Last week I shared a video from the Red Bull Rampage that was shot entirely from the helmet cam of one of the competitors. That was an impressive display, although from a dizzying perspective. Today we have a more traditional view of this very cool event. The skill that these riders have is nothing short of impressive and it is fun to watch them go through this difficult down hill mountain biking course.

Friday is always a good time for a laugh. Today that comes in the form of this video that will tell you everything you need to know about being a mountain biker. For many of us, some of these tips will hit a little too close to home. Which is of course what makes them so funny to begin with.

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.

The Red Bull Rampage is always a cool event with downhill mountain bikers showing off their skills on a tough course in Utah. This year, second place rider Kelly McGarry was wearing a GoPro camera for his final run, which gives us a dizzying look at what it is like to ride this course. Along the way, McGarry also manages to pull of a couple of impressive backflips which definitely wowed the crowd. Watching this video definitely reaffirms my decision to leave this kind of riding to the professionals.

The video below probably sums up how many of us feel about riding our bikes, whether it is on a road or on a trail. It is a beautiful love letter written to the bicycle in video form and if you enjoy riding at all, you'll probably be able to relate.

Thanks to Adventure Journal for sharing.

Ode to the Bicycle from Tim Pierce - Director / DOP on Vimeo.

I don't know much about this video other than it is called "Mountain Biking Masterful" and it features some great shots of riders flying down some impressive slopes while pulling off impressive tricks and occasionally crashing in spectacular fashion. It is 5+ minutes of downhill mountain biking porn, so it's best to not ask to many questions and just sit back and watch. It's worth it.

This new promo video from Backcountry is so much more than a commercial for an online gear store. It's an endorsement for the lifestyle that many of us have chosen to pursue. It teases us with images of incredibly beautiful locations but then slaps us in the face with the hardships and challenges we endure in our ongoing search for adventure. This video is inspiring, energizing and the perfect way to send us off into a weekend. Enjoy!

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow patch of land located in northeast Afghanistan that separates Tajikistan and Pakistan. The Corridor was once used a trade route hundreds of years ago, but as better routes over both land and sea developed, it was all but forgotten. Today it is seldom visited by westerners but by all accounts it is a breathtakingly beautiful and rugged place.

In the video below, professional mountain biker Matt Hunter and some of his closest friends traveled to Afghanistan to ride through Wakhan. They captured their adventure with the new Sony Action Cam and produced an outstanding short film of their experiences. If you're in the mood for a mountain biking adventure, you won't want to miss out on this one.

Light & Motion is a company that has earned itself a reputation for making excellent lights for cycling, diving and other outdoor activities. Their products are popular amongst backpackers, adventure racers and other outdoor athletes who require lightweight, comfortable and bright lights to see them through their adventures. Their products are tough, dependable and built to survive in the most difficult of environments.

In the past I've reviewed the Solite 150 and 250 headlamps and came away impressed both times. Those two products were exactly what you would hope for in a headlamp. They are lightweight, comfortable to wear, versatile  and incredibly bright. They also have outstanding battery life from a built-in USB rechargeable lithium ion power cell, lasting for hours on a single charge. The Solite 250 is so good in fact that it just might be the best headlamp I've ever used, which left me wondering how Light & Motion could possibly top it. Recently I had the opportunity to find out in the form of the new Solite 250EX, a product that has minor – but welcome – upgrades that refine an already great product even further.

In terms of performance, there is virtually no difference between the standard Solite 250 and the new 250EX. They both put out a stunning 250 lumens on their highest settings, which is blindingly bright when used in a very dark setting. Both weight 149 grams (5.2 ounces) and both feature six modes on their lights, including high, medium, low, pulse, SOS and camp/read. Each of those has a different level of brightness and the battery life depends on which mode you use at any given time.

Battery life is exactly where these two headlamps diverge in terms of performance. The 250EX clearly has a bigger power cell, as it is rated for 4 hours of battery life on its highest setting, while the 250 can only mange to muster approximately 2.5 hours. The EX also manages to best its sibling on every other power setting, providing much longer burn times at all levels of brightness. The downside of this larger power cell is that it takes much longer to charge as well. Taking as much as 8 hours to full charge when compared to 5 hours on the standard 250 model.



Cosmetically the 250EX has a slightly different appearance as well. While the standard 250 is bronze in color, the new model is an elegant white. At first glance, it is difficult to even tell the difference between the two lights when they are sitting next to one another, which is why Light & Motion elected to vary the appearance slightly I'm sure. Both lights have the same wide headband that is comfortable and stabilizing, holding the light in place even when you're running or riding a bike. Both version of the headlamp also have the ability to transform into a handheld torch by removing the battery pack and lamp from the headband and attaching them to one another. This is a nice touch for those who don't always want, or need, a head torch on their adventures.

The 250EX has an integrated battery life indicator that lets you know when it is time to charge it and red side lighting that provides a wider range of visibility. Those small, but useful touches, show how well Light & Motion knows its customers and market and caters to their needs nicely.

If you're in the market for a lightweight and powerful headlamp, you'll have a tough time finding anything on the market that beats any of the Solite offerings. Each of them is a real powerhouse, although they don't exactly come cheap. The new 250EX carries a price tag of $179, which is $30 more than its predecessor. Whether or not you feel it is worth the extra money totally depends on how much you'll need to use the light. If it is a gear item that you'll be using on a regular basis, then spending the extra dough is probably worth it for the extended battery. But if you're someone who needs an excellent headlamp on an occasional basis, then either the 150 or 250 will likely meet your needs.

The 250EX will likely appeal to adventure racers and mountain bikers in particular. The light is incredibly bright, can go a long time on a single charge and is comfortable to wear over an extended period. In short, an already great product has gotten even better and those who need this level of performance will not be disappointed.

The Tetons are some of the finest mountains you'll find in all of North America. They form a virtual outdoor playground for those who love to climb, ski, hike, camp and more. From the looks of the video below, which was made by Yeti Cycles, they look like a beautiful place to go mountain biking as well. You may not have been planning to go for a ride tonight, but after watching this video you may want to.

Thanks to The Goat for sharing.

The Tetons from Yeti Cycles on Vimeo.

Sacred Rides is company that gives travelers an opportunity to mountain bike through some of the most spectacular settings on the planet. Places like Nepal, New Zealand and Peru. Last year the folks at Sacred Rides asked mountain bikers the world over why they enjoy riding and some of the best responses were compiled in the video below. It is a beautiful tribute to the sport and will inspire you to climb on your bike as well, even if your local setting isn't quite as spectacular as those founds in the video itself.

And when you're done watching, head over to the Sacred Rides website for a chance to win a free trip with the company valued at $2500.

It's been awhile since we had one of those "people are awesome" videos, but the one below makes up for the long wait. It shows all manner of men and women doing extraordinary things, often in some fairly extraordinary places. As the name implies, much of the video was captured on a GoPro camera, which gives the footage an even extra personal touch. Lots of fun, inspiring stuff here. Enjoy!

In 2011,  Kyle Dempster traveled solo to Kyrgyzstan in search of some new places to climb. With little understanding of the language, a vague idea of where he was headed and basic plan, he set out on his mountain bike in search of adventure. That's exactly what he found, but more so in the journey and less in the climbing itself.

Throughout the journey he recorded his escapades, talking to the camera as he went. When he returned home, the footage sat unedited or watched for months, until he turned it over to friend and fellow climber Fitz Cahall, who turned it into an award winning short film. The results of that editing can be seen below and it is 25 minutes of adventure porn that sure to inspire feelings of wanderlust. If you have the time to kill, you're definitely going to enjoy this.

Big tip of the hat to the Adventure Journal for sharing this today. Excellent and inspiring stuff.

The Redbull Divide and Conquer is a three-stage race during which a three-person team has one member of their team cover each leg. This year's event took place on June 8 on Vancouver's spectacular North Shore. The video below gives you an idea of what it is all about, but judging from how amazing each leg of the course looks, I'd have a hard time deciding which discipline I'd want to do the most. It all looks spectacular to me! And as a side note, I'm jealous that hose living in Vancouver have this outdoor playground right in their backyard. It looks beautiful.

I'm the first one to admit that my gear closet is packed full of far more stuff than the average outdoor enthusiast could ever need. Writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to test a lot of great equipment and use it on my own personal adventures. But one item that I had been hoping to add to my collection for some time was an Ambit GPS watch from Suunto, a high tech piece of kit that is versatile enough to be used in everyday workouts, weekend treks or excursions to far flung destinations across the globe.

Before I say anything about this watch, it is important to point out that this review is based on the original Ambit, which I was able to grab at REI recently when they gave it a 25% discount following the release of the Ambit2. By most accounts, the Ambit2 takes the winning formula of its processor and refines it nicely, providing more functionality in a slightly slimmed down form factor. Since I haven't tested that model yet, I can only share my thoughts on the Ambit, which I must say lives up to its reputation as an excellent multi-functional watch for all of your outdoor adventures.

In its basic form, the Ambit is a sports watch and as such it has all of the functionality you would expect out of such a device. Obviously it tells time (in two locations no less), and includes day, date and alarm functionality, as you would expect. It also has a stopwatch, interval timers, a countdown timer and more. It is rugged enough to be used at altitudes extending beyond the summit of Everest and as much as 100 meters (328 feet). In short, it is everything you would expect out of an outdoor watch and more.

At the heart of the Ambit is a powerful GPS chip that interfaces with the other functions of the watch, providing all kinds of real time data to the wearer. For instance, when running or cycling, the GPS feed information about your current speed, distance, pace – all of which is helpful when training for an event. While hiking, the watch can mark waypoints and help you navigate back to them using its onboard mapping capabilities. These capabilities put a powerful outdoor computer on your wrist that can help you in a variety of ways, particularly if you're an avid outdoor athlete or your adventures take you regularly into the backcountry.

Of course, GPS watches are nothing new and there have been a number of excellent products from other companies for years. What sets the Ambit apart in my book is that its user interface is super easy to understand, making it a breeze to navigate through the dizzying array of options and put them to use. I was impressed with the UI on this watch and commend Suunto for doing such a great job in making it so simple to operate. The operating system that makes this possible is also easily updatable, which means the watch continues to be refined and improved long after its release. In fact, a new firmware update is due before the end of the month, showing Suunto's commitment to continuing to support this watch even though the Ambit2 is out.

One of the major improvements the new Ambit has over its predecessor is that it has more onboard memory to support more functions. But that said, the original Ambit has free space as well and the user can add functionality to the watch themselves by downloading "apps" of a sort from the App Zone at Movescount.com. That website it he only home for Ambit users, allowing them to upload data from their watch to track performance and improvements over time. It's a nice site and easy to use, but it would be nice if the Ambit data was able to be shared on other fitness sites that are used by more people and allow uploads from a variety of devices from different manufacturers.

Performance of the Ambit has been excellent overall, although it can be slow to connect to the GPS satellites at times. I've found it is best for that initial connection if you have an unobstructed view of the sky and don't move at all until after the watch achieves GPS lock. Once it does find the satellites however, the Ambit seems to hold that connection well and begins to quickly track your movements. It can "ping" the GPS satellites on a 1 second or 1 minute basis. The faster rate provides more accurate readings of course, but it also puts a bigger hit on the battery. There are times when both levels of accuracy are nice to have. For instance, when running you want very accurate readings of your distance but when hiking the 1 minute intervals are probably fine since you're moving a much slower rate.

Speaking of the battery, the Ambit features an internal rechargeable cell that can be powered up by connecting the watch to a USB port on your computer or some other charger. When used strictly as a watch, Suunto says it can go up to 30 days between charges, but since I haven't been using it just as watch, i can't confirm or deny that number. I have been using on almost daily runs with GPS on the entire time. My runs are between 5-10 miles in length and the Ambit was able to survive two weeks without need a recharge. I found that to be pretty solid performance all things considering. We know that GPS always strains a battery, but considering  how small the Ambit is and how much functionality it has packed in, it really is impressive that it can last that long.

This is just scratching the surface of what the Ambit is capable of. It also has built-in automatic GPS time checks, temperature and barometric pressure readings, current altitude and change in altitude recordings and a lot more. In fact, I could go on forever about all of the features of this watch, but the most important things to know is that it is tough, rugged and performs incredibly well. It is also very easy to use, which isn't always the case for a device with this many features in such a small form factor. Suunto has delivered a versatile piece of technology that outdoor athletes will love, and whether your "settle" for the original Ambit (now available for as little as $350) or the more powerful and slightly trimmer Ambit2 ($550), you not only get a great piece of gear to accompany you on all your adventures, you're getting a watch that will last for years as well.

For me, the wait for getting my hands on the Ambit was worth with it. It is a great gadget and performs beyond my expectations. After just a few runs I felt completely comfortable using it without thinking twice and as a result, I can't imagine heading out without it on my wrist.

Even in the 21st Century tales of the Yeti continue to spark our imagination. The mythical ape-like creature that supposedly lives in the High Himalaya has remained elusive, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to look for him. At least that's the basic premise of this wonderful short film that seems more like a good excuse to go mountain biking in Nepal rather than a true study of cryptozoology. Considering the stunning backdrops and excellent trails, I think any excuse to mountain bike in Nepal is a good one. Anyone want to organize this kind of Yeti hunt with me?

Searching for the Yeti from Gary Thomas on Vimeo.

The rise of technology and social media has certainly brought some interesting changes to our lives. We are now more connected than ever to not only our friends and family, but also people and organizations that we would never had a chance to be in contact with in the past. One small bicycle shop in Denver, Colorado is using social media to reach out to cyclists around the world and the results have been to create a community with a shared common interest that isn't confined by geographic bounds.

Adrenaline Cycles has been running a contest on Instragram for several months now that allows anyone to share their favorite cycling photos for a chance to win monthly prizes from brands such as Fizik, Pearl Izumi, Shimano and more. The winners are chosen by the store's staff and at the end of the year, they'll be giving away an extremely sweet prize – a 2013 Cannondale SuperSix Evo Ultegra Di2 road bike valued at $5200.

To enter the contest, all you have to do is follow the shop on Instagram @adrenalinecycles. Then, submit as many photos as you would like using the current hashtag of the month. The most likes on a weekly basis earns Adrenaline gear and the photo of the month wins a grand prize. For the month of June that is a Garmin Edge 510 cycling computer bundle. 

I have to admit, I haven't jumped on the Instagram bandwagon but I know a lot of people who really enjoy using the service. This is a fun and creative way for Adrenaline Cycles to build a following and some excitement around their shop that extends well beyond their typical reach. It's a very creative concept and some of the photo submissions are quite spectacular. If you're a cyclist who is also an Instagram user, you should dial into this contest. You might be able score yourself some great swag and possibly even a new ride in the process.

With the weekend almost within reach I've been thinking about getting my mountain bike out on a trail. I came across this video that provided plenty of inspiration to do just that. It is a beautiful short film that shares the joy of downhill mountain biking in some pretty amazing environments. Maybe it'll inspire you to get on your bike too!

One of the longest and most demanding mountain bike races in the world gets underway on Friday when this year's crop of riders set out on the Tour Divide. For most, it'll be a weeks long journey along the epic Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which runs for 2745 miles (4418 km) between Banff, in Albert Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico, which falls on the U.S.-Mexican border. Along the way the riders will need to be completely self sufficient while out on the trail, as this route runs through some very remote backcountry that routinely leaves them far from civilization.

As always, this race is run for the pure adventure. There is no prize money, very little fanfare and almost no media coverage. The field consists of a small group of dedicated mountain bikers who simply love the challenge of the trail, which is a mish-mash of single-track, jeep routes, fire roads and equally challenging paths. All told, the riders will actually face over 200,000 feet of vertical gain along the way, which is the same as going from sea level to the summit of Everest more than seven times.

And just how long will it take for the riders to complete the 2745 miles? The fastest riders will complete the route in approximately two weeks, but those are elite riders who pound the pedals for hours on end each day. The rank and file riders are more likely to take somewhere between 20 and 30 days depending on trail conditions, weather, mechanical issues and so on. No matter how long it take, it won't be a ride in the park. This is a demanding trail no matter what pace you set.

For updates on the race once it gets started, be sure to check out TourDivide.org and the official Facebook page.

One of the largest and most popular event for outdoor athletes is now underway in Vail, Colorado, where the GoPro Mountain Games kicked off yesterday. These are the same mountain games that we've come to know and love over the past number of years, although this time GoPro has stepped up to be the title sponsor replacing Teva.

The events kicked off yesterday with a light schedule to get things started but things will pick-up considerably today as we head into the weekend. As usual, there are a number of great outdoor sports for athletes to take part in with bouldering, slacklining and slope style mountain biking taking center stage today. The number of events really ramps up tomorrow as climbing, kayaking, cycling and many other competitions begin, and of course the battle for the title of the King of the Mountain kicks into full gear as well.

Of course, there will be plenty to do for spectators as well. In addition to cheering on these amazing outdoor athletes, the Adventure Village returns to give kids an opportunity to learn more about the sports they're watching while Gear Town will be a great place to check out new outdoor equipment and possibly even score some killer deals. As always, there will be plenty of live music, parties, food and photo competitions to help keep everyone entertained.

For a full list of events and to get more details on the GoPro Mountain Games, click here. If you're in the neighborhood this weekend, it looks like this will be a fun event worth checking out. And if you're up to it, you might still be able to get involved in some of the competitions.