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.

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.

Back in February I posted a story about two British explorers, Levison Wood and Simon Clarke, who had announced plans to walk the length of the Nile River, something that has never been done before. Since then, the expedition has received a great deal more attention and while no official start date has been announced yet, the two mean are gearing up to begin their journey later this year.

Earlier today, Explorers Web posted an interview with Wood which shares a few more details about the team's plans. He talks about how he and Clarke met (both soldiers stationed in Iraq), their experience as guides and what precautions they're taking for their upcoming adventure. He also discusses some logistics and inspirations for the journey, which will be quite the challenge.

The expedition will commence at the source of the Nile River, located along one of the tributaries in the dense forests of Rwanda. From there, Wood and Clarke will proceed more than 4250 miles (6839 km) to the sea, crossing through Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, The Sudan, and Egypt in the process. They are estimating that it will take approximately 12 months to finish the source-to-sea trek.

At the moment, the two men are reportedly in Sudan and South Sudan exploring part of the route ahead of their start sometime this summer. When they finish up that work, they'll likely head home to London for the final gear prep before setting out. But one of the biggest hurdles they still face is fund raising to help them get the expedition off the ground. With that challenge still ahead of them, they continue to ask for support through their Kickstarter page.

Good luck to Levison and Simon on this epic adventure. It certainly will be one to keep an eye on in the months ahead.

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.

Sad news coming our way from the Horse Talk website today where a story has been posted about an awful accident in Tanzania. Long Rider Christine Henchie and her fiance/travel companion Long Rider Billy Brenchley were struck by a bus earlier this week, claiming the life of Christine and putting Billy in the hospital with serious wounds. Their horses were also left in grave condition, fighting for life following the incident.

Christine and Billy have spent the last few years on one of the most ambitious equestrian adventures that you can imagine. The two set off in 2007 to ride their horses from the northernmost point of Africa – Cape Blanc in Tunisia – to the southernmost point located at Cape Agulhas in South Africa. Since that time they have faced a number of obstacles and challenges, both natural and  manmade, while enjoying numerous encounters with local people and their cultures.

On Monday of this week, the two Long Riders stopped to visit with the inhabitants of a remote village in Tanzania known as Isela. While there, an out of control bus smashed into the gathered crowd, claiming the lives of Henchie and several bystanders. The Horse Talk article notes that "Charles Mahugija, 60, and Willy Masanja, 55, were slain and 25 bystanders, including many small children, were mown down by the speeding vehicle."

Brenchley managed to survive the accident but suffered a broken leg in the process. He is now in a hospital in Kenya, where he is recovering from his broke bones and broken heart. The two horse, both of which survived the accident, are in the care of local villagers in Tanzania, who are feeding and caring for them while they wait to be retrieved.

The article has a lot more details on both the accident itself and the amazing journey that Christine and Billy were sharing with one another. From the sounds of things, it was an experience unlike any other, with dozens of local Africans following them at all times, fascinated by their horses. It is both an enthralling and tragic read, and it is a shame that it has ended in this fashion.

My condolences go out to Billy, as well as Christine's friends and family. This is definitely a sad story.

A few years back a team of celebrity climbers came together under the Summit On The Summit banner to make a charity ascent of Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of clean drinking water to developing nations around the planet. Their efforts were very successful, garnering plenty of media attention for the cause as people like Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Jimmy Chin lent their support to the project. Fast forward three years and the water crisis across the globe has probably only become more pressing as global climate change alters the planet even further. With that in mind, a new team of climbers has gone back to Kili to remind us once again about this important issue.

The Summit On The Summit program is the brainchild of musician Kenna, who led the first expedition to Kilimanjaro back in 2010. Now, he is returning to the 5895 meter (19,341 ft) peak once again to lead a new team to the top. Joining him on this outing are actors Justin Chatwin and Beau Garrett, as well as singer Mark Foster, amongst others. Mountain guides Melissa Arnot and Dave Morton are also part of the team.

The group will be following the popular Marangu Route, spending seven days on the expedition. You'll be able to follow their progress on Facebook and Twitter of course, but they've also put a considerable effort into revamping the SOTS website to include more social elements while incorporating new ways to engage with the audience following along at home. By registering for the site, we can not only get updates on the team's progress but also get the opportunity to win prizes from sponsors such as HP and KLM.

I was a big supporter of the original Summit On The Summit expedition in 2010 and remain so today. The issue of clean drinking water is such an important one and it holds potential consequences for all of us. Good luck to all the climbers as they head up Kili in the next few days, and don't forget to enjoy the walk!