Episode 4 can be viewed below, and if you missed Episode 3 it can be found by clicking here. This latest episode is quite a treat for me, as the team reaches my hometown of Dubuque, IA.

It is an unusual time on Everest to say the least. Weather conditions continue to cause problems and teams are struggling to decide what they should do. The season has been a strange one to say the least and the dry conditions on the mountain are threatening to bring a premature end to the season.

First, an update on Corey Richards. As you’ll recall, the photographer/filmmaker was climbing as part of the National Geographic/North Face expedition on the West Ridge when he took ill last week. After being evacuated from the mountain he flew back to Kathmandu where he underwent a battery of tests that determined what ever it was that made him sick, it wasn’t the altitude. He is feeling much better now, but without a better understanding of why he had issues breathing, he has decided to play it safe and go home. I’m sure he’s very disappointed, and what this means for the expedition as a whole has yet to be seen, but this was the best decision possible all things considered.

Meanwhile, back up in Base Camp, his teammates are resting and undergoing tests of their own. A team of doctors from the Mayo Clinic are there taking reading on the how altitude effects the health of climbers and studying what it does to our over all physiology. Their research could help provide important clues about how we acclimatize and respond to altitude. No word yet on when the Nat Geo team will attempt to head up the mountain again.

Other teams are unsure of if or when that will happen as well. The Himex squad has put their expedition “on hold” while they evaluate the risks of climbing the mountain. Team leader Russell Brice feels that conditions aren’t good at the moment because it is so dry that it is making climbing much more challenging and unsafe, particularly as teams head up above Camp 2. Brice describes the rock fall on the Lhotse Face as “relentless” and says that he doesn’t want to put his climbers, guides, or Sherpas in danger. The only way that face will improve however is if the mountain receives snow and ice in the days ahead, which doesn’t seem likely.

According to the Peak Freaks, the team leaders had a meeting yesterday to discuss these issues a feelings were decidedly mixed. Team leader Tim Ripple says that it isn’t completely doom and gloom there, although he admits their going to need a “perfect mix” of snow and temperatures. He also laments the fact that climate change is having a noticeable effect on Everest as the snows and glaciers have retreated steadily over the years.

The report from the International Mountain Guides camp seems a bit more upbeat. They say that it is not unusual for conditions to be on the dry side early in the season and that May often brings more snow and ice to the mountain. They also report that the Sherpas fixing the ropes have numerous bags of rope in place in Camp 2 and just above the Yellow Band, and they are prepared to continue to build the route when conditions improve enough to allow them to do that. High winds are keeping everyone down low at the moment, but when the window opens, the Sherpas are ready to go.

This weekend should prove interesting on Everest. Hopefully the winds will die down and bring some snow to help stabilize the route. If not, we could be facing one of the most dangerous climbing seasons on the mountain in some time. Hopefully everyone going up and down the peak, from both sides of the mountain, will play it safe.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you’ll recognize Dave Cornthwaite and his Expedition 1000 project. Dave’s plan is to undertake 25 separate and unique journeys, each a thousand miles or more in length, and each completely human powered. Thus far he’s managed to skateboard across Australia, stand-up paddle the Mississippi River, and sail from Mexico to Hawaii, amongst others. Now he’s set off on another leg of the expedition and it looks like this one might be the toughest yet.

I received an email from Dave last night and he tells me he is currently pedaling a “Bikecar” from Memphis, Tennessee to Miami, Florida. The distance? A cool 1001 miles of course! He set out on April 24th, along with Canadian Rod Wellington, and just four hours into the ride they were hit by car. Dave’s been riding alone ever since and from the sound of things it has been a bit of a struggle.

So what exactly is a Bikecar? It is a homemade contraption built a man named Paul Everitt who rode the 4-wheeled bike across Canada last year. That journey covered 7000km (4350 miles) and took about 5 months to complete. Paul and Dave met in January of this year and Paul offered to let Dave take the Bikecar for a ride as part of Expedition 1000.

From the sound of things, the Bikecar is heavy and physically challenging to pedal, but never one to back down from a challenge, Dave is pressing on with the trip. He’s recently restarted the journey in Vicksburg, Mississippi and still plans to reach Miami in a few weeks time.

Now, here’s the good part. If there is anyone out there that wants to join Dave on this leg of the expedition he has an empty seat on the Bikecar and is keen to have other adventurers join him along the way. He says that he expect to reach the Gulf Coast this weekend and he would love to have some company on the road. If you’re interested in taking his spare seat and helping pedal the Bikecar, then click here for more information.

Check out the video below of Dave on the road with the Bikecar.

There are a lot of companies that make hiking boots these days, many of which have no business doing so. They stock their line-up with way too many options and colors and they seem more designed for fashion than function. That isn’t the case with Danner however, a company that has been around for 80 years and has maintained a reputation for creating boots that are durable, rugged and comfortable even in the most challenging of conditions.

I recently received a pair of the company’s new top-of-the-line Crater Rim hiking boots and to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed when I first took them out of the box. With their simple, classic design these boots don’t look much different than something you would have found on store shelves twenty years ago, although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In terms of looks, this is the quintessential hiking boot, but when you’re use to testing shoes that come in increasingly unique colors and designs, the Crater Rim did little to set itself apart.

Of course, I’m of the mind that looks don’t mean much in a hiking boot, it’s performance on the trail that really matters. With that in mind, I was eager to slip into these boots and take them for a test drive. When I did that however, I was once again a bit underwhelmed. The boots were a bit stiff and they felt somewhat cumbersome on my feet, for lack of a better word. As I walked around my apartment testing them out for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to make of these boots with the unassuming looks and the uncompromising fit.

Then a funny thing happened. The longer I wore them the more they started to feel good on my feet. The nubuc leather began to loosen up just enough and my pair of Crater Rims started to become more flexible.  Even better, it felt like they were cradling my feet quite nicely and before I knew it was enjoying these new boots more than I had initially thought possible. By the time I drove to the trail I was more than ready for a good long hike.

While on that hike Danner’s hand crafted boots, put together in their Portland factory, continued to impress. The thick soles – the same ones that I found cumbersome not long before – proved to be a great at protecting my feet on the rocky Texas trails and the waterproof Gore-Tex liner remained highly breathable, keeping my feet dry throughout the day. The only hitch in the entire trek was that the boot rubbed my ankles in the early miles of the hike, although like the rest of the boot that loosened up over time.

Make no mistake, Danner’s Crater Rim boots are a hard core option for those who demand a lot out of their boots, Their rugged looks are not just for show and the boots have worn very well even after a number of hikes. My pair still look practically new, which bodes well for their longterm health. Be warned, the boots do come with a hard core price tag as well. Ringing in at $300, they may be a bit more expensive than most people want to pay, but from my experience they are worth the money. After all, they’re made by hand, right here in the U.S. and the quality shines through.

Whenever I test a new pair of boots I invariably compare them to my favorite pair of Asolos that have accompanied me on trips to Everest, Kilimanjaro and beyond. Those boots are comfortable and very durable and love the way they feel on my feet. They also happen to cost less than the Crater Rims. That said, this is the first pair of boots I’ve found in years that can actually perform on the same level of those boots and may actually surpass them for long term durability. I’ll need to wear them on a few globe trotting adventures to be sure, but at this point I have a really great feeling about that.

If you’re in the market for a new pair of hiking boots, and you’re looking for something that can handle just about anything you throw at them, then look no further than the Crater Rim by Danner. Quality costs money but it’ll also pay off over the lifespan of the shoes, and your feet will thank you on your next long distance trek.

Just don’t let your initial impressions turn you off to these boots. This is definitely a case of not judging a book by its cover. Great boots for great adventures!

The National Geographic Adventure Blog posted an interesting piece today in which they ask some of the world’s top outdoor and extreme athletes what their dream travel destination would be. Some of the answers are actually quite good and it is always interesting to hear where these people would go considering that many of them earn a living by visiting remote places on the planet.

There are numerous well known names on the list including the likes of Ed Viesturs, Gretchen Bleiler, Steph Davis, Ueli Steck and many more. Their top destinations includes such far flung places as Nepal, Tibet, Australia and the Swiss Alps. It is actually quite a diverse set of trips albeit ones that are most definitely adventure focused.

Some of the more interesting “dream trips” include Sarah McNair-Landry revealing she’d like to circumnavigate the globe using kites, skis and a sailboat. Polar explorer Will Steger admits he’s ready for some warmth and would love to visit the Australian desert, and clearly Ueli Steck and Andrew Skurka have similar thoughts. Ueli says he’d love to go into space while ultra-hiker Skurka wants to trek across the moon.

If you’ve ever wondered where the adventure crowd goes to get their travel fix, this will definitely be of interest to you. It might even give you some ideas for your next escape as well.

There has been a fairly consistent theme across the Himalaya climbing updates the past few days and it almost always revolves around the weather. Across the region the weather conditions have played a direct impact on what is happening at the moment, with a number of teams stalled out as they wait for conditions to clear.

On both sides of Everest high winds are causing issues and keeping the teams in Camp 2 or lower. The winds are so bad that that the Sherpa teams haven’t had the chance to finish fixing the ropes to the summit on either side of the mountain yet, and until those gusts die down, access to the top will be extremely limited. Numerous teams are also reporting that conditions have been colder, windier and dryer than normal this year, which has not made life pleasant on the mountain. Because it is so dry, the climbers are looking at the possibility of climbing in crampons on bare rock, which is very challenging and dangerous. Snow and ice would be much more preferable to that, but it seems unlikely that they’ll see any significant snow fall before the summit push begins.

Ueli Steck has announced that he is on his way to the Big Hill and he gets a bit philosophical in his latest dispatch from the Khumbu. He notes that while his ascent of Ama Dablam with Freddie Wilkinson was a good warm-up expedition, now that his plans for the Khumbu Express II have fallen apart, he is now completely focused on Everest. He’s still weighing his options for the climb and is flirting with the idea of going up the West Ridge. He isn’t ruling out a speed ascent of some type, or possibly going up without fixed ropes. He says that he feels that he isn’t quite as driven as he has been in the past and he can accept what ever comes his way. He also says he is examining other challenges (The New York Marathon!) and is less prone to taking risks at this point. Still, this is the Swiss Machine we’re talking about here, and we all know that if conditions are right, he’ll still do something special.

A few days back I mentioned that the route up Lhotse was especially dangerous this year due to the lack of snow and ice keeping loose rock in place. The Sherpas fixing the ropes on that peak were going to have to route around the area to lead climbers up a different way this season. Apparently this new route will present some unique challenges of its own but work on those ropes has stalled out as well due to the same winds that are affecting Everest.

On Manaslu, the Adventure Consultants team has returned to Camp 1 where they’ve found plenty of fresh snow. In fact, several meters have dropped on the area, completely burying their camp. Further up the route has plenty of snow blocking the way, so while the conditions are currently good, it is going to be tough breaking trail to Camp 2.

Also reporting in from Manaslu is Allie Pepper who is hoping to top out on that peak before heading over to Lhotse. Her latest dispatch talks about the heavy snow there this season and also mentions that the Sherpa teams have not been able to fix ropes up to C2 just yet. She says that they hope to resume that work tomorrow and are keeping their fingers crossed that the sun will help clear the way for that to happen.

The teams on Annapurna came across similar conditions as they made another summit bid yesterday. They found that there was too much snow between Camp 2 and 3 on that mountain, and they determined that the chances of an avalanche were simply too high for them to proceed. They’ve now retreated back to Base Camp where they’ll wait for another shot at top.

All of these reports are simply business as usual in the Himalaya. There is a lot of “hurry up and wait” progress at the moment, which is typical for this stage of the season. Weather reports indicate that things could improve over the weekend, and if they do, we’ll probably see a lot of action. Stand by for updates.

If you’re a runner of any type it has been nearly impossible to ignore the trend towards minimalism in footwear over the past few years. Thinner, lighter shoes have been all the rage as athletes focus on changing their running style to accommodate this unique – yet popular – approach to running longer distances without adding stress or damage to your feet, knees or hips.

As someone who runs nearly every day, I have to admit that I’ve been intrigued with the minimalist approach and I’ve tested some of the more well known and distinct styles of lightweight shoes. While I haven’t quite become a convert, I have seen the benefits of “barefoot” running and how it can be a more enjoyable experience than I had thought possible. Still, I missed the protection that traditional shoes brought to my feet and when I sprained both ankles last fall, the minimalist shoes had to be put to the side. Still, as time passed, I started thinking about adopting the barefoot style more fully, although I had hoped to find running shoes that weren’t quite so minimal to help with the transition.

Enter the new Base shoe from a company called Skora. Weighing in at just 225 grams (7.9 ounces) the shoes are plenty “minimal” and yet still have plenty of substance as well. Soft, flexible and streamlined, the Base offers much more support and cushioning than other “barefoot” shoes that I’ve tried without sacrificing too much weight. This approach to the design of the shoes puts them squarely in-between the other popular minimalist and traditional shoes.

Skora created the Base to offer a little something for all runners, although in doing so they run the risk of creating a shoe that doesn’t appeal to the ether minimalist or traditional crowds. If you leaning towards the former, these may not be light enough for you, while if you’re in the latter camp, they may not offer the support you’re looking.

From my personal use of the shoes I can say that I’m quite impressed. I’ve been using them regularly over the past month or so, and I happen to like Skora’s approach of making a shoe that bridges the gap between the two competing running ideologies. I found the Base shoes to be very comfortable to wear and provided a surprising amount of support for a package that feels feather-light on your feet. I also enjoyed the X-strap system that replaces the laces found on most other shoes, eschewing those old shoestrings in favor of a nylon and velcro option that holds the shoes in place exceedingly well.

The unique design doesn’t end there either. Skora added reflective highlights that help make a runner more visible in low-light conditions and the interior of the shoe allows them to be worn with or without socks. In the warm Texas spring I’ve been running sans socks and have found the Base holds up well and are very comfortable, even on extended runs.

These shoes look a bit like something that was designed for a science fiction film, particularly the silver edition. But most runners are use to wearing brightly colored,  obnoxious footwear, so I doubt you’ll be phased by the looks of the Base in any way.

If you’re interested in joining the “minimalist revolution” but have been reluctant to try some of the other ultra-lightweight shoes, then you may want to give the Skora Base shoes a go. They provide a good fit, excellent comfort and a surprising amount of support for both the arches and ankles. With a price of just $125 they are competitive with other running shoes as well.

For more information and to order a pair for yourself, visit SkoraRunning.com.

PS: I have no idea what a dog is doing in C1 on Everest, but I definitely took a double take when he appeared on camera.

While we’re on the topic of grassroots expeditions today, here is another one that caught my eye over the past few days. Yesterday, paddler Richard Harpham and photographer Glenn Charles set out on a 500 mile (804 km) long kayak expedition that began at Niagara Falls in the Erie Canal Harbor in Buffalo and will eventually end at the Statue of Liberty in a few weeks time. Best of all, the two adventurers are inviting members of the public and media to join them along the way and take part in their exploration of the state of New York along its waterways.

Harpham and Charles have dubbed their project the New York State’s Spare Seat Kayak Expedition. The name stems from the fact that both men are paddling tandem kayaks and thus they each have a spare seat on their boats. Those who would like to join them out on the water can fill out a registration form online and if chosen they’ll be able to ride along for a leg of the journey.

The duo hopes to paddle about 30 miles per day and has scheduled in a few rests days along the way as well. With that schedule in mind, they hope to wrap up the journey by the end of May, but not before they  photograph the varied landscapes they’ll find along the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. They’ll also be blogging their experiences as well, with updates already being posted on the Spare Seat Blog.

Seems like a fun project and I like that they’re allowing the public to join them. If you’re in New York and you’re looking for a little spring paddle, why not see if you can fill one of the spare seats. I definitely love the concept.