The 7 Rivers, 7 Continents Expedition

Adventurer Mark Kalch's next big project is his 7 Rivers, 7 Continents paddling expedition, in which he will attempt to paddle the length of the longest rivers on each of the seven continents. Having already knocked off one of those rivers, he says he figured he might as well "man up and finish the rest."

Back in 2007 and 2008, Mark was part of an expedition that paddled the length of the Amazon River, covering more than 4300 miles. The Amazon, which stretches across South America, is the longest river in the world, and quite a challenge to navigate, but the other rivers that are waiting for him will each offer their own unique challenges as well.

The list of rivers he intends to paddle include the following:

Nile River (Africa) – 6650 km (4132 miles)
Yangtze River (Asia) – 6300 km (3916 miles)
Mississippi-Missouri River (North America) – 6275 km (3912 miles)
Volga River (Europe) – 3645 km (2266 miles)
Murray-Darling River (Australia) – 3370 km (2904 miles)
Onyx River (Antarctica) – 40 km (25 miles)

According to ExWeb, who brought this story to my attention, Mark will use a variety of watercraft to make these descents, including kayaks, white water rafts, and even stand-up paddle boards, depending on the type of water he is encountering at any given time. They also estimate that it will take him anywhere from 4 to 6 months to complete each river, so obviously this project will keep him busy for the next few years.

Each of these rivers will have a very different feel, and I've been fortunate enough to have been on four of the seven. The Nile, for instance, will be long and and hot, without much to see other than desert for much of its run, although it will be quite a ride to get things started. On the other hand, the Mississippi will keep him in the middle of civilization for the vast majority of the duration, with plenty of places to stop and rest, get a good meal, sleep in a comfortable bed, and so on. The experiences are going to be dramatically different, and this should be a fun expedition to follow for that alone. 

Anyway you look at it though, this is going to be a series of epic paddling adventures. Even the short, 25-mile long Onyx in Antarctica will have its share of challenges. Can't wait to read the updates!

Tweet

7 Summits, 7 Flights Update: One Down!

Last week I posted a story about the Seven Summits, Seven Flights Team, who were just setting off on their quest to climb the Seven Summit and then paraglide off of each of them. They had hoped to begin with Denali in June, but were denied access because of permit issues, but were instead en route to Russia, where they would attempt Elbrus.

According to the expedition's blog, the team reached the summit of Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, on Tuesday, and did indeed fly off the summit. Reading the story however, it seems like it was much tougher than they expected, both on the climb and then the takeoff of the flight as well. During the climb the team suffered the usual issues with altitude, including headaches, nausea, etc., but despite all of that they reached the 18,510 foot summit by 11 AM local time.

The blog entry also says that it was a clear, beautiful day for a climb, but not so much for a flight. There was zero wind, which made it very difficult for them to get up to speed and lift off in their paraglider. They had to run quite quickly to achieve flight, and anyone who has ever tried to run at altitude can tell that isn't easy to do. Despite those challenges however, they did manage to get airborne and successfully fly from the summit, which means they have one summit down, and six to go.

Yesterday, the team posted another blog entry, this time sharing their thoughts and feeling on reaching their first goal. As you might expect, they seem tired, recovering from the altitude, but generally in good spirits and happy to have made the first climb.

No word on which of the Summits is next, but a hearty congratulations to the team for getting off to a good start.

Tweet

The Luck o' the Irish meets the Cliffs of Moher

Last Friday, I got on a plane bound for Leipzig. But since I was still on a month-long journey of the unexpected, of course, I ended up in Shannon, Ireland instead. At this point, there were only two viable options: lament the cancelled plans in Leipzig or get busy making news plans in Shannon. OK, scratch that. There was only one viable option.

With the help of the hotel staff, we quickly lined up a driver and guide to take us to the ever elusive Cliffs of Moher. I should stop here to acknowledge that it is a bit odd to describe Ireland’s most visited attraction, which has existed for 300 million years or so as ‘elusive’, but I have been trying to get to this place for ages and something (usually a combination of not enough time and/ or Guinness on tap) has always intervened. These Cliffs have eluded the hell out of me.

This day was different. With James Ryan, our gregarious, story-telling driver leading the way, we were soon walking among some of the most dramatic windswept panorama imaginable. The Cliffs are impressive beyond words and handily deserving of their inclusion in the list of candidates for the 7 Natural World Wonders (to be announced in 2011). It was an easy paved walk from the car park up to the O’Brien’s Tower, which James informed us we were supposed to kick. To be honest, I did not see anyone assault the tower in such a manner, but not wanting to risk the luck of the Irish, I waited until no one was looking and did my quick Beckham impersonation. For 2 euro, we then climbed the freshly-kicked tower for views extending out to the Aran Islands. The word ‘spectacular’ seems somehow inadequate

Next on our agenda was a stop in the small, musically-rich town of Doolin. We went to Gus O’Connor’s Pub in hopes of finding some live entertainment, but found out we were too late for the afternoon band and too early for the evening one. Undaunted, we stayed for lunch and a pint or two. I ordered a cheese tart made with locally produced St. Tola’s goat cheese that was ridiculously good. Had I been myself or possessed a total disregard for public perception, I’m certain I could have eaten two or three of them.

I had mentioned to James that I was concerned that my camera battery was about to meet a very untimely end. He advised me to not go too crazy at the Cliffs because there was still more to see. Poor James obviously does not know me very well. I went to town on the Cliffs, the Tower and everything in-between, but luckily still had enough juice for our next stop. That would be the Poulnabrone Portal Tomb or Dolmen, as it is called. The limestone megalith dates back to somewhere between 4200 and 2900 BC, making it potentially older than the Pyramids of Giza, and marks the spot of a mass burial ground. It is also, in my opinion, more photogenic.

One final stop was Leamaneh Castle, the remains of the home of Mad Mary O’Brien, whose loyalties changed depending on who was in power, allowing her to retain some pretty nice digs. She was but one of the many historical characters James regaled us with.

It was hard to believe but between the beautiful scenery, the entertaining stories and the good food, beer and company, seven hours had passed and our tour had come to an end. It was as unexpected as it was lucky...and all the more reason to go around kicking towers.

Tweet

World Run II Update: The End of Africa

A few weeks back I posted a story about the World Run II, a long distance endurance run like nothing I've ever seen before. The event is the brainchild of Danish ultrarunner Jesper Olsen, who is about to become the first person to ever run the length of Africa, north to south, as he finishes the first half of an amazing long distance odyssey on foot.

On Saturday, March 13, Jesper will be running into Cape Point, South Africa, which will mark the end of the first stage of World Run II, which began back on July 1st of 2008, when he set off from the northernmost tip of Norway, and started running south. Now, 20 months, and nearly 21,250 kilometers later, he's about to set some very impressive firsts. In addition to becoming the first person to run across Africa, north to south, he'll also become the first person to run from the most northerly point in Europe, to the southernmost tip of Africa, and he'll be the first to complete two documented runs of more than 20,000km, having finished his first during World Run I back in 2005, which went for more than 26,000km.

Upon reaching Cape Point, Jesper will then take a few months off to rest and recover before beginning the second stage of World Run II. That stage will begin in Punta Arenas, Chile, and will see him running north this time, covering the length of South America, up through Central America, into Mexico, and the U.S. before ending in Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada. When he's done, Jesper will have covered more than 40,000km, through all kinds of terrain and weather conditions.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to salute Jesper and what he's accomplished so far. While he still has a long way to go before he finishes World Run II, it is very impressive what he has accomplished so far. What an amazing expedition this has been through Africa, and what a great way to see the world – on your own two feet!

Update: It seems my original information was off just a bit. Jesper will now be arriving in Cape Point on Monday, not Saturday. We can afford him a little extra time to take in the sights though considering how far he has just run, right?

Tweet

The Dresden Escape

I interrupt the India travelogue, which I regret is taking way too long to write, to post February's adventure of the month, lest anyone think I have spent the last two months doing nothing but dreaming of India.  Well, there has been some of the that, but there has also been some of this....

The scenario: Stuck in Halle, Germany, a town seriously challenging my belief that it is impossible to get bored in Europe with no work on the horizon for the next 24 hours and limited access to the internet. My only foreseeable options were to find a way out of Halle (pronounced “Hell”…I am certain of it) and save my sanity or to stay and perhaps take up knitting. Considering I hear carrying knitting needles through airport security is a bit of a bitch, I opted for a rental car.

Joined by two fellow Halle-haters and armed with the best map Mapquest had to offer and what can most generously be described as a vague plan, we set off on a ninety mile road trip to Dresden. There was some concern about the wisdom of our outing thanks to some pretty dire weather predictions. But then there was also the knowledge that it was this or nothing at all, so we pushed those concerns aside and proceeded with our plan. Everything that happened from our arrival onward validated the fact that we made the right call.

We had nothing more than the most general of directions into the city and one German speaker amongst us, but we managed to stumble into the one parking garage directly across from the Tourist Information Office. There, we found no lines, only a helpful Info guy, who suggested we join the hop on- hop off bus leaving in a few minutes. The entire route would take an hour and a half and bring us back to the historical center just in time for 3 half-hour walking tours, all included in the 20 euro price. We had not been in town for more than 20 minutes and already we were booked up for the next three hours.

The double-decker bus, with its recorded multi-lingual narration, took us from the baroque postcard-pretty old town, almost all of which has been completely rebuilt since the ruthless Allied fire-bombing in 1945, across the Elbe River and up into the hills past castles, vineyards and more charming neighborhoods than I could have possibly imagined. We passed museums, palaces, frozen over bier gardens and some pretty interesting street art as I eyed a couple of hostels and plotted my return. Yes, I had already decided I would return. The weather I had been dreading was turning out to be nothing more than gray skies and a mild drizzle. And best of all, we were not in Halle anymore.

The first of our walking tours took us through the Zwinger, the exquisite baroque courtyard that began life as Augustus the Strong’s orangerie, occupying the space between the old city fortification walls. It was the first of Dresden’s many landmarks to be rebuilt after the war and is now the repository for the fine arts museum, the armory, the porcelain collection and the mathematical salon (none of which we had time to visit this time around).

Next, we toured the Furstenzug, the Square abutting the Zwinger and home to the magnificent Semper Opera house. Just off on a side street was my favorite part of the entire tour, the Procession of Princes. From a distance, it looks like a block-long mosaic depicting the 99 rulers of Saxony, but upon closer inspection, it reveals itself to be a collection of 20,000+ painted tiles, making it the longest and largest tile painting in the world. Walking along the length of the beautifully rendered gallery, our guide provided us with a crash course into the people and politics that shaped the region into what it is today. Never has a history lesson been so pretty.

Finally, we learned about the Frauenkirche, the Protestant church with the distinctive stone cupola that was left to stand in ruins as a reminder of the destructiveness of war until recently when it was rebuilt, using some of the original stones pieced together in a jigsaw-puzzle fashion via the use of old photographs. The dark sooty original stones are easily distinguishable from the light colored new ones.

By the time we reached the end of the tour, the weather had begun to deteriorate (just as the guide had predicted it would) so we took this as a sign to retreat to one of the areas’ many picturesque cafes for some soup and gluhwein. For anyone that has not had the pleasure, gluhwein is a hot spiced wine or as I prefer to call it, the best thing ever invented. Ever.

Sufficiently warmed up, we jumped (or I guess “hopped” would be more appropriate) back on the bus and headed to the nightlife district behind the art nouveau Pfund’s Dairy. There we found so many little funky restaurants, bars and shops that I would have been happy to have all my belongings shipped over and establish residence anywhere in the area. That not being a practical option, instead, we found a bar with a Big Lebowski theme (seriously, how cool is that?!) and hung out with a friendly Dresdenian and her dog until it was time for our inevitable return to the convalescent home that is Halle.

It was now a proven fact, a rainy day in Dresden beats the sunniest of days in Halle. Obviously, I was delighted with how our day turned out for many reasons, not the least of which is I am pretty sure I would suck at knitting

Tweet

World Run II: A New Definition Of Endurance Runs!

Occasionally I get great articles, reports, and links sent my way from readers who are aware of some great adventures that I haven't come across before. At any given time, there are always some amazing things going on, and it's difficult to keep track of them all, although I do my best. :) One such reader is Darrell Raubenheimer, who drops me a note from time to time about one amazing endurance event or another that is taking place in and around South Africa, which he calls home. Earlier today, I received just such a note telling me about endurance athlete Jesper Olsen and his World Run II.

Back in 2005, Jesper completed the first ever fully documented run around the world. Dubbed the World Run, the event saw him begin and end in London, crossing Europe, and Asia, before ending up in Tokyo, Japan From there, the Danish runner hopped a flight to Sydney, ran across Australia to Perth, then grabbed another flight to Los Angeles, where he proceed to run north to Vancouver, then across Canada and the U.S., before taking a flight back to the U.K., returning to where he started. When he was done, Jesper had run more than 16,000 miles.

But like any good adventurer, the ultrarunner couldn't stay home for long, and thus the plan was hatched for World Run II, which like all good sequels, is bigger, and more impressive than the first. This time, Jesper is running a course that is roughly 25,000 miles in length and going from north-to-south, and back again. In the process, he'll cross four continents, numerous countries, and through nearly every time of environment imaginable.

The run got underway from Nordkapp, Norway, the northernmost point in Europe, and will continue south to Cape Town in South Africa. From there, Jesper will hop a flight to Punta Arenas, Chile, in South America, and turn is way north, heading up through that continent, and into North America, through Mexico, the U.S., and into Canada, eventually ending at Mt. Pearl, a small town in Newfoundland.

Jesper's latest blog report, which can be found on the World Run II website, indicates that he is now closing in on Cape Town, which is a major milestone for his expedition. As of two days ago, he had completed nearly 12,800 miles, so he's roughly halfway done. As of that posting, he was still about 500 miles away from Cape Town, but mentioned that he was looking forward to a break, some time to heal, and recover, before moving on to South America. Considering he's just about finished up a complete run across the African continent, north to south, I'd say he's earned some rest.

Personally, I'm in awe of this undertaking. I've taken the last two days off from running to try to heal a bit of a nagging injury, and now I feel just completely lazy after reading about some of the things that Jesper has been dealing with along the way. I may have missed the first half of this very cool adventure, but you can bet I'll be following along with the second half. Thanks for the tip Darrell, it is highly appreciated as always! :)

Tweet

North Face Coming To US Theaters January 29th

A few weeks back I posted a link to a trailer for an upcoming film called North Face which recounts the efforts of German climbers circa 1936 to conquer the unclimbed North Face of the Eiger. Now, a few more details on the film, including a release date, have emerged.

The film is set to hit American theaters on Friday, January 29th. I've been told that the film has been out for months in Europe, but it is just now making its way to this side of the pond, and from most accounts, it is worth the wait. The movie will center around German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser (Played by Benno Furmann and Florian Lukas respective), who were spurred on by nationalism and Nazi pride, to make an attempt on the most dangerous and notorious rock face in the Alps.

The climb begins innocently enough, but conditions soon begin to erode on the mountain, and two men find themselves in a race against time, with the elements closing in around them, and while they are suspended on one of the most challenging and physically demanding rock faces anywhere in the world.

For those that haven't seen it, I've posted the trailer once again. The film looks like it was stunningly shot, and I'm already looking forward to catching it. I'm glad it's finally coming stateside, as it's obviously better late then never.

Tweet

What do you mean – you haven't heard of Leipzig?

It’s funny how things are. Several months ago, I was completely unaware of the existence of Leipzig, Germany. As far as I can recall, I had never heard anything about it, be it good, bad or indifferent. This is no longer the case, due primarily to my work. I have been provided with not just one but two opportunities to visit Leipzig within the past two months. Along with this chance to spend some time in the lively East German university city, I have become aware of the fact that word of Leipzig is simply everywhere you look.

It started oddly enough, with a concerned e-mail from a friend linking to an article from the UK’s Daily Mail about a group of follicularly-challenged bears living in the Leipzig zoo. It seems that their female Andean bears are losing all their fur and no one can figure out why. Since receiving that e-mail, I have come across other Leipzig bear musings in the LA Times, Huffington Post and the BBC. The bears have gone global.

Next, there was the very recent 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Watching the coverage on the BBC, there was mention after mention of what commentators felt was the initial spark leading up to the collapse of the wall. It was a peaceful candlelight demonstration that drew 70,000 Leipzigers out to the street on October 9, 1989, over a month before the wall fell. Next, I was hit with the sudden realization that one of my favorite areas in one of my favorite cities owes it name to Leipzig.

I had long known that Lipscani Street, the home of a burgeoning café revival in Bucharest was named after German traders, the Lipsca, who would sell their wares on this 18th century commercial street. Yet it was not until I started reading about the history of Leipzig and its importance as a center of trade that it dawned on me that the Lipsca were the people from Leipzig. Duh!! Since I was on a roll, I soon learned that the father of a super-duper cool friend of my mine…born in Leipzig. Also to be found here, Johann Sebastian Bach’s final resting place (or I should say final-final resting place, since the poor man has been relocated three times since his passing, all within, you guessed it, Leipzig); the world’s oldest train station, now moonlighting as a brewery making the highly recommended Gose beer; a bar mentioned in Goethe’s Faust; Europe’s largest monument, a monolith dedicated to the War of Nations and to end the list with a bit of a whimper, Germany’s biggest railway station turned department store, this one sadly lacking its own brewery.

In my nearly two weeks in Leipzig, I have done my best to honor this incredibly varied history. I visited the Leipzig Zoo, founded in 1878 and now home of the unfortunate Kojak the bears. I have long had mixed feelings about zoos. On one hand, a good one can educate people, create a passion for animals early in children’s life and provide a valuable tool in the fight against extinction. And by most accounts, this zoo would fall under the category of a “good zoo”. They boast a phenomenal breeding rate; many of the animal enclosures provide their inhabitants, the majority of whom appear to be well cared for, with a decent amount of room to run and play and it can not be denied, that in terms of old European elegance, it is simply a beautifully designed park. On the other hand, I can never get past the guilt that these majestic creatures are being denied what is their rightful place in the world, running wild in the jungles, deserts, ocean, wherever, for our amusement. As the sun was setting, we saw a series of small pens holding big cats, whose primitive instincts were telling them that they should be preparing to hunt their prey. It was heart-breaking watching them pace restlessly back and forth, wearing a groove in the dirt from this response to their unnatural incarceration. Of course, I did get to briefly view the famous bears, who in my opinion would benefit greatly from some Jessica Simpson hair pieces. But at the end of the day, when I weigh the admittedly pleasant day spent at Leipzig Zoo against the moral cost being paid by these innocent incarcerees, I remain as conflicted as ever.

Next on the Why-Leipzig-is-Famous tour, I attempted to gather some perspective on what led to the history-making candlelight march by visiting the Stassi Museum. Housed in the former home of the secret police, it details the lengths that the Communist party went to in order to keep tabs on each other. There are displays of bugging devices, hidden cameras, laughable disguises and even large machinery used to steam open people’s correspondence. We listened as a thorough and entertaining English language audio guide told stories that teetered between horrible and surreal. The level of paranoia that must have been present is hard to imagine but by keeping the offices exactly as they were, aging linoleum, stone-age typewriters and all, it at least gives the visitor a sense of what one would have found if called to this infamous place. Fittingly, the famous candlelight march included the Stassi building as one of the protest sites.

As for Leipzig’s history as a trading site, I feel that I did my fair share in contributing to the Gluhwein and Hefewesien economies, while my friends ensured that the sausage industry stayed healthy and vibrant. Surprisingly, thanks to a very citywide friendliness towards my vegetarian people (something not very common in meat-loving Germany), I was even able to partake in a tofu schnitzel or two. I visited the Faust bar (and resolved to read the book, which I should probably have read in high school), visited the war monument and found my way to the oldest train station cum brewery, which has been temporarily been shifted 60 meters to one side to make way for a subway line. But most of all, I gained some knowledge that I feel I should have had all along about world famous Leipzig.

The Gohliser Schloesschen: a former mansion turned restaurant.




Monument to the Battle of the Nations.
















































One of the poor balding bears of the Leipzig zoo.




The Stassi Museum.












St. Thomas Church: Johann Sebastian Bach's most recent resting place.





The Bayerischer Bahnhof: Europe's oldest train station...


And the beer it produces.




City Hall

Tweet