Indonesian Digital News Archive

Yesterday I posted an update on West Hansen's Amazon Express expedition, reporting on the team's progress along the Earth's mightiest river. Today, EpicTV follows that up with an interview with kayaker Rafa Ortiz, who joined West on the Amazon for a brief time. In the interview, Rafa talks about their experiences in the early whitewater sections high in the Andes Mountains. For Rafa, this was his first experience with expedition paddling, so much of it was new to him as well. The interview is accompanied by some great photos from the journey as well, which give us an opportunity to see what the remote Peruvian Andes - the source of the Amazon - actually looks like.


EpicTV Interviews: Rafa Ortiz Back From The Amazon from EpicTVAdventure on Vimeo.

It has been nearly a month since I last posted an update on the progress of the Amazon Express team and as you can imagine, over that time a lot has changed. For those who haven't seen previous updates on this expedition it is being led by kayaker West Hansen who is attempting to paddle source-to-sea on the world's biggest river in record time. The journey began high in the Peruvian Andes and the early stages consisted of low water flow that gave way to raging whitewater. Now, West and his crew have passed some major milestones and are making good progress down the Ucayali River, one of the Amazon's primary tributaries.

Since we last checked in, the team has managed to put the wild whitewater sections behind them and pass through an area of the river known as the "Red Zone." This particular section of water is dangerous but for reasons that have nothing to do with the river itself. Do to its remote location, the region through which they were paddling is controlled by local gangs and thugs and not so much the government of Peru. It's a bit lawless on the Amazon in general, but that section is particularly notorious. Fortunately they made it through without any major incidences, although they did have locals pull guns on them on no less than three separate occasions.

The team isn't completely out of the woods just yet however, as according to their most recent update, they believe that they are now approaching the location on the river where South African adventurer Davey du Plessis was shot back in late August. So, while they've passed beyond the most dangerous section of the river, there are still threats for them to be aware of as the proceed.



The pace of the journey has certainly picked up as well. Yesterday they knocked off nearly 63 miles, although much of that was spent winding through the twists and turns of the Ucayali. They've also had to be careful with their navigation, as there are many offshoots of the river that don't lead to where they want to go and in order to avoid backtracking regularly, they've been keeping a keen eye on their maps at all times.

As they've moved further away from the mountains, they've encountered other obstacles as well. Traffic on the river has begun to pick-up and they now frequently see larger boats and barges moving up and down the waterway. The days remain warm and humid, and the evenings are cool. The humidity makes it difficult for any of their gear to dry, which is to be expected on any expedition to the rainforest. While I was there a few years back I had certain items that simply didn't dry until I came home. Additionally, they're starting to run into more insects as well, which can annoying and frustrating on an entirely different level.

While this expedition has been underway for more than six weeks now, they also haven't reached the Amazon proper just yet. That means they have many more weeks to go until they're finished. When it is all said and done, they'll have paddled more than 4000 miles (6440 km) from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. It remains to be seen if they can do it in record time, but regardless of the speed, this is a fantastic adventure.

Way back in March of this year I wrote about an expedition that was still in the planning stages but preparing to get underway. It was named Journey America and it featured cowboy Filipe Masetti Leite traveling on horseback from Toronto, Canada back home to Sao Paulo, Brazil – a journey of 16,000km (9942 miles) that is expected to take up to two years to complete. After months of planning, Filipe hit the trail in July and has been wandering southward ever since and documenting his progress at OutWild TV.

Over the past two months Leite has been enjoying his travels through the American west, first crossing the border into Montana and continuing South into Wyoming and now Colorado. His journey even took him through the heart of Yellowstone National Park, which had to have been a spectacular place to ride. He's averaging about 30 miles per day and has just crossed over the 1000 mile mark. In order to keep himself and his two horses fresh, he takes two days off from riding each week, which will be important for maintaing the health of his mounts over the long haul.

Filipe has reportedly been overwhelmed the support he has received on his journey. Complete strangers have given him food and supplies and offered up a place for him and his horses to spend the night. That kindness has helped make his journey an enjoyable one thus far and hopefully it will continue in that way all the way back to Brazil.



In addition to following daily updates and twice weekly dispatches on OutWild TV, Filipe is also providing information via his Twitter feed and Instagram. Considering he still has a long way to go, it should be quite an adventure to follow in the months ahead. The video below is an example of life on the road for the intrepid cowboy.

Update: Shortly after I posted this story I received a note from the Long Riders Guild informing me that before setting off on his epic journey, Filipe received advice and training from ten different members of the guild, across five different countries, that will prove invaluable on his expedition. The guild also lent him a pack saddle that he is testing on the ride as well. Apparently the pack is part of a special ten-year field test and Filipe is the most recent rider to use it on this kind of sojourn.

The Long Riders also wanted me to point out that Filipe's ride esd inspired by Aime Tschiffely, who is considered to be the greatest long rider of the 20th century. In 1925 the Swiss rider set out on a three year trek that covered 10,000 miles between Buenos Aires and New York City. Along the way he crossed over mountains, jungles and deserts to complete one of the toughest and most grueling equine adventures in history. It is quite a story which can be read in his famous book Tschiffely's Ride.

Dispatch #12 - Drive-thru Cowboy from Outwild TV on Vimeo.

Earlier this week the big news surrounding polar exploration was the announcement that Sir Ranulph Fiennes would be attempting a South Pole expedition in the dead of winter, something that has never been accomplished before. But it seems Fiennes isn't the only Brit set to leave his mark on polar history next year, ultra-runner Tim Williamson has announced plans to make a solo and unsupported round-trip journey to and from the North Pole. Considered by many to be the last great polar adventure that to be completed.

Describing Tim's adventure as a round trip to the North Pole and back simply doesn't do it justice. He has so much more than that planned. The entire journey is expected to cover approximately 2200 miles (3540 km) beginning and ending in civilization. That means he doesn't plan to charter a plane to fly him out to a starting point, but will instead embark on January 13, 2013 directly from Resolute Bay in Canada. Tim expect to return to Resolute just 100-120 days later, which is an incredibly fast time. Even more impressive, he plans on completing the expedition without the use of skis.

In a press release I received earlier in the day Tim is quoted as saying "The majority fail because they aren’t built for walking long distances. This is the thing I’m specially built for. The North Pole holds a great amount of wonder to me, and as an ultrarunner, it is the ultimate challenge."

For anyone who understand the logistics of travel in the Arctic and the herculean task of getting to the North Pole, this will be one epic journey to watch unfold. Traveling across the ice and snow without skis, while dragging all of his gear, food and supplies behind him on a sledge is not going to be easy, even for an endurance athlete. Add to the fact that he's going in the dead of winter, when there is no daylight, and you begin to get a sense of challenges that Tim will face. But the extreme cold at that time of the year will also help to keep the pack ice in place and he could possibly face fewer open leads of water along the way.

I've said more than once in the past few years that the days of traveling to the North Pole on foot may be coming to an end soon. Climate change is making that a very dicey proposition to say the least. It'll be interesting to see an ultra-fit and fast runner give it a go early next year, as Tim's approach is certainly a unique one. I'd hasten to bet he's doing it on a budget that is fraction of what Sir Ran is using to go to the South Pole and back. One thing is for sure, 2013 is going to be an interesting year for polar explorers.

Tim's expedition will be coordinated through DiscoverALifeLessOrdinary.com, in conjunction with Chillisauce.co.uk/.

Late last year and into the early days of 2012, we followed along and cheered the efforts of a pair of young Australian adventurers named James Castrission and Justin Jones, or more affectionally Cas and Jonesy. The two men were attempting something that had never been done before, a there-and-back again expedition to the South Pole that started and ended at Hercules Inlet. Their journey would take nearly three months to complete, covering 2275 km (1413 miles) of frozen landscapes in the process. Along the way they endured frostbite, high winds, and temperatures in excess of -40ºC/F.

While they were on their expedition, Cas and Jonesy issued regular dispatches from the Antarctic that helped to keep us informed of their progress and struggles. Those dispatches gave us a glimpse of what it was like to spend 89 days out on the ice but they couldn't paint a complete picture of the experience. But now we can get the whole story of their of their adventure in the form of a new book entitled Extreme South that was written by Cas himself.

Cas and Jonesy were no strangers to adventure prior to their Antarctic expedition. The duo has spent 62 days in a kayak of sorts crossing the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. That was feat unto itself and for most people it would be enough adventure for a lifetime. But not long after completing that epic journey, the boys found themselves craving another one. A bigger and even more challenging one.

They knew right away it would be Antarctica and they knew that they wanted to do something different than simply skiing to the South Pole. The idea to make it a round trip came quickly but the details of the plan took some time. They also had a lot of preparation to do, including getting into physical condition for the hardships they'd face and learning to ski. Yep, that's right, the two would-be Antarctic explorers had never skied prior to the start of their training.



The first part of the book, entitled "The Early Days," focuses heavily on their panning, preparation and training. Of course they faced a few obstacles to overcome along the way, but before they knew it, Cas and Jonesy were leaving Australia and were on their way to Punta Arenas, Chile – the jumping off point for the Antarctic. While there they would meet Norwegian skier Aleksander Gamme, a solo explorer who had the idea to attempt the exact same journey as the Aussies. Gamme had plenty of experience in cold climates and his heritage made him a natural skier. A friendly rivalry ensued between the three men, but at that time they could have no idea that their paths would cross again before the end.

The second, larger part of the book is called "Crossing the Ice" and it truly gets down to the nitty gritty of the expedition. It is, quite literally, a day-by-day account of what it was like to ski from Hercules Inlet to the Pole and back again. The daily entries give great insights into how demanding, both physically and mentally, an expedition such as this one can be.

The endless snow and ice, along with the unrelenting cold temperatures and wind, can truly take a toll on even the strongest person. This is particularly true when when exposed to them for weeks and months on end. In reading the account of their journey it was interesting to hear how physically demanding the days were early on but in the end it was the mental challenges that became more difficult to over come. And while the men traveled together they were also very much alone at times. Add to it nagging pain and injuries, lack of sleep and a never ending hunger and you begin to understand why so few people are able to actually complete a journey such as this one.

On December 30, 2011, Cas and Jonesy reached the South Pole. It was an immense achievement and it made them feel like all of their struggles and difficulties were all worth it. But they were also behind schedule and the plan wasn't just to go to the Pole but also back to the start again. Something that had never been accomplished before. Their joy at reaching 90ºS was short lived however, as they knew that they had a long way to go before they were done. Worse yet, time was starting to run short and if they were going to return to Hercules Inlet, they would have to redouble their efforts. But the wind was at their back, the sun in their face and they were literally heading downhill at last.

The final section of the book deals with that long slog back to the start. A harrowing journey that took every last ounce of strength to complete and made all the more difficult because they were rushing to catch the last plane off the ice. We always knew that this was no easy ski in the park, but the book underscores that point in spades.

It may be a cliche by Extreme South is the very definition of a page turner. It's fast and easy to read and it always leaves you wanting more. This is a book that you don't read, you devour. Usually in large chunks and I found myself staying well up past my bedtime just wanting to "read one more day."

I highly recommend this book not just to those who followed Cas and Jonesy on their Antarctic adventure but to anyone planning an expedition of their own, whether thats to the South Pole or elsewhere. There are some excellent nuggets of information that can help in the planning, but more importantly there is a lot to be learned about being mentally tough in the face of overwhelming challenges.

I received a copy of the book directly from Cas himself, and for that I am eternally grateful. Amazon sells a Kindle version for just $17 which is a steal for a modern adventure story such as this one. I enjoyed ever moment of Extreme South and I think you will too.

One question for Cas however. When did you find time to write this? The book was done and published before you had completely thawed out or put back on all the weight. Well done mate!

The technology that we carry with us into the field today continues to get more powerful, sophisticated and useful, enabling us to be more productive and stay in contact where ever we go. Whether its smartphones, GPS devices, tablets, mp3 players or some other gadget, keeping those devices powered can still be a real challenge. After all, all of that technology is simply dead weight without a way to refill the battery. That's where Goal Zero can offer some assistance. The company makes some of the lightest, most versatile solar panels available today and after putting their Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit to the test, I now understand where GZ's reputation for making quality products comes from.

The Adventure Kit comes with everything you need to keep all of your devices well charged while on the go. it includes the Guide 10 battery pack with USB port for storing a charge, a 12V cigarette adapter, a 4-pack of AA rechargeable batteries, a rechargeable LED flashlight and all the cables you need to power up your gizmos. But the heart of the kit is Goal Zero's Nomad 7 Solar Panel, which is capable of generating up to 7 watts of power. That makes it a more powerful option than GZ's competitors while still remaining compact and lightweight enough to carry anywhere.

When fully opened, the Nomad 7 provides two surprisingly large panels for collecting energy from the sun and it can put that energy to good use. Goal Zero says that the average smartphone, GPS device or digital camera will take between 2 and 4 hours to charge and in my testing of the kit I found that to be accurate. My iPhone 4S was fully topped out in a little more than 2 hours and my point and shoot digital cameras varied from 2-4 depending on battery size. My DSLR took a bit longer, closer to 4 hours, but it still did the job nicely. The Guide 10 will even charge an iPad, although it does take considerably longer, particularly for the iPad 3 with its larger battery. An iPad 1 or 2 requires more than a full cycle from the battery pack to completely charge, which I did overnight. I found it more efficient to top off the third generation iPad more regularly however, not letting it run completely down.



Thin and lightweight, the Goal Zero solar panels are surprisingly rugged. GZ understands that we not only need to have something that can generate plenty of power for our gadgets but it also must be able to withstand lots of punishment too. The Nomad 7 panels are built to be taken on anything from a weekend camping trip to a months long expedition to the remote corners of the planet. Top to bottom, this is a solid kit that can be used where ever we travel and with just about any device that we take along with us.

While testing the Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit I used the system in two ways. First, I connected to my backpack and allowed it to collect sunlight while hiking all day. The other way I test it was in a permanent campsite where I simply laid it out flat to collect sunlight all day long. Not surprisingly, the kit performed the best while stationary, as it was exposed to a consistent amount of sun throughout the day. But that isn't always an option and I found that the Nomad 7 worked efficiently even while dangling from my pack, although it did take longer to top off the charge in the Guide 10 battery pack.

Anyone who ventures off the beaten path but still needs to be able to power their gadgets will find the Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus a fantastic option. It isn't the most compact of solar kits in this price range and class, but it is easily the most powerful that I've used. The Adventure Kit costs $159.99 and includes a handy carrying case to keep the entire system organized. Personally, I feel this is a great bargain considering all that is included with this kit and how versatile it actually is. If you consistently need power while off the grid, this is by far your best option.

British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who has made a career of trekking in the cold areas of our planet, is preparing for what could be his most challenging expedition to date. According to the BBC, 68-year old Fiennes is planning to travel to the South Pole on skis in the dead of winter, something that has never been accomplished before.

The expedition will begin on March 21st of next year, the exact start of winter in the southern hemisphere. Sir Ran and his six-person team will then embark on a 3200km (2000 mile) journey that will begin and end on the Ross Ice Shelf with the South Pole serving as the turn-around point. Along the way they expect to face temperatures in the neighborhood of -90ºC/-130ºF as they climb 3000 meters (9842 ft) up to the polar plateau.

As usual, Fiennes and his teammates will be on skis, dragging sleds loaded with gear and equipment with them as they go. But because of the extreme nature of this journey, they'll also be joined by two bulldozers dragging "industrial" sleds behind them that will contain all of their extra supplies and fuel. This will enable the expedition to be self-sufficient on their way to the Pole and not require supply drops, although it is certainly an unconventional approach. Then again, traveling to the South Pole in the dead of winter isn't exactly conventional no matter how you look at it.

Fiennes and his team have already started testing gear for the expedition and are working out the logistics of the route. The equipment they'll be using has to be the best ever created, because not much can withstand the brutally cold temperatures of the Antarctic winter. The lead skiers will also be dragging ground penetrating sonar with them which will alert the vehicles behind them to any hidden crevasses in the snow and ice. The vehicles, while necessary, bring other complications as well, such as how to keep the engines from freezing up when they aren't moving.

Obviously this will be a big expedition that we'll be following once it gets underway next year. It is expected to take about six months to complete the journey, which will be a challenging one to say the least.

Back in July I posted about the Brazil 9000 Expedition which will see adventurers/filmmakers Aaron Chervenak and Gareth Jones attempt to cover more than 9000km (5592 miles) across the wild and remote places of Brazil. At the time, the boys were still in the final planning stages leading up to the start of their journey, but now they're off to South America and preparing to embark.

The expedition will begin on the mountain of Monte Cabural, which falls on the border of Brazil and Guyana. They'll first begin traveling south by canoe through the Amazon before eventually transitioning to foot in the Caatinga Forests, covering thousands of miles along the way. Finally, they'll finish up their epic adventure by riding their bikes along the Brazilian coastline, eventually ending in the town of Chul on the border with Uruguay.

Aaron and Gareth are currently in Brazil and intend to get started soon. Once they do, they'll be posting updates to their Facebook page and Twitter account to keep us all informed of their progress. Before they left, they made a beautiful short film called Leaving Los Angeles that introduces us to their adventure and shares why they're so drawn to the culture and history of Brazil. You'll find it below.


Brazil 9000: Leaving Los Angeles from The Skeeto Lounge on Vimeo.

According to the North Face Journal, a talented climbing team sponsored by The North Face claimed three first ascents, and a first ski descent, in the Karakoram mountain range this summer. Each of the peaks were above 5500 meters (18,044 ft) and were located in a remote region of Pakistan.

The team, which consisted of Hervè Barmasse, Daniele Bernasconi and Martin Peterlongo, traveled to the Karakoram with their sights set firmly on the incredibly difficult Ogre. After 48 days they were forced to abandon their attempt on that 7285 meter (23,900 ft) peak due to bad weather. Rather than just go home, the three men decided to turn their attention elsewhere.

The first of the climbs took place on a northern peak that the team elected to use as an acclimatization climb ahead of their attempt on the Ogre. After nine days on the mountain, they managed to summit on July 11, topping out at 6330 meters (20,767 ft). The second bagged peak was an unnamed 5966 meter (19,573 ft) mountain not far from the Ogre as well. That was also the same mountain that the team skied down. They wrapped up the expedition with one final climb up a 5850 meter (19,192 ft) peak once they knew their chances at the Ogre were over.

According to their trip report, the team spent 48 days on the expedition and experienced just 13 days of good weather. That gives you an indication of just how bad the conditions were this year in the Karakoram and makes all of the successful summits of K2 even that much  more impressive. We all knew it was a rough season in Pakistan, but at least some of the climbers were able to achieve their goals while there.

Early today I posted an update on the Moguls to Manaslu expedition which features Glan Plake, Greg Costa and Rémy Lécluse in an attempt to summit and ski the eight tallest mountain on the planet. If you've ever wondered what kind of gear it takes to undertake just such an expedition, then you'll want to check out the video below. Shot before the team left for Kathmandu, it gives you an idea of what equipment they are using on this climb.

EpicTV: Moguls to Manaslu from EpicTVAdventure on Vimeo.

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.

It has been a couple of weeks since we last checked in with Dave Cornthwaite and his team. You may recall that Dave has launched the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project, in which he is undertaking 25 separate journeys of at least 1000 miles (1609km), each without the use of motorized transportation. Currently he is attempting to swim 1000 miles down the Missouri River while a group of friends, serving as his support crew, join him on stand-up paddle boards and kayaks.

This past weekend, Dave and company reached a significant milestone. Not only have they now completed more than a quarter of their journey but the also reached Sioux City, Iowa where they were able to take a rest day. After covering 41 miles (66km) the day before, I'd say that day off was most certainly well earned. The team took the opportunity to relax and resupply before returning to the water yesterday. According to Dave's Twitter account, that return to the river wasn't a good one however as high winds kept progress to a minimum.

The expedition began back in early August when Dave plunged into the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota. At that time he expected the entire swim to take approximately 50 days to complete, which would wrap it up near the end of the month. At the moment it appears that the team is a bit behind schedule however, so we'll have to wait to see if Dave is actually able to reach the finish line in St. Louis, Missouri as planned. A recent update to the Swim 1000 Blog indicates that they are expecting the speed of the river to pick-up soon however, which should aid their cause immensely.

While Dave is undertaking this thousand mile swim for the adventure he also is hoping to raise money for a charity along the way. For this leg of the Expedition 1000 project he has dedicated his efforts to raising funds for the CoppaFeel organization, a non-proft dedicated to improving the chances of the early detection of breast cancer. To find out more about CoppaFeel and how you can help, click here.

Back in July I posted a wonderful trip report from cycling tour operator Tour d'Afrique's amazing Silk Route ride. For those who aren't aware of this tour, it is a 12,000km (7456 mile), 129-day journey from Shanghai, China to Istanbul, Turkey by bike. At the time of the original post, the riders were in the early stages of their adventure, but now they are nearing the end and late last week I received another update from the road. This time that report comes courtesy of Comms Director Catharina Robbertz who had this to say:

Expecting the unexpected
There’s always a certain level of risk involved when travelling and when you’re on the road for more than four months you have to be prepared for anything. This is exactly what cyclists taking part in the Silk Route, organised by Tour d’Afrique, have learnt since taking off on a 12000km journey from Shanghai in May. 

For the most part the challenges facing us could have been predicted beforehand. The excruciating heat in the Taklimakan Desert and the frigid temperatures on the Pamir Highway. The headwinds and tough climbing on unpaved passes to altitudes of 4600m. The monotony of food as we ventured into desolate areas inhabited only by a few people, donkeys, horses, marmots and Marco Polo goats. All of these were expected and could be prepared for. But sometimes something happens that cannot be predicted or prepared for and threatens to derail a beautiful journey. 

As we made our way from the highest point of our journey to the city of Khorog we were all relieved to have survived one of the toughest sections of the tour and looking forward to a much-needed rest day. The Pamir Highway had been beautiful and certainly a highlight for many of us but the promise of warmer temperatures and a clean hotel was the cause of some excitement for most of us.

 However, as we woke to the sound of gunfire on the morning we were supposed to leave it became apparent very quickly that we were stuck in a city under siege. The unexpected had happened and a seemingly insignificant act of murder two days before had turned into war. Government troops were streaming into the city while locals had set up road blocks to keep them out and in the first day of fighting 42 people were killed (according to news reports). 

The next morning a cease fire was agreed upon between the two fighting parties but there was still no way for us to get out of the city as roads were still blockaded and snipers were still lurking in the mountains. After days of uncertainty our group of cyclists as well as other foreigners were evacuated from the city by a convoy of vehicles from EU embassies based in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. Riding the 600km from Khorog to Dushanbe took two days on extremely bad roads and upon arrival we were not only happy to be in safer territories but also looking forward to getting back on our bicycles and continuing our journey in the way we set out to do originally. 

Looking back adding a war-torn city to our route did not detract from our journey. In several ways it contributed to what is already a memorable adventure. We have experienced so much of what the Silk Road traders experienced in the past and being caught in a conflict further contributes to an authentic Silk Road journey. Furthermore, the attitude of the people of Central Asia and in particular Khorog, where they were just as worried about the well-being of perfect strangers in their midst as they were about their loved-ones who were in much greater danger than we were, was particularly humbling.
The stories we will be able to tell when we get back home will speak not only of beautiful scenery, interesting food and nice hotels, but of challenges overcome, expecting the unexpected and arriving at our final destination stronger than we were before. That’s what adventure is all about.

As I said in the first Silk Route report, this seems like such an amazing way to travel through these countries and a fantastic adventure to say the least. Tour dAfrique puts together some great cycling expeditions all over the planet and anyone of their journeys would be a trip of a lifetime. If you're looking for  a travel experience that is unlike anything else, I would HIGHLY recommend you give their site a look. And if you missed the Silk Route ride this year, no worries. There is plenty of time to start planning for 2013!

Now here's a post that I'm sure will be of interest to more than a few readers. The team over at Ice-Warrior.com has come up with a great way to find new homes for old or unused expedition gear. They're launching a new service via their Twitter account in which they'll be listing any gear that they have for sale on the 15th of each month. Better yet, they're allowing others to list their gear as well.

You'll find more details about this option for finding new or selling your old gear by clicking here. The page also allows you to submit your email address to receive the gear listings directly in your inbox as well. This is particularly helpful for those who aren't on Twitter or can't always follow the feed that closely.

Additionally, the Ice Warrior crew has also created a form that allows you to advertise any extra gear you may want to unload as well. You'll find that page by clicking here. The form asks for a brief description of the item, whether or not it is new or used, the size and quantity available and how much you want to sell it for.

This seems like a great way for adventure professionals to connect with one another and not only find good deals on gear that they can use but also possibly unload some of the equipment they no longer need. If you're a guide, expedition leader or adventurer you'll definitely want to subscribe to the list. Who knows what kind of bargains you'll find!

A few days ago the adventure community was shocked and saddened to hear about South African Davey du Plessis getting attacked by gunmen while traveling through the Amazon. At the time he was attempting a source-to-sea journey along the entire length of the Amazon River that started at its source on Mount Mismi back in June. Over the weekend, two gunmen appeared out of the jungle, opened fire on Davey without warning and left him for dead with gunshot wounds in his back, neck and various other areas of his body. After surviving the attack, he was able to find help and eventually was taken to to a local hospital, before ultimately being evacuated to Lima for further treatment.

Over the past few few days, Davey has been in the ICU and under constant supervision by doctors. They have been monitoring his condition and waiting for him to regain his strength while they determined if they would need to do surgery to remove the bullets and shrapnel from his body. In many cases the body will adapt to the bullet fragments and no invasive surgery is required. As it stands right now, the doctors feel that they won't need to operate on Davey, despite the fact that he has shrapnel in his heart and lung. They may eventually remove the bullet from his neck, but they are still waiting to make that determination as he gets stronger.

Du Plessis will remain in the intensive care unit until Friday, which is when the doctors are planning on removing the drip drain from his lung. They are hoping by then that the lung will have started to heal, but as of now it continues to bleed.

Overall, Davey is in remarkably good shape all things considered. He is in a good deal of pain, which is not relieved by medications as they make the young man feel ill. He has passed through the critical period and it doesn't seem that his life is in jeopardy, although there is a long road ahead towards healing and rehabilitation. He has his father with him now and his mother will join him in Lima tomorrow, which will certainly help his efforts to get well too.

It will be interesting to hear his full story once he has recovered and has the strength to share it. I'm sure there are elements to it that we're not aware of yet. It'll be a harrowing tale for sure, but for now I think it's good to just know Davey is out of danger and starting the healing process. For more updates as they come, checkout Davey's Facebook page and website.

Over the past few weeks I've regularly updated readers on the progress of Davey du Plessis, the South African adventurer who was making a source-to-sea journey along the Amazon River. Yesterday that journey came to an abrupt end when Davey was ambushed by two men who shot him multiple times, took all of his gear and left him for dead. Fortunately, Davey was able to find help and was taken to a local hospital where his condition was stabilized and he has now been transported to Lima, Peru for further treatment.

Upon hearing the news, I immediately thought about the Amazon Express team, which consists of West Hansen and his crew, who are attempting to make  a speed run along the the length of the Amazon as well. They are still miles behind where Davey ran into trouble, but I thought it important that they were made aware of the situation. It seems like that turned out to be a good thing as they were able to get in touch with Davey's mom and speak directly to Davey himself, providing us with more information on the story.

It seems du Plessis was simply floating down the Amazon on his inner tube, as he had been for some time while navigating through the trickier sections of river. He then saw a young man, described to be in his early 20's, appear out of the jungle, then quickly disappear, only to return with a second man. They immediately opened fire on the South African without a verbal exchange of any kind and without provocation. Davey managed to reach the shore and fled into the jungle, but by that point he had already been hit by several bullets. He ran for approximately 5km (3.1 miles) before finding help and even then, according to his mom, the locals were reluctant to lend a hand without first asking for money. He was eventually taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his wounds before being sent on to Lima today.

According to reports on his Facebook page, Davey is in the ICU where he is being treated for bullet wounds to his neck, head and back. He has shrapnel in his lung and arm and is in rough shape as you can imagine. That said, he doesn't appear to be in immediate danger any longer, but doctors plan to wait for until he is stronger before going in to remove the bullets. Friends and family are en route to Peru to be with him today.

Keep Davey and his family in your thoughts today. The young man is lucky to be alive and his story is a grim reminder that the challenges of these adventures go well beyond the environment.

The crack team of bloggers over at CheapTents has turned out yet another good interview to round out the week. This time they've turned their attention on professional adventurer and expedition manager Tim Moss, whose book How to get to The North Pole... and Other Iconic Adventures I reviewed awhile back.

Amongst his numerous adventures, Tim has hiked across Patagonia, swam the length of the River Thames and made first ascents in the Altai Mountains of Russia. He has also circumnavigated the globe in 80 days using 80 different forms of transportation, trekked the Wahiba Desert in Oman and climbed in the Bolivian Andes. Oh yeah! He's also been the logistics manager on more than 100 other expeditions as well.

In the CheapTents interview, Tim talks about his inspirations for pursuing adventure and which of his many exploits has had the greatest impact on his life. He also talks about the toughest decision he's ever had to make on an expedition, which destination has left the best impression on him and how he finds ways to add adventure into his daily life. Moss even provides some advice to would-be adventurers who are thinking about their own expeditions. His best advice? Simply just get started.

As for his favorite pieces of gear, which is always one of CheapTents most intriguing questions. Tim says he loves his Helly Hansen base layers that he has owned for more then ten years. He says he's used them on numerous adventures and they have always performed brilliantly. By coincidence, I happen to own a pair of base layers from HH as well. Haven't had them quite as long as Tim, mine are probably more like six years old, but they are fantastic and have gone with me to many places too.

Enjoy this interview as we head into a weekend. Perhaps it'll inspire you to have an adventure of your own.

The Queen of the Kayak, Freya Hoffmeister, is set to resume her epic journey around South America tomorrow as she returns to the water once again in Valparaiso, Chile. The woman who has already circumnavigated around Iceland, New Zealand's South Island and Australia, is hoping to become the first to paddle completely around South America as well.

Freya set out from Buenos Aries, Argentina last September and spent the next eight months covering roughly 8000km (4970 miles) following remote coastlines. First heading south, she was successfully able to paddle through the notoriously tricky waters of Cape Horn, which are well known for their turbulent seas and nasty storms, before turning north. In May she reached Valparaiso and elected to take a break and return home to Hamburg, Germany. There she was able to rest, resupply and take care of the logistics that will see her through the second stage of the journey.

The plan now is to return to the water and cover another 8000km, paddling past Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela before taking another break in Georgetown, Guyana. To reach that point she'll have to kayak through the Panama Canal, dodging heavy shipping freighters along the way. If all goes as planed, she'll complete this second stage by April of next year. Stage 3 will then begin in September of 2013, when she'll finish the circumnavigation and arrive back in where she started in Buenos Aires.

While she's out on the water, Freya posts regular updates to blog that help chart her progress and experienced along the way. You can find that blog by clicking here.

Thanks to ExWeb for the tip!

A couple of weeks back I wrote about West Hansen's attempt to set a new speed record on the Amazon River by kayaking from source to sea as quickly as possible. At that time, West and his support team were still acquiring their proper visas and scouting the start of the expedition, but were getting close to hitting the water. This past weekend, high atop Mount Mismi in Peru, they launched their kayaks at last.

Hansen is calling his expedition the Amazon Express and the website is already being updated with news from the field. It seems these early days of the paddle have not been particularly easy, as Hansen and his team are starting in the headwaters o the Amazon where it is very rocky and water flow is on the low side right now. As a result, they've had to portage around certain sections and some of the kayaks have been too heavy for the shallow waters. These conditions won't last long however, as the river will begin to pick-up speed and intensity in the days ahead. The first 650km (403 miles) or so will feature some of the most dramatic whitewater on the planet, before eventually flowing into the Amazon proper.

The fact that updates from the river are currently being posted at least once a day is good sign for those who want to follow Hansen's progress. The reports have been brief, but detailed and share a lot of information about logistics and conditions. Currently, since they are still in the mountains, those conditions have been on the cold side. They've even had flash snow storms and very chilly over night temperatures. That will all change once Hansen and his squad get to lower altitudes however and the warmth of the rainforest will probably be welcome. At least for a little while.

One thing I should point out about this expedition is that in my earlier post I had noted that Hansen was attempting to make a solo speed record attempt. There doesn't appear to be anything that I would call "solo" in this, at least not so far. Not only does he have a support team, there are a few other paddlers with him at the moment. Perhaps once he's on the Amazon itself, and not the tributaries, he'll be alone, but for now West has plenty of company.

Follow the updates at AmazonExpress2012.com.

British adventurer Dave Cornthwaite has launched the next leg of his Expedition 1000 project which has him undertaking 25 separate journeys of at least 1000 miles (1609km) in length without the use of motorized transportation of any kind. Past adventures have includes a 3638 mile (5854 km) crossing of Australia on a skateboard and a 2404 mile (3868 km) journey down the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard. Dave's latest challenge is a 1000 mile swim down the Missouri River.

The Swim 1000, as Dave is calling his little dip in the river, got underway last Friday when he dove into the Missouri for the first time near Chamberlain, South Dakota. He'll now proceed down stream to St. Louis, Missouri at a pace of roughly 20 miles a day. That means that he expects to complete the swim in approximately 50 days or about the end of September.

Originally Dave had planned to make this journey a solo effort, pulling a raft with his gear and supplies behind him as he went. But he managed to convince several friends to join him on the expedition and now it is a complete river caravan making its way down river toward St. Louis. Dave is the only member of the group who is swimming the entire length, while others will stand-up paddleboard or use a canoe to cover the 1000 mile stretch of the Missouri. Updates are already being posted to the expedition blog, including audio dispatches, and Dave's Twitter feed has some great images for the river as well.

Being a generous sort of fellow, Dave is always trying to uses his adventures to raise funds for charity. In this case, he is hoping to generate £100,000 ($157,000) for CoppaFeel, an organization dedicated to educating women about the importance of early detection of breast cancer in an effort to stamp out that awful disease.

Good luck to Dave and the entire crew. Have fun on the water and stay safe out there.