What could be better than a timelapse of an incredibly starry night? How about a timelapse of an incredible starry night over one of my favorite places. In this case, Kilimanjaro – the tallest mountain in Africa. The mountain makes a dramatic backdrop as the celestial light show plays out over head. Quite beautiful. I hope you enjoy.

A Starry Night of Mt.Kilimanjaro from kwon, o chul on Vimeo.

The title of this post pretty much says it all. Safari guide Matthew Copham set his GoPro camera down while out in the field and he managed to capture a once in a lifetime shot. A curious cheetah wandered up to take a look at the strange device and then gave it a lick. Fortunately, the big cat didn't find the camera tasty enough to eat. Still, pretty cool footage none the less.

Starting today, two long distance cyclists will embark on an epic ride that will have them pass through 14 countries, on three continents, in an attempt to cover 18,000 km (11,184 miles) in just 100 days. The duo will go unsupported throughout the journey, averaging more than 180 km (112 miles) per day while carrying 30 kg (66 pounds) of equipment with them at all times. As is often the case these days, this expedition is being undertaken for a good cause as well.

The two men who will attempt this ride are Reza Pakravan and Steven Pawley, each of whom has a great deal of experience in endurance cycling. Back in 2011, Reza set a record for the fastest crossing of the Sahara Desert on a bike, while Steven has undertaken several long distance cycling expeditions as well. They'll need all of their considerable skills and experience to get through this journey however as it will be a tough one to complete.

Reza and Steven set out this morning from Nordkapp, Norway which actually sits above the Arctic Circle. They'll now ride south to Cape Town, South Africa and their eventual finish line. With that route in mind, they've named their endeavor the Cycle Kapp to Cape expedition. Over the next 3+ months, their route will take them through Finland, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran. They'll then hop a flight to Egypt and resume the pedaling through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and on into South Africa.

While the two cyclists hope to set a speed record on their way to Cape Town they have bigger, more altruistic goals in mind as well. They are attempting to raise £28,000 ($43,320) to build new schools in Madagascar. Reza and Steven are working in conjunction with Azafady, a nonproft that is striving to eradicate poverty and environmental damage in that country and they believe a good education is key to achieving those goals.

You'll be able follow the riders' progress through their blog, Facebook page and Twitter stream. Since they have just gotten underway this morning, there isn't much to report just yet, but expect plenty of updates from the road soon.

Good luck boys!

I don't often cover motor sports of any kind, preferring instead to focus on all the amazing human powered events that take place around the world. But the Paris to Dakar Rally is one of the most difficult and demanding races anywhere on the planet and is the embodiment of a good adventure. The spirit of that race is captured extremely well in this BBC documentary, which aired a few months back. It features some amazing footage from this crazy race, which covers more than 9000 km (5592 miles) and pushes drivers to their absolute limits. The entire documentary is an hour in length and can be viewed in its entirety below. I recommend popping some popcorn, putting your feet up and enjoying the show.

Looking for a new backpacking or hiking challenge? Want to experience some of the best trails in the world? Then you'll definitely want to check out the list of 20 top trails as picked by 20 famous hikers that was put together by the team over at National Geographic Adventure. They poled some well known figures from the world of exploration and adventure and shared their selections for their ultimate dream hikes. The results are a list of hikes that range from legendary to those you may not even have heard of.

Some of the walking routes that earn a place on the list include the Sierra High Route in California, which was selected by über-hiker Andrew Skurka and the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a favorite of ultrarunning phenom Scott Jurek. Unsurprisingly, American mountaineer Jim Whittaker names the trek to Everest Base Camp as his favorite hike, while Sally McCoy, the CEO of CamelBak loves the 200-mile (321 km) Snowman Trek in Bhutan.

As you can tell, there are some very diverse and interesting hikes on the list that were selected by a very diverse and interesting group of people. But one of the hikes isn't even officially open yet, although it continues to evolve into a true world-class trekking route that will draw backpackers from around the globe. That is the Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail that runs through South Sudan and Uganda. This route, which I first told you about several months back, is 360 miles (580 km) in length and runs from Gondokora near Juba, in South Sudan, to Baker’s View, which overlooks Lake Albert in Uganda. This particular trail was suggested for the Nat Geo list by explorer Julian Monroe Fisher, who has been instrumental in its creation. It is set to open in 2014 with the first trekkers walking its length shortly there after. The photo above is actually a shot of an existing plaque commemorating the Bakers in one of the villages along the trail. Official trail markers will be added alongside it soon.

If you're planning a new treking adventure in the near future then you'll certainly want to check-out the trails that made Nat Geo's list. There are some excellent options for sure and whether you want to hike a well known classic route or take on a complete new one, there is a little something for everyone.

I wanted to take a moment this morning to plug a cool project that I contributed a story too that I think a lot of you will really enjoy. It's called bigblueproject and the concept is simple, yet brilliant at the same time. The project's creator, Burkhard Gruess came up with the idea of soliciting contributions of photos and travel stories then connecting them to a location on a map. Visitors to the site are presented with a map of the world with pins planted in various places where someone's story took place. Clicking on the pin will bring up that story and a single image that corresponds to it.

Burkhard kindly asked me to submit a story back when bbp was still in its conceptual stages, but I had a difficult time finding an opportunity to put something together. He circled back around a few months ago and asked me for a submission again, and this time I could really see what he was building and quite frankly I was very impressed. I loved the concept and the stories and images that people were sharing were excellent.

Of course, now I was excited to be a part of the project but still had a difficult time finding a spare moment to put something together. Yesterday, Burkhard nudged me once again and having a bit of a lull in my schedule at the moment, I went to work on getting something together. He's already posted my photo and story today, which you'll find by clicking here.

My contribution to bigblueproject involves a run in I had with a big bull elephant while visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa a few years back. The massive creature was wandering down the center of one of the main roads and was none to happy to come across the minivan that I was riding in along with a group of other writers and our guide. If you've ever been in a vehicle that has been charged by a full grown male elephant, who happens to be looking for a girlfriend, you'll understand.

Anyway. I hope you enjoy the story and the bigblueproject.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I am completely captivated by Africa. It is an incredible place with plenty of adventure for any one lifetime. The video below gives us a glimpse of the amazing landscapes, wildlife and people that can be found there. It was shot by filmmaker Benjamin Dowie, who recently visited Uganda and Tanzania. His short film captures many of the aspects of Africa that appeal to me and it makes me want to return again soon.

THIS IS AFRICA from Benjamin Dowie on Vimeo.

Filmmaker Vadim Sahaklan and a friend spent six months traveling through 13 countries on three continents. Along the way they documented their journey with a video camera and the result is the beautiful short film you'll find below. The two men first drove from Alaska to Los Angeles, then flew off to Africa to explore on foot, before ending their globe-trotting adventure on motorbikes in South America.

The 39-minute video manages to convey a fantastic sense of wonder and whimsey as Vadim and his friend visit some amazing places, learning more about themselves and the world around them as they go. This is definitely a video you won't want to miss. Excellent stuff.

Temporary Story from Vadim Sahakian on Vimeo.

Backpackers and mountain bikers will be interested to learn that a new long distance trail is set to open in Africa in early 2014. The new trail will give adventure seekers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a legendary explorer while also visiting the newest country on the planet – South Sudan. Along the way they'll get the chance to experience parts of Africa that remain wild and undeveloped, passing through landscapes that have remained largely unchanged for centuries.

The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail will stretch from Juba in South Sudan to Baker's View, which overlooks Lake Albert in western Uganda. The route will cover approximately 575 km (357 miles) along the same path that the Bakers followed on their two expeditions to Africa, which took place in the 1860's and 70's. The route will end at the point where Sir Samuel became the first European to ever set eyes on Lake Albert, which he himself named after Prince Albert.

The trail is being created through the efforts of anthropologist and explorer Julian Monroe Fisher who is working closely with the Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Antiquities, The Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation & Tourism for South Sudan. The descendants of Sir Samual and Lady Florence Baker are also taking part in the creation of this new route, which is being developed with the support of RailRiders Adventure Clothing and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, both of which are sponsors of Fisher's Great African Expedition. It was during Phase Two of that expedition that he discovered the exact location of Baker's View and is credited by the Ugandan Government with correcting key locations on maps. Fisher will return to Uganda in June to begin placing historical markers along the trail which will designate places that the Bakers camped while they were exploring the region.

During the 1860's and 70's, Samuel Baker explored much of central Africa and later along the path of the Nile. His wife, Lady Florence, traveled with him on his expeditions as he wandered throughout much of what is now Uganda and South Sudan. One of his early adventures took him to the shores of  Lake Albert, which he discovered in 1864. In addition to their contributions towards filling in the blank spots on the map, the Bakers were also staunchly against slavery. The couple publicly called for the abolition of the slave trade, a fact that is not forgotten in the region even in the 21st century.

The new trail is set to officially open in January of 2014 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Baker's expedition. Unlike many trails of this kind, access will not only be granted to hikers, but also mountain bikers and eventually 4x4 vehicles as well. Future extensions to the trail will expand on its length, including a long loop in South Sudan that will lead to the summit of Mount Kinyeti, the tallest peak in the region at 3187 meters (10,456 ft).

The trail is also being seen as an economic boon for both Uganda and South Sudan. The hope is that the scenic route will lure trekkers to the area bring much needed in flux of tourism dollars.

Yesterday marked the start of Expedition Africa, a 550km (340 mile) adventure race that is taking place this week in South Africa. The race, which is the only qualifying event for the AR World Championship in Coast Rica, features coed teams of four running, biking and paddling their way through breathtakingly beautiful African backcountry. Don't believe me? Have a look at the video below which features some highlights from Day 1.

We all know that the athletes from Kenya are well known as some of the best long distance runners on the planet. But what if those same athletes turned their attention to cycling – a sport that demands plenty of endurance and skill as well? That's the question that the creative team behind a new film entitled Baisikeli will ask as they follow a Kenyan cycling team as they deal with the trials and tribulations of learning the sport in hopes of some day becoming an international powerhouse.

The filmmakers have launched a Kickstarter campaign for the film and they're currently looking for some funding to help move forward with the project. The teaser for what they have in mind can be found below, and as a fan of cycling and all things Africa, I think it looks very interesting. The goal of the Kickstarter is to raise £33,000 ($51,000) to help fund the project and as of right now they're sitting at a fraction of that with 18 days to go. Hopefully it'll get proper funding as I'd like to hear more of this story.

BAISIKELI - The Story of an African Cycling Team - TEASER from Sinamatella Productions on Vimeo.

While we're on the subject of adventurous activities in South Africa today, heres a video that features climber Mélissa Le Nevé exploring the wonderful landscapes that make up Rocklands. The short film, which is 24 minutes in length, is beautifully shot and captures Rocklands in stunning fashion. Really an amazing looking place with plenty to offer any outdoor lover.


Vivid Landscapes - Mélissa Le Nevé in Rocklands (1080p) from Haroun Souirji on Vimeo.

No one hikes more unique and unusual trails that Rick McCharles, the writer of the always interesting Best Hike Blog. When he isn't busy coaching gymnastics in some bustling gym, Rick can usually be found backpacking his way along hiking routes in all kinds of remote corners of the globe. His most recent journey took him to South Africa to walk the Otter Trail, a route he tells me is spectacularly beautiful, little known in the West and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The Otter Trail stretches for 41 km (25 miles) along South Africa's popular Garden Route. The OT seldom ventures far from the breathtaking coast but it does wander through some rough terrain, climbing up and down rocky shorelines as it meanders across a spectacular region in a country that is filled with amazing locales. It generally takes about five days to hike the trail and there are comfortable huts situated along its length, making it easy find shelter at the end of the day.

Rick is now sharing that experience with readers kicking off his blog coverage with his first Otter Trail post today. Over the next five days he'll continue adding his thoughts on the experience, including some amazing photos of the things that he saw along the way. Today we start with Day 0, during which he shares some thoughts on just getting to the start of the hike. Starting tomorrow, we'll actually get into the trek itself.

What I always love about Rick's writing at Best Hike is that he does an excellent job of introducing us to long distance trails that many of us probably didn't even know existed. Through his well chosen words and beautiful photos, he also has a knack for inspiring us to follow in his footsteps. I have no doubt that his Otter Trail reports will continue that tradition.

Up until recently, mountain biking on Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in all of Africa, has been strictly prohibited. In order to protect the environment there, not to mention the people both hiking and attempting to ride the mountain, the Tanzanian government has been opposed to opening Kili for biking. But that all changed when a team of trekkers, led by philanthropist Doug Pitt, received special permission to both climb to the summit and descend on mountain bikes, which obviously turned into the ride of their lives.

Doug shares his experience on the Eddie Bauer Blog, providing some nice thoughts on what he calls the "greatest mountain bike descent of all time." But first, he stresses the reason that he and his teammates went to Tanzania in the first place was to raise funds for clean water projects, something that they were able to accomplish to the tune of $250,000. That money will be put to good use in easing the suffering in remote villages and other regions of the country and it was because of this that President Kikwete agreed to allowing the ride.

And what a ride it was. Doug says that it was a tough and technical descent that kept him on his toes all the way down. The nasty scree fields, which often had to be navigated on foot, eventually gave way to better trail, and it was a rocket ride all the way back to the departure gate. It isn't every day that you get to ride one of the Seven Summits, and Pitt relished it all the way, even as he screamed past a porter who told him "you crazy" as he flew by.

Reading the description of the descent had me wide eyed, but it also had me thinking "I sure hope he wore a GoPro on the way down!" I'd love to see some footage of this ride! Lets hope he did and we will.

Congrats to Doug and his entire team. Great job on raising funds for such an amazing cause and for riding the mountain.

    

Read more »

Explorer Julian Monroe Fisher has completed Phase Two of his ambitious RailRiders 2012-2016 Great African Expedition, traveling overland through remote regions of that continent. Fisher began the journey in Juba, the capital of South Sudan back in January and followed the same expeditionary route taken by Sir Samuel White Baker and his wife Lady Florence Baker back in the 1860's. The route eventually took him across the border into northern Uganda, following in Baker's footsteps to the shores of Lake Albert.

This phase of the expedition follows a successful launch of the project last spring during which Fisher traveled overland from Cairo, Egypt to Khartoum, Sudan. Traveling solo, the anthropologist began his study of the Ethnographical make-up of parts of Africa. The plan is to compare the modern day dispersal of local tribes with historical records from the 19th century with similar data.

During Phase Two, Fisher was joined by British photographer and documentarian Jon Maguire as he traveled north out of Juba into the realm of the Mundari tribes. From there, the two men turned southeast, traveling into the Eastern Equatoria region of South Sudan. Next, their route carried them across the border into northern Uganda, where they were joined by David Baker and his daughter Melanie. David is the great-great grandson of Sir Samuel Baker, and together the group trekked to the location where the famed explorers became the first European to set eyes on Lake Albert. Marking the exact GPS coordinates of that point, Fisher was later able to provide the Ugandan government with the precise location, something they intend to use to promote the spot to travelers.

Fisher and Maguire now intend to make a documentary of their travels through South Sudan, which remains the planet's newest nation. Few know much about the country and its troubled history, and it is possible the film will give many of us our first glimpse into life in that country.

Phase Three of the expedition will follow the Kagera River through Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania before making a circumnavigation around Lake Victoria. The start of that phase of the expedition has yet to be announced.

Tanzanian ultrarunner Simon Mtuy has always wanted to raise awareness of his homeland's fantastic trail running opportunities and in 2012 he finally got his chance. Last year, Simon led a group of endurance athletes that included ultrarunning legend Krissy Moehl on an 8-day, 160-mile run around Kilimanjaro. The group crossed through difficult terrain, dealt with plenty of heat and ran trails that see very little traffic as they completed the first circumnavigation around Africa's highest mountain. They also encountered breathtaking scenery and the interacted with the wonderfully friendly Tanzanians that live along the base of the mountain.

While they were off on their trail running adventure a film crew captured the experience from start to finish. The film, which is entitled Mountain of Greatness, is set to make its debut at the Trails In Motion Film Festival in March, but you can check out the trailer below. It gives us a sneak peek at what the runners experienced while on this epic run along the base of Kili.

If after watching this trailer you should happen to find yourself motivated to make this run for yourself, you're in luck. Simon is organizing another Kilimanjaro Stage Run for 2013. It will take place from October 19-29 and comes with an all-inclusive price of just $2125 per person. Seems like a bargain for this kind of adventure.

Thanks to Andrew King for sharing this great story and video!


Mountain of Greatness - Teaser from D4 PRODUCTIONS | Andrew King on Vimeo.

Earlier in the week I wrote a story about two Brits, Lev Wood and Simon Clarke, who are preparing to walk the length of the Nile River. At the time, the details for the expedition were still filling in, but we knew that they were planning a year-long expedition that would cross through seven countries and cover more than 4250 miles in the process. There was no date set for the start of the journey, but we do know that Wood and Clarke intend to embark this year.

Fast forward a few days and we're starting to get a clearer picture of their plans. The team has now launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the expedition and they're hoping to raise £30,000 (roughly $46,500) to get things underway. The campaign is scheduled to run for another 51 days, which means they won't be setting off on their trek until late April at the earliest.

The Kickstarter page tells us that Lev and Simon have already secured a television deal which will include three 60-minute episodes of their expedition to be aired on the BBC. Once underway, they'll also have a live GPS tracker that will allow us to track their progress at all times. The Walking the Nile website will also be updated to provide regular blog posts as well as video and photos from the field.

As of now, the team has received just 2% of their funding goal on Kickstarter, with 11 people contributing to the cause. Hopefully they'll achieve their goal however and be able to get the expedition off the ground. This is definitely one adventure I'm looking forward to following.

We're now just about halfway through the month of February, which means we're far enough into the new year that we should be thinking about our own adventures for the year ahead. Our friends over at The Active Times are here to help with this task, offering their selection for the 30 Best New Trips for 2013.

The AT broke their list of suggested destinations and activities down into region, offering the best options for Africa, The Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe & The Middle East. Each of their selections in those regions is a wild adventure that is far from the norm and decidedly not for the traveler who likes to sit on the beach watching the world go by. On the contrary, these are active, often demanding, journeys that will be reward adventurous travelers with once in a life time experiences and satisfying cultural, physical and historical encounters.

For instance, one of the options for intrepid trekkers is a 100-mile long hike through Kenya's Tsavao National Parks. The trek takes 11 days to complete and guarantees some memorable animal encounters along the way. Other options include new backpacking options in Patagonia, exploring the Mongolian Steppe on horseback and mountain biking the Himalaya in Bhutan. No matter what activity or destination you love, there are some good suggestions here, most of which will fill your adrenaline quotient while also providing plenty of amazing experience that simply can't be found elsewhere.

Over the past week or two I've been lamenting the fact that I've been home for far too long. Lots of work and a few bumps in the road of my personal life have kept me firmly rooted at by base of operations for far longer than I would like. I'm hoping to change that soon, as the wanderlust is certainly becoming harder to ignore. I see plenty of tempting options on this list for places I'd love to visit and experiences I'd like to add to my travel resume. It's time for me to choose my next adventure. How about you?

Two British adventurers are preparing to set out on one very long and demanding expedition that will see them pass through seven countries, covering more than 4250 miles (6840 km), along the entire length of the Nile River.

Inspired by Ed Stafford's record setting walk along the Amazon, Levison Wood and Simon Clarke have dubbed their adventure Walking the Nile. If successful, they'll become the first people in history to walk the longest river in the world from source to sea, and along the way they hope to encourage others to get off their couch and seek adventures of their own.

Their journey will begin in the highlands of Burundi and Rwanda before descending into the thick jungles of Tanzania and Uganda. From there they'll walk along the edge of Lake Victoria before entering the newest country on the planet – South Sudan. Crossing through the largest swampland on the planet, they'll move into North Sudan before passing into the Sahara Desert for the final leg of the expedition in Egypt. Wood and Clarke estimate that it should take them roughly 12 months to complete their adventure.

No date has been announced for the start of the expedition, but presumably you'll be able to follow progress on Facebook and Twitter once they get underway. For now though, you can get a sense of what they are facing in the short video below.

Walking The Nile from Secret Compass on Vimeo.