Loophole That Finds Cheap Travel Packages

Prices for holiday services change awfully quick, and in this incredibly fast moving world of traveling, getting the best tips brings maximum profit for businesses and rewarding alternatives for holiday makers. Cheap travel packages are a necessity given the need to attract customers, and this campaign development is not limited to travel agencies, as it greatly influences the policies of hotels and complex resorts too. Sometimes the prices increase without any apparent reason, but keep in mind that the higher the demand for a certain destination, the bigger the prices will get.

Finds Cheap Travel Packages

 If the plane tickets are not chosen carefully, they could cost a fortune even if you think you are negotiating for cheap travel packages. Those tourists who'd rather go the direct way should know that airfares vary depending on the internal regulations of airlines and are not given any explanation. Alternate routes and combinations of two flights are often cheaper than a direct one. Before taking an international flight, you may be interested in checking whether you don't pay less for getting a domestic one in the same direction, first. Some agencies take into consideration such elements when creating cheap travel packages, but others take the directest flight to the destination as a standard criterion.

Finds Cheap Travel Packages

 Another way to keep the cheap travel packages cheap all the way is prepare for all aspects of the journey. Many restaurants in various parts of the world still take advantage of tourists without their realizing it, therefore, it is time people paid more attention to local food they could have during outings for example. This doesn't mean that you'd have to cook while on holiday, but you should make some research before getting to the destination and get some tips on good local establishments that focus on regional specialties. For local specialties, costs are a lot smaller and the food is absolutely great!

Another way of getting really cheap travel packages is flexibility. Let's say that you choose to travel to South America. If you request a vacation to Rio de Janeiro, you will notice that this is more expensive than a random touristic destination in Brazil. Some less known and little crowded resorts could prove more rewarding than a very popular but highly expensive one. Nevertheless, it all depends on what you want to visit and what money you are ready to pay for it. Plenty of details are widely available on the Internet and you can learn loads of useful things to help you maximize the money efficiency and the pleasure of the vacation.

Travel Insurance Tips

Travelling abroad need’to fill you with worry, but it’s important to be covered just in case the worst does come along. Flight cancellation and loss of baggage or passport are some of the more trivial things that could happen while your away, but you could also find yourself in a very sticky financial situation should you or one of your group become ill or suffer an accident. Outside the EU, medical expenses won’t be covered, while even inside the EU you may need to pay for transport home or private treatment. Taking out the correct travel insurance policy can cover you against all of these misdemeanours, and give you peace of mind while you’re away. If you’re looking for the best travel insurance deal for this summer, then take a read of this article for some tips for finding the best policy.

Travel Insurance Tips

Check What You Already Have
If you’re a premium customer with a bank or credit card company, then chances are that you’ll already have travel insurance included. This is particularly likely if you’re paying a monthly fee for your banking. Make sure you check this out with your bank and read the small print of the deal – it might not be valid outside of the EU or if you have special circumstances, but a phone call should clear this up. If you don’t have a policy already, then it really pays to shop around. It’s easier to do now thanks to the web – all you really need to do is key ‘travel insurance’ into a search engine, flick a few of the results and enter your requirements. Price comparison websites are particularly useful, so if you filter through a couple of these then you’ll be on the right track.

Travel Insurance Tips

Special Clauses
Anyone with special conditions can get quoted ludicrously high amounts from most traditional insurers. People with histories of serious illness or disability, and those who are pregnant or over sixty-five can all find themselves struggling to justify the cover price. Make sure you have an EHIC card (when travelling within Europe) and check out specialist insurers that may be able to give you a better deal. If you find the cover to still be unaffordable, then the price may drop if you ask the insurer to exclude pre-existing conditions; though it’s then your call on the risks of going abroad with limited cover. Also, the EHIC card won’t cover you for everything. In fact, it will only give you as much medical cover as a local citizen in your destination country – it won’t cover you for luggage loss or plane ticket cancellation.


Don’t Over Cover
When searching for a policy, it’s important to understand what kind of cover you need. If you just take the first policy you find, you’re likely to either be substantially over insuring yourself, or perhaps even under insuring. Be particularly wary of premium insurance deals offering extremely high amounts of cover when you don’t really need it. For instance, do you really need £50 million worth of medical insurance cover? The answer is almost certainly not. In fact, it’s probably best to go for something more towards the £2 million mark for maximum medical expenses cover, while you should go towards £1 million for personal liability. Flight cancellation is also worth considering too – no one wants to be in the nightmare scenario of not being able to go on holiday for whatever reason, but then having to stump up for it anyway.

Different Types Of Travel Agencies

The main function of any travel agency is to, of course, act as an agent. This includes selling tickets and travel products, reservations, and so on, on behalf of one or several suppliers. Travel agents generally work with no charge to the traveler him or herself. Rather, the travel agent takes a small commission from the overall cost. Again, this isn't added on top of the sale or anything like that. Rather, their commission is taken out of the advertised price.

Different Types Of Travel Agencies

So why go through a travel agent? Well, besides the simplicity and convenience, the main draw is that travel agents receive tickets at significant discounts.

This is pretty much how travel agencies work the world over. However, there are a few different types of travel agents&

General Sales Agents for Foreign Travel Companies

A general sales agent is something like a tourism ambassador. A company with its headquarters located in, say, Japan, might set up travel agency offices all around the world to encourage tourism to the country where their headquarters is located. The travel agent will still seek to find better deals for their customers (as, after all, that's what turns a customer into a return customer), so they are not indebted to any one airline or hotel, but, they do tend to focus strictly on travel to, and within, the country where their headquarters is located.

Travel Agencies

Business and Commercial Travel Agencies

Most travel agencies have a department of business travel and a department of leisure travel. The needs for one traveler and the other tend to vary in a few significant ways, and so, splitting up the duties amongst a couple of departments can help to allow either department to specialize, finding better deals for business travelers on the one hand, and better deals for leisure travelers on the other. However, there are also travel agencies that specialize strictly in business and commercial travel. Incidentally, there aren't a whole lot of agencies that restrict themselves solely to leisure travel.

By Class

In the United States, there are several main types of travel agencies: corporate-owned national chains, national/international franchises, membership associations -- such as AAA -- and independent, locally owned travel agencies with no brand or corporate affiliation. National chains will have the most consistent policies and pricing not matter where you go, and often the best international "hotline" customer service, but not always. Big-name franchises offer similar perks but different local owners can opt out of certain promotions and pricing specials. Membership-based associations are often less commission-focused since they rely on member fees. Independent agencies tend to cater to niche markets, such as assisting sports teams, church and school groups looking for inexpensive travel, and large group options.

Cargo Travel Agencies

A few travel agencies specialize in shipping cargo. Of course& that's not entirely relevant if you're looking to fly for business or personal reasons. Still, this should go to show how many different areas an individual agency can specialize in.

Online Travel Agencies

One of the real boons to the travel agency industry has been the use of the internet to allow travel agents to let their travelers compare a wide variety of options for hotels and airline tickets. Ironically, there was some fear for a period of time that, by selling tickets directly to travellers, the travel agencies would go out of business. However, a handful of travel agencies have proven that, even if you can find good deals yourself, there are still instances where a travel agency can find you an even better one. Many traditional bricks-and-mortar travel agencies now have full-service web sites so that you can get the best of both worlds: convenience of self-serve online booking with the benefit of talking to a real person when you need it.

Multi-Destination and Niche Agencies

If you want to split it up into just two types of travel agency, you have multi-destination and niche. Multi-destination out-bound travel agencies are usually larger, offering flights to just about anywhere. Niche agencies are usually independent, and focus on one specific part of the world. If you're flying to say, Greece, you might find a niche agent who knows the area very, very well. Most of these niche agencies cater mainly to people with family in that country, or who do business there on a regular basis.

Consider your individual needs, preferences, and trip objectives when choosing your travel agent. Different types of agencies provide different levels and types of services. If you are a frequent globe trotter, you may want to use a large corporate travel agency with many branches in countries all over the world. Or you may view travelling as a treasure hunt or puzzle, where researching and finding the most off-the-map places is half of the fun. If this is the case, a niche operator may be just the right travel partner for you.

European Travel Packages Might Be Good For You

It's funny, the attitude some people have towards travel. They can't seem to find any good reason to leave their own backyard. It's a bit of a mystery to me. I rather enjoy being in different places, seeing different cultures, different sites, and meeting people with different views. Those with an aversion to travel aren't necessarily xenophobic. I think, they're just a little too settled in their own ways. They should try some European travel packages.

European Travel Packages

I have to wonder though, if more people go out and saw the world, we'd all be a little more sympathetic to the plights of our global neighbors. I'm sure the world would be a better place. Unfortunately however, due to many reasons (sometimes financial), it's just not feasible. But for those who do have the means, there are plenty of good reasons to travel to a continent like Europe for instance.

For me culture has to be one of the biggest reasons to go somewhere else. I'm the type who's easily bored with my job, my career, and my lifestyle. So for me, being in a country that's totally foreign to mine is invigorating. It's like my senses become heightened, and I'm more aware of events, people, and things around me. It's kind of like being a kid again. It can be a learning experience as well. We've all been brought up with certain beliefs and customs that we often never question. Being exposed to other people and their views, can change that, and broaden your thinking. Assuming of course, that you're open to that kind of thing.

European Travel Packages

Another big benefit for me was traveling, is a sense of adventure. With a little bit of danger thrown in. Strange surroundings and all, make me more acutely aware of my environment. It's a great feeling. In my mind, there's nothing better to defeat the feeling of being in a rut, or of a dull life. Europe's a great place for this kind of adventure. While you may sense a slight feeling of danger being in a strange place, there's really nothing to fear. Contrary to what some North Americans may believe, Europe is actually very civilized, in an old world sort of way. Of course, they probably say the same about us :-)

Traveling to Europe can also be an incredibly relaxing vacation as well. It's not just Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean that has beautiful beaches. Southern Spain or France for that matter also have some great sandy spots.

While it's great to go away, it's always nice to come home. There's no doubt living in the Western world, we enjoy many advantages that are unknown to Europeans, or the rest of the world. When we come home, we may be a little more worldly, and a little more humble. What I'm trying to say here is, going away may actually instill in us an appreciation for the gifts we already have.

Antarctica 2013: Speed Attempt Round 2 Underway And Blue Ice On Beardmore

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.

Italian Adventurer Plans To Spend A Year Living On An Iceberg

Italian adventurer Alex Bellini has accomplished some pretty impressive things in the course of his career. He estimates that he has run more than 23,000 km (14,290 miles), competing in such races as the legendary Marathon des Sables and Alaska Ultra. He has also rowed across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, amongst other challenging journeys. But his next adventure may be his most demanding yet. Bellini plans to spend a year living on an iceberg as it shrinks in size and eventually disappears altogether. He hopes that these efforts will help raise awareness of climate change.

The Adventure Journal had the opportunity to sit down with Alex and ask him about this venture. He says that for the most part, he'll be completely alone on the ice, although he does plan to meet with journalists and bloggers for a time. He also says that he doesn't want to be labeled as an environmentalist, but he remains an explorer instead. Bellini hopes that this adventure will allow him to share the urgent need for us to address climate change as he documents the death of an iceberg first hand.

In the interview, Alex also talks about his inspirations for this adventure, what it was like to row across the Pacific, but run into trouble just 65 miles from the finish line and how he'll select his iceberg. In regards to that last point, he says that the iceberg is still being formed, but that it will exist northwest of Greenland "between 70°N and 74°N."

It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out. Living alone on an iceberg for a year should provide some unique challenges, particularly as the space begins to grow smaller and smaller. You can find out more in the video below and on Alex's website. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter for more updates as well.


Alex Bellini . Adrift. LongVersion ENG from BigRock on Vimeo.

Taking a moment…

As I turned on the news this evening, the announcement that Nelson Mandela had passed was at the head of the newscast.  It is a sad day for the entire world.  What a giant he was in the history of man.  As I took a moment to remember his accomplishments, fortitude, and struggles Peter, Paul, and Mary’s rendition of “No Easy Walk to Freedom” kept playing in my head.  We have all lost a most inspirational icon.

                                                                               Snow Goose

Back on the home front, the big news is the incoming cold front.  It’s sweeping across the country, and the gulf coast will not be immune to it.  While the cold temperatures here can’t compare to the ice and snow and blizzards of those further north, my main worry is my extend-a-stay propane tank.  It’s registering at 1/4 of a tank right now, and I have to work tomorrow.  The refuge pays for propane refills, and I checked to see if the propane place is open on Saturday, but no staff is around on weekends to approve the purchase.  It’s a minor trouble really, as I can switch to the on board tank or pay for the refill myself.

                                                                                Pintail City

On my way back to the rig yesterday after work, I came upon a huge gathering of Northern Pintails in a flooded rice field.  These ducks mainly feed on seeds. 

Dabbling ducks like Northern Pintails can erupt straight up from the water without having to run along the water first to gain speed.  The coming cold front is really driving lots of waterfowl down here. 

I finally ran out of my favorite sponge candy that I got in Fargo, ND, in September.  I decided to Google sponge candy.  Several readers have provided me with recipes, but I’m not sure I want to try that in the rig.  It turned out the Vermont Country Store has sponge candy that isn’t coated in chocolate.  While I like dark chocolate, I really prefer my sponge candy without it.  I’ve ordered a couple of bags, so I hope it’s as good as I remember from when I was young.  I’ll be stalking my mailbox until it gets here next week. 

Two of my bird feeders have been set up outside for the last week.  Today I finally had some action.  A small flock of chipping sparrows stopped by.  I hope they tell their friends.  I think I also saw a cardinal skulking around outside the fence.  This compound isn’t the best habitat for birds because of all the cement, but I’m trying to be optimistic about it.  That’s about it for tonight.  I’m battening down the hatches tonight as the temps have dropped well over 20* in very short order.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Video: The World Outside My Window - Timelapse From The International Space Station

We've seen some amazing timelapse videos over the past few years, each one more beautiful than the last. But it'll be tough to top this one, which was shot aboard the International Space Station. As you can imagine, that means some amazing images of our world as seen from orbit. It is as spectacular as it sounds.

The World Outside My Window - Time-Lapses of Earth from the ISS from David Peterson on Vimeo.

Video: Insane Cyclist Rides Bike Down Mountain Road - Backwards!

And now something from the "completely insane" category. Here's a video of a man riding his bike backwards down a road in Trollstigen, Norway. The road is 4.5 km (2.8 miles) in length and features a 10% grade. At times, the rider reached speeds in excess of 80 km/h (50 mph), which seems frightening when you're riding a bike the proper way. Don't try this at home kids.

Video: Climbing Spain's Sierra de Guara

Spanish climbers Manu Cordova and Javi Bueno are well known for putting up new routes in their home country and the Alps. When the weather turns bad in they favorite climbing spots, they head to the Sierra de Guara to find new challenges. The video below is a fantastic short film about their exploits and one of the better climbing movies that I've seen in awhile. The region that they are climbing in looks simply amazing, with plenty of excellent routes to explore. If you have 20 minutes to kill, I definitely recommend checking this video out.

Historias de cordada from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

Antarctica 2013: Speed Record Restart And Emergency Evac

Now that the majority of the teams have hit the ice down in Antarctica, things are starting to get very busy indeed. Weather continues to be an issue of course, but most of explorers are now trying to find a groove and get into a rhythm that involves skiing (and in some cases biking!) on the frozen expanse of the coldest, highest and driest desert in the world.

One of the biggest stories of the day is Richard Parks restarting his attempt at the speed record for skiing from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. You may recall that parks set out on that quest last week only to find that the high winds and copious amounts of soft powder were making it impossible for him to make good time. In just a few days he was already falling off the pace, so he elected to return to Hercules and wait for a better weather window to relaunch. That window is now open apparently, as he'll start his second attempt today. Parks arrived back at his starting point on Tuesday, then took a rest day yesterday, ahead of his restart this morning. He now has 23 days to try to reach the South Pole and the clock is ticking.

The other story that came out yesterday was the evacuation of Eric Phillips, who was a the polar guide for one of the teams taking part in the 2013 South Pole Allied Challenge. Phillips was apparently suffering from altitude sickness after the teams were flown to the 87th degree prior to the start of their race to the Pole. Apparently he had fluid in his lungs, so they made the wise choice to fly him back to camp for an assessment. If he responds well to treatment and shows signs of improvement, he may rejoin the team in a day or two.

Elsewhere, Daniel Burton celebrated his 50th birthday out on the ice yesterday. He is attempting to ride his bike to the South Pole and so far things aren't going particularly well. He spent 10.5 hours on the move but covered just 6.5 miles (10.4 km), well below what he had hoped for. He does say that the slope he has been climbing since leaving Hercules Inlet is starting to get less severe and the snow is getting harder, both of which bode well for his plans. Hopefully he'll be able to pick up speed soon, because at his current pace he's traveling about half the speed of the skiers. That means he'll have a very long trip to the Pole, if he can reach it at all. I give him high marks for determination however, as he has refused to put his bike on his sled and ski any distance, which is in contrast to another explorer who is attempting to bike to the South Pole as well.

Australian kite skier Geoff Wilson managed to catch the wind today and made good progress in the process. He says that by late afternoon he had knocked of about 40 km (24 miles) before the breezes dissipated once again. The forecasts call for better winds in the next few days, so he hopes to capitalize on them and cover more ground.

Chris and Marty Fagan seem to have developed a good rhythm and are already making great progress on their attempt to ski to the South Pole. The husband and wife team are already just 540 miles (870 km) from the Pole, which sounds like a lot but is actually a good number considering the number of days they've been skiing. They're knocking off a steady 11-12 miles (17-19 km) per day as they make solid progress toward their goal.

Finally, the Willis Resilience team has actually reached the South Pole, although not on foot. This expedition started with a driving tour of the Antarctic that allows them to conduct scientific research of the impact of climate change on the continent. They're also collecting ice core samples as they go, so that they can be examined by researchers back home after the expedition wraps up. After being out on the ice for about a week, the team has already driven 1790 km (1112 miles) as they cross Antarctica. In a few weeks however, Parker Liautaud and Doug Stoup will return to the Pole on skis as well.

That's all for today. More to come soon I'm sure.

Two-Time Ironman Champ Challenges Lance Armstrong To One-On-One Competition

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.

Video: Wyoming Wildscapes

A timelapse video shot in the wilds of Wyoming? Yes, please! Thats exactly what we get in this 6+ minute short film below, and it is just as spectacular as you would imagine.

Wyoming Wildscapes II from Nicolaus Wegner on Vimeo.

Video: Fishing Manatee County Florida With Richard Bangs

When television host and adventure traveler Richard Bangs goes fishing, he doesn't mess around. He recently visited Bradenton, Florida – located in Manatee County – to reel in some mackerel and king fish. If the video below is any indication, it looks like he picked the right place to throw his hook in the water, as the fish look plentiful, big and tasty. Besides, anyone who can work a Jaws reference into his travel clips is all right in my book.

Video: The Kuzi Project: Kitesurfing and SUP-ing The East Coast Of Africa

This past summer, adventurers Seth Warren and Kirk Hollis embarked on a 500-mile, unsupported journey up the east coast of Africa. The duo traveled by stand-up paddleboards and kite surfed from Pemba, Mozambique to Zanzibar in Tanzania, hopping between more than 50 island along the way. Their six week journey is now the subject of an online film series brought to us by EpicTV.  You'll find the latest episode of that series below, which gives us a glimpse at an adventure that is long way from the big mountains or the polar regions that I often write about on this blog. What an amazing way to explore the wild coast of Africa.

Antarctica 2013: Soldiering On

Yesterday's Antarctic update focused mainly on the new arrivals to the frozen continent and their early progress towards the South Pole. Today, I have news from some of the other expeditions that have been underway for awhile, and continue to face their own struggles with the challenges brought on with traveling in one of the most extreme environments on the planet.

Ben Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere, the two members of the Scott Expedition, reached a major milestone on their round trip journey from the Scott Hut to the South Pole and back. Now 40 days into their adventure, the two men have reached the Beardmore Glacier and are continuing to work their way up to the Antarctic Plateau. Weather conditions have been mostly acceptable over the past few days but surface conditions continue to be a challenge. The ice where they are currently traveling is more uneven than in other areas, which has presented some challenges to their progress. Still, they're clocking in at about 20 miles (32 km) per day, which is a solid pace. The finish line is still a long ways off however, with more than 1345 miles (2164 km) to go before they are done.

Australian kite skier Geoff Wilson is hoping the wind will return soon to actually assist him in his quest to reach the South Pole. He has had a few frustrating days going from too much wind to too little. A couple of days back conditions were so bad that Wilson nearly lost control of his kite. He had limited time to train with it before leaving his home country for the Antarctic, and as a result he is learning on the job. When high winds struck on Monday, he was violently tossed about and sent sprawling on the ice on more than one occasion. Fortunately, the kite, nor the man, was damaged badly and the expedition can continue. The problem now is that there has been very little wind and Geoff has been forced to move forward under his own power, dragging his sled behind him as he goes. This has greatly slowed his progress of course, but puts him on par with the other skiers heading to the South Pole.

The three teams competing in the 2013 South Pole Allied Challenge are now off and running. Team UK, Team USA and Team Commonwealth are all racing across the last three degrees to the South Pole after launching the friendly competition over the weekend. The teams consist of experienced polar guides to help lead the way, and some support vehicles to help lend a hand as needed. But the bulk of the explorers skiing to the Pole are servicemen who were wounded in the line of duty. The high profile event, which happens to include Prince Harry skiing for the UK team, is being conducted by the Walking with the Wounded program, an organization that helps those injured in the line of duty get back on the road to recovery. So far, the teams have faced strong winds and lots of sastrugi, which are hard ridges on the ice that make it difficult to ski. They'll be covering a total of about 335 km (208 miles) with an expected arrival at 90ºS around December 17 or 18.

Finally, there is no word yet on when Richard Parks will relaunch his attempt at the speed record for skiing to the South Pole via the Hercules Inlet route. As of yesterday, he was still en route back to his starting point, where he'll wait for more favorable weather conditions. Once he gets back underway, he hopes to go solo and unsupported to the South Pole in just 23 days. That will be a remarkable achievement if he can pull it off.

More news to come soon. Now that there are so many teams on the ice, I expect there will be something to report nearly everyday. The Antarctic season is in full swing now and the Vinson climbing season will soon follow. Good luck to everyone.

Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge Wraps Up Down Under

While we were celebrating the long weekend here in the States, teams of adventure athletes were battling it out in the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge in Australia. The five-day, stage race featured plenty of running, mountain biking and paddling as competitors challenged each other across a course that was more than 340 km (210 miles) in length. The video below, which includes highlights from the final day of the competition, is a good indicator of what this race is all about.

After five days of racing, the race was won by the team of Richard Ussher and Braden Currie. They completed the entire course in 18 hours, 54 minutes, which was more than two hours faster than the second place team that consisted of Alex Hunt and Mark Hinder. Third place went to Jarad Kohler and James Pretto, who finished in 26 hours, 52 minutes and 2 seconds.

This was the 10th annual Tasmania Challenge and over the year the race has become a staple on the adventure racing calendar each season. With another strong turnout this year, it appears that the race is poised to continue well into the future.

Oops!

When I’m at one of my volunteer assignments, I leave the gray tank valve open and the black tank valve closed since I have full hook ups.  Every ten days or so, I close the gray tank before dumping the black tank.  After dumping, I close the black tank valve and open the gray tank valve.  This has worked well for me for well over seven years. 

                                                                        Great Blue Heron

As usual I dumped last week when I knew that black tank was filling up.  Fast forward to last night.  As I get ready for bed, I gather my dirty clothes from the day and put them in a cloth laundry bag I keep in the shower stall.  As I stood there naked and opening the door to the shower, I found the bag soaking wet and standing water in the shower.  Oops!  It seems I forgot to reopen the gray tank valve.  I’m sure glad it didn’t overflow onto the floor.

So, I tossed on my PJ’s, grabbed a flashlight, and ran outside at 11:00 at night to dump the tank.  First time I’ve made that mistake.  I came back in, rang out the bag and the clothes and started the washer so all that stuff wouldn’t get musty and moldy.  It wasn’t so bad as I often start the Splendide washer at night.  When it gets to the spin cycle, it shakes the whole rig and rocks me right to sleep. 

                                                                             Great Egret

We had a staff safety meeting and then a volunteer meeting this morning.  I am once again not on the VIS or VC schedule for the month.  Instead, Stephanie had some other assignments in mind for me.  I think by next week the bird surveys will begin, I’ll be working the hunter check station on weekends, and will also be doing some propagating of seeds in addition to writing the section for the 50th anniversary book.  Along with those chores there are a couple of other one day things to do.  Guess December is going to be pretty busy for me.

                                                               Juvenile Common Moorhen

After the meetings, I managed to get all my hairs cut and an oil change for the car.  It was a nice warm day with temps nearing 80, but there was a very stiff wind out of the south.  Apparently I had parked my bike too close to the DISH satellite, and the gusting winds crashed it into the dish.  Second oops.    When I came in after sunset, there was no signal.  So out I went again in the dark to find a signal.  Things like this seem to come in threes, so now I’m wondering what’s next?

                                                                                THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

Video: Images From The Polar Realm

Filmmaker Richard Sidey is putting together an interesting documentary about the impact of climate change on the polar regions of our planet. The film is called Speechless: The Polar Realm, and he is busy editing it now. The video below serves as a trailer for that project and offers some stunning images to remind us just how beautiful, and full of life, the polar regions actually are. I'm not sure about the film as a whole yet, but these great shots definitely have me intrigued.

Speechless : The Polar Realm (film trailer) from Richard Sidey on Vimeo.

Video: Speedflying Through Eastern European Mountains

Speedflying is an interesting mix of paragliding and skiing. It usually involves someone starting at the top of a mountain and skiing down the slopes, only to have their glider catch the wind and allow them to float over cliffs, trees, or just about any other obstacle that gets in the way. In the video below, the skier starts at the summit of Kasprowy Wierch, a mountain located along the border of Poland and Slovakia. The ride back down is certainly not along the route that most take however. This looks like scary fun.

Sunset speed-fly from Kasprowy Wierch 27.11.13 from bartoszplewa on Vimeo.