Field Expedition: Mongolia - Join Explorer Albert Lin's Groundbreaking Search

When we first introduced Dr. Albert Yu-Min Lin in our Adventurers of the Year feature story last November, we were all blown away by his groundbreaking archaeological quest in northern Mongolia—you even gave him the Readers' Choice Award. Now you can literally be part of his expedition team with our new Field Expedition: Mongolia website.

By conducting a noninvasive archeological survey as never before—with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flyovers, ground-penetrating radar, remote sensors, satellite imagery, and even a 3-D virtual reality chamber—the team has redefined exploration and conservation. And while solving the 600-year-old mystery would, of course, be amazing, Lin's ultimate goal is to help preserve the region's significant cultural heritage (see a photo gallery from their previous expedition).

To do that, Lin's crew is currently on the ground in Mongolia's "Forbidden Zone" to continue their search—with some new tech toys, such as their "oktokopter" UAV (see it nearly crash into Lin in this video). But all the technology in the world can not make up for the skill of the human eye, so they are asking for your help. Think of it as a citizen science expedition team of 1,000 or 10,000 or as many people as we can recruit. The potential for discovery is astounding.

On the Field Expedition: Mongolia website you can examine real-time satellite photos to spot irregularities that the scientists on the ground should investigate. Lin's team will then report back with their findings. This crowd-sourcing technique has been used before—perhaps most notably in the search for Steve Fossett's lost airplane. We are hopeful that you will have a hand in helping preserve Mongolia's most sacred heritage. Follow their blog and sign up for newsletter updates.

Pangaea Himalayan Expedition: Payu to Concordia (Video)

The Pangaea Expedition team treks from Payu onto the Baltoro Glacier and beyond—to basecamp at Concordia, where they are rewarded with amazing views of the mighty K2.

June 7, 2010
Rest Day at Payu

Today is a rest day, so we begin with a late breakfast at 8 a.m. After breakfast, the Mayo clinic team conducts some tests with the young explorers and the team. The main goal of these tests is to check the oxygen saturation in the blood as well as the heart rate of subjects while exercising at the current altitude—3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level. The physical exercise is a 9-minute stepping routine. As expected, all of us have decreased oxygen saturation levels due to the high altitude.

Travel Tech: iPhone 4 Eliminates Need For Point-and-Shoot Camera

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

With 1.7 million iPhone 4s sold in three days, you don’t need me nudging you toward the Apple store. If anything, I should be trying to pull you back, since I don’t have mine yet and supplies are short. But I want to add my two cents, because the reason I’m buying a new iPhone isn’t the sexy allure of a slimmer phone (nice, but so what) or the new operating system (already got it on my 3GS), it’s because it will eliminate one more device: my point-and-shoot camera.

Pangaea Himalayan Expedition: The Trek to Payu (Video)

Mike Horn and his team continue their expedition from Askole to Johla to the camp at Payu, where they rest before tackling the Baltoro Glacier.

June 6, 2010
The Trek to Payu

We start this morning from Johla and have a 7-hour hike ahead of us to reach the camp at Payu, which lies 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level—a change in altitude of approximately 400 meters (1,300 feet). The porters are accustomed to waking with the sun, and at around 5 a.m. we can already hear activity around our tents. We had planned to be ready for breakfast at 7 a.m. Of course, as soon as we get out of the tents, our porters are already waiting for our bags so that they can organize their loads. We quickly dismantle the tents, then head to breakfast knowing that today's lunch stop will be a short break with only dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate on the menu.

Pangaea Himalayan Expedition: Week 1 (Video)

On the first leg of the trip, Mike Horn and his expedition team travel from Islamabad to Skardu, then navigate Pakistan's treacherous, narrow mountain roads to Askole. From Askole onward, the remainder of the journey will be traveled by foot.

June 1, 2010
Arrival in Islamabad, Pakistan

Everyone arrived safely in Islamabad. Mike and the team check the equipment and food sent via cargo. A thorough control of all equipment is essential to expedition success.

The evening brings a press conference held with Nazir Sabir Expeditions. Local press attend and meet our international group of young explorers, who explain the environmental mission of the Pangaea Expedition and their motivations for exploring this beautiful region.

Early tomorrow, the expedition will begin with a short flight to Skardu, which promises to be a spectacular one for the team as they will get their first glimpses of the 8,000-meter (26,000-foot) peaks, namely the Nanga Parbat at 8,125 meters (26,660 feet).

Adventure in 60 Seconds: This Week in Exploration

Text by Tetsuhiko Endo
 
Here at Adventure, we have the tendency to focus our climbing expedition coverage on the largest and most dangerous mountains. In doing so, it is easy to forget that, besides Everest and K2, there are 13 other 8,000-meter peaks that can often be just as challenging to climb.

The Polish team of Artur Hajzer and Robert Szymczack kicked off the summer Pakistan climbing season this week with the summit of just such a mountain, Nanga Parbat. At 8,126 meters, the ninth highest peak in the world, whose name translates to the "Naked Mountain" in Hindi/Urdu has one of the richest climbing histories of all the 8,000ers. 

Pangaea Himalayan Expedition: Exploring the Heights With Mike Horn (Video)

Follow South African explorer Mike Horn and his expedition team as they trek through Pakistan's Karakoram Valley high in the Himalayas.

The Pangaea Project (PAN Global Adventure for Environmental Action) is a four-year exploration spanning the globe initiated by South African explorer Mike Horn in 2008. The project was devised by Horn as a way to engage international youth in exploring the world around them, learning about human impacts on the environment, and actively participating in clean-up and community projects.

Having engaged in beach and island clean-up projects in Borneo and India earlier this year, Horn and his expedition team now find themselves in the majestic heights of the Himalayas, guiding a group of eight young explorers on a month-long trek over Pakistan's Karakoram Valley to witness firsthand the amazing views of Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, the Gasherbrum peaks, the Baltoro Massif, and the mighty K2.

Mountaineer Edurne Pasaban: Co-Queen of the 8,000-Meter Peaks?

This spring, Korean Oh En-Sun and Spaniard Edurne Pasabán became the first women to join the ultimate boys' club—climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. However, it wasn't long before doubts began to surface regarding whether Oh made it to the true summit of Kangchenjunga. Writer Tetsuhiko Endo tracked down Pasabán at her home in the Spanish Pyrenees to about her successful quest to climb the tallest mountains on Earth, her thoughts on the controversy, and finding freedom in the mountains. Photography courtesy of the Edurne Pasabán Collection

The train from San Sebastián to Villabona winds through the mountainous, green heart of the Spanish Basque Country. Along the way it passes towns with names like Loiola, Martutene, and Erdia that are perched in the nooks and crannies of the Basque Pyrenees. Small farms and pastures spread over the the highlands, each punctuated by an old caserío, or farm house, traditionally facing East to welcome the sunrise. Every caserío has a a name in accordance with the old Basque belief of "Izena duen guzia omen da" -- "that which has a name exists." The one I'm searching for is called Abeletxe which means "house of animals." It's owned by Edurne Pasabán, one of the first women to climb all of the highest mountains in the world, and one of the best mountaineers in history.

2010 World Cup: The Scene in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Stateline.org reporter John Gramlich will be traveling through the states of Jalisco and Nayarit in Mexico for the first two weeks of the World Cup

I’ve been in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for six days. This, of course, is to coincide with the World Cup, which six of my friends and I—all Americans—are watching here with rapt attention. As Americans in Mexico tend to do, we’ve been drinking cervezas, tequilas, and margaritas at every stop, probably too often.

Puerto Vallarta is right on the Pacific, on the banks of a sweeping inlet called the Bay of Banderas, or the Bay of Flags. Dark mountains rise up from the greenish-blue, very salty water. Rickety buildings perch perilously over a steep hillside. Friendly people are on every corner, hanging out along the cobblestoned streets of downtown, or Centro—usually offering taxis, tequila or sombreros. Margaritas cost $5; beers cost $2.50 or less. It’s probably much less if you’re not American.

Much of this place is what you’d expect of a beautiful but touristy Mexican resort: There’s a Senor Frogs, a Hard Rock Cafe, a McDonald’s, and a Subway, along with Mexican bars cloaked in myriad American themes, like the U.S. military or Predator,  the Arnold Schwarzenegger-Jesse Ventura flick where the jungle comes alive and nearly takes out a group of hardcore American commandos (and which, incidentally, my entire group can recite almost flawlessly).

Here’s what I didn’t expect: Puerto Vallarta–even in the parts where there aren’t often gringos like us—was pretty much silent for five days of the World Cup.

Alaska-Yukon Expedition: The Halfway Point: Should I Care?

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.

Posted June 20 from Haines, Alaska

Before I began this trip in March my friend Buzz Burrell remarked that he thought "the crux" of it was the first two weeks, when I'd be facing severe winter conditions. If I could get through that, he seemed to say, I'd be in the clear, like a rock climber who makes it through a route's toughest sequence and has easy-going thereafter. But I remember thinking, "In the clear? Are you kidding? What about skiing across the Alaska Range, or pushing through the Wrangell's early-season, or paddling across Icy and Yakutat Bays--those sections have just as much potential to put an end to my trip as he first two weeks do."

Writing this from Haines, I'm happy to report that I've made it through the first two weeks and a number of ensuing challenges. But being "halfway there" is different than "almost there," so I'm well aware that there are still ample opportunities ahead for the wheels to fall off.