Off to Nagaland

One of the great aspects of travel is the experience of
discovery. The thrill of going some place that’s not overrun by tourists and having an authentic experience is one
of the best rushes in life. In this article, Gordon Janow
writes about just
such a place. He explores the more remote corners of the Indian sub-continent, often to places few Westerners have
ever been.

Nagaland is in India in a region bordered by Myanmar in the Indian states of Arunchal Pradesh and Assam. It is a
tribal area, jungly and rough where 15 Naga tribes call home.  The people here have two key skills: weaving shawls
and headhunting, a very diverse set of skills to be sure. Janow goes there to chec kit out.
Here’s the
story
. 

Calling Female Carpenters

Are you a female who can you hammer nails with the best of them? How are your igloo building skills?

The British Antarctic Survey may
have the
job
of your dreams.  The BAS, a scientific research organization, has
launched a recruitment drive to attract tradeswomen. They are in
search of all type of folks who can work with with hands including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, steel erectors,
chefs and boat handlers to work for 6-18 months at its five research stations on and around the Antarctic.

The starting salary is $34,640 plus an Antarctic allowance. Not bad, really. I mean, what are you going to buy there
anyway? That all goes to the bank.

Oh, and all walrus blubber, igloo accommodations and travel are paid for.

Running the Wonderland Trail – in 24 Hours

This is a great online video story for outdoors buffs.

The Wonderland Project is the name two friends gave their goal to run
the Wonderland Trail in Washington. The trail circumnavigates Mt. Rainier, and the goal was to run it in a single 24
hour period. Of course, it stands to reason that the two guys doing it happen to be ultramarathoners.

The two: Skye Thompson and Zac West have been trainging together for years, and the short film covers their grueling
race (face it…it can’t be easyy to run for 24 hour straight) from start to finish. Really superb. 

Everest Dispatches

It’s Everest time again, which means someone is paying
exhorbitant peak fees (in the $30,000 range as I understand it from a friend) and making the trek from basecamp to
the peak…and from there doing dispatches from atop the world’s tallest mountain. One of the best happening right
now is coming out of Great Outdoors.

Follow all the Everest action here
in these
dispatches
.

Aron Ralston

Climber, adventurer Aron Ralston, who cut off his own arm in an effort to save his life
talks to CNN about his ordeal. Of course you remember
Ralston? His story, as recounted in
Outside Magazine and then in
a

book
, is one of the most intense I’ve heard in years.

In fact, he’s even more amazing in that, as I blogged a
while
back, he also finished his goal of soloing all the 14ers in Colorado. An amazing dude.