New Book celebrates 10 years of the Tour d’Afrique

by Kraig Becker on

The Tour d’Afrique is a legendary cycling event that runs from Cairo to Cape Town on an annual basis. Covering more than 7500 miles, and requiring four months to complete, the Tour is a popular “bucket list” item for adventure travelers and cyclists the world over. This year, the Tour d’Afrique commemorates its tenth anniversary, and to celebrate, the company behind the epic event has released a fantastic coffee table book entitled 10: Celebrating Ten Years of the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race and Expedition.

The book begins with a forward written by Tour founder Henry Gold. A decade ago, when he first pitched the idea of a bike ride across Africa, Gold was met with skepticism to say the least. Many thought that it simply wasn’t possible for an event like this one to exist and he was regularly told he was crazy for even considering it. Ten year later, Gold has turned his idea into a yearly event, and his adventure travel company produces similar cycling tours in a host of other locations across the globe.

10 is filled with stories from the road, as riders share tales, quotes, and anecdotes of their own experiences from the Tour. For some, it was a life altering experience for others an adventure of a lifetime, but no one who has taken part in the journey has come away unchanged. Their words are likely to inspire readers to want to join Tour as well, and even if you haven’t been on a bike in years, you may find yourself dreaming of pedaling under African skies. The book doesn’t try to hide the challenges of the ride, which range from oppressive heat to unexpected downpours, not to mention ever changing road conditions, but the amazing beauty of Africa and the camaraderie that is formed amongst the riders, will have a universal appeal all the same.

If the words of the riders don’t inspire you than perhaps the amazing photographs contained in this book will. 10 is a visual love letter to cycling, adventure travel, and most importantly, Africa itself. The 252 page volume is packed with breathtaking images that have been compiled over the past decade and capture the spirit of the Tour very well. Not only do those photos show the day-to-day experiences of the ride, but they also manage to convey a sense of wonder at the countries and environments that the riders pass through, as well as the people that live there.

If you have a cyclist or adventure traveler on your holiday shopping list, than this book is sure to be a hit. Just be warned, after reading it, they may feel compelled to join the ride themselves. Africa is most definitely calling.

Witness the hidden corners of Iceland in high definition

by Jessica Festa on

In this video, Pétur Kristján Guðmundsson of TrailerPark Studios films his home country of Iceland, focusing on the diverse and unique landscape as well as the culture. The overarching goal of the film, which is called Heild, or Totality, is to “present Iceland in a way it has never been presented before, using many elements of higher-end cinematography”. In the video, viewers not only see the well-known areas of Iceland but also off-the-beaten path regions that one must be quite adventurous to get to, and extremely patient to truly capture. The video is so clear that even gentle motions seem strong, from the rippling lake to the billowing clouds. Meet locals, fly over plains, mountains, and craters, and lay under a neon-colored night sky.

To get a taste for yourself, check out the trailer for Heild here:


HEILD l Totality Trailer from Petur K. Gudmundsson on Vimeo.

Video: An ultra high resolution look at the American Southwest

by Jessica Festa on

Time lapse photographer and filmmaker Tom Lowe has been working on his new and innovative creation for over two years now. The video is actually a clip of his soon-to-debut film, TimeScapes, which showcases the beauty of the American Southwest using Canon RAW and Epic Red still cameras. Because the movie was filmed and edited at 4K resolution, which is four times greater than regular high definition, the moments and places really come to life on the screen.

Watch sunsets at Salton Sea, coastlines, Redwoods, and waterfalls in Big Sur, and meteor showers at Bristlecone take on a life of their own as firefalls, eclipses, cultural dances, lakes, mountains, starry skys, concerts, and unique landscapes are shown like never before.

To see a stunning preview of what’s to come, as well as hear music by John Stanford, check out this video:


TimeScapes 4K from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

Popular blind French eatery in Europe debuts in New York this month

by Jessica Festa on

The popular French eatery where patrons are served by blind waiters in complete darkness has been a complete success in Europe. On December 9, 2011, the restaurant will try its luck in the United States, making a debut in New York.

Right now, Dans Le Noir has locations in Paris, London, Moscow, Barcelona, and St. Petersburg. While a bit bizarre, the concept is actually educational as well, as people get to have a unique dining experience while learning what it’s like to be visually impaired. Dining at Dans Le Noir is also, in essence, a live show, as guests are entertained by the staff and space.

So, how does it work? After being welcomed in the bar area and signing a waiver, guests choose a surprise dinner menu based on their dietary restrictions. For example, if you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat or fish you would choose the “Green” menu. This also means that you will not be choosing your wines but will be guided by the restaurant’s French wine expert, Christophe Garnier. Before being led into the pitch black dining area, lockers are available to put your possessions (you are not permitted to bring in anything that gives off light), and guests are advised to use the restrooms for safety reasons. From there, a guide will lead you into complete darkness, where you will spend the rest of the night eating, drinking, and talking without being able to see a thing.

Sound like fun? Click here for more information. Also, if you’d like to make a booking for the restaurant’s grand opening in New York, click here.

Video: skiing and snowboarding from the summit of Denali

by Melanie Renzulli on



What does it take to ski Denali, North America‘s’ tallest mountain? In addition to a large, metaphorical pair of cojones, which all of the men and women of this film possess, it takes sheer endurance and will to want to climb 20,320 feet just to ski right back down.

The Denali Experiment is a 15-minute film that follows a band of some of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders on their quest to ride the powder from the top of Alaska. But this is hardly a film full of hot dog moves. Director Renan Ozturk gives viewers a good sense of how difficult the trek to Denali’s summit can be, as well as shows us how fulfilling it can be to complete an adventure one once thought was impossible.