Category: Whatnot (Page 2 of 8)

Laos is remaking itself as an adventure center, and it’s serving them well

2018.03.07 / Robert

In 1990, about 14,400 people visited landlocked Laos. By 2015, that number had swollen to 4.7 million. A country the World Bank ranked among the 10 poorest in the world in 1991 is now at 118.

I spent three weeks in February 2017 traversing the country, trekking along the northern border with China and kayaking along the Mekong River on the southern tip near Cambodia.

I started in the middle of the country, going north, then heading south, which seems not to make sense on its face but was faster than traveling north to south or the other way around.

Video: Tales of ice-bound wonderlands

2018.03.06 / Robert

A 2011 TED Talk by adventure photographer Paul Nicklen, just named one of this year’s National Geographic’s Adventures of the Year.

From TED:

Diving under the Antarctic ice to get close to the much-feared leopard seal, photographer Paul Nicklen found an extraordinary new friend. Share his hilarious, passionate stories of the polar wonderlands, illustrated by glorious images of the animals who live on and under the ice.

Video: World’s hardest climb – Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park

2018.03.06 / Robert

National Geographic:

Prior to getting on the Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park, the most difficult “big wall” objective in the world, Kevin Jorgeson had a very different climbing focus and style. It all changed when he was approached by Tommy Caldwell to partner up and take on the impossible.

National Geographic Announces 2018 Adventurers of the Year

2018.03.04 / Robert

On March 1, 2018 , National Geographic announced its 2018 Adventurers of the Year, an annual list that honors extraordinary achievements in the fields of exploration, adventure sports, conservation, and humanitarianism within the past year.

The list this year includes daring climbers, hardcore ultramarathoners, resilient mountain bikers, inspiring photographers, and incredible philanthropists.

‘Trailblazers’ was the guiding theme of this year’s list, meaning each honoree has achieved something unique, groundbreaking and game-changing in his or her field.

This year, honorees were nominated by past Adventurers of the Year, prominent members of the adventure community, and National Geographic Explorers and photographers. The National Geographic Adventure editorial staff reviewed all of the nominees and selected the final eight.

Increasingly, women are travelling on their own

2018.03.03 / Robert

Laura Manske, writing in Forbes:

Patricia Schultz, renowned author of the worldwide bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and the new Global Ambassador for Trafalgar, a guided-vacations company, she explains: “There are an astonishing number of women of all ages who no longer seek or need permission — nor emotional support or encouragement from spouses, friends or colleagues — to travel. They are gutsy and bold, courageous and impressively strong. Travel breeds resourcefulness and resilience.” Women who make travel a life priority “take on roles of leadership,” she continues. “Travel helps us understand our place in the world and understand more clearly the life we want to create for ourselves. It makes us better people — and invariably better wives, mothers, sisters and friends. Travel also helps keep us humble — and tolerant and respectful of other people and other cultures.”

Canada’s MEC faces calls to drop outdoor brands owned by U.S. ammunition and gun manufacturer

2018.02.26 / Robert

Canadians are examining which outdoor equipment companies they should be supporting and looking closer at what brands they should be buying.

Vancouver-based outdoor apparel and goods retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) sells Vista Outdoor brands, including Giro, Camelbak and Blackburn.

Utah-based Vista Outdoor Inc. also designs, develops, and manufactures ammunition, long guns and related equipment under such brands as Federal Premium, Bushnell, and Savage Arms.
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Video: ‘Valley Uprising’ documentary

2018.02.26 / Robert

Valley Uprising (2014) tells the story of the bold men and women who broke with convention and redefined the limits of human possibility in America’s legendary national park.

Valley Uprising is a documentary about the history of climbing in Yosemite National Park and the counterculture roots of outdoor sports.

Narrated by Peter Sarsgaard, the film features digitally-animated archival photography, climbing footage and interviews with Yosemite greats — from pioneers like Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins, Lynn Hill, and John Long to modern athletes like Dean Potter and Alex Honnold.

Available on Netflix.

Video: Mongolia from above

2018.02.25 / Robert

Michael Roberts:

Near the end of last year I travelled to Mongolia for three weeks filming for a documentary focusing on the changing climate and how it is affecting the way of life for the Mongolian people. While I was there we visited some of the most incredible places I’ve been and had some amazing experiences, meeting the local people and getting a glimpse into their lives.

Video: Beyond Trails Atacama

2018.02.24 / Robert

https://vimeo.com/255801746

Osprey Packs:

Lorraine Blancher: “Every new trail you travel on or off the beaten path brings uncertainty. Riding bikes in a place like this forces you to pay attention to the terrain, listen closely to suggestions on how to move through it. Instead of success and failure you became to think in terms of adaptation and forward motion.”

Large Mayan city with pyramids and temples uncovered in Guatemala

2018.02.24 / Robert

Tom Clynes, National Geographic:

The project mapped more than 800 square miles (2,100 square kilometers) of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in the Petén region of Guatemala, producing the largest LiDAR data set ever obtained for archaeological research.

The results suggest that Central America supported an advanced civilization that was, at its peak some 1,200 years ago, more comparable to sophisticated cultures such as ancient Greece or China than to the scattered and sparsely populated city states that ground-based research had long suggested.

In addition to hundreds of previously unknown structures, the LiDAR images show raised highways connecting urban centers and quarries. Complex irrigation and terracing systems supported intensive agriculture capable of feeding masses of workers who dramatically reshaped the landscape.

Lasers Reveal a Maya Civilization So Dense It Blew Experts’ Minds – Jacey Fortin, The New York Times

Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Hidden Maya Structures in Guatemala – Smithsonian

Maya civilization was much vaster than known, thousands of newly discovered structures reveal – Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post

Huge Mayan city with pyramids found hidden under jungle – Associated Press via CBC