Meet the 2012 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year

by Kraig Becker on

On Monday of this week, National Geographic announced their list of the 2012 Adventurers of the Year, bestowing the honor on eleven men and women who have pushed the envelope in their particular fields over the past 12 months. This year’s group includes mountaineers, a professional surfer, a long distance hiker, a mountain biker, and more.

Several of the names on the list will certainly be familiar to Gadling readers. For instance, we told you about Jennifer Pharr Davis when she set her new speed record on the Appalachian Trail a few months back and we took note of climber Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner when she summited K2 in August, ending her quest to become the first woman to climb the highest peaks in the world without the use of supplemental oxygen. We even told you about Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa and Sano Babu Sunuwar, the two men who paraglided off the summit of Everest last spring. Others earning Adventurer of the Year status include mountaineer Cory Richards, who became the first person to climb Gasherbrum II in the winter and snowboarder Travis Rice, who rode some of the toughest mountains in the world, in style no less. To view the entire list of winners and read more about their exploits, click here.

With the announcement of these recipients, Nat Geo has also opened an online poll that allows you and I to weigh in on who we think deserves the most recognition for their accomplishments this past year. Readers are encouraged to vote everyday until the poll closes on January 18, 2012. Then, in February, they’ll announce the winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year Award as well. Click here to cast your vote for your favorite adventurer.

Finally, to catch these men and women in action, check out the online photo gallery that National Geographic has put together to highlight their selections. Not only are they fantastic photos, they also capture the winners in their natural habitats, namely mountains, oceans, forests, and so on.

Congratulations to all the winners.

[Photo courtesy of Cory Richards]

Explorer to make back-to-back journey to North and South Pole

by Kraig Becker on

British adventurer Mark Wood is currently in Punta Arenas, Chile where he is preparing to start an epic journey. If all goes as planned, later this week, Mark will fly to the Antarctic, where he’ll begin a four-month odyssey that will take him to both the North and South Poles back-toback. While he certainly won’t be the first person to visit those two remote places, he does hope to become the first to make consecutive journeys to the opposite ends of the Earth.

Weather permitting, the first stage of the expedition will begin on Wednesday, when Wood will start his solo and unassisted trek to the South Pole. That leg of the journey is expected to take roughly 50 days to complete and will cover approximately 680 miles of ice and snow. Upon arriving at his destination, Wood will be picked up by plane and shuttled back to Chile, where he’ll immediately set off for Canada to start the second stage of the expedition. That will entail crossing another 700 miles of ice, over an estimated 65 day period, culminating with his arrival at the North Pole. If he is successful, he’ll then be plucked from the ice once again, and flown directly to an environmental conference that will focus on the effects of climate change.

In order to reach the two Poles, Wood will travel on skis, dragging a sled behind him. That sled will be weighted down with his gear, food, and other supplies, enabling him to survive for weeks on end, by himself, without any outside assistance. While on the trail, he’ll burn in excess of 8000 calories per day, enduring bitterly cold temperatures, whiteout conditions, and treacherous terrain.
Wood is making this journey to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on our planet and he is asking for support from others to help him achieve his goal. But rather than looking for monetary donations, Mark is instead asking for others to pledge to do some simple environmental actions that will cumulatively amount to a savings 100,000 kilograms of CO2. You can find out more about this program, and pledge your support, on the expedition’s DoNation page.

It will be a tremendous display of strength and endurance if Wood is able to pull this off. Spending 115 nearly-consecutive days in polar environments, alone no less, will take its toll on anyone. Additionally, the changes to our planet have made it increasingly more difficult to travel by foot to the North Pole, so he’ll have to have a bit of luck on his side for that to happen as well. Still, you have to applaud his ambitions and wish him the best along the way.

[Photo courtesy of Mark Wood]


Android powered ski goggles deliver high tech fun to the slopes

by Kraig Becker on

There is no doubt that we live in an increasingly connected world. Mobile Internet access, social networking, and the continued proliferation of smartphones, now keep us in constant contact no matter where we go. Now, that connection is about to extend to the ski slopes, thanks to a new high tech display system that is integrated right inside our ski goggles.

Recon Instruments has just released their MOD and MOD Live systems, which are designed to fit into any Recon Ready goggles, which are available from a variety of manufacturers. The Micro-Optics Displays (MOD) provide skiers and snowboarders with a wealth of information while they’re on the mountain, while simultaneously recording a plethora of data as well. For instance, the MOD system keeps track of speed, altitude, distance traveled, temperature, location, and so on. All of that data can be displayed on the tiny screen, and is available right at your fingertips.

The basic MOD functionality is quite cool, even if it isn’t necessarily something new. But where Recon Instruments is really raising the bar is with their MOD Live system. This product contains everything you find in the basic MOD, but adds on-board navigation, an option for tracking the location of your buddies on the mountain, and even a list of points of interest at the ski resort itself. The Live system is powered by Android and connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone as well, allowing text messages and caller ID to be displayed on the screen, along with track information from the music that you are listening to.

The fun doesn’t end there either. After you’ve finished up on the slopes, you can go home and upload all the data to your computer, then post your results on Recon’s HQ Online community. You’ll also be able to add photos and video and brag about your day through Facebook and Twitter.

I had the chance to put a pair of these goggles on at the Outdoor Retailer show this past August, and thought that they were a lot of fun. The display is easy to read and the amount of information available was pretty amazing. I imagine these could be a big hit for skiers and snowboarders who spend a lot of time on the slopes. They look like they are a lot of fun and super convenient as well.

The MOD and MOD Live are available now with a price tag of $299 and $399 respectively.


Recon Instruments Fall 2011 Product Lineup from Recon Instruments on Vimeo.

Ski season opens at Mammoth Mountain this week!

by Kraig Becker on

While skiers and snowboarders in Colorado have already been on the slopes for a few weeks, their counterparts in California have been forced to patiently wait for their turn to come. Their patience is about to be rewarded however, as Mammoth Mountain, one of the top ski resorts in North America, opens this week.

On Thursday, November 10th, at 8:30 AM, the first chair of the season will begin shuttling eager skiers and snowboarders up the mountain for the first runs of the day. But that will just be the beginning of a four-day celebration at Mammoth that will kick off the new season in grand style with live music, special events, film premieres, and parties all weekend long. For a full schedule of events, which includes autograph signings by the DC Pro Snowboarding Team, a concert by Black Lips and Ra Ra Riot, and much more, click here.

Mammoth also currently has season passes on sale, with an adult pass running just $799. Passes for children and seniors are significantly cheaper than that price, but if you’re interested, you’ll want to act fast. The sale ends November 13, after which they’ll return to their regular price and you’ll end up kicking yourself for not nabbing one sooner.

With an average snowfall of more than 400 inches per year and over 150 trails to ski or ride, you would think the management at Mammoth would be content to lure in visitors with the mountain’s natural wonders alone. But during the off season, they spent more than $20 million on upgrades to the resort, incorporating RFID technology into the lift passes, installing a new quad chairlift, and improving other facilities for their guests. New direct flights from San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other cities makes it easier than ever to get to the mountain as well, eliminating any excuse you have for not hitting the slopes this winter.

I know the calendar still says November, and winter is still officially six weeks away, but there is already plenty of powder in the mountains. Why not go enjoy some early seasons turns at Mammoth this weekend?

Aspen offers $25,000 ‘Ultimate Ski Pass’

by Kraig Becker on

The Aspen Ski Company is offering a very exclusive – and very expensive– option for anyone who wants to hit the slopes in the Colorado mountain town this season. Skiers and snowboarders with deep pockets can opt for the Ultimate Ski Pass, which grants them a bevy of special privileges but comes with a hefty $25,000 price tag. Before you experience cardiac arrested brought on by sticker-shock however, you should know that money raised is going to a variety of good causes.

The perks for Ultimate Ski Pass holders include the opportunity to meet the U.S. Women’s Ski Team when they compete in Aspen later this month at the 2011 Winternational World Cup. They’ll also receive two VIP passes to that event, as well as breakfast with Bill Marolt, the President of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Additionally, they’ll be entitled to a behind the scenes tour of Aspen-Snowmass and be allowed to ride along on a snowcat grooming session.

While those opportunities may be intriguing to some, the real benefit for avid skiers is that the pass includes unlimited first tracks on fresh powder. What that means is that pass grants its holder, and three of their friends, access to the mountain before it opens to the public, on any day of the season, giving them the opportunity to be the first down the hill on those days.

The Ultimate Ski Pass provides access to four different hills, including Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk. Additionally, there are only 18 Ultimate Passes available for sale, one of which has already been sold.

Proceeds from the sale of these rather pricey tickets will go to public schools in Aspen and toward supporting World Cup skiing events that take place there as well.

[Photo courtesy Aspen Snowmass]