New website promises travelers much better adventures

by Kraig Becker on

A new website calling itself Much Better Adventures launched recently with a unique approach to providing travelers with a new option for finding opportunities to explore adventure destinations across the globe. The site serves as a guide for travelers looking for first hand recommendations and ratings on local guide services and other businesses that also happen to use ethical practices in their approach to travel.

The website has compiled plenty of information to help you plan your next adventure travel experience, including options for how to get to your destination, whether it be by plane, train, or automobile. There is also helpful notes on how to travel in a more environmentally friendly way, which is especially nice for those concerned with limiting their carbon footprint on their journeys. Much Better Adventures also offers handy guides to destinations based on various activities, and their “Deals” section has money saving offers that everyone can appreciate. Visitors to the site are encouraged to join the growing community there and share their favorite local outfitters, inns, or guide services. The “Grapevine” portion of the site helps to spotlight new additions to the every growing database of user recommendations.

Active travelers will probably most enjoy the site’s option for searching the database to find the perfect adventure based on what it is you specifically want to do. You can select from such options as “Bike,” “Snow,” or “Rock+Ice,” amongst others. From there, you’ll be provided a few activity specific options, which then leads to the destinations best suited for the activity. Once you’ve decided on the activity you’re most interested in, you can then select the continent and country that you would like to explore in that manner. The country of choice is even broken down into sub-regions, which once selected will also provide the tour operators in that area that provide the adventure you’re looking for.

The site is still filling up with information, but there are already some great suggestions for travelers heading to nearly any part of the world. Perhaps you’ll find it to be a useful tool the next time you’re looking for a much better adventure of your own.


Another tourist season ends in Antarctica

by Jon Bowermaster on

Hopefully this will be my last update on the 2010-2011 Antarctic tourist season, which is winding down.

Upwards of 35,000 visitors have visited the Peninsula aboard more than 35 different ships. The majority left from Ushuaia, Argentina, and returned there without incident … with a couple notable exceptions … not bad statistics considering they were venturing into one of the more wild corners on the planet.

But each season those couple exceptions remind us just how treacherous the region can be, and just how remote. While tour operators don’t like to see press coverage of Antarctic accidents – tends to scare away potential business – I’m convinced that each accident is both wake-up call and educator for both the public and the industry.

A week ago a competently staffed, veteran icebreaker, “The Polar Star,” hit a rock off Detaille Island, several hundred miles down the Peninsula. Initial reports from the ship were that the incident was minor and a written report from the scene by expedition leader Kris Madden said that although there was a hole in the ship’s hull it was in “no immediate danger.”

But she went on: “It was pretty scary there for a few hours and looked like we would have to abandon ship. In all likelihood we will be transferred to a rescue ship in the area tonight.”Ultimately there was no midnight rescue and the “Polar Star” was able to motor to the South Shetland’s King George Island where – after completion of an underwater inspection — it was decided to offload its 80 passengers onto a trio of other tourist ships in the area. The ship, with crew and staff aboard, then motored across the Drake Passage back to Ushuaia. The rest of its Antarctic season has been canceled, suggesting the repairs will take some time.

Reporting-from-the-scene of these Antarctic incidents is always a bit sketchy. It’s far away, information passes through multi-channels, and the ship companies are not keen for the attention. What the “Polar Star” initially labeled a “breach” in the hull – a tear, a gash, a hole — caused by hitting an “uncharted” rock ultimately turned into something concerning enough that they felt safer offloading its passengers.

(It’s understandably hard to divine the extent of damage while at sea. I was on the scene when the “Explorer” sank off the tip of the Peninsula in November 2007 and the report from its crew was that ice had punched a “fist-sized” hole in the hull. A year later an exhaustive report stated it was more like a 10-foot long gash.)

One very good thing about the continued popularity of Antarctic tourism is that so far whenever one of these incidents has happened there have been other tourist ships within easy reach willing and happy to help.

When the “Clelia II” got in trouble in the Drake Passage in early December, for example – washed over by 35-40 foot waves — the “National Geographic Explorer” was able to change course, locate the disabled ship which had lost its communication system, “launch” it a satellite phone and standby while it recovered.

The aftermath of the “Clelia II”s experience – a railing broken off by the big seas was tossed through the bridge window and the subsequent flooding disabled its communications and forced it to slow its engines – hopefully gave pause to the entire industry.

While early reports from the South American press said the ship had lost an engine, the captain insisted he’d never lost control of the ship. Reports from the docks in Ushuaia after-the-fact suggest there was more damage to the boat than admitted at the time.

The “Clelia II” was not built for Antarctica. It is owned by one company (Helios Shipping, Paraeus, Greece) and its passengers booked by various travel companies (Travel Dynamics International, Overseas Adventure Travel, Wilderness Travel and others). As recently as a month before it went to Antarctica this past season it was doing “fall foliage” trips through the locks of the northern Great Lakes.

Prior to the December it had previous close calls. In September 2010 it lost power in one engine on its way to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and was grounded in calm waters; a year before, on December 26, 2009, it engine power and ran aground off Petermann Island on the Antarctic Peninsula.

The most disconcerting note about the “Clelia II” incident was sent me by “National Geographic Explorer” passenger Amy Gitnick who relayed what passengers were told by her expedition leader: “Apparently the ‘Clelia II’ has Iridium phones on a pre-paid plan and the plan ran out of minutes and so they needed another phone line to reactivate their account.”

Let’s be straight about this: The reason the “Explorer” risked its own 150 passengers and 100 crew in heavy seas mid-Drake Passage was because an Antarctic tourist ship loaded with its own passengers and crew had run out of minutes on its sat phone?

(I have three sat phones, which we use on expedition, and have been charging them and successfully subscribing to them for nearly 15 years.)

The experience of the “Clelia II” – which thankfully resulted only in some bruises for passengers, one injured crewman and some bad press – was, I believe, a wake-up call for Antarctic tourist operators.

For example, a new, 264-passenger luxury ship “Le Boreal,” which was to serve as Abercrombie & Kent’s Antarctic ship this season, canceled at least one planned trip to the Peninsula and spent weeks at the dock in Ushuaia fixing “wear and tear” (a little concerning given that the ship was only put in the water in June). Company spokesman said it had decided to cancel its trip to avoid the potential for problems arising in Antarctica.

If the company hadn’t seen those pictures of a disabled “Clelia II” getting hammered in the Drake I wonder if it might have been so reluctant, given that they were forced to refund a few hundred passengers.

Lindblad Expeditions, the most-veteran Antarctic tourist company, has been taking passengers to the Peninsula for more than 40 years. It provides cautionary words relevant to the “Clelia II’s” experience in its own sales tools.

In a 34-page downloadable brochure titled “6 Questions to Ask Before Choosing your Antarctic Travel Company” it recommends choosing an experienced captain and crew, a ship qualified ship for the conditions and a company that doesn’t just charter a ship but owns it.

(Regarding safety, as well as forward-scanning sonar, double-weather forecasting, an ice light and ice radar, the “National Geographic Explorer” carries, according to the literature, five satellite phones …which the masters of the “Clelia II” might note.)

The brochure is quietly critical of some of the company’s competitors: “More and more cruise lines have added Antarctica to their itineraries. And many tour operators, accustomed to voyaging in ‘tamer’ waters are leasing adventure ships to offer Antarctic voyages, too. Given the increasing numbers of reported ship mishaps in Antarctic waters, it is not hard to conclude too many guests and operators alike may be undertaking this too lightly.”

“We believe that having a ship you control, and a completely coordinated staff and crew is vital for safety reasons … A Cruise Director employed by a leasing travel company coordinating with a Captain and crew who work for a different owner simply cannot produce the teamwork that is the hallmark of our expeditions.”

Each season brings changes to the way tourist operations work along the Peninsula. There are new efforts underway to expand tourism onto the continent, by ship companies offering camping, climbing and diving options as part of their itineraries. To-date those have been considered off-limits for environmental and safety reasons. But demand is growing for the next new thing. Hopefully if those plans proceed there won’t be any operators who view the undertaking “too lightly.”

As of August 2011 new rules adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will prohibit boats carrying “heavy fuel” from visiting the Peninsula, which means the giant cruise boat traffic – the Princess Cruises, Regents Seven Seas and Crystal Cruises and others – will no longer be able to venture there.

The IMO is also putting pressure on for a mandatory polar code by 2012 that would regulate all ships operating in Arctic and Antarctic waters. The measure is aimed at preventing both tourist ship accidents and sinkings like that of the South Korean fishing trawler that went down in the Ross Sea last December. That crew was not as lucky as those aboard the “Polar Star” or the “Clelia II”; 23 fishermen drowned in the icy Southern Ocean.

Read more from Jon Bowermaster’s Adventures here.

Japanese call off whale hunting season — end of Whale Wars?

by Jon Bowermaster on

Despite the seemingly good news from the Southern Ocean – that Japanese whalers have stopped hunting – activists and governments alike are waiting on formal word that they have truly stopped for the season.

There is concern the “suspension” could be some kind of stalling tactic or publicity stunt.

From Australia, Environment Minister Tony Burke, admits to hearing conflicting reports. “At this point, we do not have any statement from the Japanese government to us confirming that this season of whaling is at an end.”

The Japanese Fisheries Agency is only saying that whaling operations have been “suspended” since February 10 “to ensure the safety of the crew.”

For the moment the Sea Shepherd‘s “Bob Barker” is still trailing the Japanese processing ship, the “Nisshin Maru,” on a meandering route that has led both ships away from whaling grounds.

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that this season the Japanese have taken very few whales, thanks largely to the constant harassment of the Shepherd’s. Traditionally the Fisheries Agency holds off until season’s end to announce exactly how many whales were taken in the name of science; this year’s goal was between 800 and 900. The best guess right now is that they’ve taken fewer than 100.Sea Shepherd spokesman Peter Hammarstedt, aboard the “Bob Barker,” explained the success the group has had this season: “Every day we prevent them from whaling we’re costing them millions of dollars in lost profit. And we speak the only language that these poachers understand, the language of profit and loss.”

Hammarstedt also reported that the Japanese ship had made a U-turn just before entering the Drake Passage, slowed and headed back to the west.

“The turnabout could mean one of two things,” said Hammarstedt. “First, they may be on a great circle route back to Japan, or second, they may be returning to the whaling grounds in the Ross Sea where the three Japanese harpoon vessels may be waiting to continue their illegal slaughter.”

From the Shepherd’s mother ship, the “Steve Irwin,” Captain Paul Watson was his typical bold self in reaction to the suspension of hunting: “The Japanese Fisheries Agency had no choice but to suspend whaling operations. Sea Shepherd had already enforced a suspension of operations by blocking all whaling operations since February 9th and blocking 75% of all whaling operations for the month of January. We will not allow the Japanese whalers to kill another whale down here in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.”

To celebrate its successes this season, Sea Shepherd’s website today announced a “10 percent off” sale on all its merchandise (beanies, hoodies, baby bibs, tank tops, tote bags and more) – a so-called “No Compromise Sale” – in gratitude to its loyal and growing list of supporters around the world.

[Flickr image via gsz]

A mid-season whale wars update from the Sea Shepherd

by Jon Bowermaster on

The Sea Shepherd’s Southern Ocean season – dubbed “Operation No Compromise” — is more than half over and reports so far it may be having its best season of protest ever.

How to measure? Very few whales taken by the Japanese whaling fleet and no ships sunk on either side. Yet.

Of course there’s been plenty of verbal slugging since the season began in December, as well as the tossing of some literal bamboo spears, by the Japanese!

Lead-Shepherd Captain Paul Watson accused the Japanese of making a false “Mayday” distress call from the Southern Ocean last Friday, claiming it was “under attack” by the anti-whalers.

Watson admits he and his gang had deployed its typical weaponry: prop foulers (wire ropes intended to damage engines), and a fair number of stink and paint bombs – resulting in the return fire of those bamboo spears — but that they were hardly close to ramming the Japanese whaling ship.

“They said they were in distress and we were standing by,” Watson told the AP. “The ‘Gojira’ [the Shepherd’s new attack ship, named after Godzilla] is right beside them and they refuse to answer our calls.”
Truth is, according to Watson, it was the Japanese ship “Yushin Maru No. 3” which nearly cut the “Gojira” in half, coming just 10 feet from its hull.

Given the remoteness of the battleground, for now all we have is the he-said/she-said issuances of the two fighters. But all will be made clear later in the year, since for the fourth consecutive season a film crew from Animal Planet is on board documenting the campaign for “Whale Wars.”

It would appear that this year’s campaign strategy has paid off. Utilizing thee ships, a helicopter and 88 crewmembers the Shepherd’s have successfully chased the Japanese whaling fleet over 5,000 miles. Early in the season they isolated and cut off its refueling vessel – the “Sun Laurel” – even while being harassed by two of the Japanese’ three harpoon boats – which have focused on trailing the Shepherd’s rather than hunting whales.

Watson checked in from port in New Zealand, where he’d taken the Shepherd’s lead ship, the “Steve Irwin,” for fuel and supplies. He is optimistic about the season, suggesting it may be “our most successful yet.”

“They have taken very close to zero (whales),” he says, hoping this may be the last season the Shepherd’s presence will be required off Antarctica, hoping its non-stop harassment will finally encourage the Japanese to give up its “scientific” hunt.

Where whaling commission edicts and international protest have failed, a combination of the seaborne fights, new Japanese tax laws, falling meat sales and having been caught running a whale-meat black market, may succeed in stopping whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Success has apparently been felt on the fundraising front as well, since the Shepherd’s have recently raised a giant electronic billboard in Times Square depicting a breaching whale about to be harpooned. It is the media savvy non-profit’s first stab at outdoor advertising.

Read more from Jon Bowermaster’s Adventures here.

[Flickr image via gsz]

The ten essentials of hiking and why you need them

by Kraig Becker on

Hikers and backpackers are no doubt already familiar with the “Ten Essentials”, which is a list of important items that we should always carry with us when heading out on to the trail. The list has had several iterations over the years, but the original can be traced back to a Seattle based outdoor club in the 1930’s. The club, known as the Mountaineers, came up with the list of items that were most important to our survival while in the backcountry and over the years it spread to other outdoor enthusiasts across the country. Since those humble beginnings, the list has grown to almost mythic status, and while times may have changed, it is still as relevant today as it was when it was first created.

Here are the ten items that everyone should carry with them on a hike of an significance.

Map
Navigation can be vitally important while in the wilderness and it is important, even in this day and age, that you have a good quality, and up to date, map with you when you hit the trail. Sure, a GPS can provide much of the same information, but any good outdoor enthusiast will tell you that you shouldn’t rely too much on those electronic devices. They can fail to get a signal under thick tree cover and when their batteries are dead, they are only useful as a paperweight for your map during a wind storm. It’s not enough to just carry a map with you however, you must also be able to read it properly too. That is an important skill that should be developed before heading too far off the beaten path.

Compass (or GPS)
Being able to use a compass is an important aspect of navigation as well and being able to use one properly goes hand in hand with being able to navigate with a map. A good compass is inexpensive, small and lightweight and could potentially be a life saver if you ever become lost in the woods. That said, this is the 21st century, and despite what I said about GPS devices above, they are certainly a worthy addition to your pack, provided you don’t become too reliant on the device and also know how to use one properly. For instance, you can learn to conserve battery life by using your map to navigate and simply switching on the GPS from time to time to check your direction and plot a course. Personally, I’d recommend having both with you, but given a choice, the good ol’ reliable compass is your best bet.
Sunglasses and Sunscreen
Sunglasses and sunscreen are important for staying healthy and comfortable on the trail and are useful in all seasons, including winter. While we all understand how important protection from the sun can be during the warm summer months, the reflection of the sun off the snow in the winter is just as hazardous. Sunglasses can help prevent snow blindness and protect the eyes from flying debris or errand tree branches. Sunscreen keeps the skin from being fried by the suns ultraviolet light, but remember to apply it well in advance, as it isn’t much good after you’ve already been scorched.

Extra Clothing
This is one of those items that most people tend to forget about, but once again it can be a potential life saver. Carrying extra layers can help protect against hypothermia and allow for some versatility should weather conditions change unexpectedly or some odd accident occur. For instance, you could be hiking along a river bank, slip and fall in, and suddenly find yourself soaked to the core. Depending on the weather conditions, and the distance you need to hike back to safety, extra clothing could quite literally be the difference between life and death. Many climbers caught on a mountain during a freak storm have learned this lesson the hard way while others have survived because the brought seemingly unnecessary gear with them on their trek.

First Aid Kit
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it is surprising the number of people who hit the trail without even some simple band aids in their daypack. Your personal medkit will likely vary depending on the length and nature of the hike, but it should have, at the minimum, the ability to treat simple cuts, abrasions, insect bites, and burns. I personally have several different first aid kits of varying sizes that slip into my pack on a moments notice when I’m heading out on an adventure that is more than a couple of hours in length.

Headlamp/Flashlight
Having a source of illumination may be the last thing on your mind when you start out on a hike in the bright morning sun. But once again, unforeseen consequences could prevent you from making it home before dark, and if that should happen, you’ll be glad you packed a light to help find the way. A headlamp works best as it leaves your hands free to help guide you along in the dark or to carry other things, but a flashlight will do nicely in a pinch as well. Modern lights are efficient, bright, and inexpensive. Add a small one to your pack and chances are you won’t even notice that it’s there, but you’ll be glad it is should the need arise.

Matches (or Lighter)
Depending on weather conditions, the ability to start a fire could potentially save your life. Bring either a set of matches or lighter along on your hike just in case. If you do bring matches, be sure they are either the waterproof variety or stored in a good waterproof container, lest become useless in a sudden rain storm. The ability to start a fire might not be just for warmth however, as it can be used to signal a search party as to you whereabouts should you become lost or injured in the backcountry.

Firestarter
Matches or a lighter are only part of the equation when it comes to building a fire, as you also need something that can help you quickly and easily ignite whatever it is you’re burning. Once a match is struck, the best firestarters will burn easily and for more than a few seconds, while providing plenty of heat to get things going. There are a number of good firestarters available, including dry tinder but one of the best that I recommend is a few cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. This is an easy, cheap, and very lightweight solution that also happens to be highly effective.

Knife/Multitool
A knife has always been an a very versatile tool to have with you on any extended hike. They can be used to shave wood for the fire, cut through cloth or rope, perform minor field surgery, or even slice the evening meal. Modern multitools, such as the Swiss Army Knife, can do all that and a lot more thanks to the fact that they often incorporate multiple blades, screw drivers, cork screws, scissors and more. Those tools can be used to repair gear on the go and offer more options for when those unexpected occurrences crop up once again.

Extra Food and Water
Finally, you should never head out on to the trail without bringing some extra food and water along with you. Even if it means simply throwing a couple of energy bars or an extra sandwich in your pack, you may be glad you have them should your day on the trail extend longer than expected. Hydration packs and good water bottles have made it easier than ever to bring plenty of water with us as well, but you may also consider packing some kind of water treatment option too. A bottle of iodine tablets can make most water drinkable, even if it doesn’t help the taste or a device like the Steripen Traveler, can be invaluable in this area too.

So there you have it it. The classic list of the ten things you shouldn’t leave home without on any hike. There are a few other recommendations that could be added, such as insect repellent or an emergency blanket, as well, but this is the list in its purest form, and the one that most hikers and backpackers follow when preparing for their next trek. Perhaps you’ll consider each of these items carefully before preparing for your next trek too.

What other “essentials” do you put into your pack?