From the inspiring to the tragic, ‘This Week in Adventure’ presents a wrap-up of top news in the world of exploration and adventure.
Cam Smith Wins Triple Crown in Gunnison’s Grand Traverse
Cam Smith, 23, from Crested Butte, Colorado, just set a new course record at the Grand Traverse, a three-part endurance series that runs from Crested Butte to Aspen. The Traverse consists of run, bike, and ski mountaineering races.
Smith’s run time of 5 hours, 38 minutes, 18 seconds set a new record and also secured his title. He also came first in the ski mountaineering portion.
Participants’ combined times determine their final podium standing. You can read more about the 2019 race results (and the female Triple Crown winner) here.
Lost Hikers Rescued Through Message in a Bottle
A family of lost hikers trapped at a waterfall had an ingenious way of reaching help — thanks in part to a Nalgene water bottle. The father, son, and girlfriend trio were on a camping trip along a remote stretch of the Arroyo Seco in California.
Upon arriving at the waterfall, they realized the rappel rope was missing, so they sent out an SOS message in the bottle by tossing it down the falls. With remarkable luck, someone downstream found the Nalgene within a few hours and alerted local search and rescue. A helicopter picked up the stranded group the next morning. Read the full story here.
Ride & Seek Tour Company Announces 1,900KM Marco Polo Cycling Expedition
The Ride & Seek cycling tour company just announced its newest tour: 1,900 km over 26 days, from Venice to Athens. But that’s only part of the excitement.
The goal of this new tour is to offer a cross-continent cycling expedition in the footsteps of explorer Marco Polo, with guests cycling on a total journey from Venice, Italy, to Beijing, China. The first two stages from Italy to Greece are scheduled to run in September and October of 2020.
Participants will cycle down the coast from Italy through harbors in Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Albania before arriving in Greece. The epic excursion ranges from $5,260 to $11,248 per person. To read about the inspiration for the ride, or to book a spot, visit Ride & Seek’s website.
Ultra Athlete Conquers 300 Miles in a Single Weekend
An ultrarunner and cyclist from Utah has just made it through 301.5 human-powered miles within a 36-hour time period. Ian Farris, 37, completed a 100-mile mountainous trail run, then — less than 4 hours later — began a 201.5-mile bike ride from Logan to Jackson, Wyoming.
The footrace covered 24,000 feet in elevation, the bike race covered 9,000 feet. In the span of both races, he burned 25,000 calories.
Aside from finishing both challenges, equally impressive was that Farris placed fourth overall in the Wasatch 100-mile endurance run. Oh, and he went to church afterward.
Montana Sheriff Department Uses Tunes to Move Bison
A small-town sheriff’s department got some unusual publicity this week with a tweet and a Facebook post. Now, we are all pretty wary when we encounter wildlife in the great outdoors, but what about close to home? And what if that encounter holds up the traffic?
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office in Montana has a unique way of asserting dominance on their roadways: playing AC/DC when any buffalo refuses to budge. As far as bison go, when lights, sirens, and airhorns fail, AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” is the next step.
Australia Bans Climbers From Uluru National Landmark
Australia’s Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park has been open to tourists since the 1930s. But soon, the part will cancel a popular activity. The park’s hundreds of thousands of visitors have meant heavy climbing activity on the park’s 1,000-plus-foot sandstone formation.
As of October 26, the park will ban all climbers on the iconic sandstone structure. After years of back-and-forth decisions regarding visitors on the rock, the National Park Board of Management has decided to observe the Aboriginals’ request for respectful treatment of their sacred landscape.
“If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, I don’t enter or climb it, I respect it. It is the same here for Anangu,” said Board Chairman Sammy Wilson. “We are not stopping tourism, just this activity.”
You can read more about the park and this decision here.
