Monthly Archive for June, 2011

Valparaiso Cerro Abajo bike race

Published on June 30, 2011 in Announcements. 1 Comment

Thanks to my brother Alex in Bellingham for recommending this video on the Valparaiso Cerro Abajo urban bike race – one of the top ten sporting events you’ll never see in the US.  It just keeps getting more and more insane, but the double jump segment around 2:15 is unreal, especially considering what has already gone before.  I had to watch this about six times. Continue reading ‘Valparaiso Cerro Abajo bike race’

Antarctica 2011 – Coming Soon & Going Fast

Published on June 29, 2011 in Announcements. 3 Comments Tags: , .

It seems like the 2009 Antarctic Ski Cruise just happened a few months ago, but once again, it is time to start planning for the ultimate trip down to the White Continent to make some turns in the most amazing place on earth. The trip is organized by Ice Axe Expeditions and the format is very simple – cross the Drake Passage in the comfort of a cruise ship, then disembark with Zodiacs, go to skiing during the day and then return to the ship at night for an excellent dinner while we move to a new location.  Repeat until exhausted, throw in a few parties, a bunch of new & old friends, then cross the Drake Passage again back to Ushuaia in Argentina.  119 out of 120 people on the last trip declared it “the ski trip of a lifetime” and the one hold-out is a poofter, so his vote doesn’t count. Continue reading ‘Antarctica 2011 – Coming Soon & Going Fast’

Pilot Bread Smackdown

Published on June 20, 2011 in Trip Reports. 6 Comments Tags: , .

The following video shows what happens in a cook tent when you are sitting around on a glacier in the Arctic Circle in a complete and total white out.  Juvenile humor ensues. Continue reading ‘Pilot Bread Smackdown’

Scooter Town

Published on June 10, 2011 in Random and Trip Reports. 4 Comments Tags: .

As a first time visitor to the town of Longyearbyen in Svalbard, it is hard not to be astounded at the number of “snoscooters” or snowmobiles sitting around.  They are randomly parked by the side of the road, grouped in clusters of 2 or 3, amassed in lots of 50, left up on pallets, slowly sinking into the permafrost, hidden away in hangars by the dozens and seemingly everywhere you look.  Any open field would have at least a token sled, if not an entire farm of them.  Longyearbyen has a population of about 2,000 people and there are easily that many, or far more snowmobiles. Continue reading ‘Scooter Town’

Back From the Ice Coast

Published on June 8, 2011 in Trip Reports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

I’m back from a month in the Arctic and it was a culture shock to go from down jackets and hats to shorts, sandals and t-shirts in 24 hours!  Best of all, it actually gets dark here at night so you have some idea what time it is.  ;) Continue reading ‘Back From the Ice Coast’