For those that are not aware of yet, Jordan Romero, along with his father Paul and Karen Lundgren departed last week to begin their journey to summit the Earth’s highest point, Mt. Everest. Of course, as many of you do know…it is by no means a ‘week long’ excursion. There journey began when they left the US en route to their final destination. This took them through Hong Kong and onto Kathmandu. From there, they had to load all of their gear onto vehicles and begin a 5-day drive to the Chinese border where according to Facebook posts from Jordan, they will have to unload all of their gear and reload onto other vehicles to continue the drive to Tibet. The most popular route for climbers is from the Nepalese side. However, the Nepalese government maintains an age restriction on climbing the mountain. The Chinese government does not.

Over the last year with the Everest expedition looming closer, there has been a lot of controversy about his age and his quest to climb Everest. There have been numerous other young people attempting feats that will set them apart from their peers. I think one has to look at each individual and consider each separately. Yes, there are risks with climbing Everest as there are risks in getting into one’s car daily. We have been posting updates and doing interviews with Jordan Romero since our inception in 2008. I have met him on numerous occasions and I have been witness to a young man as opposed to what I consider a typical teenager. I have twin nephews that are his age and they are by no means as mature as Jordan.

We wanted to give Jordan and Paul an opportunity to discuss with us their impending expedition and caught up with them while they were in Hong Kong prior to continuing on to Nepal. Take the time to read their answers below.

What have you been doing to prepare for this expedition? Long-term? Short term?

The lifestyle facilitates pretty solid preparation, and continues to inspire these adventures. At our place it’s eat/breathe/sleep adventures. Big Bear continues to be our base of operations, and coming off the winter of all winters, where this year we lived amongst enormous amounts of snow and winter/arctic blasts… well, it was good preparation for a Himalayan Expedition, to be living a pretty knarly winter is to stay in the good mindset of being in the elements and being on snow and ice.. We just had a solid good rotation of all the usual winter recreation, xC skiing, snowshoe, alpine skiing and heaps of backcountry trekking. Jordan has been on independent study which has allowed him to do marathon weeks of skiing, most often 10-14 hour days non stop, he and his buddies are nuts. So that is pretty good conditioning.

In the short term, we also took a pretty calculated approach to Everest expedition. We shifted from our usual ultra endurance style training, to a strong emphasis on core and power. New regimen in the gym, with plyometric and circuit training. We watched Jordan go from being a strong kid, to ‘adult strong’ in just weeks. He thoroughly enjoys it, additionally, we’ve got a new focus on the importance of the sports lab, and in depth analysis of lactic and mvo2 values. My only regret is not discovering the importance of this earlier, and now we have an amazing facility in Big Bear just meters from our base camp in Big Bear.

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The March numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.

Presented By:

April 9, 2010

TEAM NAME/ POINTS
1. HoustonAdventureRacing.com/Hammer Nutrition 105.00
2. Trakkers 97.00
3. Berlin Bike 95.00
4. HFAR Knights (of Ni) 82.00
5. Eastern Mountain Sports 69.00
6. Werewolves of Austin 67.00
7. ARMD (Adventure Racing Maryland) 61.00
8. iM.O.A.T. 55.00
9. Vignette 44.00
10. Team Kuat 44.00

By Ron Zadroga

On April 10, the 13th edition of the Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race began with 77 of the 79 registered teams. It was a perfect day starting at 32 degrees with frost on the ground, and rising to the low 70’s – sunny and clear all day. The unusual start put one of the three team-members on a bicycle (6.7 miles) in a North Carolina cow pasture where the three states of GA, NC, and TN come together. A second began in a canoe (3.7 miles) in Georgia. The third began on foot (3.4 miles) from a Tennessee location. All three racers joined up at CP1, which was ultimately the finish line. The best strategy for this prologue section was to use individual strengths to have all three team-members arrive at CP1 as close to the same time as possible. Leaving from there, the team began a 9.5-mile paddle plus a ¾ mile portage to the bike staging area. The race course led the teams into three states, two rivers, a lake, and two national forests.

CP3 on the canoe route proved to be elusive – only 30 of the teams, including the top 10, were able to find it. And by the way, CP3 was the exact same location as one of the CP’s in the 2008 USARA National Championship event, where every team found it, also by canoe. From there, things heated up. CP’s 5 through 10 of this rogaine-style race challenged the thinking and creativity of the teams. Every imaginable route was selected by various teams. Some rode bikes, some hike-a-biked, some dropped their bikes and went on foot. There seemed to be no end to the order in which CP’s were retrieved, routes selected, and mode of transportation utilized. Keeping their bikes with them, even when on foot, proved to be the better choice, as roads and trails appeared that were not on the map. The shortest distance between points was not always a straight line. Teams were required to stay together as a team. On numerous occasions at remote locations, one member would set off alone to retrieve a CP only to unexpectedly find a volunteer who was there to keep them honest. They would then silently retreat to gather their team and return to punch their passport. Continue Reading

Untamed Switzerland results are final now at http://www.untamedadventure.com/SwissLive.aspx (Staffan Kallback (1st), iRule (2nd), Pilatus Aircraft (3rd)).

Commentary on Stage 3:

Huddled into the public restroom at the tiny train station at the top of the pass, teams quickly put on their hats, gloves, and jackets — indeed, any and all warm clothing — while the Race Director ran through the final pre-Stage briefing. The Bernina Pass, one of Europe’s highest and most weather-beaten mountain passes, set the backdrop for the final Stage of 2010 Untamed Switzerland. The bright sunshine had fooled racers during the train ride up to the 2,330 meter summit; while it looked mild outside, the actual temperatures were well below freezing and a frigid wind howled through the Bernina Alps. Snow and ice were everywhere [pic attached shows the icy landscape and racer Maya Meyer early in Stage 4]. One step off the train, and the racers realized their error and so a rush into the heated restroom ensued!

Teams were briefed on the specific avalanche slopes to avoid, water sources along the route, and notified about the generally good weather forecast for the day. Their tracking beacons were turned on and then racers filed out of the restroom and into the morning cold. Stage 3 had begun.

The sunlight was blinding, and so was the early pace led by the 2009 winner Christian Schneider. Staffan Kallback, this year’s leader, and 2nd place team iRule, were just steps behind. A start at the top of the Bernina Pass means a huge descent to begin the day, and teams took every opportunity to use gravity to their advantage. Racers improvised sleds from jackets or just slid down on their bottoms, quite literally flying down the snowy slopes of the pass; 4th place competitor Jeff Grant stated after the stage that “an absolute highlight for me was sledding down from the heights of the Bernina Pass just on my map case.” One racer, Maya Meyer, asked too much of her map case and shredded it along with the contents while riding down a particularly long pitch — she was forced to team-up with Chris Roberts, who had a sturdier map case that survived the sliding and agreed to share his 3rd Stage with her. (see image below)
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Last weekend’s Folsom Sprint Adventure Race officially kicked off the Big Blue Adventure race season. There was a good showing of new and seasoned adventure racers ready to ride, run, kayak and have a good time at Folsom Lake’s Granite Bay.

Chris Freeman and Matt Sheehy of team Taintastictook first overall. However, it was the battle for second and third where the drama seemed to occur. The following is a recount of the battle told by Brian Schmitz of the Dirty Avocados. For more information about the event and other Big Blue Adventure races visit our website www.bigblueadventure.com

The Dirty Avocados came to the Big Blue Folsom Lake Sprint Adventure Race expecting a super opportunity to work on some teamwork and have some fast fun. What resulted was a knockdown, drag out fight to the finish for a podium spot!

We were actually 2 teams of 2 (Adam Doti and Brian Schmitz; Adam Armijo and Andrew Crisp) that agreed to work and stay together in order get some quality time as a larger team. The race was held at Folsom Lake California, a super fun and super fast place to run and ride. The lake is also fun, as it can dole out conditions that rival the Pacific!

Minutes before the start we were issued a map and simple instructions. We learned that we had a super quick beach run to break-up the pack; then some more running in between some mountain biking; and finally some paddling.

The start was blazing fast, as usual. We made our way through the scrum and mounted our bikes. As we quickly blazed through the super fast and swoopy Folsom Lake trails, we eventually dropped our bikes at the first transition area and traded our bikes for running shoes.
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Beautiful weather really highlighted the region to the fullest yesterday at stage 2 of Untamed Switzerland!

Attached is the elevation profile, and the overview map showing Stage 2 particulars.

The course was a loop but could be attacked in any order and so racers split between clockwise/counter-clockwise efforts. Slower racers short-circuited the loop at various places. Everyone was treated to amazing views of the Scuol region and the “Swiss Dolomites” as they’re called; with several hours spent racing above treeline today, the views were storybook and one race, Jeff Grant (Hillseeker Fitness), said he had tears of joy at the majestic scenery. (Click on images below for a larger view)

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Untamed Switzerland is well underway and Grant Killian has sent in this race update from Day 1:

Below are an elevation profile and an overview map showing the checkpoints from Stage 1. This is a “score” event where every checkpoint is worth 1 pt UNLESS the overview map shows them with a higher point value; for example, there is one “3″ point checkpoint and two “2″ point checkpoints on this stage, otherwise the points are worth 1 point. Pics and some video are on Flickr (or will be very shortly).

Top 3 from Stage 1:

Racer/Team - Stage 1 Points
Staffan Kallback (Sweden)- 23
iRule (USA)- 23
Pilatus Aircraft (Switzerland/South Africa)- 23

Stage 1 Report:
Untamed Switzerland Stage 1 got off to a beautiful start on Friday, with a conspiracy of bright sunshine and warm weather making for very mild racing conditions. The lower elevation areas on the course had little or no snow, instead offering mud and slush for the racers to contend with. Higher up in the Alps, however, was a different story as teams were forced to switch to snowshoes after sinking waist deep in the spring snow. The scenery was fantastic, with storybook panoramas and stunning views in just about every direction.

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Adventure World was privy to an early announcement from the staff at Frontier Adventure Sports & Training that there will be a 2010 Raid The North Extreme and it will be held in the Kootenay Rockies of British Columbia. We got wind of this last night and just got the official press release. Team Adventure World Magazine is now making plans to make our trip to BC in September.

BC’S KOOTENAY ROCKIES TO HOST INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITION RACE

BC’s Kootenay Rockies has been selected as the destination for the 2010 edition of the internationally acclaimed expedition race Raid the North Extreme, to be held September 4-12, 2010. The event is organized by Frontier Adventure Sports & Training Inc (Frontier), Canada’s premier adventure racing company.

Frontier first hosted Raid the North Extreme (RTNX) in 1999, and it is now one of the world’s most recognized expedition-length adventure races. Renowned for its focus on real wilderness, real navigation, and real adventure, RTNX is a traditional wilderness adventure race. Over 6 days, co-ed teams of four will navigate a 500km+ expedition over an unmarked route by canoe, kayak, mountain bike, fixed ropes, and on foot.

“It’s hard to imagine a better place for a wilderness expedition race than the Kootenay Rockies,” said Geoff Langford, RTNX Race Director. A pristine region of rivers, lakes and waterfalls; alpine meadows and jagged snow-capped mountains; beaches and hot springs, the Kootenays grabs at the adventurer’s soul.

The Kootenays are world-renowned for unbeatable mountain biking trails, including Rossland’s Seven Summits Trail, named one of IMBA’s Epic Trails. And of BC’s seven national parks, four are in the Kootenays.

For thousands of years, this area was home to the Kootenai First Nations, who were recognized for their incredible paddling skills, as they travelled the region by water. In the mid-1800’s, the Gold Rush changed the Kootenays forever, and has left a legacy and history of the spirit of exploration.

Raid the North Extreme is about more than a challenging wilderness expedition; the race has always served as a platform to highlight the host region’s history, character, and First Nations communities. The rich mining and pioneer spirit of the area will capture the imagination of racers as they experience dormant volcanoes, abandoned railway trestles and tunnels, old mining claim access trails, and ghost towns.

And of course, racers will never be alone with the abundant wildlife of the area, as plentiful populations of eagles, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, and bears make the area home.

“We’re very pleased that RTNX will take place in the Kootenays this year” stated Kevin Jolly, Chair of the Lower Columbia Community Development team (LCCDT). “It’s a great opportunity to showcase and position the region as a great place to live, work and play to outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world” stated Jolly.
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The 2010 Yukon River Quest had 65 teams fully registered as of April 1, and the push is on to fill all 100 available team slots before the April 15 registration deadline.

There is still room in the solo classes (up to a 30-team solo limit), as well as all other classes. The complete breakdown of teams as of April 1 was as follows: 5 solo canoes (C1), 18 solo kayaks (K1), 18 tandem canoes (C2), 15 tandem kayaks (K2), and 7 voyageur canoes (VC). Another five teams were in the process of registering this past weekend, and many more are expected over the next 10 days.

So far, eight nationalities are represented in the 2010 field: Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Organizers hope to meet or surpass last year’s total of entries. In 2009 registrations surpassed 85, and 73 teams actually started the race. The year before, in 2008, the 100-team registration limit was hit and a record 89 teams started the event. Typically about 10 teams withdraw before the start of the event, but so far none have withdrawn entries for the 2010 race.

Registration information and online entry forms are available via a link on the race website:www.yukonriverquest.com. The 12th annual “Race to the Midnight Sun” begins on June 30 in Whitehorse. Except for two mandatory rest stops totaling just 10 hours, teams will race round-the-clock 740 kilometres (460 miles) to the finish line in historic Dawson City, making it the toughest paddling marathon in the world. The event concludes July 4.

In other YRQ news:
• A Yukon River Quest fundraiser will be held on the evening of April 24 at the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse. There will be live music, race videos, and a silent auction. If you are interested in donating items for the silent auction, please call Joanie Pelletier at 867-668-4175.

• The YRQ has also embarked on its annual bib campaign. Businesses may have their names on a solo paddler ($250), a tandem team ($400), or an entire voyageur team ($700) in this year’s race. For more information, visit the race website and download a Bib Sponsorship Form.

Via press release

Photos courtesy of Harry Kern, YRQ

Queenstown ace mountain biker Mark Williams successfully defended his title at the 2010 New World Tour de Wakatipu on Saturday (April 3) completing the 45km course in 1hour 41.52mins to set the fastest time over the 840 strong field.

Williams says he was pleased to take the title again, which he achieved, even after taking a wrong turn on the course. “I ended up in someone’s orchard off Slopehill Road but fortunately a few of the other elite riders followed me as well. It was a great event again, taking us on some awesome trails and it was exciting to have Wanaka warbirds flying above us during some of the race.”

The majority of competitors entered in the 36km recreational event starting at Millbrook Resort following the Wakatipu Trails Trust trail through Millbrook West to Speargrass Flat Road. From there the course led over Slopehill Road to a single track alongside the Shotover River and across the restored Lower Shotover Bridge. Off the bridge a very tight track led on to the wide gravel roads of the Shotover Delta, followed by 300metres of single track along the banks of the Kawarau River.

The next stage rode through Remarkables Park, on to the state highway and across the Kawarau Bridge, followed by another short section of state highway to the privately owned Kawarau River road on Coneburn Station, finishing at Chard Farm vineyard.

Sport and elite riders completed a circuit on the Lake Hayes track taking their event to 45kms.

Williams made a race of it with James Olvanhill (Alexandra) who crossed the line in second place in 1.44.36 while the fastest women overall was Ruth Lee (Moa Flat) riding in the elite open division to clock a creditable 1.53.25. Tim Rush 19 (Oamaru) was the quickest junior over the field winning the elite junior title in 1.55.10.
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Starting this Friday April 9th, the Graubünden Alps will be the setting for the 2010 edition of the 3-Day Untamed Switzerland race. A select field of competitors (only those with significant endurance and/or wilderness navigation experience are accepted) will snowshoe, run, and orienteer through some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. The race is divided into 3 secret stages, highlighting 3 different regions of this Swiss Alpine environment. Racers will confront sections of deep snow and exposed high alpine terrain, along with dense forests and staggering elevation changes. Common to each stage is the fact that racers must find their own routes to/from race checkpoints using only map and compass — there are no marked routes and no GPS navigation aids permitted — making this a formidable mental as well as physical challenge. Each stage is 9 hours in duration and racers earn points for every checkpoint they visit; over the three days the competitor with the cumulative highest point total will be declared the winner, with any ties being settled by who spends the shortest amount of time on the course. This race will be won by a combination of speed and navigation skill.

We’re offering Adventure World Mag an exclusive first look at the 2010 Untamed Switzerland Alpine Stage Race . . .

I should begin by explaining that all 3 Stages will have racers working from 1:25,000 scale Swiss topographic maps; these are updated and revised frequently and even details such as individual buildings are represented in fine detail; these maps are the best of their kind, truly excellent. The course for each Stage has a maximum distance of 35 km, but since racers pick and choose which checkpoints they visit, every racer can have a their own actual distance — and if competitors get lost, they can quickly tack on extra kilometers trying to relocate themselves. Continue Reading

TECH4O® NAMED OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF CHECKPOINT TRACKER ADVENTURE RACING

TraiLeader Line Ideally Suited For Adventure Racing

Checkpoint Zero, LLC announced today that Tech4o will sponsor the Checkpoint Tracker Adventure Racing Series, the largest competitive adventure racing series in the United States, and the Checkpoint Tracker National Championship which is set for October 29th at an as-yet-unannounced venue in the Rocky Mountain region. Tech4o manufactures performance watches for a variety of outdoor activities.

“We’re very excited to have the support of Tech4o as we continue working to introduce competitive adventure racing to outdoor enthusiasts,” said Paul Angell, President of Checkpoint Zero. “Their TraiLeader line is ideally suited to adventure racing. Having a compass, altimeter, barometer and accelerometer strapped to your wrist will offer racers of all skill levels a distinct advantage in terms of navigation and keeping an eye on the weather while racing.”

Checkpoint Tracker is the largest national competitive adventure racing series in the United States. It is comprised of over 80 events ranging from Sprint length races lasting just a few hours to Expeditions that run non-stop for several days. Racers and Teams create free profiles at CheckpointTracker.com and compete in participating events to earn points that contribute towards their national ranking. Top ranked teams in each of the five Checkpoint Tracker divisions (Solo, 2 Person Coed, 2 Person Open, Open Elite and Coed Elite) will be invited to compete in the inaugural Checkpoint Tracker National Championship.

“Checkpoint Tracker represents the future of competitive adventure racing in the United States and we’re very happy to be able to support their continued growth,” said Linda Grebe, product manager of Tech4o. “Their new website, national rankings system and the first-ever Checkpoint Tracker National Championship represent an infusion of new ideas and innovative leadership that makes this an exciting time for outdoor athletes to give adventure racing a try.”

Tech4o’s TraiLeader line of watches offer a feature set ready made for adventure racing. The built in compass, accelerometer and altimeter provide quick access to information critical to accurate land navigation, which is a core discipline of any adventure race. The barometer and thermometer provide insight into changing weather conditions which often play a role in route choice and safety considerations. The TraiLeader Jet packs these features and more into a stealthy black aesthetic that racers will be eager to display on and off the course. Those seeking a more rugged design will appreciate the TraiLeader 1, TraiLeader 2 and TraiLeader Pro.

Via Press Release

The Columbia Silver Ridge is an adventure-ready shirt designed for travel or trail. With vents and Omni-Dry® evaporation this long sleeve button-up can be used even on hot days. It is particularly useful as sun protection with a UPF 15 rating. When the mercury really rises the sleeves can be rolled up above the elbows and buttoned in place for a short-sleeve feel.

The Silver Ridge Stretch Shirt makes good on it’s name with 2-way comfort stretch material. This feature takes the stiffness out of the shirt and allows for more mobility when active. With the pockets and tech on this shirt it is ideal for travel in hot climates, hiking, or a long-day of fly-fishing in the sun.

$55 at Columbia.com

FEATURES:

• Fabric: 96% nylon/4% elastane High Gear Stretch Lite™
• Omni-Dry advanced evaporation
• Omni-Shade® UPF 15 sun protection
• 2-way comfort stretch
• Vented
• Roll-up sleeve
• Multi-functional storage pockets
• Imported

I was in contact with Paul Romero late yesterday as the family is on the eve of their departure towards the Tibetan side of Everest. Jordan and Paul Romero, along with Karen Lundgren, are departing tonight to begin their journey towards an attempt on Everest next month.

I am sure that all have heard of the 13-year-old’s quest to climb the world’s 7 Summits (8 counting Carstensz Pyramid). Jordan has already reached the summit of Denali (North America), Aconcagua (South America), Mt Elbrus (Europe), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt. Kosciuszko (Australia) and Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania).

There has been a bit of controversy over the recent onslaught on young adventurers setting out to accomplish dramatic feats.

We will have another piece on the young adventurer’s quest in the coming week bringing some relevance to this issue with answers from both Jordan and his father.

Stay tuned.

The 4th Black Hills Fat Tire Festival will be May 28-31 this year. The Festival in Rapid City, South Dakota centers around the Hanson Larson Memorial Park in the center of town.

The Festival has something for everyone. Group rides, races, a film festival, picnic, and a pub crawl.

The Races all take place on M Hill in the center of Rapid City. There will be a downhill, Super D, Sprint hill climb, X-country, and the Rapids triathlon (kayaking, running, and mountain biking).

There will be a 2 day ride on the Mickelson Trail. A Rails to Trails ride and 2 days on the Centennial Trail, wonderful singletrack.

There is also a 10k trail run.

Locals will be taking riders out on some of their favorite trails. You also can bring your Garmin GPS and download DIY rides. There will be full days of Freeriding for the big hit riders.

The film festival Saturday features the best of local filmmakers and The Anthill film “Follow Me” Friday the Elks Theater will be showing “Women of Dirt”

The Xxtra Mile LLC, a women’s and girls’ active lifestyle company founded in 2008, has added the Danskin Triathlon Series to its’ 2010 roster of properties, it was announced today. The long-running and highly successful Danskin Series, built by Xxtra Mile partner Maggie Sullivan, joins the Trek Women Triathlon Series as the newest Xxtra Mile property. The two Series are the sports only major women’s triathlon Series created by women, run by women, exclusively for women.

The Trek Women Triathlon Series, in its second year, is currently scheduled for eight U.S. markets in 2010, while the Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series is slated for six races in 2010, although that number is expected to increase.

“We are thrilled to have both the Trek Women Triathlon Series and now “the Danskin” as Xxtra Mile properties,” said Maggie Sullivan. “Each Series will have its unique dimensions, but each has women and girls as its sole focus and both are about much more than ‘doing a race.’ They are celebrations that encourage women to reach inside themselves, push the edges, and do so in a fun, supportive and non-intimidating environment.”

“Early registration for the second year Trek Series is ahead of last year, while several of our Danskin events are nearly closed out,” said Margie Pritchard, partner, The Xxtra Mile. Both the Trek Women and the Danskin Series are sprint triathlons consisting of a half-mile swim (.75 kilometer), 12.5 mile bicycle ride (20 kilometers) and 3.1 mile run/walk (6 kilometers). “Both events are for women of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and athletic ability,” added Pritchard. “It’s not always about winning, for many of our athletes ‘finishing is winning’.”

Sullivan-Led Danskin Series
Since its inception in 1990 through 2008, Maggie Sullivan, former VP Sports Marketing Director, served as the Series Director of the Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series and led the team which built “the Danskin” into the largest and longest running women’s sport Series in the world. Today, the Danskin Series is a fixture in women’s competitive and multi-sport events with more than 130 races and 250,000 participants since Sullivan started her work with the Series more than 20 years ago.
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When it comes to cooking systems trail aficionados look for weight savings, pack-ability,  and quick heating times. The Jetboil Flash gets high marks on all three.

Weight Savings: Jetboil has created an all-in-one cook system with the Jetboil Flash that includes everything needed for one person to eat, sans the utensil and food. (fuel sold separately). The system weighs under a pound and even after adding a small iso-butane/propane fuel canister it barely breaks the pound mark.

Pack-ability: When packed up the Flash is about the size of a toy football. It slides easily into a pack and includes the pot, stove, lid, cup, and stand.

Fast Heating Time: The heating system is efficient and keeps flames in a confined space. At lower altitudes the Flash heats up in around one minute. It has a unique color-changing heat indicator  on the side of the insulated sleeve that dresses the outside of the unit. This heat indicator turns orange when the temp inside the pot reaches boiling. No need to pull the lid off or scald your fingertips to test the water while waiting.

Nitpicks: In testing the ignitor during sub-freezing temps it took 2-5 clicks to ignite the flame. This was a minor inconvenience however and could sometimes be avoided by opening up the gas valve all the way and letting it run a bit longer before igniting.

The bottom line on the Jetboil Flash is that it is a complete personal cooking system with a “flashy” heat indicator that is sure to wow your buddies at camp. You’ll snap it together, and have dinner ready in just a few minutes as you watch jaws drop and plots to steal your Jetboil forming in the eyes of your mates.

$99.95 at Jetboil

Aluminum water bottles are all the craze these days. The BPA scare of 2008 sent people running for the hills from plastic bottles. Although the leading plastic bottle manufacturer, Nalgene, doesn’t make bottles with BPA any longer, many have shifted to aluminum and stayed there. Laken is at the forefront of that market and we got an opportunity to test the one liter version recently.

The first assumption many have about a “metal” bottle is that it will be heavier. As we see with aluminum cans however, metal can be light. This is true for the 1L Laken bottle as well. In fact it is lighter than it’s plastic cousins.

The second assumption one might make with an aluminum bottle is that liquids get hot. This is debatable. We tested the theory and when placed next to a plastic bottle in the sun for an hour they both felt warm to the touch. Ice cold liquids did “seem” to stay a bit colder a bit longer inside the aluminum bottle.

The slim design can cause the bottle to slip easily from a mesh backpack side pocket. We recommend clipping a biner into the slot on the top and clipping that into a pack strap to avoid dropping it when bending over. Be warned that aluminum bottles can scratch and dent easier than plastic. We have yet to puncture one though in all our testing. The wide mouth made it easy to get ice cubes inside and the bottle had no aftertaste.

$19 at Backcountry.com

Racers Can Take On a Full Shell or Half Shell in Race Cities Austin, Denver, Nashville, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle; First Ever Off Road Oyster Debuts in Colorado in 2010

Bringing the sport of adventure racing to urban landscapes nationwide for the seventh consecutive year, the Merrell Oyster Racing Series will kick off its 2010 schedule in Denver, Colo. on August 21st. Subsequent races will take place in Seattle, Wash. on August 28th, Portland, Oregon on September 18th, San Francisco, Calif. on September 25th, Austin, Texas on October 16th and Nashville, Tennessee on October 23rd. Billed as the “Ultimate Urban Adventure Race” for its uncanny ability to combine pure athleticism with thought-provoking strategy, the race requires each team to run-bike-paddle-climb and perform other crazy athletic stunts while racing around the city, answering clues and completing tasks. The majority of the races will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation granting wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich their hope, strength and joy. For the first time this year, the Merrell Oyster Racing Series will also go off-road in Glenwood Springs, Colo. on May 22nd. The Merrell Oyster Off-Road challenges teams of two to push the limits in one of nature’s pristine playgrounds. For more information, visit www.oysterracingseries.com.

“The Merrell Oyster Racing Series began in the pearl city of Denver in 2003 and the name originated from Rocky Mountain Oysters, a novelty dish in the West that includes a ‘special’ part of the bull,” said Jason Ornstein, vice president of adventure for the Merrell Oyster Racing Series. “This ball busting, all-day fun event was so well received it grew to other cities across the U.S. and today, we celebrate the race’s seventh anniversary. The Merrell Oyster Racing Series allows devoted outdoor athletes to combine athletic ability with smarts as their teams circumnavigate host cities, using a variety of modes of transportation and visiting area attractions and landmarks. Everyone crosses the finish line with a sweaty smile.”
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Not all travels to a tropical paradise have to be mellow, beach lounging, sun soaking, lazy days splashing in the surf all day and coconut shaped umbrella drinks all night.  Grant it, for some that might be just what the doctor ordered, but for others, some pulse raising, adrenaline pumping activities may provide the balance to a perfect adventure vacation. 

For those with the time and access to Central America look no further than Costa Rica for a fantastic combination of nature, relaxation, culture, cuisine, and neck-hair raising fun!

Costa Rica is roughly the size of West Virginia, about .03 % worth of the planet’s landmass.  Yet, this small country contains 5% of the planet’s biodiversity, and because of this roughly 25% of the land in Costa Rica is in the Protected Areas program, dotting the land with national parks, forests, and biological reserves.  With gorgeous mountains, active volcanoes, clear clean rivers, and pristine beaches, Costa Rica is the setting for the world’s largest and most unique outdoor playground! Continue Reading

Randy Ericksen, who brought brought us all of the PQ Badlands webisodes and the recently released
PQ Badlands DVD, has brought us some April Fools fun with this video on how to handle those zombie issues you may be having.

Great video.

Trail Events Catering to All Fitness Levels Planned for May 8 At Mission Trails Regional Park

Combine a beautiful mountain trail with hundreds of runners, and walkers, blend in a “scavenger hike” and youth obstacle course. This is a recipe for outdoor adventure that San Diego-based Project Athena will offer in three cities across the U.S. this year, with both competitive and non-competitive components in a one-day event. An emphasis will be placed on encouraging participation from women who are Survivors of serious medical setbacks, who will receive complimentary event registration.

The inaugural AKALI® Project Athena Racing Series will kick off Saturday, May 8, 2010 with the first of three national events in San Diego. This unique recreational series offers a variety of run/walk/adventure activities for all skill levels and age groups – 15K God/Goddess Race (trail run), 6K(ish) Athena Team Trek, and Merrell Mini Athena and Mini Zeus Kidz Challenge. Proceeds at each location will benefit the Project Athena Foundation. This fall, additional competitions will be held in Nashville, Tenn. in September and Raleigh, N.C. in October.
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