Adventure Racing World Series: Two More Races Join The ARWS

The 2014 Adventure Racing World Championships are barely over, and the AR World Series is already ramping up for a big year in 2015. Over the past week or so, ARWS organizers have announced two new races have been added to the series, giving teams in North America and Europe more options for qualifying for next year's championship in Brazil.

The first new race added to the ARWS is the Cameo Cowboy Tough, which will be held Wyoming from July 15-19, 2015. The 3.5 day race is accepting 25 teams to competing on a 500 km (310 mile) course through the Big Horn Mountains near the town of Buffalo. The race will have award a $10,000 cash prize package, with an additional $10,000 in gear and other prizes being given out as well. Registration for the event is now open.

The second race to be added to the ARWS is the Raid Gallaecia Spain, which will be held from May 3-10, 2015 in the Pontevedra region, which sits near the border with Portugal. The event will also be 500 km (310 miles) in length, with the winning team expected to cross the finish line in about 75 hours. The race will mix the traditional disciplines of mountain biking, trail running, sea and river kayaking, coasteering, ropes courses, and navigation through a spectacularly beautiful section of Spain.

The AR World Series continues to get stronger each and every year, and 2015 is already shaping up to be one of the best year's for the series yet. The races that are part of the system are incredibly well organized and offer teams excellent challenges in a wide variety of environments across the planet. With qualifiers on six continents, it is now possible for just about any adventure racing team in the world to gain entry into the AR World Championships.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Expedition Alaska, which is shaping up to be one of the best new races for 2015 as well. The event is also part of the ARWS, and registration is also already open for that race too. I am part of the team that is organizing ExpeditionAK, and we're looking forward to welcoming teams from across the globe to the "Last Frontier" in June of next year.

It is a great time for sport of adventure racing to say the least.

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Team Seagate Wins Adventure Racing World Championship

Part of the reason I was in Ecuador over the past week and a half was to cover the start of the Adventure Racing World Championship, which began in the Andean highlands, descended through the rainforest, and eventually ended on the Pacific Coast. While I was there, I witnessed the start of the race, during which 50 coed teams of four set off on a grand adventure that would cover more than 710 km (441 miles) on foot, mountain bike, and kayak. The race was an exciting one to say the least, and in the end there were some familiar names standing on the podium.

The top team at this year's ARWC was Team Seagate from New Zealand, who were the odds on favorite to win the event before it even started. They managed to complete the entire route in just 4.5 days, which is an impressive feat in and of itself. This was a course designed to test the participants at every turn, and having witnessed some of the route myself, the race certainly lived up to its billing of being a tough one.

Second place went to Team Columbia Vidaraid of Spain, who put in impressive performance throughout the race as well, finishing four hours and 15 minutes behind the winners. Team Movistar of Ecuador claimed third place overall, proving that the home field advantage can play a factor. This talented team was near the top of the leaderboard almost the entire way, and they managed to finish in a little over five days.

I want to thank the entire staff at the Huairasinchi Explorer – the host of this year's AR World Championships – for putting on such a great event. It was a joy to be back in the middle of a major adventure race once again, and it was great to catch-up with old friends, and make new ones too.

Also, congratulations to Team Seagate for running a great race. They were certainly the class of the field, and remain the best AR team in the world.

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AR World Championship Update: A Major Penalty Has Deep Impact on the Race

What a difference a day makes at the Adventure Racing World Championships here in Ecuador. Not only have we seen nearly every team hit with a major penalty, it has had a major impact on the standings as well. While the controversial ruling from the race organizers has left some teams incredibly dissatisfied – including the team that was leading the race yesterday – it looks like all appeals are likely to fall on deaf ears, which means we could have a dark cloud hanging over the event.

The penalty came about because the race's rule book specifically says that during Stage 3 of the race,  all teams must keep the river on their left at all times. All but three teams  – Seagate, Team Silva, and Team Polaska AR – failed do to this, with most of the teams crossing the river at the wrong point. As a result, the three teams that obeyed the rules had longer times on that leg. To make up for this mistake, race leadership is enforcing a four-hour penalty on all of the teams, save the three listed above.

This has obviously had a major impact on the race. As I write this, Team Seagate is now in the lead, with a two-and-a-half-hour head start on Columbia Vidaraid of Spain. The French team of Caffte UPS Maurien/Vanois is now in third place, three hours and 15 minutes behind the leaders. That squad was in the lead when they were hit with the penalty.

With a few days to go until the first team is expected to arrive at the finish line, there is still time for anyone to make up ground. But Seagate is a very experienced team that doesn't make many mistakes, and catching them is going to be very hard. Still, anything can happen at this point, which is why it'll still be interesting to see how everything plays out. Hopefully, this penalty won't have an impact on the ultimate winner.

You can follow the race live by clicking here. The site includes the most current locations for each squad, and has the latest news and commentary on what is happening out on the course.

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AR World Championship Update: From the Highlands to the Rainforest

I may no longer be covering the AR World Championship directly while I'm here in Ecuador, but that doesn't mean that I am not still trying to follow he race as best I can. I've only been able to check in when I've had Internet, but of course I'm eager to see how things are shaping up in the early going.

It was an exciting first day yesterday to say the least. The coed-teams of four too off yesterday morning at 8:30 AM local time on a trekking route through the highlands of the Andes. Since then, the lead teams have transitioned three times,  going from on-foot, to their bikes, back to foot, and back to their bikes once again. Over the first day and a half of the race, the lead has shifted a couple of times, with some surprising results heading into the second evening.

The top team at the moment is Caffte UPS Maurien/Vanois out of France. That isn't particularly surprising, as this team is made up of very experienced adventure racers who are amongst the very best in the world. Close behind them is the Spanish team of Columbia Vidaraid, and in third place is Team Movistar of Ecuador. They are using the home field advantage to the fullest at the moment, taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain and weather conditions.

Other teams of note are lurking just off the podium. For instance, the Team Tecnu Adventure Racing from the U.S. is currently in fourth place, while adidas TERREX is in fifth. Pre-race favorite Team Seagate from New Zealand is one spot back in sixth place as well.

With the race only two days old, a lot can happen yet. The winner isn't expected cross the finish line until sometime around Thursday, and the lead is likely to change hands multiple times before then. Still, the race is shaping up to be a really competitive one, and it could come down to the wire. At this point, no one is running away with the event, and there are still plenty of major challenges to come before it is said and done.

You can follow all of the action at the live tracking website, which is updated regularly not only with team positions, but also news articles about what is happening out on the course. Also, be sure to drop by SleepMonsters, as they have two great reporters following the race, and posting updates as well. They'll keep you in the know as to what is happening here in Ecuador.

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Adventures in Quito: The AR World Championship Begins, and I Mountain Bike Down a Volcano

In case it wasn't entirely clear in my first two posts from Quito, I've very much been enjoying my stay in Ecuador so far. The city is rich in culture and history, with interesting things to discover around just about every turn. But that said, I'm here for some outdoor adventure, and now that I've had a few days to acclimatize, I've been eager to get my fix. Fortunately, today was the day that would.

Between arriving late in the evening on my first night in Quito, and getting food poisoning on my second, I really haven't had the opportunity to get a good night's sleep just yet. That didn't change last night, because while I did manage to sleep like a log, the alarm went off at 3:30 AM to remind me that there was a major adventure race starting today. The teams weren't scheduled to set out until 8:30 AM, but it was quite a drive out to the starting point, and all the media covering the race had to be there early to stake out a good vantage point.

It turns out, it was completely worth getting up before the crack of dawn to drive out to Antisana National Park, where the Huairasinchi Explorer was scheduled to begin. Once we left the metropolitan sprawl of Quito behind, things started to get truly interesting. The rural Ecuadorian landscapes are beautiful of course, but nothing prepared me for what we'd find in the park itself. Not only did the national park's namesake volcano loom large over the starting line, a variety of other impressive volcanic mountaintops showed their faces as well, including Cotopaxi, the second tallest mountain in Ecuador.
I'd get a much better look at Cotopaxi later in the day, but this morning it was all about the start of the Adventure Racing World Championship. The teams began arriving in Antisana about an hour ahead of the 8:30 AM start. Most were anxious to get the event started, and fortunately for them the race directors were eager to oblige. The starting gun went off right on scheduled, the teams set off on food for the first leg, a trekking excursion across one of Ecuador's most pristine ecological preserves.

As the racers departed for what promises to be an epic adventure, it didn't take long for the teams to begin to separate themselves from one another. No more than a kilometer or two in, the pack split into two distinct groups, with many teams sticking to the main road for as far as they could benefit from it, while others struck out over open country, choosing to navigate more directly towards their first checkpoint. In the long run, these first few moments of the race probably won't decide the winner, but it was interesting to see the strategies begin to play out even so close to the starting line.

The ARWC will now continue for eight days, officially coming to a close next Sunday. The teams face a course that is 710 km (440 miles) in length, and will test them both physically and mentally. They'll trek, mountain bike, paddle, and navigate through some of Ecuador's most spectacular landscapes, going from the highlands to the Pacific Coast, with a visit to the Amazon as well.

The top team is expected to cross the finish line in as few as 5 days. That team is still a very long way from the point however, but there are some outstanding teams already lurking near the top of the leaderboard. They include Team Seagate from New Zealand, Haglöffs Silva from Sweden, and adidas Terrex from the U.K. There is still a lot of racing to be done of course, and it should be an amazing event to watch unfold.

With the AR World Championship now underway, I will turn my attention to other activities in Ecuador in the days to come. That started today, with a visit to Cotopaxi National Park for a little mountain biking. When I saw that I'd be riding down the slopes of the volcano on my itinerary, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turn out, it was fun, white-knuckle thrill ride that tops any amusement park attraction in terms of speed and adrenaline.

In order to ride down the mountain, you must of course first drive up it. Access to the park is gained along a nice, two lane highway that takes visitors through the entrance, and a short distance onto the government protected lands. That nicely paved highway soon gives way to a rough, gravel road that shows the wear and tear of countless automobiles passing along its route. The road narrows as you climb up to the starting point of the ride, which is a visitors parking lot situated at about 4500 meters (14,763 ft). While I was unloading and setting up my bike, others were proceeding up the mountain along a variety of trails. I envied them to a degree, but i wasn't there to climb that day, but instead ride back down the vary road that brought me up.

Experienced mountain bikers will find no technical sections on this ride at all – that is if you don't count the numerous potholes and ruts carved out by passing tires, and the runoff of rain. For them, this will be a fast and furious descent, that is all about the adrenaline rush. Less experienced riders will probably find themselves hanging on for dear life, as they inch their way down the road, which is trying desperately to shake them off their bikes. Make no mistake, this is a fun experience that anyone can do, it'll just be a lot scarier for travelers who haven't mountain biked before.

Once you approach the bottom of the trail, the road smooths out to a degree, allowing riders to go even faster. The descent is quite fun, and will give you plenty of speed, and while many riders stop at the bottom of the big slope, it is possible to ride your bike all the way back to the entrance. In my case, a sudden rainstorm brought an end to my afternoon ride, although I did really enjoy the entire experience.

If you'd like to ride Cotopaxi yourself, there are two things to keep in mind. First, make sure that the lockout system on your front suspension is not turned on. Halfway through my ride, I realized I hadn't checked it, so when I stopped for photos, I made sure it was off. That made for a much smoother ride to the bottom, as the suspension took the brunt of many of the bumps for me.

The other thing to be mindful of his your level of acclimatization. For the most part, you never have to pedal on the ride down the slopes of the volcano, but if you continue on, you may have some uphill to contend with. After three days in Ecuador, I was feeling pretty good, but once I had my first major climb, my lungs and heart were screaming for relief. I'm use to dealing with hills both on my road and mountain bike, so it took me a second to realize that my body was still getting use to the altitude. I was trying to climb a decently sized hill, slick with mud and rain, at an altitude of about. 3350 meters (11,000 ft), and my body just wan't quite ready for it. It was rather humbling to say the least.

With my mountain biking adventure behind me, it was time to check in to my hotel for the evening. Tonight I'm staying at an incredibly charming hosteria called Papagayo. If you're planning a visit to Ecuador, you need to put this place on your list of accommodations for where you should stay. The staff are incredibly welcoming, even compared to the impossibly high standards that the Quito, and the rest of the country, have set. The food is delicious as well, and the atmosphere is quiet, and inviting. Located a short distance outside of Quito, the place is a complete gem, and a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Ecuador's capital.

Tomorrow, I'm off to visit a Quechua village, and do some hiking. Hopefully the weather continues to be amazing, as despite a few late afternoon rainstorms, the conditions have been perfect so far.

More on my Ecuadorian adventures soon!

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Adventures in Quito: A Visit to the Middle of the World, and the AR World Championships Opening Ceremonies

My second day in Quito didn't quite start the way I had hoped. After a busy, and fun filled day 1, I was ready to get a good night's sleep, and hit the ground running this morning for more adventures in Ecuador. Unfortunately, a bit of the local cuisine didn't sit all that well with me, and I was woken in the middle of the night to the sound of my stomach gurgling in a tell-tale fashion. Yep, it was a bout of the Revenge of the Incas, or what ever term would should use to describe food poisoning here in South America. While I'll spare you the gory details, lets just say that between the hours of 1:30 and 3:30 AM I was wishing that I was dead. Fortunately, I'm both blessed, and cursed, with a fast metabolism, so while something from last evening's dinner didn't sit well, by breakfast time I was on the mend, and after lunch, I was my old self again.

It's a good thing too, as today was another busy day in Ecuador's capital city. It started with a media briefing for the Adventure Racing World Championship, which officially gets underway tomorrow. This year, the race is being hosed by the Huairsinhi Explorer, one of the top races in South America each year. At a morning meeting, those of us who are here to cover the race in some capacity met to discuss logistics of that coverage, and to talk about how the race will unfold in the days ahead. As you can probably imagine, there are a lot of moving parts for an athletic competition that includes 50 teams of four running, mountain biking, and paddling their way across a 710+ km (440+ mile) course in the remote regions of Ecuador. The briefing helped to put everyone on the same page, and get us thinking about how things will unfold over the next eight days of the competition.

The briefing took place in the offices of Gulliver Travel, one of the leading adventure tour operators here in Ecuador. The company offers options for travelers who want to visit the Andes, the Amazon, the Pacific Coast, and the Galapagos Islands. They also very wisely offer acclimatization packages for Ecuador, which allow adventure racing teams from across the planet to get ready for the AR World Championship. I thought that was pretty clever marketing on their part, and a great opportunity for teams looking to gain valuable skills in a variety of environments.


Sadly, the meeting ran a bit longer than expected, which meant I was cramped for time for some of the other things that were planned for this morning. I ended up having to scrap my trip to the top of Pichincha Volcano aboard the famous Teleferico, a cable car that shuttles visitors to the top of the mountain for some unprecedented views of the city, and the surrounding area. I was let down that there wouldn't be time for that excursion, but the schedule was tight.

With the Teleferico off the table, I instead set out on a 45-minute drive north of Quito to the Mitad del Mundo – the Middle of the World. This monument, which is surrounded by a quaint little village filled with tourist shops, restaurants, and places to get a snack, marks the equator as it passed through Ecuador. The line passes through the village itself, allowing visitors to pass freely between the North and South Hemisphere at will.

The main attraction at the Mitad del Mundo is a three-story tall tower with a ten-ton globe on the top. It provides some excellent views of the surrounding countryside, with the compass points clearly delineated below. Visitors can take an elevator to the top of the tower, but should definitely walk the stairs back down. Each level of the tower offers insights into Ecuadorian culture, with images and heirlooms from numerous indigenous cultures.

After I left the Middle of the World, I traveled just next door to the Museo de Sitio Intiñan, which also sits directly on the equator, and uses that location to its advantage. The site is a mix of Incan cultural displays, and scientific experiments that demonstrate some of the strange happenings at 0º latitude. For instance, you learn how easy it is to balance an egg on the head of a nail when you're at the equator, as well as how the Incan's used the movement of the sun to tell time. It was fun, fascinating stuff, and a good compliment to the more touristy Mitad del Mundo.

Once we finished marveling at the equator, it was time for some lunch at the Crater Restaurant, which is said to offer some pretty spectacular views of the collapsed caldera of a nearby volcano. Unfortunately, that view was obstructed today by low hanging clouds, so I had to settle for a tasty meal, before heading back to Quito proper.

I arrived back in Quito just in time to reach the San Francisco Plaza – a site I visited yesterday – for the start of the Adventure Racing World Championship's opening ceremonies. Over the following hour and a half, the teams were brought up on stage and introduced to the crowd, while a gaggle of eager media types (like me!) crowded around for photo ops. The race opened with a lot of pomp and circumstance that included a large band, a speech from the mayor of Quito, and traditional dancers showing off their moves.

After the opening ceremony, it was time to head to a nearby theater for the race's official briefing, and for the teams to receive their maps which would reveal the course of the race at long last. But before we could move to that new venue, the skies overhead opened up, and began to drop a deluge on those in attendance. You would think that adventure racers would be use to roughing it in all kinds of poor conditions, but watching them scramble for cover from the rain was a source of much amusement. This humble travel writer calmly pulled on his rain jacket (thank you very much Outdoor Research!), which he had remembered to pack because he knew it was the rainy season in Ecuador.

Eventually we did make it to the theater however, and the festivities continue there for another couple of hours. Much of the briefing was to give the racers information about what they could expect out on the course, and how they should interact with the environment (Hint: Leave No Trace!). They were told to watch out for snakes, rabid dogs, and even lava flows. Those aren't typical elements of an adventure race, but they sure will help to keep things interesting.

The ceremony did drag on however, thanks to the numerous cultural displays of music and dancing. While those aspects are always appreciated when you visit a new place, I do believe that by the end, the racers just couldn't wait to get their hands on their maps. Eventually they were rewarded for their patience however, and tomorrow at approximately 8:30 AM local time, they'll set off on their first trekking stage from a nearby national park.

Following that pre-race briefing, the assembled media gathered once again for a final update as well. The race director gave us some ideas on how to approach covering the race, and what we should expect as well. Sadly for me, most of it didn't apply, as after I see the racers off in the morning, I'll be headed to other parts of the region to have some outdoor fun of my own. That includes some mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. You'll be hearing much more about those things in the days to come.

Tomorrow, the ARWC gets underway at last, and it should be a good one. The setting here in Ecuador is perfect for an adventure race, and I think this will be one for the ages. I'l try to keep tabs on things in the days ahead, but I'll also be a bit preoccupied with my own adventures as well.

More to come soon!

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Adventures in Quito: History, Culture, and Acclimatizing on Day 1

I'm happy to say that my flight to Quito went off without a hitch yesterday, and I arrived safely in the capital city of Ecuador with almost no hassles. There was a bit of turbulence over the Amazon on the approach, which made for a few scary moments on the plane, but other than that, it was relatively smooth sailing. 

One of the things that I love about traveling to South America is that you don't have to spend endless hours on a plane to get there – my flight to Quito was less than 4 hour from Miami – and since you're traveling more north-south, rather than east-west, you don't experience jet lag either. So, with that in mind, I was ready to truly get started on my Ecuadorian adventure this morning – well almost. Because Quito sits at an altitude of 2800 meters (9186 ft), upon arrival, your body needs a bit of time to adjust to the thinner air. That means keeping the strenuous activities to a minimum for a day or two, while you acclimate to the altitude. 

While I am eager to get on with the mountain biking, volcano hiking, and other adventurous activities that I'll be doing in a few days, I thought I'd take the opportunity to explore some of Quito's amazing history and culture while my body adjusted to life above 2800 meters. Since the city's history dates back more than 1000 years, there is plenty to see and do in the area, so I knew I'd have plenty to keep me busy on my first day. 

My first stop was a visit to the San Francisco Church, an amazing structure that dates back to the 16th century, and took nearly 150 years to complete. As a result, it is an interesting mix of various architectural styles, all blended together from the decades it too to complete the massive building. Inside, the church is equally impressive, with dozens of paintings and sculptures, and enough gold leaf to make the interior glow brightly. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take photos while in the building, but trust me, it was an impressive site. 

Fortunately, I did get special dispensation to take photos inside the next church on the schedule, and it was even more impressive than the first. It was the magnificent La Compañía Church just down the block, which features not only the best examples of Baroque art in all of Ecuador, but it also glimmers with gold. Lots and lots of gold. In fact, La Compañía has more than 200 kilos (440 pound) of gold leaf spread across its awe inspiring interior. This impressive display of architecture took even longer to build (160 years!) than the San Francisco Church, and when you're inside you understand why. There are so many intricate carvings, details paintings, and finely crafted sculptures, that it is a marvel that it only took 16 decades to finish. The shimmering gold leaf, which is in the process of being restored, just adds even more to the wonder. 

After leaving the churches behind, it was time to take a stroll through Independence Square, Quito's most popular outdoor plaza. At the center of the park sits a towering monument to the country's hard-earned independence, which was won from Spain back in 1810. The monument commemorates that historic moment, while also paying tribute to the heroes who gave their lives for Ecuador's freedom. 

From there, I moved on to the near-by La Ronda neighborhood, a trendy location in the heart of the historic district that has attracted a slew of artists, craftsmen, and musicians, along with some wonderful restaurants. This part of the city dates back to the 16th century, and the traditional architecture shows through, but it is also undergoing a renaissance that makes it a fantastic place for visitors to explore Quito's traditional roots, with a very modern sensibility. While there, I met a man who has been creating fine works of art out of metal for nearly 40 years, and another who has been crafting toy tops for Quito's young – and young at heart – for 5 decades. 

After grabbing some lunch in a lovely cafe that provides breathtaking views of the sprawling Quito-cityscape, it was on to the Chapel of Man, an art gallery dedicated to the works of Guayasamin, an Ecuadorian man who gained world-wide fame thanks to his powerful, and soulful, paintings. The museum was a moving monument not only to his works, but also the struggles of man to be more understanding and tolerant of others. The art on display there is raw, heartbreaking, and incredibly moving, and will stay with you long after you've left the building. Guayasamin's home is nearby as well, and serves as a good counter balance to the Chapel. It shows a man who enjoyed life, and the fortunes that it brought him. 

With the art gallery behind me, it was time to head over to the race headquarters for the Huairasinchi Explorer, the adventure race that is hosing this year's AR World Championship. I needed to pick up my press credentials for the next few days, when I'll be attending the race briefings, and the actual start of the event on Sunday. Unfortunately, those credentials weren't ready yet, so I'll have to try back tomorrow. But while I was there, I did get a chance to see the adventure racers preparing for the event, and much like me, they were taking a day or two to get acclimated to the higher altitude. Still, the HQ was a hive of activity, with teams getting their gear sorted and organized, putting their bikes together, and preparing for the start of the race. 

Tomorrow, race organizers will hold the official opening ceremonies, and the teams will get their first idea of what the course is going to look like. I've been told that there are plenty of surprises to be announced yet, and that the teams should expect the unexpected. I don't have any insight into what that all means, but we'll all learn more tomorrow, ahead of the 5:00 AM race start on Sunday. 

That wrapped up my first full day in Quito, and I have to say that it was an extremely interesting outing. The city if filled with wonderful monuments and historical sites, and yet the most impressive thing I saw today were the friendly people. If Day 1 was any indication of what the rest of the trip is going to be like, this will certainly be a memorable experience from top to bottom. 

Tomorrow, I'm off to higher altitudes to get even better views of the city, and then heading to the "middle of the world" at the Equator. After that, it's back to Quito for the official launch of the AR World Championships. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. 

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I Am Off To Ecuador!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I am headed to Ecuador tomorrow for a little fun and adventure in South America. While there, I will be exploring the city of Quito, and everything that it has to offer, while also getting the opportunity to witness the start of the Adventure Racing World Championships, hosted by Huairasinchi Explorer.

That event will feature the best adventure racing teams from across the globe, competing on a 500 km (310 mile) course. The race officially gets underway on November 9, and I will be on hand as the teams go through their initial check-in process with race officials, and as the course is revealed to them for the first time. I'll also get the chance to see them off at the start of the race, before launching some adventures of my own in and around Quito.

Fans of adventure racing can follow the progress of the race at ProyectoAventura.com, as well as on the Visit Quito Facebook page. Tourism Quito is one of the main sponsors of the event, and are using it as a showcase for the incredible adventure travel opportunities that exist within a short distance of the city. They've even teamed up with Intrepid Travel, Timbuk2, and LAN Airlines to give travelers an opportunity to win a trip to Ecuador to experience Quito for themselves.

My visit to the city won't just be about the AR World Championships, although I am excited for that event. I'll also be touring some of the great historic locations in and around Quito, visiting Cotopaxi National Park, and hiking and mountain biking throughout the region. In the latter half of my stay, I am looking forward to spending some time with the good folks at Tierra Del Volcán, an ecotourism and adventure tour operator that welcomes guests to traditional Ecuadorian ranches near Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano on Earth. Before that however, I'll get the chance to do some lodge-to-lodge trekking in the Andes with Tropic, another adventure travel company that with an amazing track record for innovation and sustainable travel.

I'm told that I should have Internet access for at least part of the time when I'm traveling. That means that I should get the opportunity to post some stories and photos from my Quito adventure. I am very much looking forward to this experience, and I can't wait to share it with all of you as well.

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Expedition Alaska Joins Adventure Racing World Series

Over the weekend, there was big news for fans of adventure racing, as it was announced that Expedition Alaska, a major new race taking place next summer, has joined the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS), making it a qualifier for the Adventure Racing World Championship to be held in Brazil in 2015. 

Expedition Alaska, which is being organized and run by Perpetual Motion Events based out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, will take place from June 27-July 4 of next year. The race will host 30 coed teams of four from across the globe, as they compete with one another on a 500 km (310 mile) course that promises to be amongst the most spectacular, and challenging, that the sport has ever seen. As usual, those teams will have to trek, mountain bike, paddle, climb, and navigate their way along the route, which will take them through the Alaskan backcountry, and into one of the last truly wild places on the planet. 

Joining the ARWS is a major feather in the cap for the race directors of Expedition Alaska, especially in its first year of existence. This distinction makes the race one of just two qualifiers to be held in North America next year, the other being the Gold Rush Mother Lode, which takes place in California Sept. 9-14, 2015. Registration for Expedition Alaska is already open, and teams have already started filling up the limited number of slots. If you plan on racing in this great event, you'll want to register early as well. 

This news comes just days before the start of this year's AR World Championship, which is taking place in Quito, Ecuador starting next weekend. In a few days, the best adventure racing teams in the world will gather to challenge one another for the right to call themselves the world champs, and I will be fortunate enough to be on hand for the start of the race, and to report from the event in Ecuador in a few days time.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'd also like to point out that I have just joined the staff for Expedition Alaska as well. I can tell you that the whole team is excited about the race, and we're looking forward to putting on spectacular race that will feature a breathtaking course, and an unbelievable finish for the competitors. As such, you'll likely be hearing a lot more about the event in the days and weeks ahead. It promises to be one of the best adventure races in history, and AR athletes are not going to want to miss it. 

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It's Happening! Primal Quest Returns in 2015, Registration Opens Saturday!

There has been a lot of rumors circulating over the past few months about the possible return of Primal Quest, one of the biggest events ever in the sport of adventure racing. After disappearing from the AR landscape for more than five year, it seemed the possibility of PQ's resurrection were quite dim. But not only will the race be back in 2015, registration for the event opens on Saturday.

When the news first broke about Primal Quest's return back in June, there was a lot of speculation about who was behind the race, and whether or not it was actually going to happen. That was an understandable reaction at the time, as we've been teased more than once about a potential new Primal Quest race. Yesterday, I exchanged emails with Maria Burton, the new CEO of PQ, and she assures me that the event is moving ahead, and that there is a lot of excitement and momentum behind it.

At this point, we know that PQ will return to its original format, which pits coed teams of four against one another in standard adventure racing disciplines, such as trail running, mountain biking, and paddling. The event will take place August 22-29, 2015 in the Lake Tahoe area. We're promised a 7-day, non-stop race, covering more than 400 miles (643 km) through the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Race management is hoping to attract as many as 40 teams from around the world to compete.

As a fan of adventure racing, its great to see Primal Quest finally returning next year. But it should be pointed out, that while Maria has ties to the original event, this isn't the same team that brought you the previous PQ's. In fact, she tells me she is still putting her team together, but that the staff will be ramping up in the weeks ahead in preparation for the race next summer. The goal is to create an event that is the spiritual successor to past Primal Quests, with the hopes of creating a sustainable race that will be with us for years to come.

Hopefully we'll learn a lot more about this new incarnation of Primal Quest in the days ahead. But for now, teams interested in racing in the event should start making their plans. That includes registering for the race on Saturday.

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Gold Rush Expedition Adventure Race to Air on Universal Sports Network in October

Adventure racing fans listen up, you're going to want to set your DVRs to record soon. The Universal Sports Network will begin airing a three-part documentary focused on the Gold Rush expedition-length adventure race in October, bringing the sport into the homes of millions of viewers across the U.S. Each of the three self-contained documentaries is 90 minutes in length, and captures some of the top adventure racing athletes from across the globe as they take part in one of best races in North America, and a qualifying event for the AR World Championship.

The first episode will air at 6PM ET on Thursday, October 16 and will feature the 2012 Gold Rush Expedition Race. The following week, at 6:30 PM ET on Friday October 24, the network will premiere the 2013 edition of the Gold Rush documentary. Meanwhile, the film for the 2014 edition of the race, which was greatly shortened in length due to wildfires in California, is currently in post-production, and will air in May of 2015. Additional airings will be announced at a later time.

If anyone has ever been a part of the team that produces adventure races, you probably already know how difficult it can be to capture all of the action out on the course. There are simply too many teams, spread out across too much territory. Throw in the fact that these events usually take place in remote and rugged locations, and it can become a logistical nightmare. But, the team behind these documentaries have taken a unique approach to how they are made, and that is a great story in and of itself.

For the past three years, the Gold Rush AR event has been filmed by a team of University of Cincinnati students, who are studying media production. For the 2014 edition of the race, 16 students, under the direction of professional television director and U.C. alum Brian Leitten, and E-media Professor Kevin Burke, traveled to California to shoot the documentary and witness the incredible sport of adventure racing first hand. As a result, their work is now going to be shown on Universal, and we'll all get the opportunity to see the Gold Rush as well.

I'm trying to remember the last time adventure racing was on television here in the U.S. It has been many years since we actually saw a network air anything AR related. This will be great exposure for the sport, and hopefully introduce a new audience to what adventure racing is all about.

To get an idea of what to expect from the documentaries, check out the promo video below which was shot at the 2013 Gold Rush.

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Video: Meet the Summit Adventure Team

This video is an introduction to the Summit Adventure Team, a squad of adventure racers from Colombia who are preparing to compete in the Adventure Racing World Championships that will be held in Ecuador in November. The video is beautifully shot, and serves as a nice intro to the sport of AR as well. The landscapes that the team are racing through in this clip are simply spectacular, and will inspire you to run, ride, and paddle yourself. Truly an excellent AR video.

Summit Adventure Team from realtape on Vimeo.

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