Yesterday I wrote about skydiver Luke Aikins and his 25,000 foot jump without a parachute. At the time, I said that there had to be a YouTube video coming that would show the entire proceedings, and I was right. You can watch the entire spectacle in the clip below, which is as scary as you would expect, even knowing the outcome. It will also give you more respect for Aikins skills as a skydiver as he maneuvers into a relatively small net to arrest his fall. Amazing stuff all around.
Selasa, 02 Agustus 2016
Olly and George first tried to paddle across the Dance Floor a few weeks back. They set out from the coast of Iceland on July 23 on what they knew was the toughest leg of their entire journey. But after spending 36 hours on the open sea they received word that bad weather was heading their way. The coast guard advised that they turn back as conditions did not look good.
Fortunately, they were able to hitch a ride on a passing fishing boat and made it back to shore safe and sound. Since then, they've been working on that same fishing boat, earning their keep while they waited for the weather to improve. At long last they've gotten toe okay to proceed, and the forecast looks promising. So, yesterday they returned to the water have has started to cross this treacherous stretch of open water once again.
The boys now face 12 days of living in their kayak as they make their way to the Faroe Islands. During that time they will eat, sleep, and paddle in their boat, completely focused on making progress towards their goal. They have now entered the most crucial stage of this journey, and the next week and a half could be incredibly difficult and dangerous.
As of today, the weather seems to have turned in their favor. The wind is at their back and they are making good progress. In fact, according to their dispatches they have already covered more ground in 24 hours than they did in the first 36 hours out on the Dance Floor. They won't be able to maintain that speed of course, but it is helping to put them back on track. Hopefully the good luck will continue and they'll complete the crossing safely.
Good luck to Olly and George. Follow their progress here.
Senin, 01 Agustus 2016
Galicia is an independent region on the northwest coast of Spain that is known for its dramatic landscapes, sweeping vistas, and breathtaking slopes. Outsiders aren't a common site in this part of the world, but those who do make the trip are treated to some amazing settings, many of which remain mostly untouched by man. In this video, we travel into this land of the lost to witness its beauty for ourselves. I think that you'll agree that the results are nothing short of spectacular.
Galicia, Land of the Lost from Daniel Almeida Visuals on Vimeo.
This short, but very sweet, video takes us to Kenya, where a couple of ingenious travelers came up with the idea of strapping a GoPro camera to a radio controlled car, essentially turning it into a makeshift, ground-based drone. The results were pretty spectacular, as they managed to capture some of the most iconic wildlife of the Masai Mara up close and personal.
After spending two days in Mongolia's capital city of Ulaanbaatar, then the better part of a day traveling to the remote town of Ulgii, followed by another full day in SUV's driving dirt roads just to reach the start of our journey, I think it was safe to say that my companions and I were ready to truly get our adventure started. We had all come to Mongolia to go horseback riding through the Altai Tavn Bogd National Park with Tusker Trail, one of the best adventure travel outfitters in the entire world. But, we had no idea how much of an adventure we would have before even climbing into the saddle for the first time. It was all part of the plan – and part of the fun – of course, but after camping for two nights on the edge of the spectacularly beautiful Khoton Nuur lake, it was time to get riding at long last.
After a hardy breakfast, we broke camp and began preparing for the day ahead. Our first full day in the saddle would be roughly 5-6 hours in length, and cover 22 km (13 miles). Not a bad start to the trip, giving all of us a chance to get comfortable on horseback before pushing into the longer days that would lie ahead.
One of the best parts of Tusker's Mongolia itinerary is that you can choose to either ride the trails, hike the route, or mix it up and do both. Most of travelers had come to ride – after all we were exploring the home of arguably the greatest horsemen that have ever lived. But some felt more comfortable on their own two feet, and each day they would head out with a trekking guide just ahead of those who were on horseback. I personally wanted to experience both riding and hiking, so I alternated my time in the saddle and on foot for parts of the journey. Ultimately, I would end up riding much more than hiking, but for the most part I was glad to get the chance to see this beautiful country in either fashion.
On our first day of riding there was a nervous anticipation in the air. Everyone was eager to get started, but most of us had never spent a full day on horseback before, and some had never ridden at all. This brought a sense of uncertainty about what to expect, as a horse certainly has a mind of its own and can do unpredictable things at times. This happened more than once throughout the trip, with our mounts occasionally stumbling, getting spooked and acting erratically, or being stubborn enough to do what they wanted, despite the best efforts of their riders. In my case, I even had my horse decide to lay down in the grass while I was still in the saddle. Fortunately I was able to dismount without a significant loss to my dignity, but as a somewhat inexperienced rider myself, it was a lesson learned to be sure.
For the most part though, the horses were well behaved, extremely sure-footed, and easy to ride. After a day or two most of the riders became comfortable with their mounts, and the trust grew between both the animal and the person on its back. In fact, anyone who joins this Tusker excursion will most certainly come home a better rider, and by the end of the trip we were all doing things in the saddle that would have seemed unlikely at the beginning.
While our travels were conducted both on foot and horseback, the logistics of moving our camp from one location to another was handled by camel train. The two-humped Bacterian camels that are common in Mongolia seem well suited for life on the Steppe, and served as incredibly strong pack animals for our expedition into the Altai Mountains. Each day, our team would load a wide variety of bags, packs, and containers onto the backs of the camels, and off they'd go to our next destination. Often times they would pass us on the trail each day while we were enjoying lunch in some idyllic setting. More often then not, they would arrive at the new campsite well before we did, and we'd find our tents awaiting us. On occasion, the travelers themselves would be a bit quicker, and we'd all lend a hand in helping set up camp that evening. The entire operation, while time consuming, ran very smoothly, and was a testament to how well staffed and organized Tusker truly is. It isn't easy shepherding 13 clients around the wilds of Mongolia, let alone keeping them well fed, protected from the elements, and comfortable along the way too.
Our days out on the trail generally passed in this fashion. We'd break camp and begin riding (or trekking!) by mid-morning, stopping for breaks on occasion to allow the horses to rest and the riders to stretch their legs. Around noon or 1:00 PM each day, we'd find a comfortable, and usually very beautiful, place to stop for lunch, which was always simple, but very tasty affair, catered by the Tusker guides and delivered by a lone camel charged with sticking with the travelers throughout the course of the day. In the afternoon, we'd tend to press on a bit longer in the saddle, reaching our next campsite by early evening where we would enjoy a little reprieve from the trail, swap stories of previous adventures, and relax in the spacious dining tents. Snacks, drinks, and dinner were always a very communal affair, with the entire group laughing, getting to know one another, and developing deep bonds that would forever link them to one another. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging experience.
Within a day or two we fell into a good rhythm on the trail. The days were filled by riding and trekking in one of Mongolia's most spectacular outdoor playground, while the nights began with increasing camaraderie amongst the travelers, and ended with by crawling into a warm sleeping bag to get a good night's sleep in a quiet, peaceful setting. It was a wonderful was to explore a place that few foreign visitors get the chance to ever see. A place were nomads still roam as they have done for generations, and horses outnumber people by a considerable margin. There aren't many other places on Earth like that anymore, which is just one of the many reasons this trip was so special.
More to come in the next installment.
The historic jump took place in the California desert on Saturday evening, which is when years of planning and months of training came together at long last. The very experienced skydiver used all of the skills he gained on more than 18,000 previous jumps to maneuver himself through the air and land on a 10,000 sq. foot net, which caught him perfectly, preventing Aikins from smashing into the ground. At that moment, he became the first person in history to jump from an airplane without a parachute, and land safely.
In the minutes leading up to that dangerous landing, Aikins – along with three other support skydivers who were wearing chutes – jumped from an aircraft and began drifting back to Earth. Luke wore an oxygen mask until he dropped below the 18,000 foot (5486 meter) mark, at which time he proceeded to fall without any kind of additional aid. He had to keep his wits about him at all times, and control his descent as best he could, in order to land on his mark. The net, which is roughly one third of the size of football field, was specifically designed and built to catch him just right, preventing any kind of injury. But, in order to hit it the daredevil had to be very precise in his approach. Fortunately, he was.
Just prior to making the jump it was announced that Aikin had been required to wear a parachute, although he vowed not to open it. It is unclear where this requirement came from, and it flew in the face of the entire plan, casting a brief shadow over the proceedings. Luke had been planning to make this jump sans chute for more than two years, and we even told you about his jump here on The Adventure Blog more than a year ago. But once he was airborne the requirement was reportedly lifted, and he was free to make the jump as he had originally intended.
As already mentioned, Aikin is an incredibly experienced skydiver. In addition to the 18,000+ jumps he's already made, he also is a consultant to the U.S. military, served as a stuntman, and even worked on Felix Baumgartner's record setting jump from the edge of space a few years back. In other words, if anyone had the skills necessary to make this leap, it was Luke and very few other people should even consider it. Hopefully this doesn't start a trend of more people trying to push the envelope in the skydiving department, which could end in tragic accidents.
That said, this is another stunt that I'm eager to see the YouTube video for. Hopefully we'll get something released int he next few days. It will definitely be interesting to watch the entire fall and see how it all unfolded.
Congratulations to Luke on accomplishing this feat. What an amazing, daring, and crazy stunt to pull off.
According to Spanish website Desnivel.com, a three-man team consisting of Oscar Cadiach, Manolo Gonzalez, and a local climber named Sahib are in the midst of a final summit push at this very moment. The trio left Base Camp and reached Camp 2 on Saturday, moved up to Camp 3 on Sunday, and are now in position to complete their ascent today.
The weather in the region is reportedly good, and should remain so for another day or two, but as always in the Karakoram, the conditions on the mountain can be fickle and change quickly. Still, the climbers seem poised to complete their expedition, and potential cap what has been a long and difficult season in the mountains.
If Cadiach is able to complete this climb successfully it would be his final 8000-meter peak. Having climbed all of the other 13 mountains of that height, only BP remained on his hit list. Even more impressive, he's managed to climb each of them without the use of bottled oxygen, putting him in very rare company indeed.
We'll keep an eye on the team's progress and report any updates as they come in. Hopefully they'll get up and down the mountain safely, whether they reach the summit or not.
Meanwhile, over on the Gasherbrums there are still a few teams still in place as well. I haven't heard any updates on their progress in recent days, so it is unclear of their current status.
More to come soon.
