The Riding the Spine crew has stashed their bikes in Huanúco and are currently in Arequipa organizing a rafting trip down the Cotahuasi River with John Yost and his son JJ Yost who has been riding with them since Panama. Russell Kramer, who had previously pedaled with the group through Central America is flying down to be the safety kayaker for this epic adventure.

The Cotahuasi was first run by a group of American and Peruvian Paddlers, including Gian Marco Vellutino and has since been run commercially by only one or two outfitters when they can find the clients. Unlike the Colca Canyon, the Cotahuasi´s remoteness and difficulty makes it exceedingly difficult to organize logistics and so very few trips have made it down the canyon. In 2000, a private European group attempted to run the river, but ended in tragedy when a 19 year old woman was tossed out of the boat in a class V rapid and her body was never found.

At over twice the depth of Arizona’s Grand Canyon, the Cotahuasi is the deepest canyon in the world! Measuring 11,587 feet from river to rim, this scarcely-explored Peruvian wilderness remains one of the most pristine environments on Earth. The Cotahuasi River Canyon features a rare glimpse into the Incan world; a geologic, floral, and faunal paradise; and a river-runner’s dream! Draining the western slope of the Andes Mountains, the waterway courses 100 miles over a continuous series of Class IV and V drops, making it one of the most gripping stretches of commercially run whitewater anywhere. Visitors to the Cotahuasi encounter some the rarest and the most extraordinary Incan archeological sites… quaint Peruvian village replete with natural hot springs, spot enormous Andean Condors, and experience one of the most fantastic wilderness river expeditions on Earth!
                   -Global Descents

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Contrail is certainly one of the more interesting entries in the “Power to the Pedal” contest put on by Design21 Social Design Network in order to find solutions to social and global issues. The winning entry is a Pedal Power Pack that turns your bike into a generator, something we´ll feature in a future blog post. Until then, imagine the possibilities of Contrail:

Contrail is a concept bicycle device that attaches above the wheel of a bike and covers the bicycle wheel with a layer of chalk. The chalk then creates a trail or mark on the surface of the road, turning the bike into a sort of large drawing utensil. The concept, developed by Pepin Gelardi of Studio Gelardi focuses around the idea of safety in numbers. By using this device, bicyclists will have a clearer path on which to ride safely and out of the way of vehicular traffic. At the same time, as more bicyclists using the Contrail go over a line created by a cyclist before them, the line gets brighter allowing drivers to clearly see a marked bike path where there might be none. It’s sort of similar to what happens when a dirt path appears in a grassy field after lots of people have taken the same shortcut over a period of time.
- From doobybrain.com

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Thousands of bike punks across the nation converged in Richmond, Virginia, “one of the dirtiest yat[yet] charming places on earth…”, for 6th running of Slaughterama, an event teetering on the fringe of bike culture, put on by a group called Cutthroats. A day of events centered around brutal drunken bicycle competitions including bike jousting, foot-down, and an event called “whiplash”….to name just a few.

Too good to be true, some would say. Others might prefer to participate from the safety of their own personal computer. Either way, you gotta love these videos:
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Get rid of all the convenient things about a bicycle: that pesky second wheel, gears, coasting, cargo racks, etc. and find yourself the most challenging self-supported bike touring route on the globe.

Yes, Gracie Sorbello, you are amazing.

Early July, she plans to head out of Banff, Alberta to be the first person to unicycle the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, while trying to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At 2,700 miles, the GDMBR is the world´s longest off-pavement route, crosses the divide 28 times and boasts over 200,000 feet in elevation gain.

She was the winner of the 2009 Evolution of Balance Award, put together by Kris Holm to support ambitious unicycling endeavors like this one. Originally, she had planned to do the ride solo, but Matt Burney (USA) has recently committed to the ride as well.

Can she do it? If anybody can, she´s the one: in 2006, she completed a 3,566 mile trip from the coast of North Carolina to the Pacific Ocean in Washington; raising almost 10,000 dollars for the LLS. That….. and she did it barefoot.

Her site, DIVIDEBY1.COM has gone up and features information about her ambitious GDMBR trip and has links to her Coast to Coast trip as well.

“Adventure is just bad planning.”
-Roald Amundsen (Norwegian explorer: first to reach both the North and South Poles)

Enter Adventure World’s ‘Misadventure Essay Contest’ and win a pair of inov-8 trail running shoes.

In the spirit of Roald Amundsen, Adventure World magazine invites you to share a personal essay about an adventure gone wrong…or right! Maybe you forgot a tent, got lost in the wilderness or had a bizarre animal encounter…but the result is an unforgettable experience.

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Have dreams of an epic adventure but find yourself a little short on cash? Jeff Blumenfield is one of the foremost authorities in Adventure Marketing and is the founder and publisher/editor of Expedition News, started in 1994 to provide coverage of the world´s most intrepid expeditions.

His new book, titled, “You Want To go Where: How to Get Someone to Pay for the Trip of Your Dreams,” explains how you can outfit your expedition with outdoor gear/apparel and even raise thousands of dollars with the right idea and proper advance preparation. The book will be released June 1st, and is currently available on Amazon.com for pre-order.

At his blog he offers a sneek peak at some of the grants that his book features:

• Mountain Fellowship Grants—Since 1966, The American Alpine Club has encouraged young American climbers age twenty-five and younger to seek remote climbs more difficult than they might ordinarily be able to attempt.

Any unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, and difficult new routes are looked upon with favor, as is any project in keeping with the charter and purpose of the Club. In 2008, five climbers with an average age of twenty-two received a total of $3,900 in funding for trips around the world. (www.americanalpineclub.org)

Banff Centre for Mountain Culture Grant

The Banff Mountain Grants Program supports projects that communicate the stories of mountain landscapes as places of ecological, inspirational, and cultural value, and that celebrate the spirit of adventure. Grant officials say the communications portion has to be central to the project—not “well maybe when I get home I’ll go on the road with some slides.”

Individuals or organizations may apply for grants of up to $5,000 (Canadian) to fund projects that creatively interpret the environment, natural history, human heritage, arts, philosophy, lifestyle, and adventure, in and of the mountains. Projects must include a communications component (such as film, literature, photography) that brings the project before a public audience. (www.banffcentre.ca)

This year’s Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December. The innovative nature of this demanding sporting and cultural odyssey, with its unique emphasis on fairness, accessibility and camaraderie, represents adventure racing’s most exciting opportunity to race against the world’s most international field.

In keeping with the last two years, when early December was chosen as the ideal period for adventure racing’s Blue Ribbon finale, the 2009 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December. What’s more, to ensure that the race offers a sporting challenge rather than an economic one, especially given the current economic climate, the organisers have made a €1,000 reduction to the 2009 entrance fee, bringing it to €2,500 per team and opening the world’s most international race to the entire adventure racing community.

In total contrast to many other headline-grabbing races held around the globe, the ADAC is designed to not only appeal to the world’s top teams but also to those with the ambition of becoming one themselves but who, as yet, might lack sufficient international or big race experience. Last year, the highly successful ADTA awards took a selection of fortunate ‘local’ teams from Britain, Sweden, Slovenia the USA and South Africa, all with no international race experience, handed them entry fees, plane tickets and the opportunity to rub shoulder with and learn from the world’s best. The ADTA Continental Rookie Prizes (2,500 USD) handed out cash prizes to the four top teams, one from each of the following four continental zones, Europe, North – South America, Asia – Oceania and The Middle East – Africa, racing for the first time in The Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge. Both initiatives, aimed at promoting the sport throughout the burgeoning international rookie community, will be maintained for this year’s race.

After 6 days over a course worthy of the world’s most international field and matched only by the quality of the encounters with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, a lucky few will take with them the “glittering prizes” but thanks to a judiciously planned course and flexible support infrastructure, every team is given the chance to finish the race one way or another. Only in this way are all teams able to complete what is, after all, the objective of any sporting event: to participate and be enriched by the competition, rivalry and ensuing camaraderie. To learn from the experience, come back again and maybe win.

For more information visit www.abudhabi-adventure.com

For more than 30 years, “13” has proved to be a rather lucky number for one Alaskan family. In 1978, Dick Mackey won the Iditarod on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Then in 1983, son Rick takes the title back for the Mackey family on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Flash forward 24 years, little brother Lance becomes the king of the Mackey family and the Iditarod, you guessed it on his 6th try wearing bib #13! That year, Lance won his first of three straight Iditarod titles. The road to the winner’s circle was not an easy one for Lance. Though it might sound like mushing is in his blood, he still overcame unbelievable odds to not only join the ranks of his father and brother, but to surpass them. The Iditarod has been called one of the ‘last great races on earth’. It is over 1150 miles of the most gorgeous and treacherous terrain one could imagine. It starts in Anchorage, AK and ends in Nome.

Native Alaskan, Lance Mackey, now calls Fairbanks, AK home. The 38-year-old father and athlete is now a fulltime musher and owns Comeback Kennels with his family.

His career in mushing got off to a slow start. In fact, he didn’t even realize mushing was a dream for him. “I grew up around dogs, but my dad always left me the bottom of the barrel racing dogs,” said Lance, “it was his way of teaching me and my brother Jason responsibility.”

As a teen, the highlight of Mackey’s racing career was a 4th place finish in the Jr. Iditarod. By the time he was 18, Mackey had gone from 140 dogs to none. He even became a commercial fisherman for a time. After marrying and becoming a father to his wife’s three small children, he ended up with 10 dogs before he knew it. Mackey just wasn’t sure the title of IDIT champ was in the cards for him. The 10 dogs he had accumulated were actually used to have fun with the kids. “The only racing they were doing was up and down our driveway,” said Mackey. Then the mushing bug bit again. “I think the fever had always been there. I was so proud of my dad and brother, they were legends, I was always bragging about them”

In 2001, he couldn’t resist the temptation of the ultimate race any longer. He ran the race with borrowed and “left over” dogs. “I just wanted a belt buckle for completing the race, only 600 people in the world have them,” he said. He finished 36 out of 58. But then, he realized if he had finished only 6 places higher, he would have also gotten a portion of the “race purse.” He also wanted to make his family proud.

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“How do you feel? Are you nervous?” asked a reporter at the starting line of the race.

“Nervous? Nah. I would say it is more a feeling of resignation,” JJ replied as he looked through the balloon arch at the starting line of the Huairasinchi Adventure Race.

It was our first adventure race and I had lost plenty of sleep in the weeks before thinking about the numbers: 3 days to cover 200 miles, reaching elevations of 14,435 and dropping to just 108 feet in the last 60 miles. A good 45 miles of the race does not fall below 11,500 feet. As the organizers presented the map and introduced the course the night before the race, they promised it would be cold and we would suffer. Oh yeah, we would be skirting an active volcano that was spewing ash over the trail; it happened to be Carnival and we should not be surprised if locals threw water balloons or eggs at us. Don’t worry, it´s tradition.

You gotta love Ecuador.

Competing in an adventure race seemed reasonable, considering I have spent the last couple years traveling by bike with my friends, looking for adventures at every turn. Our goal has been to stay off pavement as we ride self-supported from Alaska to Patagonia, following the continental divide. Regularly, we find ourselves off map, dragging our bikes through mud, and asking locals for directions in unfamiliar languages, something like adventure racing, but without checkpoints and jerseys. We already had a solid team, in good shape, and well acquainted under highly stressful conditions in just about every climate possible. We are all friends from college with lots of shared adventures and able to settle all important decisions with a civilized game of Ro-Sham- Bo. A great team situation. Originally our trip was to take about two years, but after settling into the lifestyle we realized the last thing we wanted to do was actually arrive at the tip of South America. Huairasinchi was to be a new twist to our journey, one that would push our limits and force us to do what we normally avoid…Rush!

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The 3-day Untamed New England Adventure Race, North America’s AR World Series Qualifier for 2009, is setting records for expedition race participation in the Northeast United States. With 40 teams and 150+ participants, Untamed New England will dwarf previous expedition races in the region with participants coming from across the US, Canada, and even Europe.

“The host resort, New Hampshire’s Balsams Grand Resort, is bracing for an all-out invasion of merino wool, lycra, and mountain bikes,” joked Race Director, Grant Killian. “This is an elegant resort that has partnered with us to develop their edgy and adventurous side . . . and we’re bringing them the largest field of teams an expedition race has ever had in New England.”

The 200 mile race course is truly worthy of being a World Championship Qualifier. Teams will bike staggering mountain passes and narrow, rooty trails; teams will navigate alpine summits, old wood forests, and bogs; teams will paddle the crystal clear rivers and lakes fed by mountain streams; teams will dangle from sheer rock faces on the ropes course. The course travels through territory normally reserved just for New England’s iconic wildlife: black bear, moose, and eagles. For a few days in July, adventure racers will share this terrain with the wild inhabitants.

Podium finishers at Untamed New England earn a spot in the AR World Championships in Portugal later in 2009. The winning team earns a free entry into the Championships and $4000 to offset their travel expenses to Portugal. The 2nd place team also earns a free entry into the AR World Championships (but no cash for expenses). Other generous sponsor support makes for over $15,000 of prizes on the line.

The April numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.

Presented By:

May 4, 2009
TEAM NAME/ POINTS
1. Vignette 122.00
2. Berlin Bike 111.00
3. Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 97.00
4. Shake-A-Leg Miami 79.00
5. Team Peanut Butter 79.00
6. INERTIA 72.00
7. Relentless 67.00
8. Houston Adventure Racing Team 66.00
9. Austin Adventure Racers 56.00
10. Werewolves of Austin 51.00

Just got done chatting with Paul Romero via FaceBook in Kathmandu, Nepal. They just got back and are at the hotel refueling after an epic adventure. They are meeting with Sherpas later today to discuss their return trip in 2010 for an attempt at the summit of Everest. This expedition served as a scouting trip to the region in preparation for his son’s, Jordan Romero, quest to climb the world’s highest peak on every continent. Jordan has already climbed 5 of the 8 and conquering Everest would leave only 2 remaining (Antarctica and Oceania). Can’t wait to post more info about their trip in the coming days!

Check out the video!

The American Lung Association‘s tenth annual State of the Air Report has released its list of cities with the Ozone and Particle Pollution being the 2 most widespread pollutants. These 2 pollutants can cause symptoms ranging from shortness of breath, asthma attacks, chest pain, heart attacks and even premature death.

Some of the facts include:
• 6 out of 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
• 40.5 million Americans live in counties where the outdoor air failed all three tests.

The Bad News:

Top 10 Most Polluted Cities by Ozone:
#1 Los Angeles, CA
#2 Bakersfield, CA
#3 Visalia, CA
#4 Fresno, CA
#5 Houston, TX
#6 Sacramento, CA
#7 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
#8 Charlotte, NC—pictured at top
#9 Phoenix, AZ
#10 El Centro, CA
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5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes: 5 Years, 29 Marriage Proposals and 53 Pairs of Shoes

     I met Rosie up in the Yukon Territory a few years back. She ran past my campsite carrying a cart set up with a tent. I thought I was seeing things.

     Down the road, I caught up with her and we shared a cup of tea while she shared a few highlights of her extraordinary global adventure including: being chased by packs of wolves, frostbite/pneumonia, and even getting hit by a bus.

     Coming out late May, her book, “Just a Little Run Around the World,” chronicles the extraordinary adventure of this 62 years old, grandmother of two who set out on a 20,000 mile run to raise money for cancer charities after her husband died of prostate cancer. 1,790 days later she arrived back in Tenby, South Wales, succesfully circumnavigating the globe by foot.

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
     “After her husband died of cancer, 57-year-old Rosie set off to run around the world, raising money in memory of the man she loved. Followed by wolves, knocked down by a bus, confronted by bears, chased by a naked man with a gun and stranded with severe frostbite, Rosie’s breathtaking 20,000-mile solo journey is as gripping as it is inspiring. Rosie’s solo run around the world started out of sorrow and heartache and a wish to turn something around. Heartbroken when she lost her husband to cancer, Rosie set off from Wales with nothing but a small backpack of food and equipment, and funded by the rent from her little cottage. So began her epic 5-year journey that would take her 20,000 miles around the world, crossing Europe, Russia, Asia, Alaska, North America, Greenland, Iceland, and back into the UK. On a good day she’d run 30 miles, on a bad day she’d only manage 500 yards, digging herself out of the snow at -62 degrees C, moving her cart inches at a time. Continue Reading

High performance outdoor footwear manufacturer, Vasque, is pleased to announce the 2009 Vasque Trail Team has captured extraordinary race wins and set course records only a month into the official start of the team’s season. First place finishes were posted by athletes Krissy Moehl, Duncan Callahan, and Dan Dehlin at a variety of demanding races which include the Moab 100, Leona Divide 50 miler, Free State 100k, and the Spring Desert Ultra 25 miler. An impromptu celebration occurred earlier this week at Vasque headquarters as the athletes gathered to participate in an intense product summit and strategy meeting.

Moehl, a highly recognized member of the trail running community, earned the 1st place female standing and 3rd overall at the Leona Divide 50 mile race on April 18th. Moehl’s impressive time of 7:25:37 set a new course record at the popular event that spans over 30 miles of the beautiful Pacific Coast Trail. “Leona Divide was a great test of this year’s training,” said Moehl, “there are many more miles and hours to log before the next one, and I look forward to them.” The next race slated to test Moehl’s strength is the Pocatello 50 miler.

(From left to right: Debbie Livingston, Dan Dehlin, Krissy Moehl, Duncan Callahan, Bryan Dayton, and Shiloh Mielke)
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