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Over the past couple of weeks we've been following the progress of Colin O'Brady and Lou Rudd very closely. They're the two polar explorers who are independently attempting solo, unsupported crossings of the Antarctic continent, and because they have a long way to go in their quests to become the first to make that traverse, they were also the first ones out on the ice this season. Soon, there will be a number of other skiers joining them as numerous others are set to begin their journey's to the South Pole. For now however, O'Brady and Rudd toil alone in some of the toughest conditions on the planet. As I've mentioned before, because they are running somewhat parallel to each other the updates from O'Brady and Rudd have been similar. For example, today they both report in on the 16th day of their expeditions with high winds making things extremely challenging. Lou says that he was up most of the night ensuring that his tent was damaged by the gale forces ...

When we posted our last Antarctic update a few days back, American Colin O'Brady and Brit Lou Rudd had just run into their first seriously challenging conditions in the form of large and relentless Sastrugi. Today they've added a new element in the form of whiteout conditions, which make things orders of magnitude worse.  It is important to point out that both men have taken up the same journey �� a solo, unsupported crossing of the Antarctic continent. But, they are following the same route, so whatever conditions one is experiencing, chances are the other one is enduring those conditions too. Since the two were dropped off on the ice 12 days ago they have provided similar reports on their progress as they intend to run parallel to one another from the Ronne Ice Shelf to the Ross Ice Shelf, via the South Pole. In order to maintain their "solo" status however, they won't be able to come in contact with one another at any point and they can't lend a hand to ...

We are now ten days into the 2018-2019 Antarctic expedition season and while most skiers are only now just preparing to get underway, both American Colin O'Brady and Brit Lou Rudd are finding their stride out on the ice. The two men are traveling solo but chasing the same goal �� the first unassisted crossing of the continent �� and unsurprisingly, so far they're on a similar trajectory in terms of conditions �� both weather and surface. Today, the two men used a word that every polar explorer dreads and it won't be for the last time I can assure you. The word that O'Brady and Rudd used in their updates was "sastrugi," which are incredibly hard ridges that form from blowing snow and ice. These ridges can actually grow quite large, often a meter or more in height, forcing skiers to go over or around them, but in any case slowing their progress greatly. They are a fact of life when traveling in the Antarctic however, and both men are likely to pass through a l...

While I was away at Outdoor Retailer last week, another polar explorer has announced his plans for the 2018-2019 expedition season in Antarctica. American Eric Larsen will set out for Punta Arenas, Chile this week with the intention of once again skiing to the South Pole. But this time, he's got his eyes on setting a new speed record for covering that route while also raising awareness of climate change at the same time. Larsen expects to leave for South America on Friday in preparation for his journey, which will cover roughly 700 miles (1126 km) starting at Hercules Inlet and ending at the South Pole. For Eric, that journey is a familiar one, as he has skied that route in the past, along with a full-distance expedition to the North Pole and climbing Everest within one year. He also guides in both the Arctic and Antarctic, leading "last degree" ski expeditions to the North and South Pole. What's different this time, is that he is hoping to complete the entire rout...

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another episode of The Adventure Podcast . After flying solo last week, my partner in crime David Adlard returns, which makes for a better show all around. No one wants to hear me drone on by myself for too long, so I'm happy to have my partner back. As usual, we start the show off with adventure news, but since there were so many interesting stories to talk about we decide to do away with our usual format of including a main topic to give plenty of time to everything that is happening in the world of outdoor adventure and exploration that is happening around the globe. Those stories include the start of the expedition season in Antarctica, an impressive new first ascent in the Himalaya, the discovery of a historic shipwreck in the Black Sea, and a case of attempted murder at a research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. We do wrap up the show with some gear picks for the week, with both Dave and I sharing some thoughts on a new pr...

Most of the major expeditions and adventurous endeavors that we follow here at The Adventure Blog rarely get coverage from mainstream outlets, that is unless something goes majorly wrong. But, Colin O'Brady's attempt to ski solo and unsupported across the Antarctic has garnered him a bit of publicity beyond the usual adventure/expedition news sites. In this case, it comes in the form of a profile that was published at Popular Mechanics a few days back, giving readers a bit of insight into what O'Brady faces as he prepares to set out on his 70+ day journey across the frozen continent.  The article does a fairly good job of giving readers the low down of what O'Brady is about to try to accomplish and the challenges that lie ahead. It shares a brief mention of Henry Worsley, who perished attempting the same journey back in 2016, and shares a passing reference to Ben Saunders' abandoned attempt last year. But, the article also makes it sound that skiing to the South P...

Yesterday I posted a story about the start of the Antarctic season and how two explorers in particular were ready to launch their expeditions. Now, we have confirmation that the first flight to Union Glacier has been successfully completed, and while the ALE staff are now busy preparing the camp for the arrival of other skiers next week, it now looks like Colin O'Brady and Lou Rudd are on the ice. Rudd has yet to update his location and status, but he was scheduled to fly out of Punta Arenas, Chile along with O'Brady, who posted the following message to his Instagram. View this post on Instagram I made it!!! I officially set foot on the Frozen Continent today- 24 hrs earlier than expected. Antarctica greeted with a stunning panoramic view on a blue bird day. The air temperature was a balmy -25C when I stepped off the plane, see the puff of frozen air coming out of my mouth in the photo. This place is incredibly enchanting; my body has a visceral reaction to its beauty. My...

Tomorrow we turn the calendar to November, which means the 2018-2019 Antarctic season is now officially upon us. The first flight out of Punta Arenas, Chile to the Union Glacier Camp by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) is scheduled to take place in the morning, weather permitting. And while that flight will mainly be made up of ALE staff who will begin the task of preparing the camp for the arrival of other skiers and travelers, there will also be two explorers looking to get out onto the ice as quickly as possible. For these two men, time is of the essence, and everyday counts as they both hope to make history independently of one another. The first two skiers to hit the ice this year will be Brit  Lou Rudd and American Colin O'Brady . Both hope to become the first to complete a solo, unsupported crossing of the Antarctic continent, traveling from one point on the coast, to another, with a stop at the South Pole while en route. And while each of them will be traveling a...

Last week we posted a story that offered several interesting expeditions to keep an eye on in the upcoming Antarctic ski season that came our way courtesy of Explorers Web . Now, the site has posted part two of that round up , offering even more insights into who we'll be following across the frozen continent in just a few weeks time. Some of the intrepid explorers who make the cut this time out include Colin O'Brady who is about to undertake a solo, unsupported traverse of the continent, which he calls the "impossible first." We've discussed O'Brady's feats on The Adventure Blog in the past, as he has not only summited Everest, but he has also completed the Explorer's Grand Slam (last degree edition), amongst other accomplishments. This time out, O'Brady will attempt to ski from Ronne Ice Shelf to the Ross Ice Shelf, via the South Pole, completely alone and unassisted. If successful, it would be the first time anyone has done that. He leaves for...

The North Face continues its preview of its upcoming documentary about last year's expedition by a team of climbers to Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. This time out, we join the crew as they complete some epic first ascents in the region, experiencing some joy in the challenging and difficult environment of the frozen continent.

A few months back the world was transfixed by the story of a young soccer team in Thailand that became stranded in a cave when rising water closed off their only means of escape. If you thought that was a harrowing experience however, then wait until you read an article that was posted to the National Geographic website yesterday. It shares the details of a team of cave explorers who were in a true race against time as flood waters poured into the subterranean chambers that they were mapping. The actual event took place in a place called Veryovkina, which holds the distinction of being the deepest cave system that we know of so far. Located in the Eastern European country of Georgia, the cave has been explored and mapped for more than 50 years. So far, we know that it is at least 2212 meters (7257 ft) deep, with more passages and chambers to be explored yet. Back in September, a team of spelunkers dropped into Veryovkina to continue the slow process of discovering its hidden dep...

The North Face continues its series of videos about the team of climbers that went to the Antarctic last year with another short, but sweet, clip giving us a glimpse of their experience. This time out, we get a sense of the awe and wonder they felt in this expansive place, far from civilization, and about as remote and wild as you can get on our planet. The sense of scale is incredible, even in the short clip. Most of these videos are just a tease for what will likely be a much longer documentary, but they are still wonderful to watch. Check it out below.

Now that the fall Himalaya climbing season is starting to wind down, we'll turn our attention south to Antarctica where in a matter of a few weeks the first skiers will be setting out for the South Pole. As with every Antarctic season there will be a number of fascinating expeditions to follow, some more traditional than others. But this year, there will be an interesting vehicle-based journey to follow as a husband and wife team set out to drive an electric vehicle to the very bottom of the world . Dubbed the Clean2Antarctica expedition, the plan is for Liesbeth and Edwin ter Velde to travel 2400 km (1491 miles) on a round trip journey that begins at the Antarctic coast, goes to the South Pole, and then back again. They are expecting the entire trip to take about five weeks to complete, with plans to get underway sometime in November, which is traditionally when the Antarctic season truly gets underway. But what makes the Dutch couple's adventure such a unique one is that the...

A couple of weeks back we shared the news that our friend Louis-Phillipe Loncke had completed his first-ever winter traverse of Tasmania. This was an epic journey that left him exhausted, pushed to his limits, and 15 kg (33 pounds) lighter than when he set off. The video below is from a new report aired in Australia that caught up with the Belgian adventurer just as he was crossing the finish line, providing some insights into what this journey was like.

Even in the 21st century a crossing of the Greenland ice sheets is a significant undertaking. At more than 2400 km (1500 miles) in length, the ice sheet is the second largest body of ice in the world, behind only Antarctica. Traversing such a wild and challenging place requires stamina, skill, and determination on par with skiing to the South Pole. But now, a Finnish endurance athlete is hoping to complete such a crossing on foot, running the entire way. Adventure runner  Jukka Viljanen  has announced that he will attempt to run across the ice sheets eschewing the use of skis to travel on foot instead. If successful, he'll become the first person in history to accomplish such a feat. In doing so, he hopes to shine a spotlight on the impact that climate change is having in the polar regions of our planet, including Greenland where rising temperatures is already starting to have an impact on the lives of the individuals living there.  Viljanen intends to set out on this jou...

It's Wednesday already, which means its time for another episode of The Adventure Podcast . This week, we profile a group of modern day adventurers that listeners should know about. These are men and women who are doing amazing things in terms of exploration and the outdoors, but generally aren't getting a lot of attention from the mainstream press. We thought they should be on your radar however, which is why we've turned a spotlight on them. And as we mention in the show, there are plenty of others we could do this with too, so this could become a regular feature moving forward. Of course, we start the show off with adventure news with updates from the Himalaya, not one, but two, dramatic rescues at sea, and the amazing story of the first traverse of Tasmania during the winter months. As usual, we wrap up the show by talking about gear, with cohost Dave Adlard and myself sharing an item that we've both been using. In this case, that involves a slick belt that you can ...

Back in July we told you that Belgian adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke  was setting out on what could be his most difficult and demanding expedition to date. At the time, Loncke, who has traversed multiple deserts on foot �� including Death Valley and the Simpson Desert in Australia �� was setting out to cross Tasmania in the heart of winter. The trek was so daunting, that even he wasn't sure if he could do it. Now, that journey has come to a successful conclusion and it was just as difficult and demanding as he expected. Australia's ABC News has an update on Loncke's Tasmanian traverse expedition, which took 52 days to complete. In reaching the finish line, he became the first person to complete a solo, unsupported crossing of the Australian state in winter, which is the coldest and wettest season of them all. The expedition officially began back on August 5 in the town of Penguin and ended yesterday in Cockle Creek in the far south of Tasmania. According to the story, ...