The very active week in the Antarctic continues today with teams making slow, but steady, progress across the frozen continent. Everyone seems to be falling into a rhythm now and even the weather seems to have improved. But, as with all extreme environments, that can change quickly and no one seems to be getting too complacent with the current conditions.

As expected, Richard Parks relaunched his bid to set a new speed record for skiing from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole yesterday. He reports that he faced a strong headwind for most of the day, and of course he is skiing up hill at the moment. Still, Parks managed to cover 31.5 km (19 miles), which is a solid start for his speed attempt. He'll need to pick up the pace in the days ahead, but for now he seems content with his progress. Just 1118.5 km (696 miles) to go and the clock continues to tick.

Jumping over to the Beardmore Glacier, the Scott Expedition has been forced to abandon their skis for now and don crampons instead. They've hit a large expanse of blue ice, which is incredibly hard and smooth, leaving no traction for the skis. It has made pulling the sleds a lot easier, as they effortlessly glide across the ice at the moment. The team started at along the coast at 43 meters (141 ft) above sea level, but have now climbed up to 1014 meters (3326 ft) as they continue to make their way up to the Antarctic Plateau. They've now been out on the ice for 43 days and still have about 2092 km (1300 miles) to go on their round-trip journey to the South Pole and back to the coast.


Aussie Geoff Wilson was dismayed to discover the promised winds have not appeared as predicted. You may recall that he is kite skiing to the South Pole and had hoped to be making great progress on that journey, but unpredictable winds have stymied his attempts so far, leaving him no choice but to ski along like everyone else. The doldrums continued today with practically no wind to assist him, which is disheartening for Wilson, who may not reach his goal if the winds don't turn in his favor. Sadly, the forecast doesn't look great in that regard for the next few days either. Geoff also reports that he had a call on his sat phone from Faysal Hanneche, who was also attempting to kite to the Pole. It turns out Faysal has injured his knee in a fall during the high winds of a few days back and won't be able to continue his expedition. Details are scarce at the moment, but it seems he'll be evacuated from the ice as soon as possible.

The three teams racing in the 2013 South Pole Allied Challenge get a much needed break today. This is their first mandatory rest day in which all teams must take 24 hours off before resuming their race to the South Pole. This is day 5 of the expedition and they still have 10 or 11 days to go before they are done. They happen to be well ahead of all of the other skiers because they started their journey at the 87th degree, rather than along the coast. Still, they are making good time and progress has been steady, if exhausting, for the skiers so far.

South Pole cyclist Daniel Burton continues to struggle. Yesterday he was battered by katabatic winds that made it nearly impossible for him to make much progress. With that in mind, he set up camp early and tried to stay out of those winds as best he could. Later in the day, when they had died down, he resumed his ride, albeit at a painfully slow pace. Once he hits the plateau, things should improve somewhat, but until then it is an uphill battle.

Finally, 16-year old Lewis Clarke has been making steady progress on his attempt to become the youngest person to ever ski the full length to the Pole. He and his guide, Carl Alvey wont' be setting any speed records, but they are putting in the miles they need to complete the journey in a reasonable time. So far they've been covering 21 km (13 miles) per day as they struggle up to the plateau as well. They should pick up the pace nicely once they reach that point and again as they get closer to their destination. Good weather has been on their side so far though and we all know that won't last for long in Antarctica.

That's all from the frozen continent for today. I'll update again next week as the news merits it.

National Geographic Adventure has posted an excellent interview with rock climber Mike Libecki about a recent climb he made in South America where he not only had to face the challenges of the rock, but also nasty ticks, deadly scorpions, and leaping tarantulas.

Libecki is a well known and experienced rock climber who has put up routes all over the World, but this one sounds like it was pretty amazing for what went on off the rock as well. In total it took about two weeks to make the climb, as he and his partner Kyle Dempster, had to shuttle their gear in through dense jungle. But once they were assembled in camp, it took about five days to scale the 2000+ feet to the summit.

Libecki also discusses his love of climbing solo, his own "logistical checklist", his thoughts on the one piece of gear he can't do without, and the proverbial "what's next" on his list of places to climb. In this case, the answer Papua New Guinea. Interesting stuff.

The Grand Trunk Road played an important role in India's history at every step of its way. Some 3500 years ago, with the Aryan invasion of the subcontinent, it served as a corridor starting at the Khyber Pass winding eastward between the Himalayas and the Thar Desert onto the Gangetic plain. Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism spread through it, and Muslim proselytizers traveled on it. Since 1947, Pakistan controls the 300-mile segment between Peshawar and Lahore, while the remaining 1,250 miles link six Indian states, making it lifeline of northern India.

Nowadays, the road used by Alexander the Great, Ibn Battutah, Mughals invaders and other conquerors and the just curious, is ruled by truck drivers roaring through countless tiny villages.

NPR features a hybrid multimedia project in which its journalists travel the route and tell the stories of young people living there, who make up the majority of the populations in India and Pakistan.

GPS technology company Garmin has released yet another GPS watch for consumers to ponder over. This time it seems less fitness/sports oriented and more aimed at a law enforcement/military crowd, although it brings a host of options that I'm sure many outdoor enthusiasts will find appealing. It also happens to deliver them in quite an attractive package.

The new watch is called the tactix and it retails for $450. It sports a high-sensitivey GPS sensor with automatically calibrating altimeter and a 3-axis compass. It's built in memory allows the device to store up to 1000 waypoints and 10,000 track points, and allows the wearer to quickly and easily retrace their steps back to previous positions. In a nod to its military roots, the U.S. version of the watch is preloaded with tidal data and all versions include Jumpmaster software for airborne personnel. It also features sun/moon data and a calendar for hunting and fishing. A stopwatch, countdown timer, world clock, and alarm functionality are all built in as well of course, and as with most GPS enabled watches, this one will tell you distance traveled, speed, calories burned, etc. The tactix will also pair with Garmin's heart rate monitor and bike pod to measure performance and will even control the company's VIRB and VIRB Elite action cameras.

The tactix is designed to be rugged and survive in the outdoors. Its case is tough and durable, making it water resistant down to 50 meters. It's all black styling is designed to be non-reflective and subtle in nature, while the built in battery can reportedly go 50 hours between charges with GPS enabled and 5 weeks when being used as a standard watch. That performance is actually quite good for a watch of this kind.

The new watch is available now.

This news is a week old now, but sue me, I've been busy. ;)

Martin Strel has completed his 5,265km swim down the length of the Amazon River according to the Globe and Mail.

I first reported on his attempt a few months back, and now he's done it. The swim began in Peru and proceeded through Brazil, and along the way he encountered piranha, sickness, and exhaustion as he averaged more than 80km per day. At one point, he was even told by doctors to give up on his quest, and yet he pressed on, setting another world record for long distance swimming.

I can't even imagine swimming that far. The endurance and determination for such a task is simply amazing. Congrats Martin!

Thanks Adventure Blog

Actually, it wasn't even until today that I realized that the name of this airline is pronounced in terms of an acronym (E-V-A) rather than one of the Desperate Housewives. Anyway, the last time I took this airline was many years ago...far before they joined Star Alliance. That was also when they were one of the first airlines to have a premium economy seat; I could hardly remember what it was like, but surely the current premium economy seat has changed since then. It's now called Elite Class, for starters.

Interestingly, our corporate travel team found that Elite Class was still far cheaper than SQ Economy Class. Of course, these were not business class seats, but they were far better than SQ Economy (or UA Economy Plus). You actually got a good six inches or so of an armrest between you and the person next to you, not to mention a rather comfortable cradle position if you wanted to recline and kick your legs up halfway. Sure, the food was forgettable, but I'd still much rather take this than SQ Economy. Gotta love Star Alliance!

It might be interesting to see if these guys are worth taking to the US next time, assuming that the layover in Taoyuan isn't too painful. Oh - and in case you're wondering what that green drink is above, it was their "Evergreen Special," which I ordered out of sheer curiosity given that it was named after their corporate parent. It turned out to be a rather off-putting combination of Midori and vodka, but nonetheless I guess I can see the corporate color scheme that they were trying to go for with this thing.

I'm not a big fan of Akashi. So when I first heard about them opening this place at the basement of the new Robinsons Orchard (260 Orchard Road #B1-02A, 6737-5581), I didn't really make any effort to come here. Still, it came up as a suggestion for dinner tonight, so now was the chance to finally see if it were any good.

It was much better than I had thought it would be. Granted, the gyoza skin was not the texture that I was expecting (and the filling fueled some delightful dragon breath), but ultimately these piping hot things were still fun to eat. Perhaps much more exciting was the jyajya men, the noodles of which were tasty enough that I wolfed down that little bowl in seconds.

Yes, I like this place better than Keisuke's Gyoza King, in part perhaps simply because it kinda feels like I'm being force fed over there. Here, the portions are nice and small, making it easy to come back for a little snack. Either that, or maybe I'll just go over to Ohsho, who still has some of the best gyoza from what I can remember.

St. Patrick's Well is situated in a tranquil valley to the west of Clonmel, close to the village of Marlfield in County Tipperary. It is a beautiful setting for this holy site which has been revered for centuries. There are over 3,000 holy wells in Ireland and St. Patrick's Well is thought to be one of the largest in the country. Holy wells are sacred places where natural springs or man-made hollows that collect water are thought to have a religious significance because of their association with a saint.

At St. Patrick's well, legend has it that St. Patrick stopped off at this valley on his journey through South Tipperary and Waterford where he reputedly converted the King of Munster to Christianity at the Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick was reputed to have stopped here to bathe and baptise local people, however it is unlikely that Patrick was ever in this part of Ireland, as he does not mention travelling to the south of the country in his writings Confessio or Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, in fact the story of Patrick's journey in Munster comes from a source written nearly five hundred years after Patrick's death – the 10th Century Life of St. Declan, but despite this, St. Patrick’s association with the well lives on to this day.

Like many Holy wells around the country, St. Patrick’s Well is said to have many curative properties in local belief and folklore. It is said that by drinking the water from the well or even washing in the well, ailments like sore lips, sore eyes and many other chronic diseases can be cured. Indeed, it is thought that the well at St. Patricks has magical properties as the water that flows through the well never freezes, this is more likely due to the fact that the well is sited over natural springs that maintain a constant temperature.

The Well itself has been enclosed by a circular wall. The natural water that bubbles up is channeled through two narrow stone cut openings that an archaeologist has identified as possible flumes from an early medieval mill. The water descends into a large shallow pool, from where it then flows into a narrow stream, a tributary of the River Suir, which flows about a couple of kilometres south of the site.

Standing on a small island in the pool is the small sandstone cross, thought to be one of the oldest archaeological monuments at St. Patrick's Well. This cross is thought to date to the 8th century. It was originally positioned close to the church on marshy ground, but a programme of renovation and reconstruction was carried out at this site in the 1960's and the cross was moved to its current position.

The stone church which stands to the south appears to date to the fifteenth or sixteenth century. There is a historical record of the Abbot of Inislounaght being buried at the church in 1617. Inislounaght was once a thriving bustling Cistercian Abbey but there are no traces left of the Abbey today. However, it is thought that some architectural fragments were brought from the Abbey to St. Patrick's Well and incorporated into the parish church. Within the now roofless Parish church there is an altar tomb dating from 1622, dedicated to the White family.

St. Patrick’s Well is a great example of this type of archaeological monument that transcends the boundaries between Paganism and Christianity. If you visit this peaceful and tranquil spot it is easy to see why it was chosen hundreds or even thousands of years ago as a place of worship as there is a clear connection between the natural and sacred world at this site.

The easiest way to get to St. Patrick's well is to take the left hand turn after the Poppyfields shopping centre on the Cahir Road. Follow this narrow road until you come to a crossroads, turn right and continue on this road, there will be parking spaces to your left and the Well is accessed through a brightly painted gate. There are signposts leading to the site. Access to the well is down a number of steps which bring you down into the sheltered valley. If you have time, visit Marlfield lake which is close by, this is a man-made lake which is now home to a wild bird sanctuary.

If you like our images you may be interested to know that we offer a selection for sale at http://www.12greengiraffes.com/abarta.html including an image of the serene St. Patrick's Well.

I'm agnostic on Franz Ferdinand's music. Their manager is an old friend of mine; otherwise I probably wouldn't have ever heard of them. I wound up liking "Take Me Out" well enough but it didn't wind up on my iPod's most-played list. I can't say I paid the Glasgow-based rockers much attention. After hearing an engaging and witty interview with lead singer Alex Kapranos today on NPR, I realize I need to go back and pay closer attention. Before he was a rock star, Kapranos was a chef-- as was Bob Hardy, the band's bass player; they learned all about restaurants from master chef Martin Teplitzsky who forged a kitchen team and played the Stooges and the Velvet Underground all day. And then Kapranos started writing a rocker's-eyed-view restaurant column for the Guardian which was released by Penguin this month as a book. (Here's an example of one of his columns/chapters, eating in Prague.) Sound Bites is all about the band's two and a half trips around the world, what they ate, who they ate it with and... well lots of color.

Just as I was about to switch the radio station to Air America, Kapranos, started talking about how to avoid the horrors of bad food on the road. I figured that had to be better than anything Ed Schultz was likely to talk about so I stayed and listened. A lot of what he talked about-- prodded, although not for no reason, by the host-- were "the weirdest things I ever ate." like deep fried insects in Bangkok (tasted fine, he said, but then you have to deal with the mandibles that get stuck between your teeth), bulls' balls in Buenos Aires (criadillas, worst thing he ever ate, kind of metalic-tasting), fishbrain bread in Finland and that Japanese blowfish that can kill you if it isn't prepared properly. And haggis.

Ok, so the title to this entry makes it sound like I'm going to a Star Trek convention. But what I'm really talkinga bout is this cool website called Trekkingvision which offers some some amazing suggestions for great treks all over the World.

The site already has some great treks listed on six continents and a handy Google map to show where they are located, so you shouldn't have any problems finding something in an area you would like to explore. They also have detailed information about the different hikes which include such classics as The Annapurna Circuit, The Inca Trail, and the Machame Route on Kilimanjaro which I recently trekked.

All in all, there is some great information on the site, which has plans to add an RSS feed and a blog soon as well. We'll definitely have to keep our eyes on this one. Looks great so far!

Thanks Best Hikes Blog!

In a couple of suprise moves today, MountEverest.net is reporting that summit bids have been launched on both Everest and Dhaulagiri and in grand fasion.

First up, on Dhaulagiri a group of climbers have set out from Base Camp today to go straight for the summit, fast and light. Just five days ago, this same group, made up of Horia Colibasanu, Iñaki Ochoa, Jorge Egocheaga and Joby Ogwyn, was turned back on that same mountain. Currently there is calm weather on the seventh highest peak in the World, and the team doesn't want to let that go to waste. They haven't specifically said that they are on a speed push, but their actions say otherwise. If everything holds true, they could summit as early as tomorrow.

In other news, over on Everest, two Kazak climbers have set off from ABC for their summit bid on the North Col route. The two are also making a speed run, with out supplemental oxygen, pre-established high camps, or fixed ropes on the upper sections. If the pair make it to the top, it'll certainly be an impressive feat, not to mention the first summit of the year.

In other Everest news, four American demonstrators were arrested today at Base Camp. The group held signs saying "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008" and wore t-shirts that said "No Torch through Tibet" in obvious reference to the Chinese bringing the Olypic Torch to the summit of Everest via the North Side.

The other Big Story (I say a bit tongue in cheek) is the lack of Yaks on Everest this year. This isn't the first time I've heard complaints of a Yak Shortage, but now even Nives Meroi is having problems finding the pack beasts to help her bring gear up to BC. Fear not though. The Yaks aren't being mutilated by aliens or anything, they've simply been reserved by the large Chinese contigent and two other big commercial climbing teams. Hopefully there will be a boom in Yak births this year, as I'm sure next year's Chinese team will be even larger.

Outdoor gear company Quechua had partnered with budget tech firm Archos to produce a ruggedized Android cell phone that is designed for adventurers who can be a little rough on their gear. The phone, which begins shipping this week in some markets, if resistant to water, snow, cold, dust and other elements, while also being designed to survive a significant drop.

The new phone will retail for €230 (roughly $310) and comes equipped with Android 4.1 (Jellybean). It is powered by a Qualcomm 1.2 GHz, quad-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded through the use of SD cards. It also has a large 5" display and 3500 mAh battery that is said to be capable of 22 hours of talk time between charges.

But what sets the phone apart from most others is that it meets IP 54 certification. That means it has been built to survive the demands of the outdoors, including submersion in water, being used in sandy or dusty environments and withstanding the shock from being dropped. It is also resistant to both hot and cold temperatures, which could make it a great travel phone for those who visit extreme environments.

The phone does have a few knocks against it before it ever hits the streets. For starters, it doesn't have 4G data capabilities. The built-in 4GB of storage is a bit anemic as well, even though you do have the ability to add to that with memory cards. Android 4.1 is no longer the latest version of that operating system either, although it is a solid, modern OS in terms of features and stability. Still, for the price, I would expect a bit more out of the phone. You might be better served with buying a more capable device at a lower price and investing in a good cast to protect it. Just my two cents.

The 2013 Antarctic expedition season continues to ramp up as expected. As we near the end of the November, the number of teams that are preparing to hit the ice continues to grow as well. It is beginning to look like it will be another very busy season at the bottom of the world and soon there will be numerous teams skiing across the ice. For now though, there remain just a few in the field as weather continues to be the key factor as to when these teams can officially get underway.

The one man who is watching the weather very closely is Richard Parks. He updated his blog yesterday, sharing some insights into what he is planning for his attempt at a speed record for skiing from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. At the moment, Richard remains at Union Glacier where he is watching the weather very closely and plotting his next move. The weather for flying to Hercules looks to be improving, but he is also hoping for good conditions for the start of his expedition so that he can pass through a dangerous crevasse field without battling the elements along the way. Right now he is estimating that he'll fly to his starting point on Friday or Saturday of this week, then assess the weather again before deciding when he'll get underway. Patience is the name of the game at the moment, but waiting is not always easy on a person both physically and psychologically. 

There are a host of other adventurers who are waiting to start their expeditions as well, but most of them are still stuck in Punta Arenas, Chile. That includes the likes of Chris and Marty Fagan, who have spent their first few days in the warehouse at ALE getting their gear and supplies organized. Veteran polar explorer Antony Jinman is now in Punta as well and will be going through the same process before he begins his expedition to 90ºS. South Pole cyclists Daniel Burton is there as well and waiting for word on when he can begin. His bike was expected to arrive yesterday and it'll take some time to get it rebuilt and set-up for the expedition ahead. After that, he'll be ready to get underway. Daniel is hoping to become the first person to ride a bike to the South Pole. 

Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere of the Scott Expedition are experiencing some good conditions at the moment. They continue to knock off solid mileage each day as they continue their journey to the Pole, and eventually back to their starting point along the coast. They report warm temperatures (relatively speaking of course), low winds and a smooth surface right now, which is making their progress much smoother. They've also passed through the third week of their expedition, which is often when teams begin to hit their stride. To put things in perspective however, they still have 1588 miles (2555 km) to go before they are done. 

Aussie Geoff Wilson is off and moving as well. He's actually kiting to the South Pole and not simply skiing as previously reported. So far conditions have been challenging for him but he is now starting to make progress. Early on, the winds were too high to be safe and as a result he ended up spending four days stranded in a tent. He's eager to get back on the trail today however and hopefully start to make some real progress. Using a kite to catch the wind can be very effective and it is possible for kiters to knock off large chunks of mileage in a given day. Without the wind however, they are reduced to skiing just like everyone else. Lets hope Geoff can really get going now. 

It is an exciting time in Antarctica at the moment. There are so many teams lining up right now that we will soon have a steady flow of news and progress reports. It looks like it'll be a good year at the bottom of the world with lots of exciting action to follow. More to come soon. 

Photo © Munem Wasif -All Rights Reserved
Here's a response in many more ways than one to Howard W. French's Old Shanghai galleries which I posted about yesterday.

It's by well-known Bangladeshi photographer Munem Wasif, whose trademark gritty high-contrast black & white photographs seem to be the common denominator amongst many of his equally talented compatriot photographers.

Old Dhaka -as we've seen of the old neighborhoods of Shanghai- offers endless scenes of unadulterated humanity to photographers. The Western affinity for privacy doesn't exist here. Mothers bathe their children in the open, while the elderly help one another to perform basic needs and people live virtually in the open without shame or embarrassment.

It's quite evident from this photo essay that Munem Wasif (and others like him) are photographers who have the ability to achieve a no-holds barred intimacy with their subjects. Achieving this closeness undoubtedly enhances the humanness of the subjects we see in their pictures.

Old Dhaka is featured on the incomparable ZoneZero, the site dedicated to photography founded 16 years ago by Pedro Meyer.

Knockroe Passage tomb is located in a picturesque setting on the slopes above the Lingaun River and old slate quarries which were abandoned in the early 1900's. The site dates to around 3,000 BC and has many similarities to the far more famous examples such as Newgrange and Knowth in the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath.

Originally Knockroe would have been a similar tomb to Newgrange, albeit on a smaller scale. It is likely that it too would have had an earthen mound surrounded by large kerbstones. However unlike Newgrange, Knockroe has two burial chambers, located at the eastern and western sides of the feature. These tombs are exposed, and had long ago lost their earthen cover.  Many of the stones lining the passageways of these tombs at Knockroe are highly decorated with megalithic art such as spirals, hollowed 'cup marks', and zig-zags. You can still find them in their original locations, and when you see them it is impossible not to wonder about the possible meaning of the decorations - was it purely decorative or did it have a deeper symbolism, and what messages may be in that symbolism? You can also still see the quartz which possibly would have formed a wall around the entrance to the passageways.

Also like Newgrange, Knockroe is aligned with the Winter Solstice. Every year around the 21st December people gather at Knockroe to witness the sun setting in perfect alignment with the length of western tomb.

Knockroe is one of a group of tombs located in this region, all of which are aligned with the large
mound on the summit of Slievenamon in County Tipperary. Knockroe is one of those wonderful sites that you can't help to keep thinking about long after your visit, without being encumbered with its earthen mound, Knockroe is like the stony skeleton of a Neolithic passage tomb.

To get to Knockroe from Carrick on Suir, take the R697 going North, then take the left hand turn for the R698 and continue down this road, until you come to a crossroads, go left at this crossroads and continue straight on, through another smaller crossroads, after this take the next left and drive carefully down this road. The site will be located down this lane. The lanes are narrow and you may have to park your car at the top of the lane. The site is fenced off and situated on relatively dry ground but boots or reasonably sturdy footwear is still advised. The site is free to enter

There were a couple hours of a break in the program today, which was just enough time to head out to a local seafood shack for lunch. We thus came here, in part due to a local colleague's recommendation, but also since these guys are only open during the daytime. I figured that my one chance to eat here on this trip was right now (15 Northern Avenue, 423-5501).

It turned out to be a little trailer rather than a restaurant. Fortunately, they had some small tables inside for you to get served at, and I got this stuffed scallop together with a bowl of chowder, the latter of which had to be one of the most generous with clams that I'd ever had. There's not much to choose from here, but it was fresh, and amazing to see those huuuuge lobsters in the tank next to us.

ExWeb has posted a number of Everest updates today, with news that most teams are nearly done with their acclimatization process and are gearing up for their summit bids. Most teams descended to base camp or lower over the weekend, where they enjoyed some rest and relexation before they head back up the mountain. Weather reports indicate that the next few days will not provide a window to the summit, but hopefully things will clear soon.

David Tait who will be attempting a historic double traverse, has indicated in his dispatches that he is ready to go. He has passed the endurance and skills tests that HiMex has set for him, and now he's resting and waiting for the weather to co-operate. David and a team of women from the Philippines are the only ones to actually get permits from the Chinese to allow them to traverse the mountain, but that doesn't mean there aren't others who would like to try.

Meanwile, Austrian climber Thomas Bubendorfer intends to climb Everest via a new route. His orginal intention was to climb the Super Couloir, but because of the amount of snow in the area, he has been forced to go up the North Col along a route that hasn't been attempted before. Thomas will go alpine style and solo, using few fixed ropes. The latest reports have him in BC, but setting off soon for his summit attempt.

Right now, we're in the holding pattern as teams rest and wait for their window to come. We're in to May now, which means summit attempts will be coming fast and furiously very soon. Once the weather clears, look for teams to move back up the mountain en mass. The closer we get to the end of the month, the quicker these windows will slam shut.

Australian triathlete Chris McCormack sent shockwaves through the racing community earlier this week when he issued a challenge to Lance Armstrong. McCormack, who is a former two-time Ironman World Champion, has proposed the two men meet in a one-on-one competition in an unsanctioned race to see just who is the better triathlete.

Apparently, the idea for this competition first came up prior to Armstrong being banned from competition for life last year. When the USADA stripped the former pro cyclist of his seven Tour de France wins, negotiations came to an abrupt halt. But McCormack says that he recently read an interview in which Lance said he believed that he could win the Ironman World Championship. That prompted the Aussie to reach out to Armstrong to see if they could put something together.

According to this article, Lance is interested in the idea and would be down for an opportunity to compete, even though the event would be completely unsanctioned. Due to his ban,  he can't officially enter any races, but that wouldn't prevent these two world-class athletes from challenging one another. It seems there is a chance that that could happen.

Despite the fact that he has been stripped of his Tour wins, Armstrong is undeniably an amazing athlete. This would be the chance for him to go head-to-head with someone who has plenty of experience in Ironman events and see just where he stacks up. I believe that interest for this event would be enormous. People would want to see just how good Lance still is and pitting him against one of the best triathletes in the world would be a great measuring stick.

It's hard to say if we'll ever see this race become a reality, but I'd certainly love to see it happen. I also happen to believe that it would be a fairly close race, provided Lance has some time to train and get back into competitive form. I guess we'll just have to wait to see if these two men get the chance to square off.

Regular readers know that, from time to time, I'll review a recent book release that may be of interest to them. Most of the books I've reviewed in the past have been about climbing, such as Ed Viestur's No Shortcuts To The Top or Cliff Willis' The Boys of Everest. This book review is about a different type of adventure altogether.

Lois On The Loose by Lois Pryce is, simply put, a fun, funny, travel book that chronicles the author's 20,000 mile journey, by motorcycle, from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina. In essence, the length of the Trans-America highway. Along the way, Lois encounters unusual people, unique stretches of road, and a wide variety of police officers stretching from Canada through Central America, and continuing to the very end of the World.

The book opens with Lois returning to her job at the BBC in London, fresh from a motorcycle holiday in Europe. As she returns to the daily grind, she finds she is missing the open road, and the thrill of adventure. Her mind begins to hatch a plan that would see her quitting her job, shipping her motorcycle to Alaska, and setting off on an epic journey throughout the length of the Americas.

The book is an enjoyable read, and certainly instills a desire to travel. More than once I wanted to purchase a motorcycle of my own, and follow Lois off down the highway. The author writes with a wonderful conversational style in which you almost feel like you're listening to her personally convey her stories to you. Combine this with a liberal dash of British humor, and you have a charming travel tale that reinforces the point of most travel tales - The Journey Is It's Own Reward!

You can find out more about Lois and her adventures at her official website where you can also learn that she recently completed a Trans-African journey by motorcycle as well. After completing Lois On The Loose I can only hope that there will be a follow-up to detail her adventures in Africa. I'm one reader who hasn't gotten his fill of Lois and her motorcycle odysseys, and if you enjoy a good travel story, that is both funny and thoughtful, I have a feeling you might just fall for Lois too.

Yesterday was a milestone day in the fledgeling 2013 Antarctic season. After being grounded for 13 days due to bad weather, the first Ilyushin aircraft was able to touchdown at Union Glacier bringing supplies and support staff to that camp. More importantly however, that plane delivered Richard Parks to the ice, where he'll soon begin his attempt to break the speed record for skiing to the South Pole.

Parks has been in Punta Arenas, Chile for a couple of weeks now, biding his time for the start of his journey. He's now on the frozen continent at last and I would expect that he'll spend a day or two organizing his gear before hopping another flight out to Hercules Inlet for the start of his journey. Ahead of him sits 1130 km (702 miles) of frozen expanse which he hopes to cross in just 23 days. That would be one day faster than Christian Eide's record, which stands at an astounding 24 days, 1 hour and 13 minutes. Whether or not he is successful will largely be determined by his preparation, fitness and the weather. It'll be tough going for sure as Richard will need to average more than 49 km (30  miles) per day to accomplish his goal. That is blistering pace to be sure.

With weather improving across the continent, Geoff Wilson is hoping that he can launch his "Pink Polar Expedition" soon as well. Wilson is skiing to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer and has had to wait out poor conditions before he can start too. He'll be flying from South Africa to the frozen continent and expects to get underway today, provided everything goes as expected.

The Scott Expedition, consisting of Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere continues their long march to the South Pole and back as well. They were the first team to hit the ice as their intention is to follow Robert Falcon Scott's route to the Pole and back, covering more than 2896 km (1800 miles) in the process. Their journey has already been a tough one as they lug very heavy sleds filled with gear and supplies for a 4+ month journey behind them. But whiteout conditions and bitter cold have made the adventure a trying one, even in the early days. Ben and Tarka have already been out on the ice for nearly three weeks and yet they still have a long way to go. For now, they just take one day at a time and focus on skiing ahead as best they can.

Other teams will soon join the chase for the Pole and in a few weeks time the first teams on Mt. Vinson will start to arrive. It looks like it will be a very active season in the Antarctic once again with lots of skiers and mountaineers to cheer on from afar. Stay tuned for more updates soon.