New Energy Blend (Acai & Guarana) flavor offers consumers the authentic Brazilian blend from Rio de Janeiro

Acai Roots™, a lifestyle brand, supplier of natural and organic Brazilian Style super food acai products, announced today the newest addition of its popular frozen smoothie pouch line: Brazilian Style (Acai + Guarana) Energy Blend, the second Acai Roots smoothie pouch flavor, joins the company’s previous Pure (unsweetened) Acai.

“This new product takes us back to our roots, since it literally recreates the experience people have with acai in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where acai is normally blended with guarana,” stated Marco Rega, Acai Roots co-founder and Director of Sales.

As with all Acai Roots products, the Energy Blend (Acai+Guarana) smoothie pouch is made with natural acai fruit pulp and is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, nutrients, omegas; and guarana seed extract for a natural and sustained energy boost. The new product is ideal for healthy-conscious/active consumers and is perfect for making acai bowls and smoothies, or ready to eat as a delicious premium fruit bar.

“The timing was just right to expand this line and introduce the Brazilian Style Energy Blend. Acai and Guarana were first mixed in Rio de Janeiro back in the early 80′s to create a delicious, nutritious and energetic combination, providing athletes of all kinds: antioxidants, sustained energy, and great recovery after intense workouts. Our Brazilian Style Energy Blend takes you to Rio, without the 10+ hour flight,” said Igor Pereira, Acai Roots co-founder and CEO. “It is definitely the most authentic and freshest acai experience in the market,” added Pereira.

Acai Roots’ Brazilian Style (Energy Blend) smoothie pouches are available nationwide through www.acairoots.com and will hit retail stores in May with SRP of $5.99.

About Acai Roots

Have you ever missed something from your childhood? Something that was phenomenally good for you, and you knew it? That was the feeling that gripped several Brazilian expatriates one day in 2005. They had just finished playing soccer in San Diego.

“We had all grown up with acai, and we started talking about how great it was in Rio with that active lifestyle – the Cariocas of Rio are famous for having an active lifestyle and a balanced diet, and acai is a big part of that. That was the missing piece: the acai. There were companies bringing it to the U.S., but it just wasn’t what we grew up with – it wasn’t fresh. So we decided to start Acai Roots™, and do it right.”

Today Acai Roots™ offers a full line of delicious and healthy acai berry products including organic acai sorbet, organic juices, smoothies and supplements. All formulated to exacting standards by Brazilians who were born and raised on a healthy diet of acai.

For more information, please visit www.acairoots.com. You can also Like Acai Roots™ on Facebook or follow us via Twitter @acairoots.

The Brazilian expedition race Ecomotion gets underway this weekend. We thought we would share this video from Team XINGU Brasil prepping for this year’s event! The race, over 600km in length, was originally listed as an event within the AR World Series, but there is no mention on either site about its inclusion or separation. Regardless, it should be a great event and we will provide updates as available.

XINGU Ecomotion Trainning Sessions from Marcelo Catalan on Vimeo.

We raced in Ecuador as “The APEX Race” team, sponsored by the APEX race for the 2011 edition of the Huairasinchi Adventure Race.  Things started off badly.  It inexplicably took us 30 minutes to change Russell’s flat tire in the opening few km of biking from the starting line (the 10,000 ft of altitude messed with the CO2s, perhaps?).

Every team passed us — and I mean also the “adventure route” short-course teams — so we were literally the final team to reach the first checkpoint of the race. We slowly overtook teams for the rest of the ride, passing maybe 10 teams before the leg ended.

The trick to the first bike leg, it turned out, was embracing the hike-a-bike as there was no way to ride the full distance to the next transition area.  We resorted to climbing barbed wire fences, densely vegetated ravines, and pushing our bikes where riding was impossible . . . and we made the decision to do this earlier than several other teams, which accounts for most of our recovery in the standings at the end of the bike leg.  For the sections we could ride, our lungs were taxed to the limit at these high elevations.

Our bad start, however, shifted into “seriously bad” mode when we started the long trekking leg in the high Andean mountains.   Trekking at 12,000+ feet of altitude hit us all, but my teammates Sherry and Joel were vomiting and showing symptoms of altitude sickness too obvious to neglect.   We stuck it out, moved slowly, they took some pills and we eventually missed a time cut-off and completed a shortened version of the trekking leg early the next morning.

For the lead teams of the race, hats off to them for succeeding in the altitude — there was a  lot of altitude sickness in the Andes that day, and several teams had to drop out of the race because of it.
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No Boundaries’ own contributing editor Grant Killian is on the ground in Ecuador as his team, APEX/Untamed, prepares for the first race of the year in the Adventure Racing World Series. Grant, race director for Untamed Adventure, was interviewed prior to leaving his home in Switzerland about his team, their expectations for the race, acclimating, etc…

Grant also took the time to video his packing for the race in Ecuador and touches on a few things that other racers might find interesting as they prepare for their next expedition race abroad.

Best of luck to all of the teams this week as the race gets under way.

This year’s 4 Deserts series kicks off in March with the Atacama Crossing 2011, the world-renowned, 250km endurance footrace across the driest desert on the planet.

Competitors will spend seven days, from 6 – 12 March, moving through the stunning landscape of Chile’s Atacama Desert, on a grueling course that spans salt lakes, sand dunes, canyons and oases.

The racers, representing almost 40 countries, will be carrying all of their own equipment and food for the week over the forbidding terrain and through soaring temperatures, with the added test of high altitude and severe aridity compounding the challenges they must endure.

Many consider the Atacama Crossing to be the most difficult of the 4 Deserts series, thus always attracting top athletes — this seventh edition of the event is no different. The top contender for the 2011 race is 29-year old Anders Jensen of Denmark, who won the Sahara Race 2010, and is intent on repeating the feat.

Six competitors will also be setting out in Chile to finish the 4 Deserts series, which includes the Gobi March (China), the Sahara Race (Egypt) and The Last Desert (Antarctica), and join the prestigious 4 Deserts Club. Those competitors are Diego Carvajal (27) and Lady Lucy Tang (43) of the United Kingdom, Mayuko Okabe (29) of Japan, Alain Wehbi (42) of Lebanon, Devrim Celal (40) of Cyprus and Singapore’s Thaddeus Lawrence (38).

There is also a cast of notable athletes taking on their first RacingThePlanet event, including award-winning Chilean mountaineer Cristian G. H. Valdivieso (49) who has summited both Mount Everest and Mount K2 among his many accomplishments. He takes part with a competitive team of compatriots including Ivan L. Ferreira Ponce (51) and Luis Z. Riquelme (54) of Team Andesgear.

The 2011 edition is proving to be a strong year for teams setting out to conquer the Chilean desert with five intending to be at the startline. A hard fought battle for honors is expected between the teams from Chile, Guatemala, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
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Santiago López, the Race Director for Ecuador’s upcoming Huairasinchi Adventure Race in March, took some time to discuss the race with me.  We talked about ancient Incan trails and, of all things, diapers!

Question: How is the 2011 Huairasinchi race coming toghttp://www.adventureworldmagazineonline.com/wp-admin/media-upload.php?post_id=11454&type=image&TB_iframe=1&width=640&height=486ether?

Santiago: The  race this year is probably the one I have enjoyed the most putting together.  The diversity we’ve found is impressive!  Not only because of the different ecosystems, but also because of the people.  We have learned that Ecuador has many ethnic groups, and in this race course we found many of them!

Question: I know our team is excited about a genuine cultural exploration of Ecuador . . . but we’re also intimidated by the altitude of the Andes.  What will be the highest elevation teams will reach?  The lowest?

Santiago: Crossing the Andes is always a challenge, so racers can expect elevations over 4000 meters.  In Ecuador the coast and the rain forest are at very low elevations, so independent of where we are heading the lowest elevation will be close to 0 meters — that is sea level.  So a range from 0 to 4000 meters, and potentially a lot in between!

Question: Can you comment more specifically about the environments teams are likely to race through?

Santiago: Ecuador has highlands with strong cold winds, beautiful mountain views, and the headwaters of the rivers that feed the Pacific Ocean  and the Amazon — these are some of my favorites.  There’s  cloud forests with so many different types of birds.   Even some ancient Inca trails will be part of the journey!

Question: Can you explain for those who don’t know, how does the support crew requirement work for international teams at your race?  We’re excited to get to connect with locals, and think that is such a fun innovation on your part.

Santiago: In Huairasinchi, we require all teams to have a support crew during the race. Every team must have a minimum of one car and 2 person and a maximum of 2 car and 4 person as support crew. For international teams we work with local guides, friends, and volunteers with experience providing each team with a car and 2 local support crew members. The support crew has the job of helping the team in every TA. This becomes a different race and experience while support crews do their best to help their teams with dry clothes, food and any other little needs that a tired racer can have.

Question: Do you have a favorite funny story from all the years organizing Huairasinchi?

Santiago: Every year has funny stories . . .  but I remember one that happened 5 years ago.   A racer had to stop their team and ask them for help because he wasn’t able to sit in his bike no more.    It was too painful for him.   Too much saddle time.  The team stopped at a local store and the only thing they found to help him where diapers.  He wore diapers during the rest of the bike leg looking very funny!

British team adidasTERREX/Prunesco completed a hat-trick of victories in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race on Tuesday at the end of a dramatic event in which persistent rain forced a section of the course to be cancelled and swollen rivers saw three teams airlifted over an impassable part of the course.

The extreme multisport race, which this year involved 14 international teams, proved to be one of the toughest and most spectacular in its history as weather conditions turned from sparkling sunshine in Torres del Paine to heavy rain in the western fjords – and the British team pushed hard to complete the 10-day course with two days to spare.

British team captain Bruce Duncan said: “To have won this race once is something special, to win it three times is simply amazing. This is the ultimate race and this one was a tough one. The weather really made a difference to the course, and I am both relieved and delighted to have reached the finish.”

This year’s race involved a total of 248km of mountain biking, 150km of trailless trekking and 105km of river and sea kayaking in the wilderness of Chilean Patagonia, from the tourist hub of Torres del Paine to the remote Pali Aike National Park between the towns of Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas. The teams passed through complete wilderness, navigating by map and compass alone, where they encountered unnamed glaciers, trekked through spectacular Avatar-style landscapes and paddled past icebergs in high-sided fjords.

The two trekking sections proved to be the most challenging parts, and the second was shortened by 114km after rain turned the forests into treacherous slippery obstacle courses, covered rock faces with endless waterfalls and, crucially, caused rivers to rise to the point where the course became un-navigable. Continue Reading

Half of the field in this year’s Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race is still racing, with roughly one third of the course completed at the end of Day Four. Two teams missed cut-off times today and have been withdrawn from the race.

All seven remaining teams have now passed through PC9 and have begun the mammoth 191 kilometre trek to PC13 for the final mountain bike leg.

The teams still chasing victory in this year’s race are adidasTERREX/Prunesco (UK), GearJunkie.com (US), Vaucluse Adventure Evasions (France), Roadrunners Adventure (Denmark), Ad Natura (Croatia), Perdido en el Turbal (US, UK) and EastWind (Japan).

The trekking leg between PC9 and PC13 – the longest single trek ever navigated in the nine-year history of the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race – will push racers to their limit physically and mentally.

The teams are now entering some of the most remote regions of Patagonia, areas rarely seen by other humans and very difficult to access. During the first section to PC10, teams must trek 67 kilometres through mountains, river crossings and vast stretches of wetlands, one of the most challenging sections of the race.

Communication with the racers is not possible until the next checkpoint, but organizers, Nomadas Outdoor Services predict teams could take between 30-45 hours to reach PC10, depending on conditions, fatigue and team strategy.

This section of the race will showcase some of the most beautiful areas of Patagonia and is thought to inhabit Chile’s endangered Patagonian deer, the huemul. In conjunction with this year’s race, Nomadas Outdoor Services is supporting a conservation project to research and protect the rare species. Race Director, Stjepan Pavicic is a hoping racers will see traces of the deer during their trek to assist scientists from the Institute of Animal Sciences at the University Austral in Chile in their research.

Teams no longer competing in the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race are Dancing Pandas (Canada, US, NZ), Todo Aventura (Chile, Argentina), Four Continents (Australia, Czech Republic, US), Selva NKS Kailash (Brazil), Joshiken (Chile), Xingu (Brasil and Argentina) and Dap Antartica (Chile).

Team strategy could be the defining factor in the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race with US team GearJunkie.com hot on the heels of race leaders adidasTERREX/Prunesco at PC8 after a long day trekking through difficult terrain.

After a two-hour rest stop at PC8 this afternoon, British team adidasTERREX/Prunesco took to the water at Fiordo de Las Montanas to begin the 58 kilometre paddle in the second kayak stage of the race. With calm waters, but rainy and misty conditions, the team is expected to paddle until 10pm, when they will be forced go ashore to rest, due to safety precautions. But the rest should be a welcome relief for the team, whose race strategy so far has been to sleep for one and a half hours between 3am and 5am for the past two nights.

Meanwhile, GearJunkie.com’s strategy to shorten the trekking stages has paid off. The team arrived at PC8 at 19.45pm, covering the 25 kilometres from PC6 in around 13 hours.

In one section, the team climbed a small hill cutting 6 kilometres from the trek, while in another area, they used their sleeping mats to float downstream for 2kms, slashing 45 minutes from their time.

Not allowed to enter the water with night approaching, GearJunkie.com is taking a break overnight at PC8 and is expected to begin the kayak leg at daybreak tomorrow, well rested and re-energised.

The race clock will keep ticking throughout the night, and if both teams set off tomorrow at 6.00am with conditions similar to today, GearJunkie.com will be approximately three hours behind adidasTERREX/Prunesco, predicted Race Director Stjepan Pavicic.

Meanwhile, teams Selva (Brazil) and Four Continents (Aus, Czech Republic, US) have been forced from the race, failing to reach PC6 before the cut off time.

Roadrunners Adventure (Denmark), Perdido en el Turbal (US, UK), Vauclise Adventure Evasions (France), Ad Natura – Karibu (Croatia), East Winds (Japan), Dancing Pandas (Canada, US, New Zealand) and Todo Aventura (Chile, Argentina) passed through PC6 earlier today and are believed to be trekking to PC7.

They are expected to face very tough conditions and are unlikely to trek through the night.
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After two days of sunny and dry conditions, the 11 remaining teams in the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race are now racing under heavy cloud, winds and light rain as the clock ticks over to Day Three in this ‘last wild race’.

British team and reigning champions Adidas TERREX continue to lead with their last official Checkpoint time reported as 08.05am this morning at PC7 Puente de Roca, a rocky point at the base of a high mountain pass.

Adidas TERREX is moving fast and is expected to reach PC8 by around midday, if not before. From here, they will begin a 58 kilometre paddle through a canyon nestled between rocky cliff faces with spectacular views of waterfalls and rolling snow-capped peaks.

Gear Junkie (US), Roadrunners (Denmark), Perdido en el Turbal (US, UK) and Vaucluse Adventure Evasions (France) are chasing the leaders, but are yet to reach PC7. Last official Checkpoint reports placed these teams at PC6 earlier this morning.

Stjepan Pavicic, race creator, is predicting these racers to arrive at PC7 between 3-4pm this afternoon, based on fastest predicted times. All going well, it’s possible the teams will arrive at PC8 by 6-7pm where they will need to decide whether to rest or begin their kayaking leg.

In the three or four hours before nightfall, racers may be able to cover half of the kayak leg, before being pulled from the water when darkness falls, Stjepan predicts.

Yesterday evening, the field of 14 teams dropped to 11, after a tough day trekking in the wilderness of Patagonia. Chile’s Dap Antartica and Brazilian/Argentinian Xingu failed to reach PC3 before the cut-off time and are now out of the race.

Joshiken, another Chilean team, arrived at PC3 within the required time, but has chosen to pull out and will not continue further.

Last known Checkpoint locations for teams – current as at 11.20am 10 February 2011

PC4
Team Arrived Departed
Four Continents (K, US, CZ, AU) 23.42 (9/Feb/11) Unknown

PC5
Team Arrived Departed
Todo Aventura (CH, ARG) 07.37 (10/Feb11) 07.41
Selva NKS (BR) 11.12 (10/Feb/11) Unknown

PC6
Team Arrival Departure
Gear Junkie (US) 06.00 (10/Feb/11) Unknown
RoadRunners (Denmark) 07.20 (10/Feb/11) 07.20
Perdido en el Turbal (US and UK) 07.40 (10/Feb/11) 07.40
Vaucluse Adventure Evasions (France) 08.25 (10/Feb/11) 08.25
Ad Natura (Croatia) 9.50 (10/Feb/11) 9.52
East Winds (Japan) 9.55 (10/Feb/11) Unknown
Dancing Pandas (CN, AUS, NZ) 10.50 (10/Feb/11) 10.55

PC7
Team Arrived Departed
Adidas TERREX (UK) 08.05 (09/Feb/11) 08.16

The start of the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race proved tough but spectacular as extreme winds blew competitors over on the opening bike section, whipped up the water in Rio Gray but helped to blow away the clouds and clear the Torres massif to create a picture postcard day in Torres del Paine National Park.

The teams soon spread apart along the 60km route as the leaders raced methodically, drafting to protect themselves from the wind. Others struggled and were forced to dismount and walk while some were so blown away by the spectacular scenery that they took the time to stop and take a few personal snaps on the way.

By three-quarters distance of this short but challenging section, which ran between Hotel Las Torres and the Hotel Lago Gray, just seconds separated early leaders GearJunkie.com, of the USA, and Danish team Roadrunners Adventure. In third place was US/UK team Perdido en el Turbal, French squad Vaucluse Adventure Evasions was fourth and reigning champions adidasTERREX fifth after suffering early problems.

Race Director Stjepan Pavicic said: “The wind was much faster than we had expected and it caused some problems for the teams. Of the leaders, adidasTERREX had some issues with their gears, possibly due to the vibrations on the tracks they were riding, and the last 50 km they had to just pedal very fast!”

GearJunkie.com racer Jason Magness was missing his own bike after it went to Las Vegas in transit before the race and he was forced to borrow and fit to an alternative one procured in Punta Arenas. It seemed little problem, however, for the American and the team worked in perfect harmony to take the early lead.

As the teams pressed on, they were unaware that the winds were whipping fast across the massive lake beneath Glacier Gray, where they were to begin the next kayaking section. Rough waves on the fast-flowing river forced the organization to consider whether to go ahead with the kayak section.

“The wind is coming off the glacier and when it hits the current of the river, that is a bad combination,” said Pavicic. “We have decided to delay the kayak start for the midday winds to die down, with all the teams having their times stopped as soon as they arrive in the first checkpoint until we set off again.”’

In a spectacular start under the crystal clear mountains of Torres del Paine, the 2011 Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race began with a wild ride for the racers as they tailed a herd of horses down the dirt track on the opening cycling leg of the event.

Cheered on by crowds of intrigued tourists in the Torres del Paine National Park, race director Stjepan Pavicic waved off the event as bright sunshine made the area look at its spectacular best – but the teams were bemoaning the sunshine as temperatures rose towards 20 degrees Celsius.

It will be a tough start for the racers, who were clad in light clothes as they tried to cope with the beautiful sunshine and many set off at a gentle pace, realizing that they should not push too hard on the opening leg of this 617km race.

Before the start, British team member Fiona Spotswood said: “I am feeling excited. We are raring to go – but we can’t believe the weather. We are really unprepared for it – I am not wearing anything! It’s beautiful and the sunrise was something else.”

The teams face a 60km ride on the dirt tracks of the park, passing over three bridges and enjoying fantastic views of the Torres and Cuernos del Paine on this clear day. They will then reach the Hosteria Lago Grey, where they will switch to kayaks in front of a spectacular ice-filled lake.

After a late start, teams are now expecting to start the subsequent trekking section and head on through the night to reach the kayaking section by afternoon on the second day – but the unpredictable forests that they will encounter in the trek could change those plans as we head through the day.

The world’s last wild race will begin in Torres del Paine National Park on Tuesday February 8, with the reigning champions returning to defend their title against a field of 14 international teams in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race.

This year’s edition of the annual eco-endurance adventure promises to be one of the most spectacular and remote races ever created, with the competitors traveling more than 600km by bike, kayak and on foot in a bid to raise $20,000 towards the protection of the Patagonian Huemul.

The course, which runs from Torres del Paine National Park and finishes in Pale Aike National Park, is so remote that the organizers had to name valleys and regions to create the route map. Race Director, Stjepan Pavicic, believes it will test even the most experienced teams.

“This will be the ninth event we have planned in Chilean Patagonia, and I truly believe we have put together a real classic,” said Pavicic. “I thought I had seen it all, but when I went to explore this year’s course, I discovered some incredible remote and unnamed glaciers and some of the wildest scenery I have ever seen in this beautiful part of the world.

“The race is now globally recognized and becoming more popular every year and, more than ever, in 2011 we have a very competitive field. We are pleased to welcome back the reigning
champions from the UK, and we look forward to seeing them face this challenge as they aim for a hat-trick of wins.”

The eventual winners of last year’s race where pushed to their limits when a fast-flowing river threatened to sweep them downstream during a demanding trekking section. This February,
they return without team captain Nicola MacLeod, who is with the British Army in Afghanistan, while Fiona Spotswood replaces her boyfriend Andy Wilson and Nick Gracie joins Mark Humphrey and new team captain Bruce Duncan. Continue Reading

Photos by T.C. Worley

Early next month, Stephen Regenold, aka The Gear Junkie, will be returning with his team to the end of the world to once again compete in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race. We caught up with Stephen as he is making his final preparations for the 2011 WPER to discuss this year’s race and what perspective he could share with us about the team’s approach to returning to what many consider one of the hardest expedition races in the AR world.

What is your team doing to prepare for this year’s race? Anything different?

We met up in Nevada earlier this month for a dedicated weekend of hard paddle training. We’re honing our skills there for a faster kayak leg. Everyone is training harder this year in general, and we know more what to expect in Patagonia, so we hope the training is more efficient. We’re going into the whole race a bit more relaxed — again, as we’ve been to the venue before and some of the anxieties from last year aren’t as heavy this time. Also, our mental approach is just different. We’re confident we can do pretty well this year, unless. . . you never know what can happen in this sport!

How about footcare during a race like WPER?

I use Hydropel lube, Luekatape, and then I just put up with it. My feet are pretty tough after years of this sport, though I am sure I’ll lose toenails and end up a hobbling mess by the end as usual.

What other international races have you competed in? How are they different?

The team (except me) just raced in Abu Dhabi. Collectively, we’ve raced in New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, and a few other events. WPER is the most wild of them all.

In a longer race you’ll surely need to catch a bit of sleep; can you talk about your sleep strategy?

Last year, we had no sleep strategy really. And we slept a lot, actually. But we moved really fast in the day to make up for it! I think, in general, on a long race like this you can skip the first
night of sleep, but then after that you need to usually get some regular sleep most nights from then on. We’re talking two to four hours a night perhaps.

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With less than a month to go before the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race gets underway, the race organization has released a trailer with footage from past year’s events. The race is considered by most to be the hardest expedition adventure race on the planet. Several friends of Adventure World will be racing at this year’s event and we look forward to sharing their stories after they return.

The Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race is an annual adventure race which takes place in the southern-most region of the world. Extremely physically and mentally challenging, the event test competitors to the limit on bike, kayak and foot as they traverse plains, mountains, glaciers, native forests, swampland, rivers, lakes and channels, guided only by their mind and spirit and driven on by their physical stamina and experience.

Image at top courtesy of Mark Watson

One of a kind adventures do still exist in the world! This video is from the Kayak Telluride team as they made a first descent of the Rio Huallaga in Peru. The river was the last major tributary of the Amazon River yet to be navigated.

Thanks to The Adventure Blog for the heads up on this one

The Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race is considered to be one of the toughest races on the planet. The WPER takes teams through some of the most remote and spectacular landscapes. Check out this preview video of the longer race video due out soon for the 2010 event. The 2011 race begins on February 9.

Thanks to the Gear Junkie and The Adventure Blog for the heads up on this.

I spoke briefly with Kevin yesterday via email as he was making final preparations for his expedition which began earlier today. He will be attempting to circumnavigate the globe via human power (and sailing across the oceans). Below is his latest press release. Best of luck Kevin! We look forward to following along.

Kevin Shannon, 23, is embarking on the challenge of a lifetime, to circumnavigate the globe using only human and natural power. The expedition, titled Because It Is There: A Zero Emissions Odyssey, will take 3 years to complete, will involve cycling 40,000 miles across 5 continents and sailing 10,000 miles across both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Kevin’s odyssey will take him through the extremes of our planets weather, with temperatures ranging from -30°C to 50°C; powerful, potentially tent destroying, Patagonian winds and tropical storms.

Kevin will be completely immersed in a variety of cultures on his incredible journey, living by the roadside as he makes his way east.

The inspiration for the journey came from infamous explorer and former local resident in the village in which he lives, George Mallory, who died in his attempt to be the first to reach the summit of Mt Everest in 1924.

“One of my earliest memories is being sat on the floor of the assembly hall at primary school and being told by my headteacher about this incredible man who attempted to climb Mt Everest. I was fascinated and It was then I knew I wanted to do something similar when I grew up. It wasn’t until I left University a couple of years ago and I found a book about a man cycling to Beijing that the idea for my own expedition really began to take shape.”

Kevin hopes to use the latest technology to present the expedition in real time through his website http://www.becauseitisthere.co.uk. He will be blogging from the side of the road from his netbook and utilizing social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to share his journey. Visitors to the expedition website can follow the journey online via mapping technology and a tracking device provided by vehicle tracking firm Masternaut.

Although still looking for the majority of funding for the expedition, Kevin still aims to start on March 24th as planned. He admits that the credit crunch has hit the expedition hard.

“Finding funding for an expedition is never easy at the best of times but with the current economic climate things have become very hard indeed.

His father and acting expedition manager will take on the role of continuing to find a sponsor whilst Kevin is pedalling his way around the world.

Through his expedition Kevin hopes to raise £1 Million for Combat Stress, the leading charity for treatment of ex-servicemen and women suffering from conditions such as PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders. He says

“Combat Stress is an extremely worthwhile organisation and I feel that the expedition is the perfect way to help to raise awareness and also fundraise for this fantastic charity”

We don’t review too many books at Adventure World but ever so often a book comes along that catches our attention. Recently, I was traveling and grabbed the book, Along The River That Flows Uphill – From the Orinoco to the Amazon, and threw it my carryon pack. Three flights later, I was done with the book (without much layover time between each) and I have added this to my must read list for others.

The authors, Richard Stark and Miriam Murcutt, recount there journey to a remote river located in Venezuela called the Casiquiare. The uniqueness of this river is that it flows uphill connecting two distinct rivers – the Amazon and the Orinoco. The book is part travel journal and part guide for those seeking ‘adventure travel’. Their journey begins when they hire an Indian guide to take them up the Orinoco in his boat. Joining them for the journey is the guide’s family and a group of researchers. Several days in, they take on a Yanomami Indian. As the expedition up river continues, the authors are confronted and threatened with poisoned arrows by another Yanomani Indian (this primitive tribe is considered to be the most violent people on Earth). Later, FARC guerrillas attempt to kidnap the authors and hold them for ransom.

The books delves into the very real dangers that exist in adventure travel. As I was reading this, I was swept away to another time and felt as if I could be reading travel accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries. I was reminded of Stanley’s search for Livingstone and the dangers he experienced in his search. The real thing that sets this book apart from others…is that these events have just occurred and are not a thing of the past. Just as explorers and adventurers of the past, there are still very real dangers is this ‘modern world’ in which we reside.

I believe you too will be swept away in this modern day Lewis and Clark’esque journey.

Adventurer Lei Wang departs in less than 2 weeks to make an attempt on Everest. Born in Beijing, she says that she grew up as a typical city girl. She graduated with a B.S degree in Computer Science from Tsinghua University in Beijing followed by an M.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After working in the IT field for several years, she decided to pursue her M.B.A. degree at Wharton. It was there that she was first introduced to ice climbing and mountaineering and climbed her first glacier mountain in Ecuador (Cotopaxi). Upon graduation, she traveled to Africa where she reached the summit of Kilimanjaro.

She begin pursuing her dream of the Seven Summits and Two Poles in 2004. She has successfully climbed six of the seven summits and has skied to both the North and South Poles. We caught up with Lei with just days before her departure and got the chance to interview her about her current and past expeditions along with her motivation and inspiration.

What made you decide to do this series of expeditions?

It’s funny how life drops a few curveballs into your lap. These coincidences are what make life interesting! If it wasn’t for me seeing the movies “Touching the Void”, or “Women of K2”, I would probably have never discovered my passion for adventures!!

Likewise, as part of a MBA school program at Wharton I was first introduced to ice climbing and mountaineering, and climbed my first glacier mountain, Cotopaxi in Ecuador. When I graduated, I decided to head out to Africa and climb Kilimanjaro.. It was during that climb, I realized how challenging it was for me and how my lack of fitness almost made me fail. I love challenges and overcoming them. Remembering what happened in the two movies, I realized that I wanted to be one of them. A spark was ignited, a passion to accomplish what had previously seemed invisible or impossible. Without knowing “how”, I decided I “would” and show the world that others can do it to.

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The third event in 2010 of the AR World Series, Xtremo6000 just wrapped up and here is a selection of images from that event. Look forward to an event wrap-up in the next few days.

Huairasinchi was the first event in 2010 for the AR World Series.  Below is a slideshow with select images from this year’s event.