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 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.

Last week the Expedition Africa Adventure Race took place in South Africa, where 31 teams went head to head on a 550 km (341 mile) course that was specifically built to test their skills and push them to their physical limits. The event was part of the Adventure Racing Wold Series and is the only qualifier for the AR World Championships to be held in Africa his year. By all accounts, the race was an excellent one with fantastic trekking, mountain biking and paddling legs that really showed off the amazing landscapes of the host country. After more than four days of non-stop racing, Team Haglofs Silva of Sweden claimed the victory. Second place went to Team Technu Adventure Racing from the U.S. and Canada, who were about three hours behind the winners. Team Raidlight of France rounded out the podium.

My friend Lisa de Speville was on hand to cover the race from start to finish, which is no easy feat in and of itself. Lisa is a fantastic AR corespondent because she not only knows the sport inside and out, but is passionate about it as well. You can read her race recap here and catch the rest of her outstanding coverage here. If you're already a fan of adventure racing, you'll enjoy catching up with everything that went down during the race and you can learn a lot about team strategy, race logistics and so on as well.

Below you'll also find a video from the race directors that shares highlights from the event. It'll also give you a great idea of what the teams faced while out on the course. Having visited South Africa myself and seeing again here in this video, I have to say that it makes a fantastic location for an race like this one.

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.

On Monday, Expedition Africa – a 500 km (310 mile) long adventure race – will get underway in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa. The race will pit coed teams of four against one another in a non-stop, multi-sport AR event that is expected to take a minimum of three days to complete. As usual, the athletes will need to run, mountain bike, paddle and navigate their way through some remote and beautiful locations on their way to the finish line. The race is scheduled to run through May 12.

Fans of adventure racing will be able to follow the event live on the official website once the race commences on Monday. The race organizers will also be posting regular updates to their Facebook page as well. But if you want to read the best coverage available, it is likely to be found on the adventure racing site AR.co.za. The site belongs to my friend Lisa de Speville, who has a long track record of covering expedition length races. She'll be on site in the Drakensbergs next week to cover the race and will post reports to her webpage regularly. Lisa's race reports are always thorough, interesting and insightful, and as a fan of the sport, I'm already looking forward to what she has to say.

For those of you who are new to adventure racing or to Expedition Africa, Lisa has set up a page to describe the basics of the event which you can read here. She has also compiled a list of good online resources for keeping current with what is happening while the race is underway, which you'll find here.

Expedition Africa also happens to be part of the Adventure Racing World Series, which means that the 31 teams competing there will be looking to earn a qualifying spot at the AR World Championships to be held in Costa Rica later this year. It is the only adventure race held on the African continent to hold that distinction.

Good luck to all of the racers. Have fun and watch out for the sleep monsters!

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.

Ever wondered just how mountain rescue operations are conducted? At a recent edition of FEAT (Fascinating Expedition and Adventure Talks) held in Johannesburg, mountain rescue guide and instructor Rob Thomas shared some very insightful and interesting behind the scenes information on how he recruits new volunteers to his team, trains them for work in the field and much more. His profiles of his most frequent "customers" and his answer to who pays for the operations are particularly interesting.

Pete Mandra is an experienced Africa traveler. He's the author of the humorous novel describing a real life, 6-week overland tour through Africa-- Overland. Here's the first of a series of posts he's agreed to do for us about his adventures:

The day my future wife Jessica and I had finally arrived in Cape Town, South Africa will forever be burned into my mind.

Cape Town is a city of contrasts, contrasts that appeared even sharper after our brutal flights to get there (14 hours in the air, from Chicago to Amsterdam to Johannesburg to (finally!) Cape Town). I see shanty-type huts, constructed from wood and sheet metal, crowding the main road, eventually giving way to the pristine, gated communities of those better off. Pollution and trash exist here as in any other city, yet seem markedly out of place as Table Mountain towers overhead, glowing in the setting red Africa sun.

We visited Africa, which led to the inspiration behind my book Overland, to get a taste of adventure and to see this beautiful continent for ourselves. In a way, Jessica and I were a contrast as well-- at a time in our lives when most couples are worrying about what school to send baby Timmy to, we were ending our apartment lease, cashing in our savings and quitting our jobs (since US firms NEVER give you enough time off!) to see the world.

Our plan was simple-- we had given ourselves three full days to explore Cape Town before meeting up with our tour group-- a full, six-week overland junket that would take us and an entire truckload of strangers from South Africa to Nairobi, Kenya and all points in-between. And as a launching point for our Africa odyssey, Cape Town proved perfect, a mix of majestic beauty, soaring landscapes and proud people.

Table Mountain? Magical (though take a cab back to your hotel, if you plan on hiking it!) Looking out from Cape Point, you can imagine how it earned its deserved reputation as the ‘point of no return’ for many a sailor. In the Cape Town area, I also had my first African wildlife experiences-- first spotting the playful Jackass Penguins near Port Elizabeth (again-- more contrasts!), and then foolishly slowing the car when I spied some baboons who interpreted my actions as a lunch delivery.

But as much as I loved Cape Town-- and I am very looking forward to returning one day-- I am very grateful that we didn’t decide to make it our only stop on the African continent. Africa is a very rich, very diverse land that can’t be represented by a single country within its geographical space, as we quickly found out as we moved through Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. One would not visit Greece thinking they’ve seen all of Europe-- South Africa is much the same way.

For strictly selfish reasons, though, I am certain staying put in Cape Town would not have afforded me the material for Overland, as the book, which I describe as ‘Bill Bryson meets Generation X’, is as much of a celebration of traveling through Africa as it is the trials of ‘joys’ of group travel. Travelling through a constantly churning continent like Africa will provide its share of anxiety from time to time. Throw a group of strangers into the mix, each one stranger than the next, and THEN you’ve got something...

-by Lindy Howard

If you're visiting Cape Town for the first time, you’re in for something completely different. This town that started off as an isolated supply post at the end of the world is now one of South Africa's largest, most colourful and thriving cities. Safaris, beautiful beaches, the winelands and a thriving metropolis can all be found fairly close to each other.

Victoria & Albert Waterfront

If you arrive by sea the first place you're likely to land is the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and that's as good a starting point as any.

The V&A is one of Cape Town's premier tourist and shopping districts, but it's not all for show. The surrounding port is still operative and you can watch the busy operations as you visit the V&A's hundreds of shops and cafes or the Two Oceans Aquarium.
 
Nelson Mandela Gateway & Robben Island

From the waterfront, you can head through the Nelson Mandela Gateway and board the ferry to Robben Island, where Mandela and many others spent years as political prisoners. And if a sea voyage is not on the agenda, take a stroll around and see Cape Town's iconic Cape Dutch architecture. It's an intriguing mixture of French, German, Dutch and British stylings unique to this part of the world.
 
The Cape Town Coastline

If aquatic pursuits are more your style, Cape Town's unique geography makes for an interesting day at the beach. The Atlantic waters to the west are substantially colder than the Indian Ocean to the east, and each one harbors different creatures. The Indian Ocean is perhaps better for diving and wildlife while the Atlantic coast has more developed residential areas and restaurants.

The Winelands

Ranging a bit further out can be rewarding as well. Within a short drive of Cape Town are the South African Winelands, a UNESCO recognized region where many exquisite wines are produced.

Whites, reds, German and French styles are all well represented here thanks to the region's rich colonial history and an extremely grape-friendly Mediterranean climate.

You can take one of many guided vineyard tours or set out on your own. Many visitors find that it's best to rent a car because public transit in Cape Town, while quite good by African standards, is still somewhat lacking. The Winelands spread out in a northeasterly direction from Cape Town and into the increasingly hilly terrain of the interior.

Constantia Valley, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch

Locals call this region the Boland, Afrikaans for "uplands." The Constantia valley region is home to some of the Winelands' oldest estates and poshest dining.
 
Go a little further and you'll find the origin of some of South Africa's best wines in the area around Stellenbosch, the oldest town in the country.  

The Franschhoek region was once settled by the French, and this small town still hosts more than thirty farms. Many of the vineyards of the Winelands have excellent restaurants on-site, and almost all of them offer tastings and cellar tours.

Meet Zakumi, the official mascot for the 2010 World Cup

I'm planning a trip to Rio for the spring-- way before the Olympics make it unbearable. Long before the Rio Olympics, though, people are buying up every hotel room anywhere near Port Elizabeth. Port who? Next summer, June 11- July 11 the 19th World Cup will take place in South Africa-- in 9 cities, including the brand new Nelson Mandella Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The other cities are Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfonterin, Pietersburg, Nelspruit and Rustenburg. (Saturday the U.S. guaranteed its participation by beating Honduras.)

Robert Tuchman, probably the foremost expert on worldwide sports travel, and author of The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live, agreed to give us a bird's eye advance look at the 2010 World Cup. His book, which covers everything from the Super Bowl, Masters, Calgary Stampede, Army v Navy Game, Wimbelon, Stanley Cup and Rose Bowl to the Indy 500, Running of the Bulls, Iditarod and the Nathan's Hot Dog Easting Contest, offers plenty of tips and advice on how to access the best tickets, hotel accommodations, private event passes as well as all of the ins and outs of the selected happenings surrounding each event. Here's his report on next year's World Cup:

Every four years near the end of June and beginning of July thousands of countries around the world shut down to watch and tune into the World Cup. Millions fill into the host country’s stadiums, and billions watch from home on their televisions. If you are not tuned into the World Cup you are missing out on one of the biggest sporting events of the given year. But nothing can compare to the enthusiasm from the fans, patriotism and pride for their country, and the passion that you can see in their eyes while watching and being instilled in a game.

In 2006, I was lucky enough to experience the World Cup in host country Germany. I witnessed hundreds of thousands of people who had traveled from all over the world to experience this great sporting event. Passion could be seen in their eyes and heard through their cheers. I have seen many live sports events in my time, but few have been able to match the type of raw energy and enthusiasm that was evident that summer in Europe. The actual matches were only part of the experience. The pride that countrymen felt toward their team, the parties and revelry in the streets in celebrating a victory, and the liveliness and enthusiasm provided once-in-a-lifetime spectacle for me. It was this sporting event that motivated me to write a book called The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime.

This summer, South Africa is the host nation where soccer isn’t just a sport but for thousands of people a way of life, and something that is either played or consumed on a daily basis. So far 19 teams have qualified for the prestigious tournament including big name countries like Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil and recently the United States. The biggest stadium and venue is Soccer City in Johannesburg, the stadium holds 94,700 fans. The second largest is in Durban holding 70,000 fans. The host country has been working hard on preparations for the upcoming event building five new stadiums, three new match stadiums and two practice facilities. 200 teams have entered the World Cup but only 31 countries will qualify and compete for the prestigious title. The drama, heartache, enthusiasm, and passion will unfold this summer in South Africa. If you haven’t tuned into to the World Cup before the time is now, experience something that motivated me to write a book. Experience more than a sport, but a way of life for most of the world.