Breaking News…Breaking…Breaking News

Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama have smashed The Huber Brothers Speed Ascent Record On El Capitan’s The Nose.

Here is the report from Speed Climbing News:

July 2, 2008, the boys broke the record this morning by about two minutes. It was a zoo. More hooting and hollering in the meadow than ever and again a bit of a nail-biter. Anyway, Hans asked me to put this up here because he has to get driving to pick up the kids and get to work tomorrow. Between the numbers Chris Gonzales and Jackie took down, he has extensive splits and when he gets back to normal life, I’m sure he’ll have some sort of message here.

So much to tell. I wish I could remember the quote from Tom Frost (second ascent and de facto speed record holder for the Nose in 1960 with a time of seven days), but essentially he said it was exciting and this is what it’s all about. He had the greatest “why speedclimb” quote: “Once you’ve climbed something, you always want to climb it in better style and going faster is one way to do it in better style. Then some guys get competitive and pull their watches out.” That’s a rough paraphrase, but he said it the NPR guy, so maybe the real quote will be on All Things Considered. And speaking of which, in addition to the legendary Tom Frost, present were journalists from the San Francisco Chronicle (who really kicked of the media circus and got the others interested), NPR, New York Times, Fresno Bee and perhaps others, Hans’ old track coach Tom Henderson drove up from Fresno for it, lots of Bay Area friends, Mike Tollefson the superintendant and of course a large cadre of climber types. It’s kind of crazy
that a climbing event would get that much coverage.

So, there you have it.  Many people have been stopping by today to ask about the ongoing speed ascent taking place on El Cap’s The Nose.   I have just received this information and as far as I know, it hasn’t hit the press yet–as you can imaginer, something should be in the local and surrounding area newspapers tomorrow.  Congrats go out to Florine and Hirayama for recapturing their record–it will be interesting to see if the Hubers will descend on El Cap for another attempt.  This competition has been going on for almost a year now.

For more reading on my coverage of El Cap’s The Nose Speed Ascent Record, click the following articles:

• Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama Miss El Capitan’s The Nose Speed Record By 1 Minute, 45 Seconds
• New El Capitan Speed Record Attempt Today?  Huber Brother’s Record in jeopardy
• Huber Brothers Break El Cap Record–Again!
• El Capitan Speed Record Falls

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward. ” Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart’s life has come to symbolize many things: Courage, Adventure, Tenacity, and Achievement. She was a leader of feminine rights. A true rebel of her day. In a time where women were not treated as equals, Amelia Earhart stood her ground and proved that women could be successful in a man’s world. She offered inspiration to generations, not just in flight, but in theory and courage and her relentless pursuit of equality.

Through Flight, her spirit would soar…..

• Woman’s world altitude record: 14,000 ft (1928)
• First woman to fly the Atlantic (1928)
• Speed records for 100 km (and with 500 lb (230 kg) cargo) (1931)
• First woman to fly an autogyro (1931)
• Altitude record for autogyros: 15,000 ft (1931)
• First person to cross the U.S. in an autogyro (1932)
• First woman to fly the Atlantic solo (1932)
• First person to fly the Atlantic alone twice (1932)
• First woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross (1932)
• First woman to fly non-stop, coast-to-coast across the U.S. (1933)
• Woman’s speed transcontinental record (1933)
• First person to fly solo across the Pacific between Honolulu, Hawaii and Oakland, California (1935)
• First person to fly solo from Los Angeles, California to Mexico City, Mexico (1935)
• First person to fly solo nonstop from Mexico City, Mexico to Newark, New Jersey (1935)
• Speed record for east-to-west flight from Oakland, California to Honolulu, Hawaii (1937

On July 2nd, 1937, Amelia Earhart would disappear while attempting the last leg of an around-the-world flight. A nationwide search and rescue would ensue, but Amelia would never be found. Her legacy would be recorded in history books, but her death would remain one of the world’s true mysteries.

Books have been written about her life. Theories have been spread about her death. The mystery of Amelia Earhart may never be solved, but through her pursuit of adventure, she will always inspire.

In 2008, The Adventurist kicks off a new project. A project to recognize those that, through adventure and achievement, offer courage and inspiration for the future. This will not be a celebration of death, but rather a celebration of a life well lived and the events that have changed our world forever. Amelia Earhart represents that true adventure spirit. She forged new paths, inspired those who followed, and will be remembered for changing the way that women were seen, at a time when it mattered most.

The Adventure Hall of Fame will recognize those both living and deceased, as well as specific events, for their contributions to the adventure world. The select group of individuals and events will be chosen based upon their accomplishments, courage, and inspiration, as well as the adventure spirit that they instill. They should encourage our dreams, inspire our lives, and touch the world in a positive manner. These men, women, and events will come from many fields and backgrounds. Not all will represent adventurers. Some will be scientists, teachers, explorers, and writers–many fields that expand on what we know, where we go, and push us farther than we could have been without them.

Click Below To Read More And Vote For The Next Adventure Hall of Fame Induction

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ExplorersWeb is reporting that Slovakian climber Vlado Plulik has went missing on Broad Peak.

Following their rest stop 300 meters below the top, seems Dodo and Vlado returned to their cache at 7200 meters to sleep on the 25th. The two climbers headed back up for the summit on Thursday morning, in very bad conditions and separated at 8 pm. Dodo continued up through a new variation of the route and reached the top at about 9 pm.

Dodo made a bivouac at 8000 meters on descent, reportedly without gear or a tent. Back at 6000 meters, Dodo called his home team, reporting he had not yet met up with Vlado. The climber said he had seen Vlado’s tracks and presumed his mate was with the Belarusian team in camp 1.

Vlado Plulik was climbing with Dodo Kopold.  It is mentioned that the two climbers were the only ones in higher camp.  An ongoing search and rescue operation is taking place, but storm conditions have hampered these efforts.

I will have to update further, as I get more information.  Head over to ExplorersWeb for the latest..

It looks like The Huber brothers can still lay claim to their speed ascent of El Capitan–barely. Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama gave a heroic effort in trying to recapture their speed record from The Hubers on June 29th, but fell less than 2 minutes short. The pair’s new time of 2 hours, 47 minutes, and 30 seconds will still go down as the second fastest ascent of El Capitan’s The Nose, in history.

Since 1991, the speed record for climbing El Cap’s The Nose has been broken on nine separate occasions, most recently by The Huber brothers, who broke Hans Florine’s sub three hour ascent in 2007.  Earlier this year, Hans Florine called up his old climbing partner and suggested a bid to reclaim their record, which they had held from 2002 until The Hubers finally bested it last year.

The speed-ascent record on El Capitan is one of the most coveted records in rock climbing.  It is a test of agility, will, and sheer madness.  The Nose stands at 2,900 ft, straight up.  Just a few short years ago, the time to climb The Nose was measured in days, and even still, most climbers take 2-3 days to scale the granite wall.

Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama have planned to leave El Capitan on Wednesday.  Alpinist.com is reporting that the duo may make one last run at trying to reclaim their record on Wednesday.  It should also be noted that Florine and Hirayama have a documentary film crew with them and have been filming their efforts-much like The Huber Brothers last year.

We will have to keep our eyes focused on El Capitan, at least till tomorrow.  Perhaps Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama can finally shave off that extra minute and forty-five seconds and reclaim their record.  This attempt has captured quite a bit of media attention.  It would be nice to see them break it, then see if the Hubers come back for more.  Nothing like a good old-fashioned competition for one of the world’s most coveted climbing records..

I will let you know how Wednesday goes.  By the way, anyone know who held the speed record before Hans Florine captured it in 1991?  I am looking for a name and time–good luck on the research.

Shackleton. Scott. Amundsen. Mawson. Each of these individuals exemplify the early days of polar exploration and adventure. Their names have been written down in history books around the world. Their adventures, trials, and tribulations have become the backdrop for many explorers and adventurers that still look to them for inspiration. They are men of myth, men of legend, and men of intrigue. Their stories still consume us and occupy a small part of our minds that will forever make us yearn to strive farther and harder, pushing our boundaries to their utmost limits.

Ernest Shackleton, whom most people regard as one of the greatest polar explorers to ever live, never achieved his dream of reaching the South Pole. He was turned back less than 112 miles away from his original goal. In 1911, Roald Amundsen would beat him to the mark. Although Shackleton wasn’t the first to reach the South Pole, he is still remembered fondly for laying the groundwork that would eventually lead to it’s discovery. Through the course of his explorations, Shackleton was able to break many previous records for farthest person south. Just not the first to the South Pole.

In 2008, the Shackleton Centenary Expedition is set to launch. This expedition, led by Henry Worsley, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ernest Shackleton’s 1909 polar expedition aboard the Nimrod. The Shackleton Centenary Expedition will follow the same course, visit the same places, and hopefully reach the South Pole, much as Ernest Shackleton attempted to do in 1909.

Perhaps it runs in the family. Members of the Shackleton Centenary Expedition are directly related to those who were on the original Ernest Shackleton Expedition of 1909. It is a big undertaking that should draw up much interest in polar history, as well as help launch The Shackleton Foundation, a new charitable trust that will be used to honor the original crew of Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions, as well as celebrate the pioneering spirit, through grants and other means, to those who strive to help the less-fortunate of today.

I feel privelidged and honored to be able to present to you an exclusive interview with Henry Worsley, leader of the 2008 Shackleton Centenary Expedition to the South Pole:

Henry, first off, welcome to The Adventurist and thank-you for taking the time to speak with me. In 2008, you and your crew mates are planning on launching the Shackleton Centenary Expedition. How are things looking on your end? Are preparations going smoothly?

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I happened to discover a great publication, put out by Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources, that offers a glimpse into the outdoor life of fellow Hoosiers. Outdoor Indiana. I haven’t had a chance to research the past archives, but by looking at the latest rendition, it looks to be a very nice publication offering some insider news and features involving the great Indiana outdoors.

If you live in other states, you may discover that your own state puts out a similar publication. A simple way to find out is by typing in your state’s name + DNR into any search engine. You should find a link on the DNR site if one is available.

The thing that caught my eye about Outdoor Indiana was this month’s feature on mountain biking. This isn’t your normal run-of-the-mill mountain biking article and most people look to Indiana as anything but a ‘hot’ mountain biking destination, but through the efforts of a few individuals, the state is actually getting pretty well-known with bikers.

This article runs through some of the history associated with how most of Indiana’s mountain bike trails came into existence. Although they don’t exist in multitudes, the mountain bike trails of Indiana are quickly expanding. Much of this is do to one man and some thoughtful volunteers.

Mike Hufhand, who is an avid mountain biker, decided that after traveling to a few bike trails out-of-state that he would like to incorporate something of this nature in Indiana. At the time, Indiana only had one trail that specifically mentioned mountain biking as a purpose. That trail, at Roush Lake (near Huntington, IN), was designed in 1995 as an experimental project.

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This past month has been a bit hectic. First, I moved my website. Then I accepted a new position within Skinny Moose Media, my blog host company. On top of that, I am in the preparation stage of launching a new online magazine (more on that in a later post). All I can say is it’s been a busy month. Luckily, things are getting back under control.

Right before my move to Skinny Moose Media, I decided to launch a small project on The Adventurist. My Indiana. In theory, this would be my way of combining one love (that of adventure) with a more personal touch–my home state. Not everything on “My Indiana” revolves around adventure. This is the one space I allow myself to venture and discover what my home state has to offer. The first installment of My Indiana discussed what I am trying to do in more detail.

There have been a few other installments of My Indiana, but nothing on the regular basis that I had originally planned. The original plan was for a weekly column. This has been sporadic at best, often times coming every couple of weeks, with nothing in the past month. It’s time to get back on track.

Starting this week, I will probably take this blog down to 5 days a week. One reasoning is that most of my fellow bloggers take the weekend off to enjoy some time away from the computer. Although I won’t be making posts on The Adventurist on Saturday or Sunday, I will still be working on my other two projects. I need the time for that. In the meantime, this is going to give me the perfect opportunity to crank-up the “My Indiana” column. I am going to be setting this as my Friday feature and running it through the weekend. It gives me a nice stopping point for the week and gives me something to look forward to-almost like a day off. Hopefully, you will find the posts interesting and perhaps even learn about a state that gets very little media attention other than it’s sports-even though that could be a future topic, as well.

If all goes planned and people dig the new column, this may lead to a future blogging endeavor, but we will have to wait and see on that.

In the meantime, I mentioned that there had been a few “My Indiana” posts previously. You can find them by clicking below.

• My Indiana: The Adventurist Kicks Off A New Project Posted April 17, 2008
• My Indiana: Indiana and Midwest Rattled by Rare Earthquake Posted April 18, 2008
• My Indiana: Tornado Season Approaches, Beware and Prepare Posted April 29, 2008
• My Indiana: Summiting Mt. Baldy–Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore Posted May 27, 2008

Right above this post, you will find the latest installment, My Indiana: Mountain Biking Makes A Mark.

I have been following a series of articles on the Vice/Virtue and Splitterchoss Blogs for about two months now. Both of them have been offering up some good ideas on how to reuse some of that worn out equipment in some pretty creative fashions. Rather than tossing it out and filling up the landfills, the idea of what can be used, fixed, or recycled–rather than buying new equipment-is a pretty novel concept. Especially when you consider that each year hundreds of new outdoors equipment manufacturers are trying to get you to spend money on items that you may not even need.

Summer, over at the Vice/Virtue blog has put up another very good article. Her first piece, “Reduce, Reuse, Resole,” expanded on the merits that climbing shoes could be fixed cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes. Her second installment, “Rope Recycling, Rugs, and Cheapies“, looks at the climber’s lifeline-the almighty rope.

Ropes tend to tatter. Even the best of climbing ropes will only last so long going through the rigors and weight of holding a climber in place on a rough surface. Rock continuously grinds and shreds at ropes. Many of them are thrown out and replaced after only a few climbs. So what can we do to try to reuse or recycle climbing rope?

Summer suggests a few companies that actually offer up discounts for returning rope when you make a purchase. That would be rather easy, plus you get a nice discount. She also suggests sending it off to places like Mountain Equipment Co-op, who will tear the rope apart and use it as stuffing for other equipment. They offer that as a free service. You donate the rope, they recycle it.

Rope is actually one of those items that can come in handy around the house. You might not trust it to protect your life on a climb, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be good for something else..Summer mentions making a rope rug or practicing knot-tying. You could also use it, especially if you have a truck, as a tie-down, keeping everything in your truck nice and secure. Summer mentions clotheslines, dog leashes, and even pillow stuffing, if you want to take the time to separate the strands.

Along with the Vice/Virtue’s blog of ideas to reuse and recycle, we also get a list of companies that offer cheap rope for your future purchase and replacement needs. Pretty cool she has taken the trouble to come up with this nice article on rope. These ideas should save us time, money, and help with the environment.

While I am on the subject of Vice/Virtue, she is one of two bloggers that have recently joined up with the Skinny Moose Media team. Her blog address has changed so you might want to take note. The other blog to join the team, Discovering British Columbia, offers up some travels, insight, and adventure from the northern reaches of our continent. I approached both of these blogs about joining our team. They offer up some great content and adventure and I look forward to working with each of them in the future. Go check them out and welcome them aboard!

The North Pole could be ice free by the end of 2008. This is some startling news coming from The Independent, a news publication out of the U.K., today.

They mention that for the first time in human history that the North Pole could lose all of it’s ice by the end of 2008.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

Polar scientists, who incidentally they do mention by name, think that the chance of the North Pole being ice free in 2008 is 50-50.

The sea ice at the North Pole and the Arctic Ocean melts away during the summer. Last year’s melt-off was more extensive than previously believed, which left this years ice only a single year to build.

Ron Lindsay, a polar scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, agreed that much now depends on what happens to the Arctic weather in terms of wind patterns and hours of sunshine. “There’s a good chance that it will all melt away at the North Pole, it’s certainly feasible, but it’s not guaranteed,” Dr Lindsay said.

I think this news has caught everyone a bit off guard. Drudge Report already has it for a headline, but those that question the effects of even a slight temperature rise, may get their answer from the North, sooner, rather than later. Santa Claus rowing a boat just doesn’t have the same effect…

WILLISTON, VT (June 19, 2008) – Officials from Julbo, Inc. are pleased to announce the signing of new climbers, including: Colin Haley, Freddie Wilkinson, Althea Rogers, Ben Gilmore, Kevin Mahoney, Johnny Copp, Micah Dash, Heidi Wirtz and Emily Stifler, all world-class alpinists, to its athlete roster.

Julbo has been setting the industry standard in lens and frame technology since the company’s inception 120 years ago. These new athletes embody Julbo’s heritage in core mountaineering performance optics.

“Julbo is happy to be working with such a young and talented crew of athletes who are currently testing the boundaries of what’s possible in the mountains,” said Nick Yardley, Julbo’s U.S. president. “Above all, they are a great people whose company we enjoy. We are psyched that these athletes are looking at the world through Julbo glasses.”

• Colin Haley, 23, from Seattle, Wash. Career highlights: First ascents on The Entropy Wall on Mt. Moffit, the first linkup of the Marsigny-Parkin, the West Face on Cerro Torre, and the first ascent of Patagonia’s Torre Traverse. “I’m stoked to join the team of Julbo athletes,” says Haley. “I honestly think Julbo makes the best sunglasses on the market.”
• Althea Rogers, 23, from Bozeman, Montana. Career Highlights: First ascents in the mountains of Western Greenland and Alaska’s Absaroka Range.
• Freddie Wilkinson from Connecticut. Career highlights: First ascents in Patagonia’s Cerro Poincinot, The Fin in Alaska and Mount Mahindra in the Indian Himalayas.
• Emily Stifler, 27, from Montana. Career highlights: Freelance writer, climber and skier who spends winters as a ski patroller at Moonlight Basin. She is headed up to Alaska this year to explore new route possibilities on a group of granite domes near Bristol Bay.
• Ben Gilmore, 36, from Sonoma, Calif. First ascents include: Moose’s Tooth in Arctic Range, The Fin Wall, and Mantok Group in All Talk Couloir.
• Kevin Mahoney, 39, from New Hampshire. Career highlights: First ascents of Moose’s Tooth in the Arctic Range, Alaska, and in 2004 awarded the Golden Piton Award
• Micah Dash from Yosemite, Calif. Career highlights: First ascents of the Regular Route on Half Dome and El Capitan’s Freerider, also Nalumasortoq in Greenland and the Eternal Flame on Nameless “Trango” Tower in Paksitan.
• Johnny Copp, 32, from Boulder, Colorado. First ascents include: Shafat Fortress in Kashmir, India, South East Face of Cerro Mascara in Torres del Paine, Chilean Patagonia, and Mount Andrews in Alaska.
• Heidi Wirtz, 36, from Colorado. Career highlight: First ascent of the S. Howser Minarette, has climbed many giant rock walls all over the world as “Air Voyage” in Black Canyon and “Qui Lombo” on San Rafael in Patagonia. Heidi has plans to climb in Europe, Tasmania and Greenland in the near future.

For additional information on Julbo eyewear, visit www.julbousa.com or call 800.651.0833.

JULBO – OPTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ACTION SPORTS

source:  ABC or Mountaineering