Top Mountaineering Expeditions For Beginners

Outside Magazine's Adventure Adviser has a great post today answering the question: "What are the best beginner-level mountaineering expeditions across the world that a regular, fit trekker can attempt?" Seems like a natural question for fans of the outdoors who are looking to get into high altitude mountaineering for the first time.

And what does the Adviser recommend? His "very subjective" list of the top five mountains for beginners to cut their teeth on.

1. Mount Baker, Washington (10,781 feet)
2. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (19,340 feet)
3. Mount Khuiten, Mongolia (14,350 feet)
4. Mount Elbrus, Russia (18,500 feet)
5. Aconcagua, Argentina (22,840 feet)

Quite a good list, as you have a strong start to the Seven Summits and a couple of other challenging, yet scenic and spectacular climbs. None of these incredibly technical, and the biggest obstacle would be dealing with altitude, but they'll give you some skills that you can take on other climbs, and a taste of what it feels like to get up into the thinner air.

What do you think? Anything that should be added to the list? I was thinking about the 18,491-foot tall Orizaba in Mexico as a possible addition and obviously something like Rainier, at 14,411 feet, which is a popular mountain for potential climbers to cut their teeth.

Any other suggestions?

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Another Young Mountaineer Climbs For A Cause

We've all marveled at the stories of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest to summit Everest last month. Last week, Mountain Hardware introduced their newest, and youngest, sponsored athlete, in the form of 12-year old climber Matt Moniz. Even at that tender age, Matt has already managed to successfully summit Denali, Whitney, and Mt. Elbert, the tallest peak in the Rocky Mountains. Even more amazing, he did all three of those in just eight days!  He has also been up Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and Elbrus, and made the trek to Everest Base Camp as well.

While Matt clearly loves to climb, and doesn't lack skills in that department either, he also is climbing for a cause. He hopes to raise funds for research on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. Matt's best friend, Iain Hess, suffers from PAH, and the young climber hoped to dedicate his expeditions toward helping his pal in any way that he could. 


Last year in July, Matt set out to climb 14 of Colorado's 14ers in just 14 days, and in the process he raised $20,000 for his cause. It helped to establish the Iain Hess Breathe Easy Fund. Turns out, it only took Matt and his team, 8 days to bag those peaks. 


This is a great example of a young adventurer who seems to love what he is doing, and has a good cause that he is trying to support. I loved this story when I read it, and thought it was worth sharing here too. Great story!

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Chad Kellogg Completes New Route On Aconcagua

American climber Chad Kellogg has completed a new route on Aconcagua, going up solo and in alpine style, up the South Face. According to this story, courtesy of ExWeb, the new route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of new terrain in the process.

According to ExWeb Chad went to Argentina, along with a good friend, back in December with an eye on climbing Aconcagua, which is the tallest peak in South America at 22,841 feet. The pair acclimatized on the normal route along the Northwest Ridge, taking a week to complete that climb, but in the process, Chad's friend picked up a lung infection that sent him off the mountain.

Not content with just reaching the summit along the usual route, Chat was looking for something more challenging and interesting. Before making their summit bid, he and his friend did a recon of the South Face, where he spotted a potential new route that he felt he could do. On Dec. 22nd, he received word of a three-day weather window, and he set off to take advantage of it. ExWeb reports that he carried just a down jacket, synthetic insulated pants, a pair of mittens and gear including a 30m rope, 4 screws, 4 pins, and 4 cams. 20 bars, a 300-calorie freeze dried meal, and a stove with one canister.

Kellogg says that he initially thought he could complete the route in just 24 hours time, provided conditions were right higher on the mountain. Obviously it ended up taking longer than that, as he had to deal with a number of issues, including very technical sections, avalanches, and the usual issues that come with route finding along a new line. In the end, he stood on top, but not before dealing with quite a few challenges including running out of all of his supplies. ExWeb's story comes mostly from Chad himself, and it is a great read all around.

The Aconcagua climb was meant to be a warm-up for Everest, where Chad will be going this Spring. From the sounds of thins, he's more than ready.

Note: To all the Chad Kellogg bashers out there, I don't want to hear any comments or e-mails regarding his claims at speed records. The story has been beat to death, and I don't want any part of it. Any comments will be deleted. Please move along to a different blog/forum.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Retreats, Tries Again

I've mentioned Diane Van Deren's speed run attempt on Aconcagua a couple of times already, and there was an update on their progress over the weekend. According to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, the team retreated back to base camp following four consecutive nights stuck at 18,000 feet amidst high winds and -20º temperatures. Reportedly, the winds were holding steady at 50-60 miles per hour. Fortunately, not all has been lost however, as the weather forecasts for the next few days indicate that the winds will drop off, and although temperatures are set to remain cool, they'll be moving back up the mountain today to make another summit bid.

Diane, along with mountain guide Willie Benegas, both climbed up to 20,000 feet as part of their training and acclimatization process. And they both seem strong and ready to go for the 22,841 foot summit. Once they've completed that, they'll descend back to BC once again, then hike an additional 20 miles down the trail, where they'll begin their endurance run to the top of the mountain once again. Van Deren, who is an accomplished endurance athlete, is being monitored for a study by the Mayo Clinic that is examining the effects of altitude on climbers, with updates being posted to their blog as well.

Last week when I posted on this a couple of readers left comments, rightly pointing out that they weren't sure what the Mayo Clinic was hoping to accomplish from this study, considering the sample size is just one person. In those discussions we decided that this wasn't so much a study of the effects of altitude on climbers, but instead the effects on Diane Van Deren. What they hope to learn from following just her is a bit vague, and since she's already a freak of nature when it comes to endurance events, their findings are likely to not have much of a reflection on the rest of us. I guess we'll wait and see.

If the current weather window holds, as planned, we should hear more about the summit bid within the next few days.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Expedition Begins

A few weeks back I posted a story about North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she was preparing to head off to South America to take on Argentina's Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the continent. But unlike most climbers making a bid on the mountain, Diane's goal was to complete the initial climb as a warm-up, then make a speed attempt on the mountain, running to the summit for a second time.

The latest update on the expedition, posted to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, indicates that as of two days ago, the team was finished with their acclimatization process and would begin their actual assault on the summit yesterday, with an eye on reaching the top on Friday, provided the weather holds. They don't expect to make any more dispatches until after they've returned to BC, which could be late on Friday night or Saturday morning.

After that, the second phase of the expedition will get underway, in which Diane, along with guide Willie Benegas, will move 20 miles down the road from base camp, and begin a long run back to BC, and all the way back up the mountain. They expect the journey to take roughly 95 hours to complete, and they're doing it as part of a medical study, conducted by the Mayo Clinic, on how altitude effects performance. The Clinic is also posting updates on the expedition on their blog as well.

Most people would come off of Aconcagua, which stands 22,841 feet in height, and be exhausted. These ultra-fit athletes are using it as a warm-up for a bigger test. Crazy.

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The Costs of Climbing The Seven Summits

The Outpost, the official blog of Outdoorzy.com, has an interesting post up today that examines the costs of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on all seven continents.

The article looks at several broad categories and gives a good estimate of what each of them costs. For instance, they say that it'll set you back roughly $1170 for training to ensure you know what you're doing on those mountains, and another $9200 in airfare just to fly to the various countries that is home to one of these mountains. Throw in another $1500 for "incidentals", which covers such things as visas and passports, and things start to add up quickly.

Of course, the largest category is for the guide services necessary to climb the 7 (+1) mountains. The Outpost says that you can expect to pay between $105,850 - $169,900 on guides depending on who you choose to go with. They do note that this is an area that can be highly customized, and that's why there is such a large variance in the cost. Guide services are not all created equal, and sometimes you get what you pay for. Besides, do you really want to go cut-rate on this kind of trip?

The one category that I might disagree with their estimate on is gear, which they say will cost you $2000. In my opinion that is on the very low side, as I've seen down suits and thermal boots for Everest that will cost you that much alone. But I suppose, that this is, once again, an area that can really vary greatly, and you do indeed get what you pay for here as well.

So what's the bottom line? Outdoorzy says that the grand total of making a Seven Summits bid is about $119,720 - $183,870. That doesn't include the time you'll need to get off work, as most of us aren't sponsored climbers either.

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Running Up Aconcagua

Speaking of Aconcagua, I was listening to National Geographic Weekend, on Stitcher Radio a few days back, and host Boyd Matson was interviewing ultrarunner and North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she prepares to make a speed attempt on Aconcagua in a few weeks time.

In the interview, Diane talked a lot about her training and the extreme races she takes part in, including doing the Yukon Quest trail on foot in the middle of February. That's a 430 mile long run, in the dead of winter, which she completed in just 10 days time. Think about that folks. She averaged 43 miles per day, through snow, in arctic conditions. Very impressive.

Anyway, Diane is now preparing to leave for Argentina as part of a research study put on by the Mayo Clinic, to examine the effects of altitude on performance. She'll start by climbing the mountain in typical fashion, spending a number of days acclimatizing and making a summit bid. After that, she'll return to base camp, then descend 20 miles further away from the mountain, where she'll start the real challenge, running to the summit of Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America.

Accompanying Diane on the climb will be Willie Benegas, who is very familiar with Aconcagua, having gone up the mountain himself more than 20 times. The well known mountain guide has climbed all over the world, including Patagonia and the Himalaya. Also a North Face athlete, Willie will make a perfect partner for Diane on this expedition.

I had a hard time finding much info on this speed climb. If anyone has a link to an expedition page, please send it my way.

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Cycling The Americas Update: Mark Summits Aconcagua!

Long distance cycler Mark Beaumont completed another milestone in his ride from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America this weekend when he reached the summit of Aconcagua. The mountain, which is the tallest in South America at 22,841 feet, is his second successful summit since beginning the journey last year. He also topped out on Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet, last June.

Mark set aside his bike about two weeks ago, when he joined the climbing team in Argentina. At the time, he mentioned how he needed to get his legs use to trekking a mountain again, as they has spent many consecutive weeks on a bike. It seems he found his legs though, as he and the rest of his climbing group, reached the summit on Friday afternoon. While the Scottish cyclist hasn't posted anything about the climb on his blog yet, there are some photos from summit day that you can check out now.

After a bit of a rest, Mark will now return to his bike and resume his journey southward. If he stays on schedule, he's expected to finish up the ride in February, and the BBC has been filming the expedition for an upcoming documentary as well. Congrats to Mark on the successful climb of Aconcagua. Enjoy the rest of the ride and stay safe.

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Cycling The Americas Update: Mark Heads For Aconcagua

It has been some time since we checked in on Mark Beaumont, the Scottish cyclist who is in the process of riding his bike from Alaska to the tip of South America. Dubbed the Cycling The Americas expedition, the entire journey has been well chronicled on the BBC website through blog postings and Twitter updates.

Mark had several goals he wanted to accomplish throughout his journey, including summitting the highest mountains in both North and South America. He started the expedition by successfully climbing the 20,320 foot Denali back in June, and now he has turned his sights on Aconcagua, which at 22,841 feet, is the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya, in the world.

According to the expedition website, on December 30th, Mark has gone from cycling mode to climbing mode, after spending more than 180 days on his bike. His Twitter feed has more up-to-date information, with the news that he has joined his climbing team, and is now en route to base camp on Aconcagua. Over the next couple of weeks, we should be able to follow along as he makes his bid on another one of the Seven Summits.

After he finishes up on the mountain, Mark will return to the bike and finish the last leg of his journey. He hopes to reach Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America, sometime in February, which will close out his latest adventure.

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(Mis)Adventures on Aconcagua

Standing 22,841 feet in height, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, earning it the distinction of being one of the Seven Summits. Each year, hundreds of climbers make their way to the mountain, looking to reach the summit, and add a big peak to their resume. We're told that this is a non-technical mountain, that requires no special mountaineering skills, but that it is indeed a very long, and challenging hike to the top. And of course, we're regaled each climbing season with stories of the view from the top, often accompanied by photos of smiling climbers who look amazingly happy, while the Argentina countryside splays out for miles below them.

But what if you don't reach the summit, despite making a public display of your intentions, blogging your progress, and sending audio dispatches back to a captive audience back home? That's exactly what happened to writer David Ferris back in 2007, when he joined an expedition to Aconcagua, with the intention of climbing the mountain, and sharing his journey on the web. But a funny thing happened on the way to the summit. David found the climb to be more challenging than he thought, and as a result, he was unable to complete the climb, much to his own chagrin. Afterwards, he then had to face his friends and family, while dealing with what he considered was a failure on the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya.

David wrote a two part article on his Aconcagua experience for Smith Magazine, which is both a celebration of adventure and an insightful look at how it feels to have to turn back from your goals, and the feelings that come along with that choice. Part I of the story, entitled "Tough Call", is found by clicking here, while Part II is found here. Better yet, you can check out David's blog page on his climb, which can be found here. On that page, you can find an audio stream of the author reading his own article, as well as a link to a video file that mixes great photographs from the climb with the same audio.

Listening to David's tale, it was easy to relate to my own experiences on Kilimanjaro, another mountain that is said to be a "walk-up", and require no technical skills to summit. But altitude can do funny things to you, and while both of these mountains are tall enough that no matter the skill level, you can't just discount their height. Of course, you always need to use good judgement on any mountain, but that doesn't always take the sting out of not reaching the top, especially when it's something that you've really been wanting.

This is a great story about what it's like when you don't get to stand on top, and the feelings that climbers and adventurers deal with when they come back down. Good stuff, and definitely worth a read or a listen.

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Should Jordan Romero Climb Everest?

Backpacker Magazine has an interesting story and editorial asking the question Should 13-year-old Jordan Romero Climb Everest? This seems a fitting question, considering the young man is planning on making an attempt on the world's highest mountain next spring, which would cap his quest to become the youngest person to climb all the Seven Summits, assuming he knocks off Vinson on schedule later this year.

I've been following Jordan's climbs fairly closely these past couple of years, updating his progress every time he managed to summit another one of the seven, which consists of the tallest mountains on each of the continents. This story from Backpacker is great for introducing Jordan to anyone who hasn't been following him thus far however, and it talks about how he became captivated with the idea after seeing a mural of the Seven Summits at school. The article also emphasizes the parental support he has gotten from his dad, as well as other adults in his life too.

Backpacker also goes into the criticism that Jordan and his father, Paul, have had to endure. There are plenty of people who think it's just plain wrong for a child to be climbing these mountains, and that the teenager is at risk every time he goes up. They also accuse Paul of being the kind of dad that pushes his son into doing things that he doesn't necessarily want to do. Reading the story you can tell that the criticism has stung on more than one occasion.

The family has plenty of supporters as well however, and chief amongst them are mountaineers who have climbed with Jordan or spent time with him in camps on the five mountains he's already completed. Others say that if nothing else, the teenager has goals and aspirations, and he's not sitting on the couch playing video games like so many other kids.

All in all, this is a good story about a good kid, who happens to have very big dreams. Everything I've read or seen on Jordan seems to indicate that he is a level headed climber, wise beyond his years, with a great support system around him. You have to admire his determination and toughness, that much is certain.

And what do I think about a 13-year old climbing Everest? Personally, I don't think its a very good idea. The mountain is challenging enough at any age, and sending someone so young up there just seems like it's asking for trouble. The mountain is fraught with dangers, and a death on Everest is always tragic. It just seems like it would be even more so for a climber of this age.

That said, I feel like if anyone can do it at 13, it is probably Jordan. I also know that his family won't put him into a position where he'll be going up higher than he should. But, as I said when 13-year old Laura Dekker was planning on circumnavigating the globe solo, I'm against these kids doing these things to earn a "record" for being the youngest to accomplish something. And if it isn't about a record ,then why not wait a few years? The mountain will still be there when Jordan is 16 for instance, and that three years can make a big difference in his physical maturity.

Either way, I wish him the best of luck. To find out more about Jordan, check out his website at JordanRomero.com

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Cycling The Americas Update: Viva Mexico!

It has been awhile since I posted an update on Mark Beaumont, who is in the process of riding his bicycle from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America. Mark continues to blog his entire expedition for the BBC, and has been making great progress, although the easy part, if there is such a thing, is now behind him.

When I last posted about Mark he was cycling through the western United States and taking in the beautiful scenery there. The Scottish cyclist has since moved south of the border and is now making his way through Mexico, where he joined in the Independence Day celebration yesterday. If you've been following Mark's Twitter feed, you know that riding in Mexico has been more difficult for him, as the roads are much more challenging, the weather has been hotter, and overall level of danger is higher.

He has now spent a little more than a week in Mexico, and in Mark's own words he has this to say:

"Never have I seen such a distinct culture change over a single border. They say a change is as good as a rest and I have relished the new experience after a seemingly never ending cycle down the USA!"

So far, it seems like he is enjoying his the ride, and his comment on the culture change is interesting considering he have visited plenty of countries, particularly on his around the world bike ride, in which he circled the globe in less than 195 days.

For now, Mark will continue is ride south, and obviously he has plenty of miles ahead of him before he crosses into South America. But looming ahead is Aconcagua, the second mountain he'll climb on this expedition, having already successfully topped out on Denali a few months back. When it's all said and done, the Scotsman hopes to finish the ride in early 2010, having logged more than 15,000 miles in the saddle when he is done.

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Book Review: Die Trying

In the world of mountaineering and adventure, the Seven Summits is one of the most sought after goals. In order to complete the challenge, a climber must successfully climb the tallest mountains on all seven continents. The list includes Kilimanjaro in Africa (19,340 feet), Aconcagua in South America (22,841 feet), Denali in North America (20,320 feet), Mt. Vinson in Antarctica (16,050 feet), Mt. Elbrus in Europe (18,442 feet), Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia (16,024), Mount Kosciuszko in Australia (7,310 feet), and of course Mt. Everest in Asia, the tallest mountain on the planet at 29,029 feet. Sharp eyed readers will have already noted that that was eight mountains and not seven. When the original list was put together by Dick Bass, the first man to climb all of the Seven Summits, he included just the continental mountains, and thus Kosciuszko in Australia was on the list. Later, the list was amended by Reinhold Messner to to included all of "Oceania" which then added Carstensz Pyramid to the list. Most climbers do both just to cover their bases.

The Seven Summits are the the central theme for the book Die Trying by Bo Parfet and Richard Buskin, which was released earlier this year. The book follows Parfet's quest to climb each of those mountains, as he goes on a journey of self discovery along the way.

Parfet does a competent job of telling his own story, starting as a young man who struggled with a learning disability, but over came that to go on graduate college and get a lucrative job on Wall Street. But in the midst of working many long hours, while constantly eating takeout, and slowly getting out of shape, Parfet decided he needed to put a little excitement into his life. So, he planned a trip to Tanzania to make the trek up Kilimanjaro. While in college he had done some climbing, and caught the bug, but he had never been up as high as he was on Kili, and when he reached the summit, it gave him a sense of accomplishment that ended up changing his life.

From there, Bo decided that he would move on Aconcagua, which other climbers told him was a nice test to see if he could handle even higher altitudes. At that time, he wasn't even considering the Seven Summits, just going on a mountain adventure that would get him out away from his desk and out of his office. Parfet became creative with his approach, even using his corporate ties to do fund raising for a variety of charities that would help get him to the places he wanted to go climbing in. Not only was he getting to climb mountains, he was doing some good along the way too.

Eventually mountaineering began to become a more important part of his life, and by the time he left for Denali, his third peak in the Seven Summits, he was in better shape, carrying more appropriate equipment, and had experience level had risen dramatically. After topping out successfully on that mountain, which is often seen as a warm-up for Everest, he began to think about completing the Seven Summits in earnest.

Overall, I enjoyed Die Trying, as it is a good read to familiarize yourself with the mountains that make up the Seven Summits, and learn the basics of mountaineering. Parfet does a good job of describing the conditions that are faced on each of the Summits, and explains the various approaches to climbing each of them as well. He also mixes in plenty of his own personality, giving the story a more accessible, personal approach. He comes across as a likable guy that you wouldn't mind sharing a camp fire with, swapping stories into the night.

But make no mistake, this book isn't amongst the all time great mountaineering books. It is a fun, light read, and if you're looking for something new for your bookshelf, then by all means, give this one a go, just don't expect Into Thin Air or even Dick Bass' own Seven Summits, which I preferred to this book, although it is a bit dated now. For a fun adventure story though, you could do a lot worse.

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Jordan Romero Summits Carstensz Pyramid

I've written about Jordan Romero in the past. He's the 13-year old who is attempting to become the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits, and the latest entry on his blog indicates that he is now one step closer to that goal.

Jordan is currently in Indonesia where the word is that he has successfully reached the summit of Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest peak in Oceania. In the process, the teenager also managed to set a new record as the youngest person to complete that technical climb and reach the top of the 16,023 foot mountain. He now has just Mt. Vinson in Antarctica and Everest in Asia to complete the Seven Summits.

The current record for the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits is held by Johnny Strange, who finished his quest this past spring by topping out on Everest. Johnny is 17 years old, so obviously Jordan has a few years working in his favor to catch him. Despite that, his website says that he hopes to finish off the two remaining peaks within the next year, presumably going for Vinson in the December/January timeframe and then turning towards Everest in the spring.

The Seven Summits represent the highest mountains on the seven continents, and over the past 25 years or so have become one of the landmark achievements for outdoor adventure. The list has actually grown to include 8 mountains, as Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest point in Australia, has been supplanted with the much more challenging, and taller, Carstensz, but most of the Seven Summiteers do both, just to cover their bases. Besides those two, Vinson and Everest, the list includes the following: Mt. Elbrus (Europe), Denali (North America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), and Aconcagua (South America).

I know we recently had some discussion around here regarding Laura Dekker and her plans to sail solo around the world at the age of 13, and now we have another 13-year old who is planning on tackling Everest next year. The difference between these two is vast however, as Jordan won't be making his Everest attempt alone, and his father, who goes with him on every climb, happens to be a high altitude medical specialist. That said, I'll still say that Everest isn't the best place for a 13-year old kid. I know they'll use sound judgement in their approach, but much like Laura, I think it would be okay for them to wait a few years before making the attempt. After all, what is the hurry?

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Cycling The Americas Update: Back in the U.S.

It's been a few weeks since we checked in on Mark Beaumont, who is in the process of cycling the Trans-American Highway from Alaska to the tip of South America. He's been blogging about his journey and updating us on his adventure over at the Cycling the Americas website.

When last we checked in on Mark, he had summitted Denali and was preparing to begin his ride. He has since ridden out of Alaska and south through Canada, and is presently back in the continental U.S. and riding through the Washington/Idaho border region.

Mark is making good time so far on his journey, but on this type of ride, the northern end is always the easiest. Riding through the U.S. and Canada gives the cyclist a great infrastructure with excellent roads, campsites, and supply stations along the way. The further south he goes however, the worse those conditions are likely to be, especially once he enters Mexico and continues into Central America and then down into South America as well.

Today on his blog update, Mark is answering a series of questions, that are quite interesting. He talks about his route thus far, and how scenic it has been. He mentions his climbs, having already knocked off Denali, and setting his sights on Aconcagua in January, and what it's like to spend hours on the road alone with just his bike.

For the next few weeks, Mark will continue his ride through the U.S. and updates will continue throughout the entire journey When he reaches Mexico, I expect a different tone to his updates and very interesting stories from the road.

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Cycling The Americas Update: Mark Summits Denali!

Mark Beaumont has accomplished his first major goal on his Cycling the Americas expedition, in which he plans to ride his bike from Anchorage, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina, found at the southernmost tip of South America. Along the way, Mark intends to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the two highest mountains in North and South America respectively. Yesterday he accomplished the first of those goals by reaching the summit of Denali.

According to the most recent entry on his blog, Mark, and the rest of the team he was climbing with, spent nearly 16 hours making the round trip to the summit and back down to high camp. The weather had been perfect for most of the day, but as they neared the summit, the winds began to pick up, and it started to snow, resulting in blizzard conditions, a complete whiteout and zero visibility. Five members of the team, including Mark actually stood on top sometime late yesterday afternoon Alaska time. One member of the team had to turn back near the summit ridge after nearly collapsing. Ensuring that that climber got back down off the mountain safely slowed their descent in the deteriorating weather conditions, but everyone is reportedly safe and resting at 17,200 feet now.

From here, Mark will continue his descent and return to Anchorage, where he'll shortly begin his ride, which is being filmed by the BBC and expected to take him roughly ten months or so to complete. You may recall this isn't Mark's first epic cycling trip, as he has already ridden around the world, and in a record time of 195 days no less. Soon he'll be heading out on the Trans-America Highway and heading south. You can follow his progress and latest updates from the Cycling the Americas website.

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Cycling The Americas Update: Climbing Denali

A couple weeks back, just before I took my brief hiatus Down Under, I posted about Mark Beaumont, the man who once rode around the world on his bike, in 195 days no less. At the time, he was en route to Alaska, where he was just about to start his next project, dubbed Cycling the Americas, in which he would be riding his bike from the Great White North all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America.

Besides covering more than 15,000 miles along the Trans-American Highway, over the course of the nine months or so that the journey is expected to take, Mark also intends to climb the two highest mountains in the Americas as well, namely Denali and Aconcagua. The latest updates from his Twitter feed indicate that he is currently on Denali, and camped at about 14,000 feet.

Today is day eight of the Denali climb, which is expected to take roughly three weeks, depending on weather and the acclimatization process. Mark reports that everything is on track for the team to stay on that pace and he says that everyone, including himself, are doing well so far. He is climbing along the Western Buttress route, the most popular on Denali, and reportedly the weather has been great, with clear skies and warm temperatures.

The Denali season has been in full swing for awhile now, and two teams reached the summit yesterday day alone. I expect we'll be hearing more updates from both Mark, and the mountain in general, over the course of the next few weeks, as climbers take advantage of the relatively short climbing season there.

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Mark Beaumont Begins Cycling Adventure

Mark Beaumont, the "Round The World Cyclist" who I wrote about last week, has set off on his next adventure, a long distance cycling expedition that will begin in Alaska and end when he reaches Tierra del Fuego sometime next February.

According to Mark's Twitter feed, he has set off from Edinburgh on a 20 hour flight to Anchorage, but not before he ran into some issues. It seems his flight was cancelled, and he ended up having to reroute from London to Seattle, but he is now on his way to the start of his ride.

In the months ahead, Mark will not only be covering more than 15,000 miles along the Trans-American Highway, but he'll also stop long enough to climb both Denali and Aconcagua, the tallest mountains on both North and South America. His entire adventure is being filmed by the BBC for an upcoming television show and you can read about his progress in the Cycling The Americas Blog as well.

I'm sure it'll be a few days before we hear anything about his start, and he may be headed directly to Denali before he even hops on the bike, but I expect that he'll be more than looking forward to hitting the open road soon. Should be a fun ride to follow.

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More Info on the Alaska to Tierra del Fuego Bike Ride

Yesterday I posted a story on Mark Beaumont, a long distance cyclist who once completed a ride of 18,297 miles that circumnavigated the globe, finishing in an impressive 195 days no less. Mark is now in the final stages of preparation to ride from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, with a final destination of Tierra del Fuego. That trip will be a mere 15,000 miles in length and is billed as the longest unbroken ride in the world.

Today I have a few more links to the story that provide a bit more information about what Mark intends to do on his journey. Working in conjunction with the BBC, the Scottish cyclist has set up a "Cycling the Americas" Blog that he'll be updating as he goes, posting photos and stories from the road. You can also follow Mark on his Twitter Feed which is already up and running and has info on his current press tour to promote his next adventure, as well as the release of his book about cycling around the world. You can also learn more about Mark by going to his official website.

Mark's next journey is set to get underway in June and go until February of 2010. Not content to just ride the length of the Americas however, he'll also be attempting to climb Denali and Aconcagua along the way. Is an attempt on the rest of the Seven Summits in his future? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Thanks to regular reader, and fellow adventurer, Carl Hancock for passing these great links along. Good stuff!

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Aconcagua: The Everest for the Rest of Us

If all of this summit talk on Everest, and throughout the Himalaya, the past few days has you inspired to climb a mountain, then perhaps you should consider Aconcagua, which Men's Journal calls the Everyman's Everest.

The 22,834 foot mountain is located in Argentina and is the tallest mountain in South America. Considered one of the Seven Summits, it also happens to be the tallest mountain in the world not found in the greater Himalaya range. It offers an actual mountain expedition, spread out over a couple of weeks, that is more of an alpine style approach, but still offers a mountaineering experience that is challenging and rewarding.

In this case, the author, Tim Sohn, had a some expert help getting to the top. He climbed with Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker (who just summitted Everest earlier today), along with ten time (soon to be 11!) Everest summitteer Dave Hahn. Who could ask for a better crew to shuttle you up the mountain? The expedition was an early test for the new line of First Ascent gear from Eddie Bauer.

The article does a good job of showing the approaching to climbing Aconcagua through the eyes of a guy who is in reasonably good shape, but had never been higher than 14,500 feet before. He also had just one month to prepare for the expedition, when typically 3 or 4 would be better. It's interesting read for armchair mountaineers to understand what goes into this type of climb before they set out for one themselves. Reading this may have you plotting a trip of your own soon enough. :)

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