Tim Moss, creator of the website The Next Challenge, has set off this week with his wife Laura to cycle to Australia. Fulfilling a pact they made in jest when they first got together, the pair made the daydream into a reality on August 18th when they embarked on this year long adventure. This month has been a busy one for the adventure community. There has been some newcomers to the scene; one named Simon Ford who is in the midst of kayaking around the entire Welsh Coast alone to raise money for Velindre Cancer Hospital in Cardiff. He is undertaking the 400 mile challenge in memory of his wife Linda who died of lung cancer. Meanwhile, all the regulars continue to push the boat out. Ultrarunner Ben Clark is taking on the Nolan’s 14 challenge next Sunday, August 25. A 100-mile long route in Colorado encompassing 14 different mountains of 14,000 feet or more. Clark aims to complete the full course in under 60 hours, which would add his name to a very short and very exclusive list of achievers. Follow his attempt at benclarkruns.blogspot.ie
Scottish Adventurer Ricky Munday plans to lead a 38 day expedition to the Puna de Atacama in the Andes of northern Argentina in December of this year. Along with two teammates, he aims to climb the South America three peaks; Monte Pissis, Ojos del Salado, and Aconcagua. Two firsts are on the cards if the team succeeds; the first Venezuelan woman to climb all three mountains, and the first team to climb all three in one extended expedition. The challenge is a part of the Triple 7 Summits, a bid to climb the three highest peaks on every continent. More news on this is on Ricky’s website. On December 3rd, Parker Liautaud will try to set a new speed record for skiing to the South Pole. If successful the 19 year old will cover 400miles in 22days. Finally, Elsa Hammond has recently announced her plans to row across the Pacific Ocean alone next June.
Some news from the field itself; another unclimbed peak is conquered after the successful 2013 Tajikistan Silk Road Expedition. The climb will be named Mount Christopher Ward after the teams sponsors. The new peak was reached on August 6th, drawing a line under the 3,500-mile road journey to central Tajikistan 3-day trek in, and 4922 metre climb. Jamie McDonald is mid way through his 5000 mile expedition to run from the eastern coast of Canada to the west. He plans to reach Vancouver by December after completing the equivalent of more than 200 marathons. German explorer Guenter Wamser is coming to the end of his 25,000km horseback adventure; the Transhumanica expedition. He embarked on the journey from Patagonia in 1994 and is shortly set to arrive in Alaska.
Events on the horizon include The Endure 6 Challenge launch party on Tuesday the 24th September 2013. The Endure 6 Challenge is ‘a ground-breaking set of global expeditions, photography & art exhibitions and music events’. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at endureworldevents.com. Another event to get excited about is the upcoming Big Shakeout 2013. The latest speaker announced is adventurer Alastair Humphreys. He will be present on the opening night of the 27th September at Thornbridge Outdoors in the Peak District and will have talked you into doing a microadventure before the evening is through. www.alpkit.com/bigshakeout