Indonesian Digital News Archive

Over the past two months we've been following Dave Cornthwaite on the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project which he dubbed Swim 1000. That journey began in Chamberlain, South Dakota in early August where Dave plunged into the Missouri River and proceeded to swim down stream. This past Saturday he reached the finish line in the shadow of the famous Gateway Arch of St. Louis

Dave wasn't alone on his fantastic aquatic adventure and he'll be the first to tell you it wouldn't have been possible with out the help of his friends and support crew who followed along in kayaks and on stand-up paddleboards. They made the entire 1000 mile journey as well, which is certainly not to be overlooked in the amazing accomplishment of Dave's swim. Congratulations o the whole team on a job well done.

When he pulled himself out of the water in St. Louis on Saturday, Dave's official mileage total stood at 1005. That's an incredible distance to swim in such a relatively short time span and in order to keep up the pace he was consuming as much as 6000 calories per day. He also had to deal with high winds, the occasional storms and increasingly cooler temperatures.

Of course, the project wasn't just about taking a long swim in a muddy river. Dave and his team were also raising funds and awareness for Coppafeel, an organization dedicated to improving awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Definitely an important and worthy cause.

Dave will now take the remainder of the year for a much deserved rest while he plans his next adventures for 2013. He is also booking speaking engagements throughout the U.S. and if you're interested in having him speak in your area you can find out how to contact him here.

Well done mate! Hope you've enjoyed a few pints since finishing up!

Dave Cornthwaite's Swim1000 expedition is proceeding – dare I say it – swimmingly. (I think I just heard a million Internet groans. Sorry folks, couldn't resist!) The team is now on their 11th day on the water and making solid progress as they proceed for 1000 miles (1609km) down the Missouri River from Chamberlain, South Dakota to St. Louis, Missouri. Dave is swimming the entire distance of course, but he's joined by a number of close friends who are paddling (stand-up or canoe) along with him.

Judging from the updates that have been posted to the Swim1000 blog, it seems that everyone is enjoying their time on the river. Not only are they getting the opportunity to experience an aquatic adventure, they're also meeting interesting and friendly people along the way. I have to imagine that the expedition team gets a few looks as they pass by on the water as well. After all, it's not often that you see a troupe of stand-up paddlers and one swimmer, go past.

As I mentioned in my previous story on Swim1000, Dave and his friends are hoping to raise funds for the CoppaFeel organization, a non-profit that is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. A message they are spreading as they travel down river.

The video below gives you an idea of what Dave and the rest of his motley crew are up to on the Missouri. If you live along the river, keep an eye out for them. They expect to be out there for another 40 days or so.

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.

Two of my friends from Down Under have launched a pair of new online magazines that will likely be of interest to outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Both e-zines cater to the Southern Hemisphere, but fans of paddling and climbing will likely find them to be a great resource no matter where you live.

The first of these magazines is called Paddlemag and it is dedicated to all kinds of waterborne adventures. Whether you paddle a long sea kayak, a nimble whitewater boat, a canoe or a stand-up board, you'll find something to love here. With great photos, fantastic profiles (they have one of Freya Hoffmeister here) and awesome trip reports the e-zine promises to be a source of inspiration to paddlers everywhere.

The other new online magazine is called Vertical Life, and as the name implies it focuses squarely on rock climbing. VL hopes to be a great source of news, reviews and insights on the climbing scene and like it's sister publication, the e-zine will feature plenty of images and stories from the field.

The first two issues of both magazines are available for free and they are packed wit great content. I've been checking them out on my new iPad and with the Retina Display the photos look fantastic. Check them both out and I don't think you'll be disappointed. The Fall Issue (remember this is the Southern Hemisphere) of Vertical Life can be found by clicking here and for Paddlemag click here.