A 3000-Mile Journey Through The American West On Horseback

A lot of people don't realize it, but the American west still has herds of wild horses that inhabit portions of the country. It is estimated that about 37,000 of the animals still roam the west today and these strong, sturdy creatures are uniquely adapted to their environment. That makes them a particularly good choice for a new equestrian expedition that is set to get underway on March 15th. That is when a group of four riders will set out on a 3000-mile long odyssey that will form the basis of a new documentary entitled Unbranded.
In few short weeks, riders Ben Masters, Thomas Glover, Ben Thamer and Jonny Fitzsimons will embark on their adventure, starting at the border of Mexico and heading north. Their route will take them more than six months to complete, crossing through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana before finishing at the Canadian border. Along the way they'll pass through such amazing locations at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park.

The four men will ride this trail with 17 horses, each of which were previously wild mustangs. Their journey wouldn't be possible without these amazing animals and the film that they will shoot will be a testament to the partnership between rider and horse. Through this film they hope to not only recapture the spirit of adventure in the Old West but also share with viewers the story of these wild mustangs, many of which are available for adoption to those looking to add a high-quality horse to their stable, ranch or farm.

The route that the team has elected to follow is a custom one that they've selected themselves in an effort to experience the true back country of the places they'll be visiting along the way. The path will lead along portions of the Arizona Trail, Great Western Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, passing through deserts, canyons, mountains and plains along the way. It should make for a stunning and dramatic backdrop to their adventure.

Operation extreme cold

In writing this little blog of mine I've been privileged enough to make the acquaintance of a number of amazing men and women who do some incredible things. When I hear from those folks, either by phone or email, I always make sure to give them special attention and listen closely to what they are thinking and planning. One of those people is explorer Mikael Strandberg, a man who has pushed the limits of human endurance on a number of expeditions to far flung corners of the globe. So when I received an email this weekend detailing Mikael's next adventure, you can bet that I read the note with keen interest.

In that email Mikael announced Expedition Extreme Cold, a journey through one of the harshest and bitterly cold environments on the planet. This adventure will take Strandberg deep into the heart of Siberia, where he'll spend time traveling with the Eveny, a group of nomadic reindeer herders who have learned to survive in that beautiful, yet unforgiving place.

Mikael's journey will begin in Oymyako, Siberia – one of the coldest inhabited place on the planet. In Oymyako, the average temperature falls below freezing for seven months of the year and the ground is permanently frozen. In the months that Strandberg will be traveling in the region, temperatures will routinely drop below -60ºC/-76ºF as he makes his way through a wild, mountainous region that few people ever visit.

Shackleton Epic Expedition Set To Begin

For my money, the greatest story of survival in history is that of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the members of his crew on the Endurance expedition. In a nutshell, Shackleton and his men sailed for Antarctica where they hoped to make a traverse of the continent. Upon their arrival, their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the pack-ice and the crew became stranded, before losing the vessel eight months later. Abandoning their ship, the men then set up camp on a floating iceberg, where the mostly stayed for another five and a half months before loading up life rafts and setting out for the nearest land. That happened to be Elephant Island, which took them five days to reach by sea.

Elephant Island was the firs solid ground they stood on for more than 497 days but it was hardly a hospitable place. Shackleton knew that they couldn't stay there for long and that he needed to go for help, so after two weeks on the island he and some of his crew, set off for South Georgia – 800 nautical miles away – in one of the lifeboats. Two weeks later they reached the remote island where they knew the could find help, but first they would have to traverse a mountainous region that had never been crossed before. Shackleton and two of his men hiked 32 miles in 36 hours to get help and eventually they were able to save the men left behind. Most amazing of all in this tale is that not a single member of the crew lost their life during this ordeal that lasted more than 18 months.

I'm not the only one who finds this story fascinating and at the moment there is a team of adventurous souls who are preparing to reenact a portion of the harrowing tale. The crew of the Shakleton Epic expedition has spent the past few weeks preparing to take on the challenges of the Southern Ocean as they follow in the British explorer's footsteps, sailing in a small boat from Elephant Island to South Georgia and then traversing the island just as Shackleton and his men did.

10 most remote national parks

Want to get REALLY away? Not like the most remote part of Yellowstone, where you're a mere couple of days walk from a road. How about some places where you are more likely to run in to a bear than a human? Ok, well here are 10 of the most remote national parks on Earth...

1. Kronotsky Zapovednik, Russia

The Kronotsky nature reserve, 4,000 plus square miles of roadless tundra, active volcanoes and geysers on the East coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, falls under a protective status fairly unique to Russia: zapovednik. As David Quammen wrote in National Geographic in 2009, the Russian government's designation of "zapovednik" translates to a "restricted zone", set aside for the study and protection of flora and fauna and geology; tourism limited or forbidden; thanks for your interest, but go away.” Scientists are permitted entry, but only for research, and only 3,000 other visitors are allowed, and then only for one day (there are no overnight accommodations for visitors), and for about $700 US per person via helicopter. For five hours.

2. Torngat Mountains National Park, Canada

No designated campsites, no facilities, no trails, no signs in this park in northern Labrador. Enter by (charter) plane and figure out where you want to go in this wild tundra land full of untouched mountains, polar bears, and caribou. Don’t get lost. And don’t get eaten: “Parks Canada recommends that a visitor engage the services of a trained Inuit polar bear guard when hiking in the park.” Another option: Travel to Torngat Base Camp, the main access point to the park, and hire a guide/bear guard. Packages start at about $1,000 per day, including travel to and from Base Camp, which is a 45-minute charter boat ride from the Saglek, an old U.S. Air Force radar station, reached by the once-weekly flight from the airport at Goose Bay. Torngat Base Camp is open seven weeks every year, from July to early September.

3. Central Island National Park, Kenya

Sibiloi National Park is a three-day, 560-mile drive in a four-wheel-drive vehicle from Nairobi or a 2.5-hour flight to one of two airstrips in the park. Within Sibiloi is 2,400-square-mile Lake Turkana, and within Lake Turkana is Central Island National Park, a volcanic island containing several craters, three of which contain saline lakes. It’s a 4.5-mile boat ride from the western shore of Sibiloi and is believed to be home to the world’s largest population of Nile crocodiles, in addition to zebra, giraffe, kudu and gazelles. Bring your sun hat — temps often hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Darien National Park, Panama

The Darien Gap is one of the thickest undeveloped swamp- and forest lands in the world, population a couple thousand people. An expedition crossing it by off-road vehicle in 1978 took 30 days and by the time they’d hacked their way through to the other side, the side where they’d started had grown over again. Darien National Park, Central America’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers more than 2,200 square miles of the Darien Gap. Monsoon forests reach up to 160 feet, and bush dogs, spider monkeys, and jaguars are a few animals that call Darien home. Visitation is not high, in part to its accessibility — the tiny village of El Real is reachable only by boat or plane — but also partly because the population of drug smugglers and paramilitary groups who hang out in the jungles there.

5. Pulu Keeling National Park, Australia

North Keeling Island is a .46-square-mile uninhabited coral atoll and Australia’s smallest and hardest to reach national park. To get there, you’ll first jump on an 1,800-mile flight from Perth, Australia, to the Cocos Keeling Islands. From the main Cocos atoll, a 1.5-hour inflatable boat ride gets you as close as safely possible, and then you have to swim over the reef to get onto the island. Once on the island, you must be guided around North Keeling Island by park staff or other permitted tour guide. Visitation to the park is so closely regulated to protect the sensitive species that call the island home, including the red-footed booby — the island is one of the most significant red-footed booby breeding colonies in the world.

6. Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island

Easter Island is the most remote inhabited island in the world — 1,300 miles from the nearest inhabited island (Pitcairn Island, population 100), and more than 2,000 miles from mainland Chile. A large chunk of the 63-square-mile island is a Chilean national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its 887 moai statues, giant stone heads that dot the landscape.

7. Quttinirpaaq National Park, Canada

Quttinirpaaq is one of the places in the world where SPOT satellite messengers don’t work — because it’s so close to the North Pole. For years, polar expeditions launched from Ellesmere Island, where Quttinirpaaq is located, in extreme north Nunavut, right near the top of Greenland. Fly in from Resolute Bay, pop. 250 (one-way charter flights are only $15,000!), and check out the expanse of rock and snow — but don’t expect any powder; it’s a polar desert here.

8. Wapusk National Park, Canada

Wapusk and nearby Churchill, in northern Manitoba on the Hudson Bay, are the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Access to Churchill, population 900, is by plane or train only, and access to Wapusk National Park is limited (to protect the people from the bears and vice versa), and almost completely by licensed tour operators — one of whom transports up to 40 visitors in custom “tundra buggies” to Cape Churchill for polar bear viewing. Ten-day polar bear viewing tours cost about $1,100 per day.

9. National Park of American Samoa

In 2011, the National Park of American Samoa had its biggest year ever: 8,716 visitors. In 2006, only 1,200 people visited. It’s the only U.S. National Park located south of the equator (because American Samoa is south of the equator). As the NPS website says, “unless you live in American Samoa, more than casual planning is required to visit the park.” Only one major carrier, Hawaiian Airlines, flies to American Samoa, a 5.5-hour flight from Honolulu. But hey, once you get there…well, the park is split amongst three islands, so you’ve got a couple more flights from Pago Pago to the Manua. But then, solitude for snorkeling, scuba diving, and hiking.

10. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska, U.S.A.

The secret’s out about this place, which saw an all-time high of more than 11,000 human beings in 2011. Hanging above the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley is 1.7 miles of terrain with no roads or trails, but a couple of (seasonal) ranger stations, 25 square miles of sand dunes, and is a highway for half a million migrating caribou every year. Access is by bush plane from Kotzebue or Bettles. See also: Alaska’s Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Gates of the Arctic National Park.

Through Utah’s Grand Gulch

Photograph courtesy Peter Sustr

You know you work in the outdoor industry when your coworker announces that he’s spending eight days of vacation walking 82 miles alone through Utah canyon country, eating only quick boiled meals, salami, and Snickers. Then he knocks it out in six, charging 17 miles on the final day to retrieve the bike he stashed to ride back to his car.

Meet Peter, a backpacking fanatic who describes his technique as “fast and light.” He likes to go solo because he can travel at his own pace, push as hard as wants, and completely disconnect from the outside world.

Photograph courtesy Peter Sustr

Peter’s a pretty easygoing guy in day-to-day life. But when it comes to backpacking, he gets serious, with planning and spreadsheets and charting everything down to the kilocalorie. He brings only the essentials, carrying less so he can do more. On this trip, even though night time temperatures were expected to drop to zero degrees, he didn’t even bring a tent—just a free-standing tarp, quarter-length sleeping pad, and warm down bag.

Now call me a wimp if you will, but if it’s that cold, I want a little more insulation. Not Peter. No, he’s done this before and he knows that a couple of ounces of salami before bedtime can keep your core cozy as your body burns through the fatty meat.

Peter charted an ambitious route through Grand Gulch Primitive Area in southern Utah. It wasn’t any sort of official loop—just a journey of his own making. This is remote and rugged backcountry, meaning there are some trails, but no established campsites, trail signs, or pansy wayfinding aids. A lot of the time you’re wandering though the desert following rocky escarpments or creek beds. Sometimes the only way Peter could keep track of his whereabouts was to count the number of side canyons he’d passed that day.

It sounds like an adventurer’s paradise to me. Plus the desert is an enchanting place. You’re nowhere, but somewhere—amidst a landscape that at first blush seems repetitive, but on closer examination reveals endless nuance and character.

Perhaps no one expresses this magic better than Edward Abbey, who penned the famous “naturography” Desert Solitaire. His prose paints the pages with streaks of sand, stone spires, canyon sunrises and soulful reflection: “…life nowhere appears so brave, so bright, so full of oracle and miracle as in the desert.”

As Peter said, “It’s an area that holds its cards tight to its chest, but once you get spellbound by the place, it opens up its heart, which then opens up your eyes.”
The beautiful thing about this sort of excursion is that everyday worries melt away and you completely immerse in the moment. There are no appointments or schedules or places to be. Time slows, measured only by the arc of the sun across the sky and the rumble of hunger in your belly. It makes it easier to absorb your surroundings, notice little details, and appreciate the gift offered by each precious second of time.

Somehow when you’re outside exploring, there’s less judgment. Every physical sensation, view or emotion is just part of the experience. You might be cold, tired or hungry—or relaxed, excited and energized. It doesn’t matter. It just feels great to be living. As Peter described, it’s a challenge: How are you going to make the most of this time?

It might take a dose of the backcountry now and then to remind us, but this is a lesson we all would do well to apply every day. You only get one shot at this life. And your life is only what you make of each moment. Cherish it! Celebrate what it feels like to be alive. And whenever you start to feel disconnected, get yourself outside!

10 adventure opportunities for the year ahead

These is my top tips for the coming year, offering suggestions for great destinations and activities for those looking to add a little adventure to their life.

Some of the options that I included on my list this year are things like going camping in Antarctica, mountain biking in the Himalaya and taking a walking safari on the Serengeti. But rather than just throwing out some suggestions on amazing things to do, I also link to a variety of adventure travel companies that can actually provide that experience. For instance, Quark Expeditions actually offers an option on one of their itineraries that will let you camp for a few nights on the Antarctic Peninsula, something that very few people ever have the opportunity to try. It also happens to be something that I would love to do if I ever make my way down to Antarctica.

When I've written similar pieces like this one in the past, I've always included one of my ultimate dream trips on the list and this one is no exception. It's no secret that I love Africa and enjoy any opportunity I can get to go there. For me, the ultimate bucket-list trip through Africa would be a journey from Cairo to Cape Town overland. That is to say, driving, taking busses, ferries, etc. It turns out,Intrepid Travel offers just such an excursion with their 117 day Discover Africa Tour. If you have four months to kill, and you're looking for the ultimate way to visit Africa, this would be my recommendation.

One of the things I love when I write story like this one is hearing from travelers who didn't know that some of these trips were even possible. It happens nearly every time I do something like this list and I always get a kick out of providing a few new dream adventures for someone who wasn't even aware they were possible. Hopefully that will happen again this time, as I feel I've dug up a few really unique travel opportunities for those with an incurable case of wanderlust.

I hope you enjoy the suggestions and good luck with your 2013 adventures. Here's to a new year filled with new possibilities.

> 50 countries in 424 days!

Travel can be an amazing educational tool at times, helping to engage young people in subjects that are often seen as "boring" or "unimportant." History, culture and geography all come to life much more vibrantly when students have the opportunity to make a more direct connection with a place that comes alive in some very fascinating ways.

That was exactly the premise behind the Trekking the planet expedition, a 14-month journey undertaken by the husband and wife team of Darren and Sandy Van Soye. The duo set out on January 28th of last year and have been circling the globe ever since. During that time, they have managed to visit 40 different countries on six continents, most of which have been in the developing world. The expedition has another three and half months to go before it is done, and the Van Soye's hope to add another 13 countries to their passports before heading home.

Making this kind of journey is a dream for many of us who have longed to hit the open road for an extended period of time. And while Darren and Sandy have had numerous adventures on their world-spanning adventure, they didn't set out just for their own enjoyment and enrichment. They conceived Trekking the Planet is a tool for helping to reach out to students in classrooms and help engage their curiosity about geography more fully. With that in mind, they've established a series of geography education modules that highlight the various places that they have visited. Those lessons are designed to work in classrooms with students ranging in age from 6 to 17 and can be modified to fit nearly any type of curriculum. Their lesson plans have been so successful in fact that they are now followed by 55,000 students in 850 classrooms spread out over 20 countries.

While on the road, the Van Soye's prefer to travel on foot as much as possible. As a result, they have often found themselves in a number of places that are far from the beaten path. Their journey has taken them to a number of remote regions, including the Mustang region in Nepal, into the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia and along ancient Bedouin trails in Jordan. This approach to travel allows them to get closer to the people living in the countries they visit and have experiences that are out of the norm. They've even had the opportunity to speak at 18 different schools along the way, allowing them to share their adventures even more directly with students in different countries.