Outdoor Sports Blog

"Wherever I live, I shall feel homesick for Tibet. I often think I can still hear the cries of wild geese and cranes and the beating of their wings as they fly over Lhasa in the clear cold moonlight. My heartfelt wish is that my story may create some understanding for a people whose will to live in peace and freedom has won so little sympathy form an indifferent world." - from Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer In 1939 Heinrich Harrer was captured and imprisoned in a PoW camp in British India having been recruited by the Nazis for his mountaineering expertise. The 1956 film documents Harrer's escape from the camp and his consequent journey through the jungles of India and over the Himalayas, eventually leading him to Tibet and the Holy City of Lhasa. Read more about Heinrich Harrer's adventure 'Seven Years in Tibet' Like to read? Click here to see Heinrich Harrer's list of books on Amazon.

Nepal Rebels Free Four Polish Trekkers By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA The Associated Press Monday, March 27, 2006; 8:54 PM KATMANDU, Nepal -- Four Polish trekkers held captive by communist rebels while on an expedition near Mount Everest have been freed by the guerrillas and are safe, a Nepalese mountaineering official said Monday. Click here for more...

Hiking New Zealand Second tourist this month to die while hiking alone in Arthur's Pass National Park, in New Zealand's Southern Alps. Click here to read article. Hiking New Zealand

Berger and Papert take Ice Climbing Cup Austria's Harald Berger and Germany's Ines Papert have won the 2006 World Ice Climbing Cup, at the final stage of the competition held in Hemsedal, Norway over the 4-5th of March 2006. Winning the final competition of the Ice Climbing World Cup in Hemsedal, Norway, Austria's Harald Berger and Germany's Ines Papert secured their places as the world's best ice climbers. Berger had held a slight lead over the Swiss climber Simon Wandeler going into last week's competition. Berger flashed the final M10+ line of natural rock and ice, winning the day and finishing the season with three outright wins and two ties. Papert streaked ahead of her competitors early on the competition, cruising to victory in the final round. Papert is certainly the top female climber in the world at the moment. Apart from winning the World Cup, of this year’s competitions--she one all five. Source: OutdoorNewsWire.com Ice Climbing

Here's a good read for the upcoming weekend. Ami Lindblom is volunteer member in the National Ski Patrol. To remain an active member it is necessary to get continual certification. The course was set for last weekend - but then an epic snowstorm hit... Read the full article " Rescue class weathers epic snowstorm ".

The Bull Run Occoquan Trail View of TrailOn the Fairfax Country, Virginia side of Bull Run, several parks and an 18 mile trail provide an environment for outstanding hiking, horseback riding, and trail running. Every April, the northern section of the trail gives visitors an unforgettable display of Virginia bluebells. Read full article by BellaOnline's MidAtlantic USA Editor S.P. Gass. Additional resources for Hiking in Virginia here: Virginia Hiking

Wolf tracking in the Canadian Wilderness Tracking wildlife takes me to beautiful, remote places. One such place is Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. With more than 2,700 square miles of northern forest, lakes, streams and rivers, Algonquin is a jewel in the Canadian Parks System. Just a half-day’s drive from Toronto and Ottawa, the park is a known for summer canoeing and camping. What most people don’t know is what an amazing place the park is for winter wildlife study. Click here to read full article . Algonquin Park resources: http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/ http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/algo.html Literature on Amazon for Algonquin Park

Trekking poles become more and more popular. Still there are people who stubbornly resist in using them – until someone is able to convince them... The article by Tom Uhlenbrock talks about exactly that problematic. Tom provides insight in the benefits of using trekking poles. Click here to read Tom Uhlenbrocks article about trekking poles . I recommend also visiting my other web site OutdoorSportsAdviser.com – also an excellent resource for information on trekking poles.

Without its ocean, Oregon would just be another Montana. “For the land-locked among us, the ocean really cures cabin fever.” says Bill Schneider author of articles and books about the outdoors. “That’s why we came here for our winter escape, but the local tourism promotion people don’t seem to promote the Oregon Coast as a winter destination. If they want to fill up all those vacation rentals and RV parks all year round, they should. To me, it looks like the best time of the year to visit the Oregon Coast.” In his article Bill gives some tips for outdoor enthusiasts who are not into skiing and snowshoeing. Click here to read Bill Scheider’s article about the Oregon coast.

The days are gettting longer. Soon the winter will be officially over. Time for another winter camping trip. Never been winter camping before? No problem. Here’s an article by Janet Reese that provides tips on how to prepare for winter camping and make it a positive experience. Topics are... How to stay warm Winter- specific gear Setting up a camp site Food and water Tips Winter camping classes Resources Follow this link to read the article “Prepare for winter camping”.

Ever thought of a backcountry skiing trip in New York's Adirondack Park? Countless backcountry trails offer nearly endless possibilities. The following link will lead you to an article that not only will give you some tips on where to go, but also makes your mouth watering... Click here to read the article by Michale Virtanen: " Some skiers live to go off the beaten path " Backcountry skiing in Adirondack Park.

The folks at www.hikewithyourdog.com who help dog owners find a tail-friendly trail are now leading them out personally. For 2006 they have created a menu of single-day and overnight hiking adventures for active owners and their dogs. hikewithyourdog.com tours visit dog-friendly trails and beaches from New York to Maryland. Each tour is designed for any level of canine hiker and all hiking and camping supplies are provided. Pack size ranges from six to eight dogs. Tour-leader Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books on travel and dogs, including The Canine Hiker's Bible. For more information on joining the pack visit www.hikewithyourdog.com. ### hikewithyourdog.com tours PO Box 467 Montchanin DE 19710 crubay@earthlink.net

Learn how 'Leave No Trace' principles can minimize backcountry impackt The seven principles of "Leave no trace": Plan ahead and prepare Travel and camp on durable surface Dispose of waste properly Leave what you find Minimize campfire impacts Respect wildlife Be considerate of other visitors For more detailed information about 'Leavo no trace' please visit the AMC web site.

Tubbs and American Hiking Society Partner Advocating Trail Access for Hikers and Snowshoers by Gigi DeYoung STOWE, VT – (March 2006). Tubbs Snowshoe Company and American Hiking Society announced today a partnership aimed at maintaining and conserving trail access for hikers and snowshoers and promoting Tubbs TrailNet, a comprehensive online trails directory for snowshoe hikes and walks. Read more...

2006 Arctic Winter Games Release the Spirit Within It all started in 1970 by leaders from Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Alaska. Today athletes from Canada, Alaska, Russia, Finland, Norway and Greenland are attracted by the Arctic Winter Games. For seven days athletes compete in unusual games. Learn more here: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2006/03/04/1472794-ap.html http://www.awg.ca/ Arctic Winter Games

Trek's Allagash use questioned; Conovers cut trees at campsites Thursday, March 02, 2006 - Bangor Daily News ALLAGASH - When registered Maine Guides Alexandra and Garrett Conover set out to walk from Allagash to Greenville in January, they expected to complete the 200-mile snowshoe trek, conducted as an educational outreach project, almost exclusively on frozen waterways. Thanks to an unusually mild early winter, that didn't happen. Alexandra Conover said Tuesday that she and her husband faced open water and found themselves in what she called an emergency situation that dictated that they cut limbs and trees in the restricted zone of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Such activity normally is illegal... click here for more information .

Patagonia Rolls Out Recycling Program Patagonia already well known as very environmental friendly company, has introduced a brand new garment recycling program, as reported in the CSGA Newsletter. Patagonia cooperates with Japanese fabric manufacturer Teijin for this new initiative. Customers can now return their old and worn-out Capilne underwear (baselayers like long underwear etc.) to Patagonia where they will be recycled into new garments. Worn out Capilene baselayers will feed Patagonia’s own supply chain to produce new Capilene clothing.

A team of Army explorers is hoping to climb into the history books by becoming the first Britons to conquer Everest's treacherous West Ridge. The team - all experienced high-altitude climbers - will be the first to approach the remote West Ridge in 10 years. Two British parties have previously tried and failed to conquer it in the 80s and 90s, but surrendered within 350 metres of the summit. Click here for more information .

UIAA Ice World Cup Final The Norwegian town of Hemsedal is hosting the UIAA Ice World Cup 2006 final from March 3 - 5, 2006. This is the first Scandinavian ice world cup final in the history, and the first time an official climbing world cup competition is arranged in Norway. Around 60-80 competitors are expected for the final round in the UIAA Ice World Cup, from 15 different countries. These are the very best climbing athletes in the world. Check out the official web site: http://www.worldcupnorway.com/

Tired of snow and the cold? How about taking a hike down the bottom of Grand Canyon, America's most visited tourist attraction? Today I present an article about just that... >> Read more here >> To see some Grand Canyon literature click here.