If you've ever wondered where all of that money goes, Alan has a nice breakdown of the expenses too. The short answer is that your cash goes to pay for travel expenses, permits, insurance, guides, and so on, but there is more to it than just that, and Alan offers insights based on his numerous expeditions to the Himalaya.

Personally, I always enjoy reading this post each year. It provides a good sense of how things are developing for the spring climbing season, and what to expect from the companies that will be leading teams up Everest. Hopefully 2016 is a much more productive year on the mountain, with less heartache and tragedy than the past two. We'll find out soon enough.

Antarctica 2015: Sastrugi and Whiteouts Make for Tough Sledding

The skiers in the Antarctic continue to press on towards the South Pole, despite challenging surface and weather conditions. Most are preparing to celebrate the holidays out on the ice, as it has been a difficult season already, and they all have a long way to go before they reach their respective finish line. Here's a quick update on the proceedings.

Henry Worley has now crossed the 87th degree and has found himself in the middle of a massive sastrugi field. That's causing him to slow down some, but he's been making up for it by skiing a bit of extra time. On his 40th day out on the ice, he's feeling strong and confident however, which is about all you can ask for at this point of the journey. In his most recent dispatch, he reports that he is once again skiing in a whiteout, using just his GPS as a guide. Despite those challenges however, he continues to make good time, and still hopes to be at the South Pole for New Years. 

The team of Devon McDiarmid, Stew Edge, Mostafa Salameh, and Sharom Abdullah continue making progress towards the Pole as well. They're approaching the end of their second week on the ice, and seem to have started to get their rhythm at last. Yesterday they skied an impressive 27 km (16.2 km) in high winds, which bodes well for their reaching their finishing point in a timely fashion. They did have a rare encounter with a bird while out on the Antarctic expanse as well. It isn't often that any birds fly into the interior of the frozen continent, but the team spotted one nonetheless. At the moment, they're steaming towards their first supply cache as well, which will give them some extra food and fuel for the remainder of the journey. 

ExWeb is reporting ath Luke Robertson is having issues with his solar panels functioning properly, and as a result he is conserving power in his electronic devices. He is able to receive messages sent his way, but he is limiting the number that he is sending back out. As a result, we're not getting as much info on his progress. He is doing well however, and seems to be skiing with high spirits. 

American Doug Tumminello is steal dealing with foot blisters and soft snow, but is continuing to knock off solid distances. Yesterday he reported 20 nautical miles, which equates to about 37 km or 23 standard miles. He did have a scare when he thought he was starting to develop frostbite on his toes, but was able to warm them and avoid it, at least for now. He suspect wet socks may have contributed to numbness in his feet, and will work harder to ensure he dries his socks properly each night. 

Carl Alvy and Emma Kelty continue pressing forwards despite the fact that Emma has frostbite on her inner thighs. The pair received a medical supply drop a few days back to provide some relief for the condition, which is painful to say the least. The pair have been skiing nonstop for ten days now, without a rest, and their legs are feeling it. But they have a long way to go yet to reach the South Pole, so they have to focus on covering some distance, particularly since they are now trying to make up for some lost time in the early stages of the expedition. 

Finally, Italian kite-skier Michele Pontrandolfo has finally found some wind, and as a result he has started to make up for some lost time too. Surface conditions are still challenging, and because he struggled early on he'll now avoid going to the South Pole of Inaccessibility, but will focus on reaching the Geographic South Pole instead. But, he's happy to finally be making forward progress after such a difficult start. 

That's all for now. More to come soon.