Reports are surfacing that famed Slovenian climber Pavle Kozjek has fallen from Muztagh Tower.  His climbing partners, Dejan Miskovic and Gregor Kresal, are in trouble, as well.  Gregor Kresal was evacuated from Muztagh Tower yesterday, while ongoing search and rescue efforts are taking place for Dejan Miskovic, who is stranded at higher altitude.

Pavle Kozjek is famous for releasing the stirring photographs of what has now become known as “The Nangpa La Incident,” where chinese soldiers gunned down a group of Tibetan refugees in 2006.  These photographs sparked outrage and concern the world over for the violence of the incident, when few others would speak up.  Pavle released the famed photographs to ExplorersWeb 3 hours after the incident took place, even while Chinese soldiers were still hunkered down in the climbing camps of Cho Oyu.

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Many of my daily readers may have noticed that my posts have been a bit sporadic over the past couple of weeks.  This is due, in a large part, from a very emotional month both on here and in my personal life.  I apologize, but sometimes that’s the way life goes.

Brief Rundown–

August 1st, news breaks that there has been a terrible climbing accident on K2.  I follow this story as it unfolds.  In the process, my dog runs away.  I know.  That was a bit random.  My family mourns the loss of our loving dog, everyone’s in tears, then we get a phonecall that the local Humane Shelter had picked up our pooch for loitering.  After our $50 bailout, everyone was happy again.

The dog comes home, but right away he isn’t acting right.  He won’t eat.  If he does, he throws up.  We watched him for a couple of days-still not eating, but puking.  We take him to the vet, get some tests ran, and sadly find out that he has acute kidney failure.  There was nothing we could do.

Most people will say that a dog is just an animal, but we all know how attached we can get to an animal.  My wife and I recieved this dog a week after we got together and he was just always a part of our family.  It was heartbreaking to watch my family and see them suffer, it was harder to see the dog wither away.

Most of you don’t know me on a personal level.  To an extent, that is good.  If you did know me, then you would also know that I am the type of guy that would wreck my truck to dodge hitting a frog hopping across the road.  (True story, but it was a near wreck.  Luckily, I corrected in time and missed the frog).  I feel it is not my place to take a life, no matter how small.  This put me in quite a predicament.  My dog was clearly suffering.  I know I made the right choice in having him euthanized, but emotionally it still lingers.  I KNOW!  IT IS ONLY A FRIGGIN’ DOG!!

Right after that ordeal, it was time to pack up my oldest daughter for college.  She is attending the University of Evansville, for Biology, with every intention of becoming a doctor.  My house quickly shrunk from 5 members (including the dog) to three.  My wife was crying, and without adding to much emphasis, I was, too.

To make a long story short, I am going to take some time, not yet determined, to clear my head of some of this turmoil and reevaluate what I am doing.  I need to play the good husband and be there.  Quick changes are never easy, but I want to make sure that I am there for my family and not preoccupied with making sure I have 3 posts up a day on my blog.  The Adventurist comes second fiddle in my band.

To my readers, I will be back, hopefully in a few days.  While I am taking some time away from here, I might try catching up on a couple of other projects in my free time–including U.S. Outdoors Today, and our newly launched forums.  So, I will be away, but not totally…

I appreciate you stopping by, and check back in, I will be back up and going shortly.  (hopefully, a bit more emotionally stable).  In the meantime, check out some of the links in my sidebar, or visit The Adventure Blog for the latest in adventure news updates.  I know Kraig will appreciate it.  I will still be checking my emails and keeping an eye on things, so don’t be surprised if something big happens, that I may make an update-other than that, I am going to enjoy my time off with my family and wish all of you a safe Labor Day weekend.

The recent uproar over the discovery of a ’supposed’ Bigfoot corpse has now been proven to be nothing more than an elaborate hoax perpetrated by two individuals from Georgia.  One individual, a police officer, who was involved with the elaborate scheme, has since taken the role of ‘former police officer’ as he was fired for fraudulent behavior.  It looks like the bad news just keeps coming…

My home state of Indiana has been sparking some mutterings that it may have been the spot for the scientific study of the Bigfoot corpse…hence, a Bigfoot autopsy.  Two doctors were said to have paid upwards of $50,000 each to bring the Bigfoot corpse in to a scientific environment and check to see if it was indeed a Bigfoot corpse, or just another elaborate scheme to spark millions of imaginations and draw some public interest.  We all know now that after the body was turned over to the doctors (in a block of ice) that it was soon discovered that something wasn’t right.  It’s human-like feet were made of rubber and it’s head was empty. This evidence led the scientists to believe that the Georgia Bigfoot was nothing more than an elaborate ape suit frozen in ice.  <<<See Photo of Georgia Bigfoot

This hasn’t set to well with the two scientists who paid $50,000 to study this supposed corpse.

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10 people are missing and 8 others are hospitalized after an early morning avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacal, one of the routes climbers use to get to the top of the famed Mont Blanc peak.

From CNN:

The missing include five Austrians and three Swiss, and the nationalities of the other two were not immediately known, said the Haute-Savoie regional government office in a statement.

The avalanche was set off around 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) by the fall of a massive block of ice on the Mont Blanc du Tacul, one of the peaks in the Mont Blanc range, at an altitude of some 3,600 meters (11,800 feet), it said.

Authorities deployed a vast search mission, involving three helicopters, dozens of rescue workers, doctors, Alpine guides and sniffer dogs, said the statement. Local officials reached by phone declined to comment further.

French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie hurried to the area to meet with rescuers and some of the eight people injured and taken to a regional hospital, her office said.

Much like the recent tragedy on K2, a massive block of ice set off the avalanche at 11,800 Ft.

Let’s keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers as rescue workers continue to try to reach the victims.  I will update more once I receive more information.  Subscribe below to catch the latest updates.

Update: What??  Search Called Off For Missing Climbers On Mont Blanc!

After viewing the area by helicopter, French Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said there was “no chance of finding anyone alive”

This seems a bit premature…

KVAL, out of Eugene, Oregon, has released a series of photos taken from family members of two boys who recently got trapped after their snowcave collapsed near Denny Creek, 50 miles outside of Seattle..  The snowcave collapse resulted in a massive rescue effort as family members looked on in horror.

The snowcave is thought to have been made naturally by a nearby creek.  The two boys had stepped inside the cave for a quick photo op when tons of snow and ice came crashing down on them.  Rescue workers spent the better part of five hours attempting to reach the boys who were buried beneath 6 feet of solid snow and ice.  After chipping away at the mass with shovels, axes, and chainsaws, rescuers were finally able to break the boys free.

The last update I have seen had one of the victims listed in serious condition, while the other was listed as stable.  Both individuals had suffered broken backs and were expected to have surgery on Friday.  Most of the injuries involved were due to exposure and the falling ice.

By looking at the photos, which begin with the boys inside the snowcave, it is pretty hard to believe that they were able to survive the collapse.  Luckily, family members heard the collapse and went running for help, while also making a 911 call to local authorities.  Both boys had to be Heli-Evaced from the area, but thankfully, they were alive.  The rescue authorities and the family members all deserve some credit for responding in a fast and efficient manner–luckily, this time things lined up right.  Let’s hope these guys can recieve the required help and get on the path of recuperation.

15-year-old climbing sensation Adam Ondra has repeated a route that has turned back sixteen years’ worth of climbers.  Il Piccolo Orsa was first redpointed back in 1992 by Stefan Fürst and given a grade of 8c+.  Over the years, with no one else having success at the elusive route, it was upgraded to 9a–the toughest climbing grade currently in existence.  Only one other route has been rated 9a in the world and that belongs to a route with the conspiciously short name of “Om”.

It is amazing that after sixteen years, a 15-year-old has repeated one of the world’s toughest and most exclusive routes.  Adam Ondra is no ordinary 15-year-old though.  He is currently ranked 2nd in the world for tough routes on the 8a.nu climbing site.  He also posesses the 4th highest lifetime rating by quite possibly the largest climbing site in the world.  Adam Ondra is no fluke.  In 2007, he marched in and claimed the 2007 Youth World Championship title for climbing. He has put up dozens of first ascents and repeats on some of the toughest routes in the world in what amounts to very little time.

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Michael Phelps’ amazing run at eight Olympic gold medals is sparking one of the biggest controversies in Olympic history.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Sierra Blogging Post has released two more podcasts of Adventure Edge Radio with Jimmy Buff.  I have been following this series since it’s inception and it has proven to be quite a resource for adventure news and information.  Somehow I got behind a week with my updates to the podcast, but that’s alright because I am making up for it today by giving you a double dose.

Episode 4 of Adventure Edge Radio takes us back to the recent tragedy on K2.  While I covered this event myself, Adventure Edge Radio adds in some nice quality sound bites and some updated information.  Jimmy Buff also talks about the recent Leadville 100 mountain bike race–where 7 time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong made his recent return to cycling, albeit on a different kind of bike.  The Leadville 100 has become known as one of the toughest and most prestigious endurance mountain bike races on the planet.  If K2 and the Leadville 100 are not enough, Adventure Edge Radio also covers an interesting kayaking trip–1700 miles from Chicago to New York City solo.

Along with the news, Episode 4 also talks with Charlie Engle–a world reknown endurance athlete who has made a complete 360.  Charlie talks about his alcohol and drug addictions, coming clean, and being the first man to run the 4,500 mile Sahara Desert.  His interview is inspiring and proves that lives can be changed.  It’s a good message.

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There have been many debates over the years surrounding the commercialization of the world’s highest peaks.  Mt. Everest is the biggest example of mountain commercialization, where hundreds of climbers a year flock to the world’s highest mountain, paying thousands of dollars for a guided chance to reach the coveted summit.  The recent tragedy on K2 has sparked conversations of concern for it’s own commercialism, after it was being reported that high-altitude porters had been brought in for some of this years climbs.

Annapurna, while not as well-known to the outside world as Mt. Everest or K2, is still a very important peak to high-altitude alpine climbing.  The peak rises 26, 538 ft., making it the 10th highest mountain in the world.  Along with the climbing, Annapurna also happens to be the focal point for a 7,629 sq. km. conservation and protection initiative known as the Annapurna Conservation Area Project.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project helps to protect an area that offers some of the finest trekking trails in the Himalayan region and the world.  These trails have become a world destination for many venturers into the Himalayan region and offers a nice glimpse at the natural wildlife and ecology of Nepal.  This area is the largest protected area in all of Nepal and has been looked upon as an area of prestige and value to a country where income is hard to come by.

That could be changing in the very near future.  Nepal has enacted plans to commercialize the area known as the Annapurna circuit.  The thought is to capitalize on the area’s growing popularity with trekkers and make it more tourist friendly.

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