Last week, National Geographic announced their 2014 Adventurers of the Year, revealing a cast of 13 amazing men and women who have pushed the boundaries of exploration in the past 12 months. A few days ago, they also released this awesome and inspiring video with Fitz Cahall, an adventurer who turned his passion for storytelling and the outdoors into a job as a filmmaker. Fitz's story is a good one and his drive to succeed can be applied to many facets of our lives. His message it to pursue the things you love and don't be afraid to take some risks along the way. The rewards will be worth it.

With a motto like "Never Stop Exploring" you know that The North Face has a keen sense of adventure. That is exhibited well in the video below, which not only features some amazing imagery, but also moving narration by Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon. This is truly an inspiring clip. Tip of the hat to who ever put it together.

Aspiring adventure photographers listen up! The folks over at Xpedition.tv, who brought us an excellent adventure film competition earlier this year, are back with another challenge, and this time they're letting those of us who shoot photography get in on the fun. The site has just announced its Photo + Story Challenge, giving entrants the opportunity to share one of their favorite photos, and the story behind it, in just 50 words.

The competition is open to all photographers, although entries are to be focused around outdoor sports, adventure and exploration. There are three categories to enter your photo in. Those categories include: "This is where I learned..." (Hashtag: #whereweexplore); "The work pays off when..." (Hashtag: #xpeditionworthy) and "You know you're brothers/sisters when.." (Hashtag: #foolishandthebrave)

To enter photographers must select a single image depicting their experience in the outdoors. They must also submit 50 words that includes the phrase that describes the category (ie: "This is where I learned..."). Then follow @XpeditionTV on Instagram and hashtag your photos so that they can find it. Photographers can enter multiple images but they must create a separate entry for each photo.

When the contest is over and winners are selected, they'll receive a 30x40 custom print of their image worth up to $250. These images are said to be beautiful in quality and stunning to look at, especially for those who are use to digital photography and don't see prints much any more.

For more information, visit the Xpedition.tv website. Then, go sift through your photos and find something you'd love to share. Good luck!

The pace of the video below would best be described as "breakneck." Once it takes off, there is barely time to catch your breath as it speeds through a series of beautiful and adventurous timelapse segments. The title of the video is "Pause #24" but really its adventure in fast forward.

PAUSE #24 from PAUSE on Vimeo.

By now I'm sure you're all well aware that the shutdown of the U.S. government has ended and all services are being restored. This is, of course, a good thing for not only the States but the rest of the world, because if a budget compromise hadn't been reached by yesterday, the U.S. would have defaulted on its debt, causing all kinds of economic issues across the globe. Fortunately that didn't happen and some semblance of normalcy can return one again.

With the standoff between Democrats and Republicans over (at least for now!) the federal government began ramping up operations once again on Wednesday evening. As a result, all of America's national parks are open once again and visitors have already been flowing through their gates. With the fall travel season in full swing, this is good news for everyone who enjoys the outdoors and it means that we are no longer officially shut out from some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America, if not the world. I say "officially shut out" because many visitors to the parks ignored barricades and went inside during the shutdown anyway.

The news is not so rosy for the researchers and scientists hoping to travel to Antarctica this season. As I mentioned previously, the shutdown forced the government to put several Antarctic bases into "caretaker status" which essentially reduces everything to a skeleton crew and maintains the bare minimum or resources. Ramping back up from that isn't as easy as removing barricades and opening gates, as there are a lot of logistics that go into supplying those bases and ensuring staff can arrive there safely. Most of those plans were canceled or put on hold pending resolution to the budget crisis, and since those schedules are so tightly set, getting back on schedule is an uphill battle.


The National Science Foundation is currently evaluating its options and working to get back into service. As of this writing, their website still isn't even functional. From what I understand, they'll spend the next few days figuring out which Antarctic projects have priority and determining what funding they'll have available, before deciding on how to proceed.

If I were to guess, I'd day we'll see a paired down Antarctic schedule for the season ahead. Some projects will still be salvaged but others will have to be delayed until next year or beyond. Operations will likely ramp up much more slowly than normal and will probably be at a much lower capacity. We'll just have to wait to see how things play out, but with the Antarctic expedition season about to commence, decisions will need to be made quite quickly.

I, for one, am glad to have the parks back in operation and at least some movement in Antarctica. Now if we could just get some people to move in Washington, things would be much better all around.

Our friend Dave Cornthwaite has released a fun little video which is the culmination of a project that started more than 1000 days ago. Starting on January 1, 2011, Dave, who we followed down the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard and on a1000 mile swim down the Missouri River (amongst other adventures), began taking a photo of himself everyday for 1000 days. He has then strung them together in the video below, which is equal parts inspiring and entertaining. That time span overlaps several of his big expeditions, so you'll see Dave in a variety of situations. The message here, as the title implies, is that we should make ever day – every moment – count.

Not all of the cold weather adventures are taking place in Antarctica at the moment. Case in point, the just launched Pole of Cold expedition that got underway last week which plans to cross Northern Europe and Siberia on a three-month long, 30,000 km (18,641 mile) journey to reach the coldest inhabited place on the planet in the dead of winter.

The three-person team on this expedition include veteran polar explorer Felicity Aston, mechanic Gisli Jonsson and filmmaker Manu Palomeque. The trio were the winners of a Land Rover bursary which provides funding for this expedition. They set out from the Royal Geographical Society headquarters in London and are now making their way through Norway, where they encountered their first bits of snow. Eventually the journey will take them into deepest Siberia however, where they will make their way to Oymyakon, which is widely considered the coldest inhabited place on the planet. How cold you ask? The thermometer once recorded a temperature of -67.7ºC (-89.8ºF). Now that's cold!

The journey will be a road trip of epic proportions. The route will take the team into some of the most remote places on the planet where temperatures will routinely plummet to dangerous levels. They'll have to deal with non-existant roads, plenty of snow and ice and a complete lack of infrastructure once they get out into the heart of Siberia itself. This will be a round-trip journey that begins and end in London, with a stop at the northernmost point in Europe and plenty of other cold places along the way.

The purpose of the journey is to explore cultural attitudes toward winter while also assessing how lifestyles are different in places that deal with extreme ends of the climate continuum.

You can follow the Pole of Cold team on their website and Facebook page.

Looking for a dose of inspiration on a Monday? Look no further than the video below, which features rock climber Urko Carmona, who just happened to have lost a leg in a car accident when he was 16. Now in his 30's, Urko hasn't let that accident keep him from living the life he wants, including one filled with plenty of adventure. Watching him scale a difficult rock face is definitely impressive.

Live your Dreams from klaas willems on Vimeo.

While I was away last week National Geographic announced the 2014 Adventurers of the Year, a distinction that goes to 13 individuals who achieved extraordinary accomplishments in exploration, adventure sports, conservation or activism. As usual, this year's list includes climbers, skiers, endurance athletes and a host of other amazing individuals who pushed boundaries in some unique ways.

Amongst those who have earned a place of honor on the 2014 list are Dave and Amy Freeman, who traveled across North America on foot, in kayaks and on dogsleds, covering some 11, 647 miles (18,744 km) in the process. They're joined by Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted who put up the first ascent of the tricky K6 in Pakistan, and Sarah Marquis, who traveled on foot from Siberia to Australia over a three-year period. Unsurprisingly, Diana Nyad makes the list for her amazing swim from Cuba to the U.S., and ultra-runner Kilian Jornet is honored for his amazing feats of speed and athleticism in the mountains. See the full list by clicking here.

As has been the norm the past few years, Nat Geo is also letting us cast our vote on who we think should be the top adventurer. The winner of the vote will be named the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year in early 2014. Vote early and vote often by clicking here.

As usual, there are some very good choices on this list and some people that I've written about regularly. It's great to see some of the folks that we admire get recognition beyond just a niche following on the Internet. Congratulations to all of the winners. These honors are much deserved all around .

With the holidays now upon us, the season of giving has arrived as well. If you're looking for a great cause to donate to this year, then I'd recommend you consider one of my favorite organizations, the Himalayan Stove Project. The purpose behind the HSP is simple. Its goal is to improve the health, and change the lives, of people living in the Himalaya by replacing their inefficient and inadequate cook stoves, with cleaning burning models that use less fuel. These stoves are better for the environment and produce far less smoke and other noxious fumes, substantially reducing the health risks that use the stoves on a daily basis.

The HSP can use your contributions to the cause at all times of the year, but come next Tuesday they will especially appreciate those donations. That's because they are taking part in #GivingTuesday (which follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday of course) during which all of our contributions will be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by another generous donor. To take part, all you have to do is text "STOVE" to 50155.

You can also help the cause while picking up some new gear for yourself at the same time. When you visit the Himalayan Stove Project's Supporters and Sponsors page you can get new gear from the like of Clothing Arts and Eastern Mountain Sports and with every purchase that is made, a donation is made to the HSP. We all know that EMS has all kinds of items we'd like to add to our personal gear closets, and Clothing Arts makes innovative clothing that can help keep your valuables safe while traveling.

One of the things that I love so much about the Himalayan Stove Project is that is is doing great work that has a direct impact on the lives of the people that they are trying to help. More than 1400 stoves have already been installed in homes across the Himalaya, dramatically changing the lives of the families that have received them. The HSP isn't trying to pursue some nebulous plan that could pay off at some point in the future, they're actually affecting change now. Our donations will go directly to helping further that cause, while saving lives at the same time.

I know that the holidays are a time when we're often busy and stretched thin. I also know that budgets are often tight as we search for the perfect gift for loved ones. But if you should find a little spare cash that you want to give to a good cause, consider making that cause the Himalayan Stove Project. They're doing great work in a part of the world that we all love.

December doesn't just mean that the holidays are right around the corner. It also is a time to reflect on the year that has just passed and take stock of events that have transpired. Over the course of the next few weeks, I'm sure we'll see plenty of articles detailing the "best of 2013" or the "top ten" something or other from the past 12 months. Take for example this article from Outside magazine which shares their picks for the ten best adventure films that were released this year, each of which look like they'll be of interest to outdoor enthusiasts.

A number of the films on the list were ones that I've written about here on the Adventure Blog while others are completely new to me. For instance, I covered The Sufferfest, a film about Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright's "worst trip ever" few weeks back, and I've covered The Last Great Climb as it happened and when the trailer hit back in the summer. Most have us have probably at least seen the trailer for Blackfish as well. It was the film that was released this past summer that take a hard look at how captivity impacts the lives of killer whales.

A few of the films are ones that I haven't seen yet. Those include The Crash Reel, which follows snowboarders Shaun White and Kevin Pearce as they prepare for the 2010 Olympics. Just days before the games Pearce suffered an accident in the half pipe, suffering brain damage in the process. I'm also excited to see Maidentrip, which follows Laura Dekker on her attempt to sail solo around the globe a few years back. But perhaps the most intriguing film to me is Keeper of the Mountains, which is a movie about Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the Grand Dame of the Himalaya, and the keeper of all the records pertaining to climbs that take place in the big mountains. Catch the trailer for that film below.

If you're looking for some great adventure films to watch in the days ahead, Outside's list is a perfect place to get some ideas on where to start.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks bad, I've been contributing travel related stories at the new FlightNetwork.com blog. Here's a sampling of some of the more interesting things that the team has been posting there.

• Snow Report: Major Ski Resorts Ready For Thanksgiving
• Gear Review: booq Boa Squeeze Laptop Bag
• Travel in a Minute - South African Safari
• National Geographic Traveler Announces Best Trips 2014
• A Unique Museum: The Four Seasons Serengeti Safari Lodge

There are plenty of other interesting travel stories to read on the blog beyond these, but this is a good example of the kinds of articles that are being written there. If you have some time, we'd love for you to stop by and check us out. 

By now I'm sure that many of you have seen this dramatic footage, but if not it is definitely worth a look. Two planes carrying skydivers collided in midair in a fiery accident that probably should have been a disaster. Thankfully, everyone got out alive, jumping out of the two planes and parachuting to safety below. Quite an amazing site to say the least. Check it out below.

An eagle, that appears to be suffering from kleptomania, recently swiped a motion-sensing camera from a crocodile trap in Australia and carried it some 68 miles before deciding it wasn't something the bird could eat. The camera was later found by Aboriginal hunters, who returned it to the proper owners. Naturally, they were a bit surprised to find their camera so far away from its original location but when they looked at the footage, they understood how it got there. The thieving bird is even caught on film at the end of the clip in what could quite possibly be the first avian selfie.

If anyone knows how to be an explorer in the 21st century it is Mikael Strandberg. His various adventures have taken him on bicycle rides from Chile to Alaska and Norway to South Africa, amongst other places. He's traveled through Patagonia on horseback and trekked through East Africa. He has wandered the most remote regions of Siberia and crossed Yemen by camel. He is a Fellow in the Explorers Club, Royal Geographical Society and the Long Riders Guild. So when Mikael offers advice to aspiring explorers, you know that he is doing so from a place of experience.

In a blog post that was published today, Strandberg shares his 9 tips on how to become a modern day explorer. These simple pearls of wisdom form a solid foundation for anyone who is considering pursing a life of exploration, something that comes with sacrifices and challenges, but also great rewards and satisfaction.

I won't spoil the list because I think the entire thing is well worth a read. I will say that his final tip is perhaps the most important one of all. It simply reads: "9. Finally: Get out there and just do it!" For many of us, the biggest stumbling block towards pursuing our dreams and goals is ourself. Sometimes we need to take that leap of faith and just go for it. The people that I have known who have been the most successful at whatever it is they do have always been the ones who are willing to believe in themselves and make the leap.

Mikael's tips are excellent ones for just about anything you'd like to do in life. While he puts them into context of pursuing the life of an explorer, they could also be just as easily applied to someone who wants to start their own business, quit their day job to pursue other opportunities or just about anything else. He advocates for having a clear vision, staying focused and believing in yourself - qualities that are important no matter what goals you set for yourself.

To read the entire article and discover all of Mikael's tips, click here.