Travel video news

Italy's Stelvio Pass is a well-known road that includes numerous switchbacks that vehicles must navigate in order to reach the top of the mountain. In this video, we join freestyle skier Bene Mayr as he attempts to descend the pass, jumping the numerous switchbacks as he descends. It's a harrowing, wild ride to say the least and it will almost certainly get your adrenaline pumping just watching. Don't try this at home kids.

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...

At the age of 11, Kai Jones may not be able to do everything that the "big kids" can do, but he can certainly out ski most adults. In this fun, creative, and highly entertaining clip, we catch Kai having a frustrating start to his day, although things certainly do pick up when he hits the slopes in Jackson Hole. Most of us wish we could ski as well as this kid, who tears up the hill and carves fresh powder with ease.

It's the age old question �� who is faster, the skier or the drone? Okay, maybe not, but it still makes for a fun video. In the clip below, pro skier Victor Muffat-Jeandet races a drone piloted by two-time World Drone Racing Champion Jordan Temkin down the slopes at the Snowbird resort in Utah in an effort to see who is faster. You'll have to watch to see who won, but it sure is fun seeing this epic showdown unfold.

If you're going to test technology and filmmaking equipment, Jimmy Chin is a good guy to give it to. In this video. the award winning photographer/filmmaker �� not to mention all-around bad ass �� heads out to Greenland with fellow adventurer  Kit DesLauriers to explore remote regions, climb mountains, and make ski descents. Lucky for us, he brought a DJI drone along to capture some of the best moments, which you'll find in the fantastic video below.

Last week we brought the news that the Antarctic expedition season as officially underway when the first flight out of Punta Arenas, Chile to the Union Glacier camp on the frozen continent took place. On that flight was American Colin O'Brady and presumably British polar explorer Lou Rudd . I say presumably because Rudd was known to be in Punta Arenas prior to the flight and like O'Brady he is making an attempt at a solo, unassisted traverse of the Antarctic. So far, we haven't heard a word from Rudd, but O'Brady had been updating his progress on social media and is now underway at last. After arriving at Union Glacier, O'Brady had to wait a few days before being flown out to his starting point on the Ronne Ice Shelf. Poor weather conditions at the landing zone prevented his Twin Otters aircraft from delivering him to the launching point. But it didn't take long for conditions to improve and over the weekend he was dropped off at long last and he began his lon...

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...

In a few weeks time, some very adventurous explorers will begin the annual ski season in the Antarctic, with many traveling from the coast at Hercules Inlet to the South Pole itself. If you've ever wondered what kind of gear they need to take with them for an 800+ mile (1200+ km) journey, this video will help give you an idea. It was filmed polar explorer Mark Wood, who made that journey a few years back. In the clip, he shares the ten most important pieces of kit that an Antarctic skier has with them.

If you follow the regular patterns of the adventure seasons, you probably already know that climbing in the Himalaya this fall is nearing an end, while the Antarctic ski season will soon be ramping up. In a matter of just a few weeks time, the first South Pole skiers will hit the ice, starting their own personal journeys across the frozen continent. As usual, we'll be keeping an eye on some of the biggest and most interesting of those expeditions, bringing updates on the progress of these explorers. A company called Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions handles most of the support and transportation for those looking to make a trip to the bottom of the world. They make regular flights out of Punta Arenas, Chile and maintain a semi-permanent camp on the ice at a place called Union Glacier. According to the company's internal schedule, the first flight to Union Glacier will take place on November 1, carrying only ALE staff and supplies. That will give the team an opportunity to ge...

A few weeks back we shared the news that Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison has accomplished one of the last great feats of ski mountaineering by conquering the so called "Dream Line" on Lhotse. At the time, there weren't a lot of details about the climb to the summit of the 8516 meter (27,940 feet) peak and the ski descent that followed, only a few social media posts that hinted at the challenges and exhilaration that came with the experience. Now, we're learning a lot more about what this impressive expedition was like directly from Nelson herself. National Geographic has posted an article that offers an inside look at the first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world. That article takes the form of an interview with Nelson, who shares insights into what its like to be in Everest Base Camp in the fall when no one else is around and the challenges that arise from having the mountain all to yourself. She also discusses safety on Lhotse in the off-season, th...

If you're in need of new gear to keep you warm, dry, and moving during the cold months of winter, then you'll definitely want to head on over to Outside Online , the website for Outside magazine  A few days back the publication posted its 2019 Winter Gear Buyers Guide , and as usual it offers a cornucopia of new products to sift through as we inch closer to that season here in North America. This time out, the team at Outside  sifted through hundreds of pieces of outdoor gear to narrow down their buyers guide to a mere 331 items. They've conveniently broken down those products into a few broad categories to make it easier for the rest of us to pour over. For instance, readers will find a Ski & Snowboard section that is further subdivided not only into the actual skies and snowboards themselves, but also boots, bindings, poles, helmets, goggles, and more. Similarly, there is a Layers section that contains jackets, base and mid-layers, ski pants, and even a category for...

A few weeks back I shared the trailer for the classic adventure film Mountain of Storms , which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. What makes this film so special isn't just the subject matter, but the fact that this underground documentary hasn't been widely seen by many people. But that's about to change, and if you're a fan of these kinds of films, you're probably going to want to try to catch it. Mountain of Storms is the documentary that tells the story of five friends who set out from Southern California to drive to South America, surfing and climbing along the way. The team decided to film their exploits, capturing the footage using an old 16mm camera that was pretty high tech for the day. Eventually, they reached Patagonia, where they put up some impressive routes, including the first ascent of Cerro Fitz Roy, one of the most iconic peaks in the region. They also skied on both snow and sand, and spent a month living inside a snow cave. Their ta...