Adventure in 60 Seconds: This Week in Exploration

It has been a wild week in adventure: Man has confronted nature with every type of result, but in the end, it was the women who stole the show. —By Tetsuhiko Endo

MOUNTAINS
Spring is always hectic in the Himalaya and 2010 has been no different. This week proved to be noteworthy for both its positives and negatives. As reported earlier, South Korean Oh Eun-Sun became the disputed queen of the the 14ers with her ascent of Annapurna. For more on the controversy, check out this insightful BBC article that breaks down the controversy surrounding her claim.

Annapurna continued to live up to its reputation as one of the more lethal of the 8,000-meter peaks by climbing the life of Spaniar Tolo Calafat. The situation was further complicated by allegations of fixed rope cutting by Korean teams. This is the 7th straight year in which at least one fatality has taken place on Annapurna, and yet another instance in which the climber summited, but was too exhausted to make it down the mountain. (explorersweb.com)

Gear Review: Better Spring Surfing With Quiksilver's Heated Wetsuit Vest

By National Geographic Adventure Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of The Adventure Life

When it comes to surfing, cold water has little to recommend it. Other than the plus of heralding the typically larger waves of winter, it also means thicker, more restrictive wetsuits, the addition of booties and hoods, and—sometimes—creepy, bitey swimming things. But in a flash, Quiksilver’s dynamite Cypher PS+ heated vest changes all that. (Everything except the bitey things, that is.)

The Cypher ($200) uses infrared waves to warm blood flowing through your kidneys, which then transports heat through your body. And while it isn’t the first heated wetsuit, it’s by far the most versatile. The typical approach by manufacturers has been to take an existing design—the classic 3/2 full suit with three millimeter thick body and two mil arms—and turn it into a little furnace. The Quik vest, though, thin enough to be worn under a 3/2, a 4/3, or a 5/4. You can slip it under a shortie, a Farmer John, or a wind guard. And of course, you can wear it by itself, as I have this spring.

Biking in India: What If Cycling Were Your Only Choice?

Portraits of India on Two-Wheels - Images by Gregg Bleakney

Five years ago I made a choice to go car-free in favor of using a bicycle as my primary source of mobility. Since then, every time I saddle up, I’m 100 percent thrilled to be living this two-wheeled lifestyle. But…what if I didn’t have this choice?

Earlier this year, I spent two and a half months on photojournalism assignments in India and discovered there are an estimated 300 million Indian people who ride bicycles because they have no other option. This made me wonder: If cycling was not something I did by choice, but was designated by the caste I was born into, would I still love it the same?

To explore that question, I rented one of India’s finest single-speed steeds, an Atlas Redline Super, and spent several days commuting with milkmen and day laborers in rural Rajasthan. I also made 16,000 photos (most of them portraits) of Indian cyclists—brick makers from the untouchable caste, paper boys, homeless children, farmers, mystics, popsicle salesmen, slum dwellers, and more.

South Korean Becomes First Woman to Climb World's 14 8,000-Meter Peaks, Rival Questions Feat

By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photograph of Annapurna by Svozka Svozil, My Shot

After over a year of hype and speculation, South Korean Oh Eun-Sun has nabbed a come-from-behind victory and allegedly become the first woman to scale all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. At 3:00 p.m. local time on April 27, after more 13 hours of climbing, the 44 year old reached the summit of Annapurna, a mountain that had stymied her just a few hundred feet from the top last year (explorersweb.com). But, what good is making mountaineering history if there isn't a little controversy to accompany your feat?

Doubt has been cast on Oh's achievement by the woman who would have her crown—Edurne Pasabán of Spain who will be attempting Shisha Pangma in the next 15 days in hopes of equalling Oh (or bettering her, depending on how you look at it). Although much was made in the media of a cup of tea and route information shared by the two climbers on April 6th (explorersweb.com), the Times of London reports that Pasabán decided to voice her doubt when her own record was called into question by South Korean television reporters (timesonline.co.uk).

Travel Tech: How Your iPhone's A-GPS Works in the Wilderness

The 3G and 3GS versions of the iPhone have dedicated GPS chips in them. They use a technology called assisted GPS to help locate you in the world. The assisted part comes from using a Wi-fi or cellular radio signal to triangulate your general position. Then, when the GPS chip gets a good satellite fix, it will take over and give you a more specific location. Your phone looks for a Wi-Fi or cell signal first and then switches over to the GPS, if it does not find either of these.—Keene Haywood

New Trip: Syria: Camel Trekking the Dead Cities

Ask even your most well-traveled friends and they probably haven't visited Syria. At least not lately. Since 1979, the State department has considered the country a State Sponsor of Terrorism due to its support for organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But well-established tour companies do go there, such a GAP Adventures, Geographic Expeditions, and Wilderness Travel. The sights are just too incredible to pass up: the Dead Cities, 700 abandoned settlements dating back to 500 B.C.; the second century Roman metropolis of Palmyra, one of the great archaeological sites in the world; the completely intact Crusader castles; and the souks left from the Ottoman empire.

Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Spring in Alaska - The Good and the Bad

Follow adventurer Andrew Skurka as he skis, hikes, and rafts 4,720 miles through eight national parks, two major mountain ranges, and some of North America's wildest rivers in Alaska and the Yukon from March to October. Read his blog updates here.

Spring has arrived in Alaska, at least by local standards. It may have been zero degrees this morning, but at least the days are getting really long, the weather is warmer and more stable, and the snow and ice are  melting in the mid-day sun. This means the roads are getting muddy and the trails are littered with melting dog poop. Here the defining event of spring is when the rivers “break-up,” which entails violent clashing of house-sized ice chunks and destructive icejam-caused flooding.

I am looking forward to spring’s warmer weather and longer days. And I know that spring quickly leads into summer, a season that plays better to my backpacking expertise. But there are reasons for me to be nervous about spring’s arrival.

* Cold-and-wet conditions. I’d much prefer it be zero degrees and snowing than 35 degrees and raining. It’s extremely difficult to function and stay comfortable in cold, wet conditions. This will be common all spring (and again in the fall).

* Water hazards. Snowmelt must go somewhere. In Alaska it often flows on the surface of still-frozen rivers and creeks, creating “overflow,” which can be either a few inches or a few feet deep. The rivers begin opening up, too--snowbridges will be harder to come by and fords of swift, ice-cold rivers will become more common.

Mapping on the Move: The Best iPhone Mapping Apps

Two of the ten hiking essentials involve location: a map and a compass. Know where you are and where you are going, and things will be fine. Now, these two pieces are rapidly being replaced by their digital brethren in the form of smartphones, which are taking mobile mapping in entirely new directions.

The poster child for this innovation is Apple’s iPhone, with its GPS, accelerometer, and compass (available in the 3GS version). Since the release of the iPhone in 2007, maps in your pocket have taken on an entirely new meaning. With each new edition of the device, the iPhone has become a better player in the location space. And while the hardware is all well and good, it is the software that makes the device shine brighter in the backcountry. Here are seven apps that will make your mapping experiences a little more interesting (and fun).—Keene Haywood

Voluntourism: Luxury Meets Giving Back on Micato's Heart of Kenya Safari

Take it from Micato Safaris, the high-end outfitter with a conscience: “luxury voluntourism” is not an oxymoron. Sort of. Starting this year, Micato promises to sponsor one Kenyan child’s education for every person who goes with them on safari. The volunteering comes with the “Lend a Helping Hand” trip extension. After 12 days sipping cocktails and scouting out the Big Five from your private bush plane, you’ll spend a morning with AmericaShare, a Micato-sponsored nonprofit, reading to school children or planting a tree in Nairobi’s Mukuru slum.

Call it "Voluntourism for Beginners." “Not everyone is prepared to build a school on their first trip to Africa,” says Micato’s Jessica Brida. “This is kind of just dipping your toes in.” The goal is to inspire you to keep giving post-safari through another one of Micato’s philanthropy programs.

For the safari, guests arrive in Nairobi and visit Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, and the Maasai Mara, ending back in Nairobi.—Greer Schott

Outfitter: Micato Safaris

Price: $8,355 with volunteer day

Length: 13 days

Photograph courtesy of Micato Safaris

Travel Tech: The iPad Paradigm Shift

Just Enough of What You Need, Infinitely More of What You Want

I am writing this on the subway platform in Brooklyn. On my iPad. Which has been my constant companion for the last week.

The era of carrying a laptop to maintain productivity on the go is over. What’s more, this appealingly sleek, elegant device provides an exceptionally rich entertainment experience, whether your preference is TV shows, movies, books, apps, web browsing, or games—all on one device. Yes, there have been and will be other tablet computers, but no other has caused the rush of excitement and curiosity surrounding the iPad—in part due to Apple's unflappable buzz machine, but also because it's a powerful product so simple to use that it requires no instructions (even cats can figure it out). And the payoff is an incredibly pleasant, dynamic experience.

Anyone reading this blog agrees that vacation days are the reason why we work. They must be used wisely. When we go, we want to feel like we are disconnecting from the daily grind, yes, but the reality is that most of us don’t want to drop off the grid completely. We want to be able to check email, browse our favorite websites, and watch our TV shows, even if we aren’t anywhere near the living room DVR. Here’s what you can do—for work or play—with just 1.5 pounds tucked in your bag.

—By Mary Anne Potts; Photographs by Jonathan Forsythe