Bond…Annabelle Bond Climbs Seven Summits

by Erik Olsen on

In a sport largely dominated by alpha males, a (ahem, very attractive) young blond named Annabelle Bond has become the fastest woman to complete the seven summits, the tallest mountains on all seven continents…all of which she did in less than a year. This was the fastest time ever for a woman, and the fourth fastest for men and women. She hit peaks in Nepal, Tanzania, Argentina, Alaska, Antarctica, Australia and Russia.

Bond is the daughter of banking magnate Sir John Bond, the head of HSBC, and up to now has been called the Bridget Jones of mountaineering, a somewhat derisive nickname that she will likely shed with the accomplishment.

And as you can see by the picture, and the photos on her site, there will likely be many an endorsement now waiting for her.

Land Divers of Vanuatu

by Erik Olsen on

All cultures have their ceremonies for the right of passage of boys to men. In Vanautu, for boys to become men, they
must leap off of tall towers with nothing but a vine tied around their ankles. They are called the Land Divers of
Vanuatu, and they are probably humankind’s first bungee jumpers.

ABC News’ Mike Lee did this piece a while back
about the famous Land Divers that is quite interesting. The tradition of land diving dates back centuries. The idea is
to jump from as high as possible, and to land as close to the ground as possible. Could this be the newest adventure
sport?

Taking on Tenerife

by Erik Olsen on

Spain kicks ass. It is without a doubt one of the most historically rich and intriguing countries in Europe, perhaps
the world. And there are so many places to explore in Spain that once you get away from the big cities, you find a
countrywith much more diversity than first meets the eye.

So in the spirit of great places in Spain, I want to post

about this article on the town of Tenerife. Tenerife has a reputation as a kind of dirty beach town, but if you
venture outside, or north across La Columna Dorsal, the nearby mountains, you find will encounter lush countryside,
volcanoes, and smart little towns like La
Orotava. I lived in Spain for a little while, and have to say I never went to Tenerife, but after reading this
piece, I felt like I missed something.

Far Flung Magazine

by Erik Olsen on

A gadling tipster sent us this link to a new online travel mag called
Far Flung, so I decided to take a look. I like what I
see.

The new online magazine goes after the adventure travel folks with articles on
kayaking Alaska and
fishing Mongolia, but also adds a dose of
sophistication with articles like this one by Alain de Botton on Zurich. A flash
photo slide show features several beautiful shots
by photographer Ben Moon.

They take submissions, so dust off that travel piece
you’ve kept in the recesses of your hard drive and send it in.

Isle of Where?

by Erik Olsen on

A cool little feature over at MSNBC about the ten islands you’ve
never heard of. And you know what? They’re right. Isla Bastimentos in Panama? Never heard of it. Mexico’s Isla Holbox?
Huh? Holbox? That doesn’t sound Mexican. Ilha Grande in Brazil…ah, now there’s one I know.

Anyway, lots of details including how to get there, what to do, yadda yadda yadda. At the very least give the list a
look and see if you recognize any of them.