Headliners: Adventure in 60 Seconds

Text by Tetsuhiko Endo

The Least Fun You Will Ever Have

On February 1st, the annual Tough Guy challenge took place in Perton, England. Six thousand competitors from around the globe battled obstacles like mud, barbed wire, freezing water, and, you guessed it, fire to limp across the finish line. A spokesman for the nearby St John's Hospital was quoted in the Birmingham Mail saying: "There were a lot of injuries, but there were no deaths this year. Overall it's been quite successful." Check out all of the fun in this wonderful photo gallery at the Boston Globe.

It’s Gonna Blow!

Researchers at the Alaska Volcano Observatory in anchorage Alaska say that the volcano Mt. Redoubt (100 miles southwest) could erupt any time in the following weeks or even days according to cnn.com. The volcano is located in the Lake Clark National Park, one of the least visited in the United States that is accessible only by plane. As long as Redoubt isn’t raining down molten ash, the area is great for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and bear watching. The previous eruption, in 1989, spread ash across Alaska for five months and created dark clouds that disrupted flight patterns. When things quiet down, geologically speaking, contact the Redoubt Mountain Lodge to take advantage of the pristine, if slightly charred wilderness

XXL

Following a barrage of large storms in the North Atlantic, European big-wave surfers have screamed into contention for the 2009 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Recent nominees for the Biggest Wave Category have come hot off the presses from two big-wave spots called Belharra and Playa Gris, located in the Basque regions of France and Spain respectively. With entries from Chile to Tasmania and six weeks left in the event period, the competition is sure to be fierce. Check out all of the photo and video nominations on the events' website.

Aconcagua, a Retrospective

Brazillian climber and writer Rodrigo Granzotto Peron has published a year-end review of all news Aconcagua on Explorersweb.com. Highlights include Mahtew Moniz, 10, the youngest person ever to summit, as well as the topping out of a group of Colombian amputees.