Video: Kayaker Drops 35 Meters Over Keyhole Falls

Professional Kayaker Aniol Serrasolses recently traveled to British Columbia, Canada to paddle the amazing looking Keyhole Falls. His hope was to drop this legendary waterway, which features an approach down a narrow canyon, and whitewater that gushes over the falls at more than 3000-cubic meters per minute. The video below captures that 35 meter (114 foot) drop in stunning fashion and from multiple perspectives, including from within the cockpit. Not for the faint of heart, this one will certainly get your heart pumping.

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Video: Climbers Weigh in on the Dawn Wall Climb

Now that the Dawn Wall climb is officially complete, EpicTV has spoken to a few other climbers to get their take on Tommy Caldwell and his relentless efforts to scale the toughest big wall on the planet. The video below provides some insight and perspective on that accomplishment, with top climbers sharing their thoughts.

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Video: The Madagascar Karst Exploration Project

In October of 2014, a team of expedition divers traveled to Madagascar to explore a series of underwater caves located in the Tsimanampetsotsa National Park. The discovered some amazing subterranean chambers, and found an incredibly diverse number of fossils hidden beneath the water. The expedition was quite an adventure, and the 23-minute documentary video below tells the story with some fantastic underwater footage that has to be seen to be believed. Amazing stuff for sure.

The Madagascar Karst Exploration Porject from DRSS on Vimeo.

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Video: Hielo Y Fuego - Ice and Fire in Patagonia

For those of you who simply can't get enough adventure in Patagonia (and who can blame you!), we have a new video series that launched today at EpicTV entitled Hielo Y Fuego. In this first episode, Italian climbers Luca Schiera and Matteo della Bordella join Swiss mountaineer Silvan Schüpbach on an expedition to open new routes in the region. Their first goal? An 1800 meter (5905 ft) ascent of Aguja de la Silla over  mixed terrain.

If this first episode is any indication, this new series is going to be a good one to follow. Lots of great climbing and stunning scenery. Enjoy!

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Video: Tommy Caldwell Talks Dawn Wall with EpicTV

Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's climb of the Dawn Wall is one of the biggest stories in the world right now – in or out of climbing. The two men are incredibly close to wrapping up what many have called the toughest climb in the world, and by this time tomorrow they may have found success at last. Prior to starting this expedition, Tommy sat down with the Climbing Daily crew from EpicTV and talked to them about the challenge of the Dawn Wall, which he has been exploring for more than eight years. That interview can be found in the video below, which also includes some amazing shots from Yosemite as well.

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Video: Riding the Hafjell Bike Park in Norway

Norway's Hafjell Bike Park is considered one of the best down hill mountain bike rides in the entire world. In this video, we get a first-person look at just what makes it so special, as riders Marcelo Gutierrez and Danny Hart go for a spin on a route called the "Roller Coaster." As  you can imagine, it is filled with all kinds of exciting elements, including plenty of speed, tight turns, and big air. Looks like fun!

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Video: Mexica Kayaking Vacation

The best way to describe this video is five minutes of pure kayaking porn. It was shot by paddler/filmmaker Ryan McAvoy and friends on a recent trip to Mexico, where they discovered some amazing whitewater. The short film shows the group paddling through narrow canyons, dropping waterfalls, and generally having a great time on some impressive looking rivers. It looks like they had a lot of fun along the way.

My Mexican Vacation from Ryan McAvoy on Vimeo.

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Video: Day 14 on the Dawn Wall - Major Success!

As climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson continue their efforts to climb the incredibly difficult Dawn Wall in Yosemite, we all watch with baited breath in anticipation of them finally completing the ascent. This video comes from a few days back, when Kevin was finally able to push his way past the incredible difficult 15th pitch, which had stymied him for a week. The clip not only gives us insights on to what he was thinking, it also gives us a very close look at the wall itself. This video will give you even more appreciation for what these two men are doing.

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Video: A Line Across The Sky - Climbing in Patagonia with Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell

We have another outstanding climbing video today, in a setting that is amongst the very best in the entire world. This short film takes us to Patagonia with Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold, as they attempt to complete the first Fitz Traverse - a four-mile (6.4 km) long trek that includes 13,000 feet (3962 meter) of vertical gain that crosses Cerro Fitz Roy and its six satellite peaks. A perfect weather window gave Tommy and Alex the opportunity to complete this project, which took five days to wrap up. The expedition will be fully documented in an up coming movie from Sender Films, but this video gives us our first glimpse at what they faced, and overcame, on this incredibly tough route.

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Video: Teaser Trailer for Chasing the Inca Mountain Bike Film

This short, one-minute teaser trailer gives us an all too brief glimpse of the upcoming mountain bike film Chasing the Inca. The film follows a group of mountain bikers who travel to Peru in search of a lost Incan road that was believed to have been used to escape invading Spanish armies. The team explore some incredibly beautiful backcountry in the Peruvian Andes, documenting their amazing adventure along the way.

If you think that the teaser is intriguing enough, you can watch the full film by clicking here. I'd certainly recommend that you do.

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Video: North America's Fifty Classic Climbs - Episode 1: Fine Jade (5.11a)

Our friends over at EpicTV have just launched a promising looking new series of videos that will give viewers a glimpse of the North America's 50 Classic Climbs. The series will feature climbers Mark and Janelle Smiley, as they attempt to climb each of the routes in that classic book. These videos will allow us to come along for the ride.

In episode one, Mark and Janelle head to Utah to climb a sandstone tower on a 5.11a route called Fine Jade. While not an incredibly long, or difficult, climb, it does provide some solid challenges to get them started, while also providing some outstanding views of the surrounding landscapes as well.

This looks like it could be a fun new series, so be sure to check out future episodes here.

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Video: Cloud Symphony - A Timelapse Journey Through England, Scotland, and the Himalaya

This video seems like a fitting way to close out the week. It features some amazing landscapes from England, Scotland and the Himalaya of India and Nepal, shot in timelapse. In each of these settings, the clouds in the sky overhead add a level of beauty and drama, as they drift by, twisting and turning in the wind. This if five minutes of pure bliss, set to a rousing soundtrack.

Cloud Symphony from Awhelin on Vimeo.

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Video: Push Day on the Dawn Wall

Do you wonder what it is like for Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, the two men who are currently attempting to climb the Dawn Wall in Yosemite? If so, than take a look at this video. It was shot on Day 8 of their climb (they're currently on Day 14), and it gives you a good look at just how massive and difficult this 3000 foot (900 meter) rock face truly is. The Dawn Wall has been called the most difficult rock climb in the world, and these two men have been planning the project for five years, and have attempted it a couple of times in the past. With a  little luck, they'll wrap it up this weekend, successfully reaching the top of El Capitan at long last.

The Push Day 08 from Rock & Ice on Vimeo.

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Adventure Tech: Kraftwerk Mobile Power Station

Keeping our electronic gadgets powered up while in the backcountry has become one of the biggest challenges for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure travelers today, with options like solar panels and external battery packs all being employed. But there are other options available too, including an intriguing new called the Kraftwerk that promises efficient power for smartphones, tablets, cameras, and other gadgets in a compact, lightweight form factor.

The Kraftwerk power station uses fuel cell technology to create clean power for all of your electronic devices. It can be completely powered up in a matter of seconds simply by injecting it with standard camping gas or lighter gas, which can be widely found in store across the globe. Once charged, the Kraftwerk reportedly can provide power to an iPhone 11 times before requiring more gas once again.

The Kraftwerk unit, which weighs just 200 grams (7 ounces) when full, converts the gas into power, which is then supplied to the electronic device via a built-in USB port capable of 2 watts of continuous power output, with a peak performance of up to 10 watts. The power station itself is just 3.94 inches (10 cm) long, 2.95 inches (7.5 cm) wide, and 1.18 (3 cm) thick, which means it is very small, and easy to carry with you anywhere. It has also been rated to operate at temperatures ranging from -15ºC to +55ºC (5ºF to 131ºF).

The team behind the Kraftwerk has been busy perfecting the device over the past few years, and it is now nearing production. In order to get the product built, they have launched a Kickstarter campaign that has already raised nearly $290,000 in just a few days. If they can hit their $500,000 goal, they hope to begin manufacturing the device late this year.

The video below will give you more information about the Kraftwerk, how it functions, and what it looks like. As a marketing piece, it's a bit on the corny side, but it does give you a good indication of what to expect when the product is released. To say it looks very promising for outdoor adventurers would be an understatement.

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Video: Western Time - Running the Western States 100 with Sally McRae

In June of 2014, trail runner Sally McRae set out to run the Western States 100 ultramarathon for the first time. As a Nike-sponsored athlete, she already had a number of accolades under her belt, but this was the first time she was taking on the iconic race that is held in high regard with the endurance community. The short documentary below follows her through the race, including qualifying for the event and preparing for the challenge of her career. This is a good look at a legendary event, and what it takes to compete in it.

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Video: Tommy Caldwell and the Dawn Wall

If you've been keeping up with what has been going on in the world of big wall climbing this week, you're probably already aware that Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson are attempting to free climb what many have called the hardest route in the world. The two men are now 13 days into the ascent of The Dawn Wall in Yosemite, which is a 3000-foot rock face on El Capitan. This is their third attempt on this project, and they are making better progress than ever before. It is now possible that they could complete the route this coming weekend.

The video below is a bonus clip from the film Valley Uprising, which takes a look at climbing culture in Yosemite. It features Caldwell talking about the importance of the Dawn Wall, and its place in the annals of rock climbing history. It seems a fitting clip to watch as we all wait for Tommy and Kevin to make history. If they are successful, it will be the first complete free climb of the route. Good luck boys!

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Nat Geo Covers Nolan's 14 – One of the Toughest Endurance Challenges in the World

We've covered the Nolan's 14 ultra-run on a couple of occasions in the past, thanks in no small part to our friend Ben Clark's attempts to complete the run on a couple of occasions. For those who don't recall, Nolan's 14 is a grueling endurance challenge that sends trail runners on a hundred-mile long traverse of 14 peaks in Colorado, all of which are over 14,000 feet (4267 meters) in height. The endurance athletes who attempt Nolan's can take any route they choose between those mountains, but they do have to summit each of them along the way. Oh, and to be successful in the challenge, they must also finish the entire run in under 60 hours.

Yesterday, National Geographic Adventure also ran a piece on Nolan's 14, bringing this incredible challenge to a much larger audience for the first time. The article spoke to Ben about his most recent attempt at Nolan's back in September of 2014, as well as a number of other notable ultra-runners who have been humbled by the undertaking. That list includes the likes of Anton Krupicka, who had to abandon his attempt back in 2013 after six peaks. A series of physical ailments caught up with Anton, preventing him from going any further.

The article takes a look at the origins of Nolan's 14, which began as a challenge amongst friends Blake Wood and Fred Vance back in 1999. The idea was to combine ultrarunning, mountaineering and orienteering into one very tough event that meant to be a mostly personal challenge for themselves and other endurance athletes that they knew. They consulted with mountaineer Jim Nolan, who tipped them off about the line of 14 peaks in the Sawatch Range that would eventually become known as Nolan's 14.

It took until 2001 for anyone to actually complete the challenge, which is when Wood, and three other runners, finished the route. In the years since then, only 11 other people have complete the challenge in under 60 hours, which has helped to create the legend of Nolan's 14 within the endurance community.

The entire article is well written, and provides some great insights into Nolan's 14 from the athletes who have done it, or are working on completing it. You can also learn more about the event through Ben Clark's Nolan's 14 film, the trailer for which you'll find below. It will give you just a hint at what all the fuss is about, and the incredible dedication it takes to complete this challenge.


Nolan's 14 - Trailer from Pheonix and Ash Productions on Vimeo.

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Video: Timelapse in the Dolomites

Italy's Dolomite Mountains are the subject of this latest timelapse video, and it is a spectacular one. This is 2+ minutes of pure bliss, with some of the most spectacular landscapes in all of Europe on display. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Dolomiti 2015 from Franco Grisa on Vimeo.

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Video: Mountain Biking Squamish

Squamish, British Columbia is an amazing outdoor playground, as is evidenced in the video below. It features mountain biker Sid Slotegraaf as he goes up and down some of the amazing trails that can be found there. At the moment, the place is probably covered in snow, but come spring, this will be just the place for a great ride. It's never too early to start planning.

The Patrol: Up and Down Squamish from Transition Bikes on Vimeo.

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Kickstarter Campaign: MicroJib For GoPro Cameras

I get inundated with Kickstarter campaigns these days, and for the most part I can't post all of the ones that are sent my way. But I wanted to share one particular campaign that is going on right now that might be of interest to many readers.

The MicroJib is an extension pole for a GoPro camera that allows budding filmmakers to capture shots of themselves and the landscapes they are traveling through. But unlike other GoPro extension poles, the MicroJib also allows them to pan and tilt the camera, opening up the possibilities for creative filmmaking even further. To better understand what it can do, take a look at the YouTube video posted below.

The Kickstarter campaign for the MicroJib has just two days left before it is done, and as of this writing it is closing in on its goal of raising $24,000 but it hasn't quite achieved that just yet. The designers of the product are looking to use the cash to put the MicroJib into production and begin shipping later this year. As is typical with a Kickstarter project, backers can also receive the MicroJib at a great price depending on the level that they contribute at.

If this looks like a tool that you could use, then show some support for the team behind the project. It looks like they've put a lot of thought into the design, and are hoping to create a tool that will make adventure filmmaking even more approachable.

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