Nanga Parbat Winter Expedition Over

Jacek Teler’s team on Nanga Parbat has called it quits.  The team successfully made it to Camp I, but from there it was going to be a very rough climb.  They decided to throw the towel in early and not take the added chance of people getting killed.  Here is the report from ExplorersWeb:

Excess of snow and logistic difficulties have been too much for Jacek Teler’s team on winter Nanga Parbat. “The game is over,” Teler wrote earlier today. “Winter Nanga Parbat looks like a very steep ice-cream,” Teler reckoned. “Menacing seracs hanging from the Mazeno ridge would turn any attempt into a Russian-roulete game.”

“Tomorrow we will retrieve C1 and return to BC.” Jacek stated.

In addition to the difficult conditions on the route, the climbers had to endure bitter cold and loads of snow without part of their gear and supplies – the LO officer (carrying a goat for fresh meat) had been blocked by fresh snow on the way to BC.

I can’t say that I blame them much on the retreat.  Nanga Parbat is one of the tougher peaks to summit in the world, add in the factor that it is winter and the weather hasn’t been great and you have a tough mix.  It is nice to see them playing it safe and not shooting for the top.

New Hampshire Cracks Down On Search And Rescue Costs

The state of New Hampshire has signed into law one of the most stringent search and rescue measures in the nation.  If you get lost in the wilderness and refuse to pay for rescue, you can now lose the priveledge of hunting and fishing, driving, and licenses associated with the Health and Human Services Department.  The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game currently has the authority to fine those individuals who become lost, or need the assistance of search and rescue in the wilderness.  This new law will place added restrictions that can be imposed upon failure to pay.

This new law also makes it easier for fines to be implemented.  Previously, authorities had to prove that someone acted recklessly before fines could be administered.  The new regulation has changed ‘recklessly’ to ‘negligent’ and left the final decision up to authorities on who gets fined.

Fish and Game Col. Martin Garabedian, chief of law enforcement, said the cases now under review might not have gone forward without the new law. Most of these cases involve people who wandered from a trail or a campsite without supplies or a flashlight. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce the numbers (of rescues). We’d like to do it through education, but in some instances, we have to forcefully educate,” Garabedian said.

This is coming from an article posted on the WMUR Channel 9 website, out of New Hampshire.

It is noted that New Hampshire has spent a total of $1 million over the past 10 years on search and rescue activities.  Of that $1 million, only $25,000 has been recuperated.

How do you feel about being charged for search and rescue?  This has been a hot topic for the past two years and I have covered it extensively, but now it looks like things will be getting tougher.  My thoughts on this vary.  If someone ventures into the wilds without the proper equipment or know-how to survive than I could see that being a problem.  In the same token, accidents happen.  What’s going to stop authorities from using this measure to go after those that couldn’t help the situation?  To my knowledge, this is the toughest measure currently in place aimed directly at search and rescue.  Now if you make a mistake, you may lose your hunting, fishing, AND driver’s license.  You better remember that flashlight next time you head to the woods!  Sheesh!

Updated (again): Eight Snowmobilers Feared Dead After British Columbia Avalanche

Search efforts are currently taking place in the wilds of southeastern British Columbia after a Sunday avalanche is feared to have taken the lives of eight snowmobilers.  Warnings had been issued in the area two days prior to the avalanche.  The avalanche occured near Fernie, B.C.   Avalanche technicians and search and rescue personel are currently headed to the area in an attempt to locate the missing.  Three people did survive, with one still listed as being in a local hospital.

Avalanche technicians have been called in to assess the situation and make sure that another avalanche doesn’t occur while searchers are in the area.  The specially trained technicians will be looking at the avalanche threats in the area, then dropping charges from helicopters to displace the threats before others are allowed in.

Mr. Wilkes, who knew all of the men in their 20s from the small community of about 4,000 people, said they are “hoping for a miracle” but conceded there was a very slim chance they could have survived for a long night under the heavy snow.

He said they had all the equipment with them including, a device that when the person pulls a chord a bubble is formed providing additional air for the person trapped in the snow. However he said it wouldn’t have protected them from the elements.

This is coming from The National Post.

Even with the added safety and security measures that the snowmobilers had with them, authorities fear that the cold temperatures may be the biggest threat to survival.  Temperatures are currently listed at -15° celsius.

Once all avalanche threats have been displaced, Search and Rescue will enter the area with dogs trained in avalanche rescue.  All of the missing are thought to be from the same small  town and include some who were related.  Further details of the missing are currently unavailable until further information about the situation is known.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that there may be survivors and remember everyone in our thoughts and prayers.

Update: KTVB TV out of Idaho is reporting that two avalanches occured in the same area yesterday.  They are also noting that the three survivors had to make the hard decision of leaving the others behind and that deaths were being reported before search and rescue got there.  The extent of all of this is still not known until official reports from the area start coming in.  It’s not sounding good.

Update II:  CJAD AM 800 has the following update:

Two groups of snowmobilers were out in a popular backcountry area about 40 kilometres south of Fernie when one group of seven was buried by an avalanche.

A second group of four snowmobilers was buried by a second avalanche when they rushed to the scene in response to the first group’s cries for help.

I will post more as I get it.

Update III:  The Chronicle-Herald is reporting that NO fatalities have been confirmed as search and rescue have still not made it to the scene.  This contridicts earlier reports saying that fatalities had been reported with this incident.  They also offer the following:

Forecasters at the Canadian Avalanche Centre had described the conditions in the Fernie and Lizard range on Sunday as “spooky” and able to generate avalanches easily capable of killing a person.

If the forecasters are calling the avalanche ’spooky’, things have got to be really bad.  It is known that charges have been set off in the area to remove the avalanche dangers, but thus far, authorities have only made it halfway to where the avalanches occured.

Famous Last Words: “Every surfer, fisherman and diver has far more chance of being killed by bees, drunk drivers, teenage car thieves and lightning.”

These words were recently posted on the Western Angler website by a guy now known in the media as Brian Guest.  Mr. Guest is currently the subject of a large search taking place in the ocean waters off the coast of Australia where it is feared that he was recently eaten by a Great White shark.  The same shark is also being blamed for harassing a couple of kayakers in the area just off of Sydney’s Long Reef.

Mr. Guest was snorkeling with his son when the incident occured.  Here’s more information from Australia’s The Age:

Mr Guest, 51, and his son, Daniel, 24, were diving for crabs off their local beach near Rockingham, 30 kilometres south of Perth, when the former suddenly disappeared about 7am.

Daniel had heard his father cry out and had seen the shark and a “heap of blood” in the water.

“Something very traumatic and pretty violent has happened there and we are treating it as a probable shark attack,” acting police inspector Mark Valentine said.

Brian Guest had been a big advocate of protecting sharks from hunting.  The quote used in the title of this post was his thoughts on the idea of being attacked by a shark while in the ocean.  Some things should just be left unsaid…

To read the complete story, please make the jump over to Australia’s The Age.

Washington State To Close 13 State Parks In 2009

Washington state will be forced to close 13 state parks under a new budget proposal set forth by Governor Chris Gregoire.  The new budget will be focusing on saving the state $3.5 billion and allow them to not raise any new taxes in the coming year.  The state park cuts come on the heels of a similar measure in Illinois that recently sent shock-waves through the outdoors community.  Governor Gregoire claims that the state park cuts will save the state an annual $5.2 million dollars if the parks are closed. Washington will also be taking away $35.8 million in Natural Resources funding.

Click through the jump to read the details and see a list of what Washington state parks are set to close.

Read more

Cloudveil Founders Climb Cloudveil Dome On 10th Anniversary

This video is interesting (and amusing). On June 24, 2007, the founders of outdoor clothing company Cloudveil decided to finally climb the peak for their company’s namesake, Cloudveil Dome in the Grand Teton’s. This climb would fall on the 10th anniversary of Cloudveil’s official launch.

This video is one of the new videos presented in Cloudveil’s new video gallery.  Currently there are 6-7 videos featured representing everything from climbing and bouldering to fly fishing and conservation.  The videos are spectacular and definitely worth taking a look at.  I will have to keep my eyes on their video galleries and see what they have to offer in the future.

Christmas In Hawaii From Surfing Magazine

This gallery is brought to you by surfingthemag.com

With much of the nation under snow, what better time to show you some glimpses of the Hawaii adventure life from Surfing Magazine!

The Adventurist: Showing Some Media Love

The recent news of Todd Carmichael becoming the first American to go solo and unsupported to the South Pole (and claiming a new world speed record) has put The Adventurist back in the media light.  I thought it would be a good idea to mention a couple of places that are currently mentioning myself or The Adventurist and pointing you back in their direction.

The first mention comes from Michael Klein who writes a column about local people, places, and things for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  Michael recently published this article on Todd Carmichael, then gave The Adventurist a mention in his “The Insider” blog for Philly.com.  The piece that Michael put up on ‘The Insider” takes a look at Todd’s recent speed record to the South Pole, then gets a few comments from former record holder Hannah McKeand.  Thanks for the mention, Michael!  The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of my first stops when I am reading the nations headlines.

The second mention comes from Kevin Callahan who writes outdoor stories and columns for South Jersey’s The Courier-Post.  Kevin also writes a piece concerning Todd Carmichael and gives myself and The Adventurist a very nice mention in his “Into The Outside” blog.  Some of you may know Kevin for his 15 years of service chronicling the Philadelphia Eagles for the Courier-Post.  Stop by and check out his blog for all the latest on the South Jersey outdoors scene.

Thank-you guys.  I appreciate it much and look forward to reading your work in the days ahead.

As this story continues to grow, if there are anymore mentions etc., I will mention them in this post.  Check back often for updates.

Cheers-

Jason A. Hendricks

Patagonia Field Reporter Jeb Tilly Recounts His Recent Trauma Aboard Denver’s Flight 1404 Crash

Most of us have probably seen the aftermath of the jet that went haywire on the Denver runway.  Denver Flight 1404 veered out of control, off the runway, into a ditch, then burst into flames as passengers scrambled for their lives.  A field reporter for Patagonia was on that flight and recently had the opportunity to publish his account in Newsweek.  Jeb’s account makes it  sound quite remarkable that not a single passenger was killed in the ordeal.   I am not even going to attempt to do this justice.  This one you have to read to believe!

Oddly enough, I learned of this article and it’s Patagonia connections through a Patagonia Twitter.  Maybe I need to give this technology a second look-

39 Days, 7 Hours, 49 Minutes: Todd Carmichael Officially Breaks Hannah McKeand’s South Pole World Speed Record

 

 

Todd Carmichael has officially set a new solo and unsupported world speed record to the South Pole.  His time of 39 days, 7 hours, and 33 minutes bested former world record holder Hannah McKeand’s time of 39 days, 9 hours, and 33 minutes set back in 2006.  This is an official time coming from Todd’s tracking equipment and being reported by ExplorersWeb.

How close was it?

Read more

Next Page »