Video: What Does Frostbite Do To Your Body?

Frostbite has long been the bane of mountaineers and explorers. But what exactly is frostbite, and how does it effect your body? This video from Discovery News helps to explain it, helping us to understand exactly what extreme cold can do to you.

Video: 5 Things to Know Before You Go on an Adventure

Before you set out on your next adventure, you'll want to watch this video. It comes our way from National Geographic, and it shares advice that a team of climbers learned while traveling to Myanmar to climb the highest peak in Southeast Asia. That expedition wasn't an easy one, with lots of challenges to overcome before they ever reached the mountain. But what they learned along the way was invaluable.

North Pole 2016: Race Against Time Team Faces Big Challenges

After overcoming a series of challenges just to get to the starting line, the Race Against Time team is now out on the Arctic ice and making their way towards the North Pole. But as expected, this journey to the top of the world hasn't been an easy one so far as a number of natural obstacles force the team to earn every mile.

Last week, the team of Mark Wood, Paul Vicary, and Mark Langridge were finally dropped off on the ice after facing unprecedented delays to the start of their expedition due to issues with the runway at the Barneo Ice Camp that serves as the gateway to the Arctic each season from the Russian side of the ice. That caused the trio of explorers to rethink their journey for a second time, switching from the original plan of a full-distance ski journey to the North Pole to an expedition that actually began at 90ºN and would head south to Ward Hunt Island in Canada, before finally settling in on their current route, a two-degree ski expedition back to the Pole.

The squad has now been out on the ice for five days, and they've discovered that the Arctic is everything they had expected and more. In the first few days they faced rubble fields of disrupted ice, with many blocks the size of cars and even a few larger than a house. As they inched north however, other obstacles have begun to appear. For instance, yesterday the team only gained 4 nautical miles of distance thanks to a large lead of open water that they had to cross. The only way to do so is to don drysuits, enter the water and swim across while pulling their gear in inflatable rafts.

As if that wasn't enough, the men have also come across a set of footprints left behind by a polar bear. That means that one of these big carnivores is in the area, and they have been known to stalk polar explorers that pass through their domain. So far, no sight of the creature but they will remain wary and vigilant on the trail.

The hope is that the team can reach the North Pole sometime next week. When they originally set out, they thought it would take 12-15 days, and they are still on track to reach their goal. What else they'll find on the way north remains to be seen.

The Explorers Museum Announces 2016 Summit in Ireland

The Explorers Museum, a not for profit organization dedicated to promoting the continuing exploration of our planet through the recognition of significant expeditions, discoveries and explorers, has announced the dates and line-up for its 2016 weekend summit. The event will take place June 24-25 in Tullamore, Ireland at the museum's headquarters in Charleville Castle, where a host of luminaries will be on hand.

In the modern age, exploration is no longer just about important firsts and filling in the blank spots on the map. As The Explorers Museum recognizes there is a great deal of effort being put into learning about sustainability, preserving the planet, and making it a better place for those of us who inhabit it. To that end, the list of guests who will be attending the summit reflects these values. Additionally, the theme of the entire weekend is "Redefining Exploration," which indicates what the keynote address and sessions will be about.

You can read more about the summit weekend, check out the full line-up, and purchase tickets here. Glancing over the schedule, some of the highlights include opening ceremonies that include an address from Lorie Karnath – former President of the Explorers Club and founder of The Explorers Museum. There will also be a screening of the film Racing Extinction, breakout sessions that focus on fieldwork, climate change, the changing nature of exploration, and much more.

Tickets are on sale now, and it looks like this will be a very interesting weekend for those of us who value exploration in the 21st century. The setting at Charleville Castle – the Global Expedition Base – will serve as a fantastic backdrop to these discussions. I know I'd love to be there.

North Pole 2016: Race Against Time Team Finally Set to Depart, Runway Issues Persist at Barneo

It has been a challenging start to the Arctic exploration season this year to say the least. As we've reported several times, the runway at the Barneo Ice Camp has been problematic, forcing the relocation of the temporary base and delaying the arrival of researchers, explorers, and adventurers. Things continue to look dicey at Barneo, where problems persist, but one of the more high profile teams is now set to travel to the Arctic at long last.

The Race Against Time team, which consists of Mark Wood, Paul Vicary, and Mark Langridge, have confirmed that they are now preparing to leave for Barneo, where they will immediately hop onto a helicopter and fly out to the frozen Arctic Ocean to start their expedition. They will have approximately 20 days to ski as far as they can towards the Canadian coastline, at which point they will have to be retrieved from the ice, which could be a difficult proposition on its own.

This is a very truncated version of their original plans, which saw them skiing for hundreds of miles across the Arctic Ocean to reach remote Ward Hunt Island. Their plan is to document the impact of climate change on the region, while perhaps undertaking the final full-length ski journey from the North Pole. But now, they'll try to ski as far as possible while staying true to their initial expedition goals.

Meanwhile, ExWeb reports that the new runway at the relocated Barneo camp continues to crack under the movement of the ice. This second base is not proving to be much more reliable than the original, but a new location for the landing strip has been found and construction has already begun. Emergency supplies have also been shipped to the Ice Camp to help keep the team up and running while they wait for the regular supply planes to begin arriving. There is also word that the season could be extended into May in order to accommodate all of the teams that are hoping to get some time in the Arctic or at the North Pole this season. Right now, all of those men and women are stacked up, waiting for flights to resume. Already days behind schedule, they are of course starting to get anxious.

Hopefully the flights to Barneo will start to get back on schedule soon. I'll continue to share updates on the North Pole season as it begins to unfold.

Re-Tweeting Ernest Shackleton

A century ago famed British explorer Ernest Shackleton was in the midst of his legendary Endurance expedition to the Antarctic. He and his crew had departed the U.K. in the summer of 1914, and headed south with grand schemes of crossing the Antarctic for the first time. But if you're familiar with the story, you know that things didn't go exactly as planned, and Shackleton and the rest of the crew faced one of the most challenging survival stories of all time.

Now, you can relive that amazing story through a series of tweets on Twitter. The Shackleton Company, a British travel and outdoor apparel manufacturer, is sharing entries from the famous explorer's diary that correspond with the current date. For example, today's entry says:

Again our course demands further scrutiny. Deception Island is out of reach. The wind foul for Elephant Island. We set a course for Hope Bay

— TheShackletonCompany (@TheShackletonCo) 12 April 2016

While a few days back we got this post:

The sun is rising gloriously, melting the ice from our beards. Steaming food gives the men new vigour, as they stretch cramped limbs.

— TheShackletonCompany (@TheShackletonCo) 12 April 2016

These tweets add a bit of history to your Twitter feed, and give us some insight into what Shackleton and his men were going through in the Antarctic. Strangely enough, his diary entries seem tailor made for the 140 character format of Twitter. These entires have certainly been a worthy addition to my daily feed. I hope you enjoy them too.

Video: Valhalla - A Journey Through a Hidden Slot Canyon in Oregon

In a country as settled and developed at the U.S. it is hard to believe that there are still corners of the map that have yet to be full explored. But there are also many wild places in the States, some of which have yet to be visited by man. Take for example the slot canyon shown in this video. It was recently discovered in a remote area of Oregon, and judging from the footage seen here, it is a pristine, untouched place that looks like a hidden paradise. The exact location of this place has not been shared, and after watching this, I think that might be for the best. Definitely an amazing looking place. Don't miss this clip. It is well worth a watch.

Valhalla from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

British Team Heads to the North Pole

The British trio of explorers who make up the Race Against Time team are now literally in a race against time. The three men had expected to arrive at the Barneo Ice Camp, located at roughly 89ºN latitude, this past weekend and then travel on to the North Pole where they would launch their expedition to ski from the top of the world to Canada. But delays have kept them from starting, which  could ultimately have an impact on their success.

Arctic explorers Mark Wood, Paul Vicary, and Mark Langridge checked in a few days back from Svalbard in Norway, where they were awaiting a flight to Barneo. That flight was expected to take place this past Saturday, but as of now there has been no confirmation that they have reached the temporary ice base which will grant them access to the North Pole.

The team hopes to travel on foot from 90ºN to the Canadian coast at Ward Hunt Island, covering a total of 470 nautical miles (540 miles/870 km) in the process. They had estimated that it would take about 35 days to achieve that goal, but that was also with a projected start date of April 1. Now, three days after that deadline they're still waiting to get underway, which could prevent them from successfully completing the journey as their travel window begins to narrow, and eventually close.


According to the team's most recent update on Facebook, their flight out to Barneo has once again been delayed. The three men remain in Norway, packed and ready to go. But the longer they are delayed, the more difficult their expedition becomes. Once they reach Barneo, it is a relatively short flight by helicopter to their starting point. That means that they could potentially catch a lift to the North Pole as early as tomorrow, but further delays will only make the situation worse.

I have been following the Race Against Time team since their expedition was first announced last fall. During that time, the objectives have changed, but the resolve of the explorers has remained the steadfast. I'm sure they're all eager to get started, but their patience is definitely being tested at the moment. Hopefully there will be good news soon.

Stay tuned for more updates on this expedition in the days ahead.