Update: It has been brought to my attention that this video is older than the February 15 posting date to YouTube and likely dates back to 2007. It was originally used in a BBC documentary entitled Tiger: Spy in the Jungle which was broadcasted in 2008. The footage is still remarkable and the story remains the same, but wanted to clarify that this isn't completely new after all.
25 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
Video: First Ever Footage Of Baby Tigers In The Wild (Updated!)
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Tigers are notoriously reclusive cats that have gotten rarer as their species has continued to shrink in numbers. But recently the BBC was able to capture the first ever footage of a mother tiger with her cubs in the wild. And just how exactly did they manage to do this after years of trying? Simple! They strapped cameras to elephants! It seems the pachyderms and big cats are not exactly mortal enemies, so the tigers don't flee when the elephants wander by. As a result, the BBC was lucky enough to capture this footage. Narration provided by Sir David Attenborough of course!
Update: It has been brought to my attention that this video is older than the February 15 posting date to YouTube and likely dates back to 2007. It was originally used in a BBC documentary entitled Tiger: Spy in the Jungle which was broadcasted in 2008. The footage is still remarkable and the story remains the same, but wanted to clarify that this isn't completely new after all.
Update: It has been brought to my attention that this video is older than the February 15 posting date to YouTube and likely dates back to 2007. It was originally used in a BBC documentary entitled Tiger: Spy in the Jungle which was broadcasted in 2008. The footage is still remarkable and the story remains the same, but wanted to clarify that this isn't completely new after all.
Winter Climbs 2013: Weather Keeps Everyone Stationary
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Reports out of Pakistan are starting to sound a bit like a broken record. The entire region is stuck in a bad weather pattern and it is keeping the climbers locked in place while they wait and watch the skies. The forecast doesn't look particularly good over the next few days, which means that one team will remain in Base Camp waiting for an opportunity to go up, while another waits to discover what has become of a lost climber.
On Broad Peak there is little news from the Polish team that is hoping to make the first ascent of that 8051-meter (26,414 ft) mountain. They were forced back from the summit early last week and have been in BC ever since. They are still hoping that conditions will improve and give them a shot at completing their climb, but the forecasts indicate that bad weather will remain over their position late into this week. If that holds true, they'll be unable to move up for another couple of days and they'll have to hope that their high camps remain in position when they start their next summit bids. One thing is for sure, they'll certainly be rested and ready to give it another go if a weather window does actually open.
The weather report on Nanga Parbat isn't any better as that mountain is expecting heavy snows throughout the week. Considering nearly everyone has left Nanga for the season, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But search and rescue teams remain on the Rupal Face where they have been searching for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski and the poor weather conditions are not helping their cause any.
Wischnewski set off on a solo summit bid nearly three weeks ago and hasn't been heard from since. The SAR team has gone has high as Camp 2, which was his launching point on February 6, but there has been no sign of the climber. Since he was traveling in alpine style there is little gear to be found and because the weather has been so awful, no one has been able to go above C2 in their search. It could be another three or four days before they'll have the opportunity to go up, but at this point we have to wonder if they'll ever find anything at point.
I've tried to remain optimistic about Joel's wellbeing over the past 2+ weeks, but it seems the writing is on the wall. It seems nearly impossible that he could still be alive and healthy after this long on the mountain. At this point it seems the search teams are simply looking for his remains to try to figure out exactly what happened to him. I no longer believe that this story will have a happy ending.
My condolences to Joel's friends and family. It must be awful to simply sit and wait for news. Stay strong.
Reports out of Pakistan are starting to sound a bit like a broken record. The entire region is stuck in a bad weather pattern and it is keeping the climbers locked in place while they wait and watch the skies. The forecast doesn't look particularly good over the next few days, which means that one team will remain in Base Camp waiting for an opportunity to go up, while another waits to discover what has become of a lost climber.On Broad Peak there is little news from the Polish team that is hoping to make the first ascent of that 8051-meter (26,414 ft) mountain. They were forced back from the summit early last week and have been in BC ever since. They are still hoping that conditions will improve and give them a shot at completing their climb, but the forecasts indicate that bad weather will remain over their position late into this week. If that holds true, they'll be unable to move up for another couple of days and they'll have to hope that their high camps remain in position when they start their next summit bids. One thing is for sure, they'll certainly be rested and ready to give it another go if a weather window does actually open.
The weather report on Nanga Parbat isn't any better as that mountain is expecting heavy snows throughout the week. Considering nearly everyone has left Nanga for the season, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But search and rescue teams remain on the Rupal Face where they have been searching for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski and the poor weather conditions are not helping their cause any.
Wischnewski set off on a solo summit bid nearly three weeks ago and hasn't been heard from since. The SAR team has gone has high as Camp 2, which was his launching point on February 6, but there has been no sign of the climber. Since he was traveling in alpine style there is little gear to be found and because the weather has been so awful, no one has been able to go above C2 in their search. It could be another three or four days before they'll have the opportunity to go up, but at this point we have to wonder if they'll ever find anything at point.
I've tried to remain optimistic about Joel's wellbeing over the past 2+ weeks, but it seems the writing is on the wall. It seems nearly impossible that he could still be alive and healthy after this long on the mountain. At this point it seems the search teams are simply looking for his remains to try to figure out exactly what happened to him. I no longer believe that this story will have a happy ending.
My condolences to Joel's friends and family. It must be awful to simply sit and wait for news. Stay strong.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes Pulls Out Of Antarctic-Crossing After Contracting Frostbite
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One of the biggest upcoming expeditions that I have been anticipating is the first-ever winter crossing of Antarctica led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The 3200km (2000 mile) journey would test even the heartiest of explorers, exposing them to temperatures as cold as -90ºC/-130ºF as they battled incredibly high winds and massive snow storms in what some consider the most challenging polar adventure left to do. Today we learned however that Fiennes has now been forced to pull out of the expedition after contracting severe frostbite while training.
Fiennes and his teammates have been in the Antarctic for several weeks now, putting the final touches on their preparations to launch their trans-continental trek. He and his companions were on a training exercise when Fiennes took a spill, damaging his ski bindings in the process. The famous explorer than proceeded to remove his gloves to fix the bindings in -30ºC/-22ºF temperatures which caused the frostbite. He is now waiting evacuation from the Antarctic to return to South Africa to receive treatment.
This isn't the first time that Fiennes has had to deal with frostbite. The veteran polar explorer has contracted it in the past on his numerous expeditions to the cold regions of our planet. In 2000, while traveling solo to the North Pole he had to be evacuated for the same reason. It was not long after that that he famously amputated his own finger tips to remove the necrotic area after his doctor urged him to wait until they were more fully healed. It is likely that that incident had an impact on him contracting frostbite once again.
The rest of the team is still proceeding ahead with their plans. They will depart on the Antarctic crossing on March 21 with several members of the team on skis, while others drive support vehicles behind them. We'll be able to follow their progress at the Coldest Journey website.
The BBC article linked to above indicates that Fiennes is absolutely devastated that he won't be able to join the team on this trek. Some believe that he saw this as a possible swan song to his career, capping an already impressive resume with one last grand adventure. Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. As soon as the weather clears, he will be on a plane back to South Africa.
One of the biggest upcoming expeditions that I have been anticipating is the first-ever winter crossing of Antarctica led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The 3200km (2000 mile) journey would test even the heartiest of explorers, exposing them to temperatures as cold as -90ºC/-130ºF as they battled incredibly high winds and massive snow storms in what some consider the most challenging polar adventure left to do. Today we learned however that Fiennes has now been forced to pull out of the expedition after contracting severe frostbite while training.Fiennes and his teammates have been in the Antarctic for several weeks now, putting the final touches on their preparations to launch their trans-continental trek. He and his companions were on a training exercise when Fiennes took a spill, damaging his ski bindings in the process. The famous explorer than proceeded to remove his gloves to fix the bindings in -30ºC/-22ºF temperatures which caused the frostbite. He is now waiting evacuation from the Antarctic to return to South Africa to receive treatment.
This isn't the first time that Fiennes has had to deal with frostbite. The veteran polar explorer has contracted it in the past on his numerous expeditions to the cold regions of our planet. In 2000, while traveling solo to the North Pole he had to be evacuated for the same reason. It was not long after that that he famously amputated his own finger tips to remove the necrotic area after his doctor urged him to wait until they were more fully healed. It is likely that that incident had an impact on him contracting frostbite once again.
The rest of the team is still proceeding ahead with their plans. They will depart on the Antarctic crossing on March 21 with several members of the team on skis, while others drive support vehicles behind them. We'll be able to follow their progress at the Coldest Journey website.
The BBC article linked to above indicates that Fiennes is absolutely devastated that he won't be able to join the team on this trek. Some believe that he saw this as a possible swan song to his career, capping an already impressive resume with one last grand adventure. Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. As soon as the weather clears, he will be on a plane back to South Africa.
Video: GoPro Goes Speedflying In Alaska
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Speedflying is a unique melding of skiing and paragliding. Those who take part in the activity climb up a mountain then proceed to ski back down, using their parachute to gently lift them over obstacles or see them down particularly steep slopes. It is an interesting mix of outdoor sports to say the least and the results are often spectacular.
Recently the GoPro BombSquad went to Alaska to put their skills to the test. The result is the short but excellent video below that captures them skiing through fresh powder and sailing through the air. They make it look effortless and fun, but I don't think you'd ever catch me trying this.
GoPro: BombSquad Alaska TV Commercial from GoPro on Vimeo.
Recently the GoPro BombSquad went to Alaska to put their skills to the test. The result is the short but excellent video below that captures them skiing through fresh powder and sailing through the air. They make it look effortless and fun, but I don't think you'd ever catch me trying this.
Jim Whittaker Reflects On 50 Years Of Changes On Everest
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On May 1, 1963 Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Mt. Everest. His successful expedition was a result of months of preparation and weeks of hard work in the Himalaya that culminated with him reaching the highest point on the planet. Back then, Everest was a very different place than it is today, something that Whittaker reflects upon in an Op-Ed piece that he wrote for The Seattle Times that was published over the weekend.
In the article Whittaker talks about the massive changes that have come to the mountain since he made his historic climb five decades ago. He mentions that when he climbed Everest his team had to hire 32 Sherpas and 909 porters just to help get all of their gear and supplies to Base Camp, which was a 100-mile (160 km) trek back in those days. Today, a short flight puts you into the Khumbu Valley, making the walk in a mere 40 miles (64 km).
That isn't the only change however. Whittaker laments the fact that the crowds on Everest have grown so large, with some climbers lacking the proper skills, training and experience to take on such a massive peak. Whittaker's son Leif made his second ascent of Everest last year and we're told he had to wait at 28,700 feet (8747 meters) for more than an hour thanks to the traffic jams going up and down the mountain. The elder Whittaker feels that those crowds could be a disaster waiting to happen should extremely bad weather move in unexpectedly.
As we get closer to the start of new season on Everest I expect we'll see more pieces like this one. The 50th anniversary commemoration will no doubt also bring other media attention to the current climate for climbing on the world's tallest peak. But I doubt any of them will be written by anyone who has the same unique perspectives of Whittaker who really has seen the mountain evolve and change since he stood on top. This is definitely an interesting read from a man who knows what he is talking about.
Thanks to Bill Snyder for passing this my way. Much appreciated my friend!
On May 1, 1963 Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Mt. Everest. His successful expedition was a result of months of preparation and weeks of hard work in the Himalaya that culminated with him reaching the highest point on the planet. Back then, Everest was a very different place than it is today, something that Whittaker reflects upon in an Op-Ed piece that he wrote for The Seattle Times that was published over the weekend.In the article Whittaker talks about the massive changes that have come to the mountain since he made his historic climb five decades ago. He mentions that when he climbed Everest his team had to hire 32 Sherpas and 909 porters just to help get all of their gear and supplies to Base Camp, which was a 100-mile (160 km) trek back in those days. Today, a short flight puts you into the Khumbu Valley, making the walk in a mere 40 miles (64 km).
That isn't the only change however. Whittaker laments the fact that the crowds on Everest have grown so large, with some climbers lacking the proper skills, training and experience to take on such a massive peak. Whittaker's son Leif made his second ascent of Everest last year and we're told he had to wait at 28,700 feet (8747 meters) for more than an hour thanks to the traffic jams going up and down the mountain. The elder Whittaker feels that those crowds could be a disaster waiting to happen should extremely bad weather move in unexpectedly.
As we get closer to the start of new season on Everest I expect we'll see more pieces like this one. The 50th anniversary commemoration will no doubt also bring other media attention to the current climate for climbing on the world's tallest peak. But I doubt any of them will be written by anyone who has the same unique perspectives of Whittaker who really has seen the mountain evolve and change since he stood on top. This is definitely an interesting read from a man who knows what he is talking about.
Thanks to Bill Snyder for passing this my way. Much appreciated my friend!
24 Şubat 2013 Pazar
Become An Outdoor Gourmet With CampingRecipes.co
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Are you the kind of person who spends more time cooking over a campfire or backpacking stove than you do in your own kitchen? If so, there is a new website you'll definitely want to checkout and add to your bookmarks. It's called CampingRecipes.co and it is sure to become a popular resource for the outdoor crowd.
As you would expect from an online cooking site, Camping Recipes has a database filled with all kinds of suggestions for things to eat while out on the trail. It features hundreds of suggestions for healthy and tasty snacks and meals for when you're out on the trail. It even features full meal plans designed to provide plenty of calories for extended trips.
The site offers a solid search tool for finding new versions of your favorite recipes but it also provides plenty of categories to explore as well. For instance, there are vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. There are also suggestions for car camping , backpacking and ultralight trekking, as well as recipes that don't require any cooking at all. Camping Recipes provides excellent choices for kids, low carb selections and even gourmet meals for the talented trail chef.
But what really sets this site apart from others is the wealth of information in provides specifically for backpacking. Not only does it provide the full recipe for the meals but it also provides calorie counts too. It also offers an estimated weight for carrying all the ingredients in your pack, which is helpful for those who want to know exactly what they're carrying with them when they hit the trail.
If you're looking to add some new options to your outdoor cooking repertoire, then head over to CampingRecipes.co now. While you're there, sign-up and join the community. You'll be abel to share some of your favorite trail-menu options, interact with others and review recipes.
Now if you'll excuse me, I suddenly find myself very hungry.
Are you the kind of person who spends more time cooking over a campfire or backpacking stove than you do in your own kitchen? If so, there is a new website you'll definitely want to checkout and add to your bookmarks. It's called CampingRecipes.co and it is sure to become a popular resource for the outdoor crowd.As you would expect from an online cooking site, Camping Recipes has a database filled with all kinds of suggestions for things to eat while out on the trail. It features hundreds of suggestions for healthy and tasty snacks and meals for when you're out on the trail. It even features full meal plans designed to provide plenty of calories for extended trips.
The site offers a solid search tool for finding new versions of your favorite recipes but it also provides plenty of categories to explore as well. For instance, there are vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. There are also suggestions for car camping , backpacking and ultralight trekking, as well as recipes that don't require any cooking at all. Camping Recipes provides excellent choices for kids, low carb selections and even gourmet meals for the talented trail chef.
But what really sets this site apart from others is the wealth of information in provides specifically for backpacking. Not only does it provide the full recipe for the meals but it also provides calorie counts too. It also offers an estimated weight for carrying all the ingredients in your pack, which is helpful for those who want to know exactly what they're carrying with them when they hit the trail.
If you're looking to add some new options to your outdoor cooking repertoire, then head over to CampingRecipes.co now. While you're there, sign-up and join the community. You'll be abel to share some of your favorite trail-menu options, interact with others and review recipes.
Now if you'll excuse me, I suddenly find myself very hungry.
Winter Climbs 2013: First Winter Ascent Of Laila Peak, Hopes Fading On Nanga Parbat
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It has been another difficult year for the winter climbers in Pakistan where the weather conditions have once again been extremely difficult to overcome. But the season isn't over just yet and one team has found success by putting up the first winter ascent of a mountain in the Karakoram.
ExWeb is reporting that Alex Txikon and Jose Fernandez were successful in their bid to climb Laila Peak, topping out on Monday, February 18. The 6096 meter (20,000 ft) mountain located in the Hushe Valley didn't make it easy on them however. The two men battled high winds and snow that was chest deep at times just to reach the summit. Their final push took ten hours to complete, with the descent requiring another four.
Alex and Jose say that wind speeds on the final push were in excess of 60 km/h (37 mph) and temperatures were hovering around -35ºC/-31ºF before taking into account the windchill. Exhausted from their efforts, the climbers spent the night in Camp 2 with two teammates who turned back earlier in the day due to injuries. All four have since descended to Base Camp where they are resting and preparing to head home.
Congrats to Alex and Jose on a job well done.
On Nanga Parbat search and rescue teams continued to look for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski. It has been two weeks since we last heard anything from him as he started a summit push up the Rupal face that was expected to take three days to complete. The SAR team reached Camp 2 yesterday but still found no trace of the man. The rescue effort had to be halted however as bad weather prevented them from going any higher. Heavy snow and high winds are now expected over the next few days, so it will likely be the weekend before they can even think of proceeding higher.
After so long on the mountain without word, it is getting increasingly more difficult to see a happy ending on this one. Supplies would have to be running very low at this point and if he was capable of coming back down, he probably would have by now. I'm still hoping for the best, but reality is setting in.
Finally, the Polish team on Broad Peak has returned to BC to wait for another weather window. They had made a summit push over the weekend and into the first part of the week, reaching as high as 7800 meters (25,590 ft), but once again it was the poor weather that turned them back. The team has posted a recap of that "attack" on the summit, which you can read here.
For now, the entire squad will rest and watch the forecasts closely. They still have a few more weeks of winter left and with most of the work done, they simply wait for an opportunity to go up. All of their ropes are fixed, they're acclimatized to the weather and altitude and they're regaining their strength for another push. Lets hope they get the opportunity to have another go.
It has been another difficult year for the winter climbers in Pakistan where the weather conditions have once again been extremely difficult to overcome. But the season isn't over just yet and one team has found success by putting up the first winter ascent of a mountain in the Karakoram.ExWeb is reporting that Alex Txikon and Jose Fernandez were successful in their bid to climb Laila Peak, topping out on Monday, February 18. The 6096 meter (20,000 ft) mountain located in the Hushe Valley didn't make it easy on them however. The two men battled high winds and snow that was chest deep at times just to reach the summit. Their final push took ten hours to complete, with the descent requiring another four.
Alex and Jose say that wind speeds on the final push were in excess of 60 km/h (37 mph) and temperatures were hovering around -35ºC/-31ºF before taking into account the windchill. Exhausted from their efforts, the climbers spent the night in Camp 2 with two teammates who turned back earlier in the day due to injuries. All four have since descended to Base Camp where they are resting and preparing to head home.
Congrats to Alex and Jose on a job well done.
On Nanga Parbat search and rescue teams continued to look for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski. It has been two weeks since we last heard anything from him as he started a summit push up the Rupal face that was expected to take three days to complete. The SAR team reached Camp 2 yesterday but still found no trace of the man. The rescue effort had to be halted however as bad weather prevented them from going any higher. Heavy snow and high winds are now expected over the next few days, so it will likely be the weekend before they can even think of proceeding higher.
After so long on the mountain without word, it is getting increasingly more difficult to see a happy ending on this one. Supplies would have to be running very low at this point and if he was capable of coming back down, he probably would have by now. I'm still hoping for the best, but reality is setting in.
Finally, the Polish team on Broad Peak has returned to BC to wait for another weather window. They had made a summit push over the weekend and into the first part of the week, reaching as high as 7800 meters (25,590 ft), but once again it was the poor weather that turned them back. The team has posted a recap of that "attack" on the summit, which you can read here.
For now, the entire squad will rest and watch the forecasts closely. They still have a few more weeks of winter left and with most of the work done, they simply wait for an opportunity to go up. All of their ropes are fixed, they're acclimatized to the weather and altitude and they're regaining their strength for another push. Lets hope they get the opportunity to have another go.
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