Focus Sport: Backpacking/Trekking

Are we going Backpacking or Trekking?

Backpacking and trekking are very freeing activities that many people around the world enjoy! Walking through a pristine forest or meadow or summiting a mighty mountain-all of these can be achieved through backpacking or trekking. So what is the difference between backpacking and trekking? http://www.xolaconsulting.com/adventure-tourism-hiking-trekking-trips-product-development.php

Backpacking is when a hiker carriers their supplies with them on their back in some kind of backpack. Backpacking is pretty much the same thing as hiking. Hiking is any walk done outside on a formed trail. The only difference is the backpack part which carries all of your supplies. Backpacking can consist of multiple days of hiking where carrying food and shelter (tents) is required.  

http://cloudenterprise.info/backpacking-tips-outdoor-living-guru.html

Trekking on the other hand is slightly different. Though it still consists of walking outside trekking is lots of times done across uncharted land. The term ‘off the beaten path’ applies to trekking. Trekking is done typically on sketchier terrain where there is no dedicated trail. Trekking is also done over the course of many days. Trekking can be considered a commute or way of life. Many nomadic people trek around a region as they follow their food. Trekking could be considered more extreme since it is done over more treacherous terrain with usually very little signs of a trail. Backpacking on the other hand, typically follows a dedicated trail.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain-Trekking-Morocco.jpg

http://www.wildhimalaya.com/trekking-in-ladakh-22

One great example is the Appalachian Trail that spans some 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia. It runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, the major mountain range of the East Coast. The AT is identified by its famous white blazes on the trees that follow the trail. It is a very dedicated trail that is one of the most famous in the country. http://cabinsbysundance.com/things-to-do-in-blue-ridge/the-mountains/hiking-on-hallowed-ground-at-springer-mountai.html

http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/hikes/438253

The West Coast equivalent to the AT is the Pacific Crest trail. This trail touches from Canada to Mexico as it runs through the Cascades and Sierra mountains.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/pct/

http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/  
If one stays on these dedicated trails with a backpack full of supplies then they are backpacking. If one decides to wander off the trail and make their adventure a multi-day experience, then they are trekking. Both are fantastic ways to get outdoors and really rub noses with nature and all it has to offer.   
  http://www.treklocations.com/tag/trekking-in-kashmir/
http://www.visitchile.com/en/tours/short-w-trekking-torres-del-paine-national-park.htm

Focus Sport: Climbing

“The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal.” Criss Jami 
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/climbing

http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/home/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/summer/rockclimbing

I thought i'd begin this post with a quote. Climbing is all about pushing yourself up. During this process though you will fall. If you can cling back to the wall and continue upwards, you will have great success in climbing. Your pedestal (potential) will be raised and you can do bigger and better things.

http://isucceedbook.com/success-stories/success-story-a-friend-of-the-family/attachment/mountain-climbing-2/
There are three main types of climbing that I will discuss in this post. The first being top rope, the second being lead, and the third being boldering.

Top Rope: Top rope climbing is among the most popular type of climbing especially among beginners. Hence its name, the rope is freely fixed to the top of the wall and the climber climbs towards the top where the rope is fixed. The belay in a sense is pulling the rope up toward the top of the wall as the climber continues upward. If the climber falls they do not fall far at all as long as the belayer locks off quickly on the rope. Another plus for beginners who might be afraid of heights.

http://www.rogerwendell.com/climbingphotos.html
LEAD: Lead climbing is what most professional or advanced climbers do. On big walls outside, lead climbing is also heavily used. Unlike top rope in lead climbing the rope is underneath the climber. As the climber ascends they clip into quickdraws along the route. these quickdraws are what catch the climbers if they fall. Being that a quickdraw is only one carabiner and the climber is climbing above the quickdraw a fall during lead climbing is much more dramatic than a fall in top roping. The climber falls to the last quickdraw they clipped into and then even farther below that. The epitome for most climbers and for major big wall stuff, lead climbing is the way to go.
 http://www.meetup.com/climbing/events/98701002/
http://www.climbingtechniques.org/sport-leading-basics.html
Bouldering: My favorite!:) Bouldering is one of the freest forms of climbing (literally, beside free soloing). No ropes, no harness. Just shoes, chalk, a brush and yourself. Bouldering is done with crash mats below you to cushion a fall. Most routes, or 'problems' as they are called, typically do not exceed 15ft. Many bouldering problems work under overhangs and require skillful movements to make them happen, or to 'solve' them. Some bouldering routes require a 'dyno' move. A dyno is when one must simply jump having all points of contact removed from the wall in order to catch the next piece of rock. Bouldering can be great fun and alos very challenging. Again, if you are going to attempt bouldering in your backyard you must have two things. One, a crash pad, two, a spotter. A spotter can protect the head from hitting the crash pad. Its great fun! Most climbing gyms will have a section of the gym that is dedicated to just bouldering.


http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-gear/view/new-guidebook-j-tree-bouldering

Focus Sports:

FOCUS SPORTS: In this section of the blog will be an in-depth look at varying types of adventure sports. Plenty of videos and pictures to bring the sport to as much life as possible. I will give bio's on 'Key Players' of these sports who are either pros, innovators or just very skilled at the certain sport. I will also mention popular places around the world that are very good for whatever sport is of interest. If ANYONE has ANYTHING to add to this section (especially personal EXPERIENCE) please let me know. I am getting my information mostly from the internet so having some personal input would help! Hope you gain a new understanding of these sports and maybe find something you had no idea existed. (and then get out there and try it!)
1) Focus Sport: CAVE DIVING
 http://www.catholic.com/blog/trent-horn/cave-diving-and-apologetics http://www.protecplaya.com/mexico-cave-diving-full-cave-diver.htmCave Diving-A fantastic way to DIE. Cave Diving is one of the most dangerous adventure sports on the planet! Later on I will point out specific risks that make this sport so deadly. The sport was started by a few British guys who made homemade scuba suits back in the thirties. They dove into some flooded cave passages in Somerset England. In the US the sport evolved from scuba diving. Unfortunetly  many explored the caves and where uncertified divers. This resulted in many fatalities. The State of Florida had to almost ban scuba diving near cave entrances. Most all of the deaths that occur in cave diving are from people who are inexprerienced and uncertified in technical diving. PLEASE do not go exploring cave passages at your leasiure. Most experienced cave divers plan these dives for long periods of time even a few years in advance. You MUST be cave Trained!

Bringing the sports to life. Recommended films.

Youtube is one of my favorite channels. You type in base jumping and get a million or more videos on the topic. One could spend a whole day on Youtube just watching videos that pertain to base jumping. Videos are awsome! A great way to see some live action! But to take it deeper and really be compelled by not just the sport but the characters who tackle these endeavours one would really need to watch a film. There are short films and such on Youtube and those are great. Adventure films are great! They range from high budget hollywood blockbusters to short videos taken on a cam corder. Some are fictional stories and some are true stories. To really bring these epic sports to life here are some of my favorite adventure films and why I like them.

1.  "Touching the Void"-True story: Accounts two alpine style climbers in the Andes Mountains. First attempt of the west face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. The ascent goes smoothly but on the way down is when they run into trouble. BIG TROUBLE! Great display of what the human body and soul will do to survive. The two actual climbers talk about the ordeal while a reenactment is played by actors portraying the ordeal. Very entertaining and very inspirational. Teaches great life skills! When you think you can't survive any longer, you can always find a way. This film really hits home on that. Check it out!
Duration: 106 min.
Rating: R; heavy language and some grotesque scenes

2Siula Grande1
1)http://sportpsymovies.blogspot.com/2011/06/touching-void.html 2)http://mondedeptitsbonshommes.com/2013/08/23/montagne-formes-incroyables/

Crazy or Calculated? Stunts of epic proportions

Crazy or Calculated?

This is 186ft Palouse Falls in Eastern Washington (state). The 22 year old named Tyler Bradt was the fearless kayaker who hucked over the lip in spring of 2009. As he plummeted 186ft his fiberglass craft and himself reached speeds of close to 100 mph. 'acceleration, speed, and impact unlike anything I've ever felt before. I wasn't sure if I was hurt or not. My body was just in shock' stated Bradt after the feat. He had descended several other drop ranging from 70 to 100+ feet. He traveled to the falls on several occasions to see the water levels and determine whether it was humanly possible to run. Once he saw the tounge of water shooting over the left side of the falls he knew it was runnable.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202308/Pictured-The-record-breaking-kayaker-risked-life-limb-186ft-waterfall-drop.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNXh9gXDd2Y


Septmeber 28, 2013 BASE jumper Jeb Corliss flew through a 30 to 40 foot long crack in the side of a mountain in China. He is calling this project "The Flying Dagger". Corliss claims that this was one of his toughest flight yet. He jumped from a helicopter and opened his wing suit up and began to fly. The percision of this jump was crucial. "A lot of us have done a lot of very precise flights, like I’ve hit the string on balloons, and gone by the arms of the Christ statue, and flown through a waterfall. But in those jumps I was only super precise for a split second—two seconds max." Corliss told Outside Magazine. He had to be perfect for 10 to 30 seconds while flying through this crack. To train for such a stunt Corliss used Augmented Reality in Hungary. These are glasses that bring a canyon or valley into 3d view and your moments mimic those of an actual squirrel suit. He claimed 50% of the time he wrecked. Luckily this was only on a small screen. Corliss has not come away unscathed every time though. Roughly a year ago he had a bad wreck on Table Mountain in South Africa. The wreck led him to close to kidney failure and a banged up left leg. He recovered and successfully completed the same jump shortly after his recovery. After slicing the "dagger" Corliss is back in full swoop (pun intended).  
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/aerial-sports/Jeb-Corliss-on-The-Flying-Dagger.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz8sS7nzR7o

Worked up an appetite? You've come to the right city!

http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/best-towns/Best-Towns-Richmond-Virginia.html
Outside Magazine deemed Richmond Virginia the best river town in the country in 2012. Richmond is also famous for some great places to eat. If your craving baked sweets or meat pies Richmond has it all, you won't go away hungry! So after braving the Pipeline rapids, biking the Buttermilk trail or scaling Manchester wall you will have probably worked up an appetite. Just a short drive from these exciting locations is historic Church Hill. Church Hill offers a plethora of food options that will leave a diverse mouth satisfied. One way to get a taste for a little of everything is taking the Real Richmond Food Tour.
Partaking in a Richmond Food Tour is the best! You are able to tastes samples from a variety of hole in the wall restaurants and bakeries. Along the way you are also enlightened with Richmond's rich history form the guide. The tour covers a wide range of food from Pizza to cakes to Barbeque. Our first food stop was Alamo Barbeque. Probably one of the best Barbeque sandwiches I have ever had. Fresh meat and coleslaw tossed together with incredible sauce! The good hits kept coming. We stopped next at Anthony's on the Hill Pizzeria and had some of the most delectable and freshly made pizza in the city. This was quite a step up from Papa Johns. The sauce was home made and tasted more like actual tomatoes than regular pizza sauce! To relieve our palates with sweets we stopped at WPA bakery and tasted butterscotch pie and vanilla cupcakes. Both home made and super tasty! We then came to Sub Abrosa bakery which did not serve us food but gave us instead a good story. The place burned down after being opened nearly a year. The owners are hard at work in an attempt to reopen sometime this December. Sub Abrosa specializes in Mediterranean pastries that where the talk of the town before the fire. Can't wait for their reopening! Lastly we swung in for some New Zealand pies at Proper Pie. They have several combinations of pies ranging from sweat to salty. There is also no dearth of pastries as Proper Pie is a functioning bakery as well. All in all great tour! We where fed with great quality food and knowledge about Church Hill and each restaurant!
If you stop into Richmond for some play time in the James River Park be sure you quench your hunger with some excellent food in Church Hill!
 http://wpabakery.com/     
https://www.facebook.com/ProperPieCo
http://chpn.net/news/2012/07/13/now-open-anthonys-on-the-hill_23107/
 http://chpn.net/news/2012/07/13/now-open-anthonys-on-the-hill_23107/

Welcome! Who's up for a little adventure?

Backpacking-trekking on trails or across rugged terrain. Usually through mountains with a back pack on carrying all of your supplies and food. One of the most popular, easy and best ways to get around outside! It can take you to most all places on the planet except through water.

Rock Climbing-Fear of heights? Then this sport probably is not for you. If you don't mind height and enjoy going up things as opposed to around things then this is your sport. A lot of leg and upper body strength is required along with technical skill of foot placement and rope handling. A great workout and a great way to access views that most people cannot get to.

Whitewater Kayaking-One of the most fast paced and adrenaline filled endeavors out there. Everything from small class 1 waves to class 5 waves cresting 20 ft or 50 plus foot waterfalls. There is always of river for everyone! This is another sport that can take you to the ends of the earth searching for that next "brown" run. For pro-huckers it becomes a calculated assumption of risk. If a waterfall or a rapid looks runable and they can find a line then they through caution to the wind (or water) and take their chances. On all these youtube videos and paddle films you typically see kayakers hucking these 100 foot drops and popping up at the bottom a ok. Is quite an amazing feat! Kayakers are some of the last explorers on the planet. This means that they are on rivers and bodies of water that have not been traveled by other people. A lot of gear, people, river/area research and time must be dedicated to this sport. Technical skill and deftness with the paddle will get you far in this sport. All in all its worth it.  

Sandboarding-After the popular sport of snowboarding has been huge for the past twenty years or so people decided that sand acted a lot like snow.  They then hopped on a board and let gravity do the rest. There are only a few places on the planet where one can sandboard. The only real place in this country is Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado. This is a smaller sport but one that can bring you to a different place and try a sandy alternative to the powder.

I have created this blog for all who wish to learn and experience adventure sports. From athletes who actually par take in these sports everyday to someone who has never heard of adventure sports. I plan to make headings at the top of the blog for pictures, gear, current events, athletes etc... If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns please let me know. I want this to be an open forum for these great sports! If there is a sport, place, video, athlete I have not posted please make a suggestion! Welcome!
Pic 2:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/739347/Adventure-sports-hitting-a-high-at-home.html
Pic 1:http://www.incrediblediary.com/the-most-jaw-dropping-adventure-sports-in-new-zealand.html
Pic 3: http://www.lazypalace.com/extreme-kayaking/
Pic 4:http://www.villadeayora.com/blog/adventure-sports-in-peru/