This video is further proof that anything someone can do on a two wheels, someone else will try it on just one. Extreme unicyclists Lutz Eichholz and Stephanie Dietze head into the Alps to take on the 3400 meter (11,154 ft) Mettlehorn on their single-wheeled bikes. They're both braver than I am, that much is certain.

Tip of the hat to Outside Online for sharing this.

What do you do when you're a world-class climber coming off a disappointing season in the Himalaya where you were caught up in one of the biggest Everest stories in recent memory? If you're Ueli Steck, you look for new challenges in your own backyard. In this case, that means speed-climbing the longest and toughest ridge in the Alps in impressive fashion.

Last week, Ueli set his sights on the Intégrale de Peuterey, a very long and difficult ridge that culminates at the summit of Mont Blanc du Courmayuer. This route features a vertical gain of 4500 meters (14,764 ft) and typically takes about 2-3 days for most climbers to complete. But most climbers aren't Ueli Steck, a man who has made a career out of going light and ver fast in the Alps. This time out he managed to knock of the entire climb – both up and down – in a little over 16 hours.

The ascent began well before dawn on August 12. With his camp located an additional 1000 meters (3280 ft) below the Intégrale de Peuterey, Ueli set off in running shoes traveling as quickly as he could. He covered that first 1000 meters in about an hour and then moved out onto the ridge itself. His pack was filled with only the bare essentials including a light down jacket, 60 meters or rope and assorted other climbing gear. He chewed through the early stages of the ascent in typical fashion – which is to say very fast – and switched over to his climbing shoes as he transitioned off the trail and onto the mixed rock, snow and ice that would be the crux of the challenge.

Traveling solo, Ueli was able to go at his own pace and made great progress, even when he encountered a pair of other climbers making the same ascent. He gave them a wide berth so as to not kick rocks back down upon them as he went by, leaving those climbers to wonder who was the speed demon that just left them in the dust.

The Swiss climber reached the summit of the Mont Blanc du Courmayuer just before 3:00 PM local time. That meant he had gone from his tent to the summit in under 11 hours. He took a few moments o enjoy the accomplishment before starting back down, crossing over to Mont Blanc proper and heading to the Dome de Gouter before descending into the Chamonix valley. By the time he passed the church in the village of Les Houches he had been on the move for just over 16 hours. He arrived back at his tent a short time later and immediately climbed into his sleeping bag for a much deserved nap. It had been a good day to climb in the Alps.

For more details on the climb, read Ueli's account on his website or a translated version here.

The Swiss Irontrail ultramarathon, now in its second year, is the longest and highest single-stage running event in Europe. The race, which takes place this weekend, covers 201.4 km (125.2 miles) through the Alps in the Graubünden region of Switzerland. It promises to be a tough and demanding event that will test both the mental and physical endurance of the athletes.

One of those athletes is ultrarunner Rebecca Byerly who has been prepping for the Irontrail and creating a series of training videos for Mammut in the process. In the video below, you'll see Rebecca and friends running a 222 km (137 mile) race known as La Ultra - The High, which takes place in the foothills of the Himalaya. The race climbs through the Khardung-La pass, which falls at an altitude of 5395 meters (17,700 ft), making this a truly difficult high altitude challenge. Just another day in the life of an ultra-runner who is preparing for even more challenging races to come.

Just a quick reminder that there is still time to enter the contest I'm currently running to win one of two copies of the film North Face on BluRay disc. The 2010 film was just released in high-def on Tuesday but if you're lucky, you can score a cope courtesy of the Adventure Blog.

In my opinion, the movie is one of the finest climbing films to come out in some time. It tells the true story of German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, who attempted to make the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. Along the way they find themselves in a competition with a pair of Austrian climber, only to find themselves joining forces as they struggle to survive just to get off the mountain alive. It is a great film with fantastic landscapes, excellent cinematography and solid acting. Chances are if you're reading this blog, you're going to really like it.

To enter the contest all you have to do is drop me an email at kungfujedi@gmail.com with a subject of "North Face." Then, in the body of the email, tell me what mountain the men in the film are climbing. That's it! Do that, and you'll be entered to win. On Friday afternoon I'll pick two winner and get these DVD's shipped out as soon as possible.

Good luck! Oh! And here's the movie's official trailer to give you a better idea of what it's about.

So what's a world class climber to do after having his Everest dreams crushed? Return home, rest up and then go play in the alps apparently.

After Ueli Steck left the Himalaya following his much publicized showdown with the Sherpas this spring, he went on radio silence. He, Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffin were threatened, beaten and generally harassed on Everest, forcing them to abandon their attempt at a new route. Once the situation calmed down, he and Griffin left Nepal and returned home to Europe, where Ueli has been careful with his comments on the delicate situation.

But as with all climbers, the mountains make everything better and it looks like he had the opportunity to stretch his legs a bit in the Alps this week. Jonathan joined him for a little speed-run up the Mönch, a 4107 meter (13,747 ft) peak that sits between the famous Jungfrau and the Eiger.

Jonathan writes in a blog post on Ueli's website that the Mönch isn't a particularly tough climb, but it is a long route. During their busy day in the Alps, the covered 3460 meters (11,351 ft) of vertical ascent and 18 km (11 miles) total distance. Best of all, they captured some great photos along the way, showing the Swiss Machine completely in his element. You can take a peek at them here.

It is good to see these two men get back to climbing. Lets hope we see them back in the Himalaya in the future as well.

Back in August I shared the trailer for an upcoming climbing film that followed a team of Dutch climbers who traveled to Peru to take on the 5440 meter (17,847 ft) Puscanturpa Este. The team managed to climb a new route, which they named Poco Loco,  along the mountain's North Face, shooting plenty of video footage along the way. Now, they've edited that footage together into a four-part film that gives us a nice glimpse of the three-week long expedition.

Part 1 of that video can be found below and it shows the team training in various locations across Europe in preparation for the Andes. The climbers took on all kind of rock faces across the Alps to help get ready for the challenges ahead, including basic routes on a rock face and some very challenging high alpine ice routes that tested their skills to the max. All of this is to set-up for what is to come when they head to South America.


Peru Expedition episode 1 of 4 - Training from vincent van beek on Vimeo.

We've known for some time that Ueli Steck has been using a paraglider in some interesting ways to bag multiple peaks in the Alps but learning to fly his glider wasn't as easy as he now makes it look. In the video below, Ueli shares his early training with us while talking about his new-found love for the sport and ways that he can use it to his advantage in the mountains.

A guy like Ueli seems to make everything look so easy, so it's kind of funny to see him struggle at first. But of course he learns to use his paraglider quite nicely in the end and we now know what he is capable of. Still, it is always interesting to find out what the Swiss Machine is up to.

Looking for a fun, challenging and fulfilling adventure later this year? Then checkout Trekstock's intriguing Another Great Gig in the Sky hike. The event is a 6-day trek through the Alps that crosses three countries (Italy, France and Switzerland) that culminates at the Paléo Music Festival. But the trip isn't just about hiking through some of the most beautiful regions in Europe, it is also a charity fundraiser that will earn much needed cash to help young people dealing with cancer.

Trekstock is an organization that officially launched back in 2010 with the expressed mission of helping to raise funds to battle cancer and to help educate youth about leading a healthy lifestyle. Since then, one of their major fundraisers has been their Great Gig in the Sky adventures. Last year the trek took them to Mt. Kenya in Africa and this year the route will wind through the Alps.

The route for the 2013 "Gig" was designed by 360 Expeditions exclusively for this event. The challenge trek will follow the Tour Du Mount Blanc circuit starting in Courmayeur, Italy and ending in Chamonix, France, with a stop at the Swiss music festival along the way.  Registration for the Gig is £350 ($550) and includes flights from the U.K. to the start of the hike and a 2-day weekend festival pass to the Paléo. Each of the trekkers will be expected to raise a minimum of an additional £2800 ($4425) for the cause.

For anyone interested in joining the trek the dates that it will be underway are Friday July 19 - Sunday 28. Find out a lot more by clicking here.

Hmm...definitely intriguing. Maybe I should add this to my list of things to do this year!