Indonesian Digital News Archive

Our friends over at impossible2Possible are getting ready to launch their next big youth ambassador adventure. The organization, which is dedicated to educating and inspiring students in classrooms across the globe through the use of adventure, routinely sends young people on an adventure of their own to spotlight a particular cause. This time that cause is raising awareness about the importance of fresh water in developing parts of the world and they'll spread the word on that topic by running across the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.

Dubbed Expedition Africa 2012, the journey is scheduled to get underway on October 29 and run through November 12. It will feature eight youth ambassadors between the ages of 17-21, who will be running through some of the more remote and beautiful areas in Botswana. While they are there, they'll be using satellite communication systems to reach out to classrooms to help educate them about the country and the importance of water there. Botswana is a landlocked country that is mostly covered by desert, although it is home to the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world. That body of water creates an oasis that provides life to a dizzying array of animals, such as elephants, lions and hippos, that call the region home.

The official Expedition Africa 2012 website should be launching soon, providing more information about the adventure, the young people who will be taking part and the educational goals they hope to accomplish. As with all of the i2P projects, I'm sure this will be an amazing experience for all involved and quite interesting for those of us who follow along at home.

On a personal note, Botswana is on a short list of destinations for my next adventure as well, so I'll be following along with even more interest.

For many adventure travelers climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is one of the big items on their bucket list. After all, it isn't every day that you get to trek to the top of the highest peak in Africa. But next year a select group of travelers will not only get the opportunity to do just that, but they'll also get the chance to mountain bike back down the mountain, something that has never been done by commercial travelers before. Best of all, this unique opportunity will be used to raise funds for a very important cause.

In 2013, for the first time ever, adventure travel company Trek Travel will be offering their new WorldServe Kilimanjaro Bike Tour. The 12-day itinerary, which begins February 22, includes a visit to the Serengeti that includes a hot air balloon ride above the plains while the Great Migration plays out below. Travelers will also visit a traditional Maasi village and explore other cultural excursions throughout the area. But of course the real highlight will be a six-day climb of Kili that will culminate with a mountain bike descent. Prior to the climb, each participant will also be sent a brand new Trek mountain bike that they can use to train on before the climb begins. That same bike will then be shipped to Africa for the ride. After the climb is over, the bike is theirs to keep.

This special Kilimanjaro Bike Tour is limited to just 20 people and is designed to be used as a fundraiser to support several projects that will deliver clean drinking water to more than 150,000 people living in Tanzania. As such, the price tag for the trip is quite high, although 90% of the funds are going directly for the cause. Trek Travel is offering three tiered pricing of $25,000, $55,000 and $85,000. The main difference in those levels is simply how much cash goes to the water projects. Of course, the ideal way to go would be for an adventurous traveler to sign up for the tour and raise funds from sponsors to help cover the costs.

This sounds like a fantastic way to visit two of my favorite places on Earth in Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Tanzania is a great destination and this would be a way to experience some unique activities while also contributing greatly to improving the life of the people that live there.


KiliClimb Trek Bike Video from WorldServe International on Vimeo.

Well heeled travelers looking for an amazing adventure next year need look no further than the new whitewater rafting excursion from Mountain Travel Sobek. Their new Six Continent Whitewater Adventure, which was announced yesterday, promises to take travelers to the ends of the Earth to quench their thirst for adrenaline.

The 25-day, round-the-world expedition runs from May 9 through June 2 of 2013 and begins in California. The 8-12 participants on the trip will get their feet wet, literally and figuratively, with three days of rafting in the Sierra Mountains. From there they'll jet off to Ecuador for two days of rafting before proceed on to Spain to take on the Noguera Pallaresa in the high Pyrenees. Nairobi, Kenya is the next stop on the journey for three days of rafting on the Athi River, which mixes in great wildlife viewing along with Class II and III whitewater. The Tons River in India is the next stop as the lucky travelers take to the water in the Himalaya, not far from the spectacular peak Nanda Devi. Finally, the trip will wrap up on North Johnston river in Australia, one of the more remote and challenging whitewater runs on that continent.

Whew! Sounds like quite a trip and after reading the press release on it yesterday I immediately wished I were going. At $8695 (without airfare!) this is a bit pricey for my blood, but it was too good of an adventure travel opportunity to not share. And if the itinerary wasn't enticing enough on its own, co-founder of Mountain Travel Sobek John Yost, who has led plenty of river expeditions, will be the personal guide on this adventure. Sounds absolutely fantastic and I'm very jealous of those who get to go on this trip.

Explorer and anthropologist Julian Monroe Fisher is the subject of an excellent interview over at Explorers Web this week. Julian is gearing up for the second phase of his Great African Expedition, which will get underway in December, and in the two-part interview he shares a lot about that adventure and the world of exploration in particular.

In Part One of the interview the explorer talks in some detail about Phase 2, which follows his successful journey from Cairo to Khartoum along the Nile River. That section of the expedition was completed in May of this year and progress was halted because of an ongoing dispute over oil rights between Sudan and the newly formed South Sudan. In December, Julian will resume the expedition by traveling from the South Sudan capital of Juba up the Nile and overland to Lake Albert, which he intends to circumnavigate by kayak, indigenous long canoe and on foot.

In that same article, Monroe Fisher talks about the recent attack of Davey du Plessis in the Amazon and his own brushes with conflict in Africa. Julian says his only real assault actually took place at home in Austria and now while traveling for miles on foot through the African bush.

Part Two of the interview continues the discussion with Julian sharing his thoughts on how he prepares for his journeys through potentially dangerous parts of the world. He also talks about the interesting tribes that he has encountered along the way and tells us what it was like to meet, and interview,  Jane Goodall. He also tells us why he is so drawn to Africa, a continent that I love dearly as well.

ExWeb's interview with Julian is a good one and if you want to read about a modern day explorer who is out in the field, following in the footsteps of other great explorers, I suggest you take a look. It is definitely an interesting read.

Deep in the heart of Africa, on one of the biggest and most dangerous rivers in the world, sits the Inga Rapids. This swirling vortex of whitewater has claimed the lives of numerous paddlers over the years and up until late last year, it had never been successfully run.

In November of 2011, Tyler Bradt, Steve Fisher, Ben Marr and Rush Sturges traveled to the Congo to challenge those rapids, eventually making the first descent of those incredibly turbulent waters. They called their expedition the Grand Inga Project and a documentary film of their adventure will be released shortly. The trailer for that amazing looking film is below.

Be warned, this white water is not for the faint of heart. It is big, bad and nasty. It makes for a great looking film though. Can't wait to see this.


Congo: The Grand Inga Project (Best Short Film of the Year Awards 2012 - Entry #34) from Kayak TV (Kayak Session Mag) on Vimeo.

I wrote about this great adventure travel opportunity on Gadling.com this morning but thought it would of interest to many readers here as well. Sanctuary Retreats, a company that runs luxury lodges and safari camps in a variety of locations, has a short two-day itinerary in Botswana that looks like it would be incredibly fun to take part in. Their Delta Bush Skills Adventure takes travelers to the Okavango Delta where they'll learn some helpful skills that could help them survive in the wilds of Africa.

Participants in the program stay at the amazing looking Baines' Camp where they'll spend a couple of days surrounded by the amazing setting that is the Okavango. Each year the delta floods the plains in Botswana, creating a massive oasis that allows a spectacular array of plant and animal life to thrive. Elephants, hippos, lions and dozens more species make their home in the region which is amongst the best safari destinations on the planet.

Visitors taking part in the Delta Bush Skills Adventure will likely encounter those animals but they'll also be busy learning some valuable skills as well. On the first day of the itinerary they'll learn how to pole a mokoro – the traditional dugout canoes that the local people use for transportation along the Okavango. They'll also learn how to track animals, identify edible plants and find potable water while in the bush. The education will continue on day two with lessons on how to build a shelter, trap food and navigate simply by using the sun and stars.

Now by no means do I think that this Bush Skills training will prepare someone to survive in the wild, but it certainly would be a great deal of fun to take part in. If I were headed to Botswana for a safari, I'd definitely consider tacking on a few extra days to visit the Baines' Camp for what looks like a great extension. Considering the Okavango remains on my list of "must see" places, this seems like an excellent way to visit.

Ryan Sandes is a South African ultra-runner who is the first person to win all four of the 4 Deserts ultramarathons. That means that he is really, really good at running long distance in inhospitable environments. One of those environments that has eluded him is the Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia. The canyon is the second longest in the world and the landscape is challenging for anyone to cross, let alone someone trying to run it. Sandes returned to the canyon to attempt to cover 84km (52 miles) in five days, which doesn't seem like a lot for an endurance runner. But when you get a look at the wonderfully crafted video below you'll understand just exactly what he dealing with. The canyon is a beautiful, yet very difficult place.

The Beauty of the Irrational from The African Attachment on Vimeo.

At the beginning of May I posted a story about a non-proft organization called the Heroes Project, a non-profit organization founded by Everest summiteer Tim Medvetz to help wounded vets overcome their physical challenges by climbing some of the tallest and most iconic mountains on the planet. Tim, you may recall, suffered a severe injury of his own when he was in a terrible motorcycle accident some years back that required metal implants, a long recovery time and lots of physical therapy. Motivated by that challenge, he went on to climb Everest as part of Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond The Limit.

On June 30th Tim will set off on his next expedition this time traveling to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak on the continent. Accompanying him on that journey will be Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Zambon, who lost both of his legs while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan last year. This will be both a tremendous challenge to Mark and a fantastic adventure as he treks to the Roof of Africa.

We can all follow Tim and Mark on their journey as they'll be posting regular audio dispatches to the First Ascent Facebook page. First Ascent is of course the line of outdoor gear from Eddie Bauer that has become quite popular with climbers over the past few years. They are a proud sponsor of the Heroes Project and will help share the progress of this expedition.

Good luck to Tim and Mark. Enjoy the climb!

Filmmakers Andy Maser and Jenny Nichols have delivered us a real treat today in the form of this wonderful video below. Entitled Wild Love: Jake + Wende the short film gives us a glimpse of what life is like for mountaineer and guide Jake Norton and his wife Wende Valentine. Both share a passion for life and adventure, something they hope to instill in their children as well.

In the video, Jake is off on a tough expedition to climb Mt. Stanley, a 5109 meter (16,762 ft) peak located in the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda and Rwanda as part of his Challenge21 project. That endeavor will see him climbing the three highest peaks on each of the seven continents, which isn't easy when they are trying to balance an adventurous life while still remaining a typical family.


Wild Love: Jake Norton & Wende Valentine from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

A few days ago Canadian motivational speaker Spencer West completed an amazing challenge by climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. But unlike most who take on that mountain, West is a double-amputee who was making the climb to raise money for charity.

Dubbed the Redefine Possible expedition, Spencer took on Kili to raise funds for the Free The Children organization, an international charity that looks to empower young people through education. To date the climb has raised more than $500,000, which is earmarked for a project to bring clean drinking water to children in Kenya.

Standing 5895 meters (19,340 ft) in height, Kili is a challenge for any hiker. But for West it was a completely different level of difficulty. Born with a rare genetic disease called sacral agenesis, Spencer lost his legs at the age of five. He was determined to not let that be barrier to him leading a normal life however and he has used his upbeat message to inspire others as well.

On June 12 Spencer, along with his best friends David Johnson and Alex Meers, set out on an eight day climb of Kilimanjaro, which West did on his hands and in his wheelchair. Yesterday they reached the summit in time to watch the sun come up over Africa. Most of their journey has been captured in photos, blog posts and videos. You can learn more about their experience at the expedition's official website, where you can also donate to the cause if you're so inclined.

Checkout video from summit day below. Very inspirational!