EXPEDITION NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
August 1998 - Volume Five, Number Eight
EXPEDITION NEWS is a monthly review of significant expeditions, research projects and newsworthy adventures. It is distributed online and by mail to media representatives, corporate sponsors, educators, research librarians, explorers, environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts. This forum on exploration covers projects that stimulate, motivate and educate.
PUNCTURES IN AFRICA
From all appearances, Barry Warner is one of hundreds of London bike messengers. Weaving in and out of traffic 60 to 80 miles a day, never wearing a helmet, he may appear to be delivering packages for Hornets Couriers, but in reality, this 26-year-old resident of London is actually training for an expedition - for a nine month, 12,000-mi. mountain bike expedition from London to Cape Town, South Africa.
What separates this project from just another marathon bike ride is that Warner, and his former schoolmate, Glynn Ames, 25, a roofing contractor from Chatham, Kent, have received the expedition equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Last December they became recipients of a $4,000 award from the Malden Mills Polartec Performance Challenge. (See EN, July 1999).
UNDERWATER SURVEY OF VIETNAMESE COAST
A two-year study of the marine life of the coastal waters off Vietnam, called Project Ocean Quest, begins in late August under the direction of Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and his chief scientist, Dr. Richard Murphy.
EXPEDITION UPDATE
Howkins Discovers Body on K2 - American climber Heidi Howkins and Swiss climber, Christian Binggeli, reached K2's Camp 2 (21,980-ft.) on July 17 during Howkins' bid to become the first American woman to summit the world's second tallest, and arguably toughest mountain (See EN, April 1999). Howkins discovered the body of French climber Maurice Barrard who disappeared in 1986 with his wife, Liliane Barrard, one of only five women (none American and all now deceased) to have ever summited K2. A summit bid is scheduled for early August. One expedition sponsor, www.GreatOutdoors.Com, is running biweekly dispatches from the 28,251-ft. / 8,611 m mountain.
EXPEDITION NOTES
Students Underground - August brings the return of millions to college campuses around the world, and resumption of a clandestine pastime called tunneling - secret subterranean expeditions through maintenance and steam tunnels beneath the ivy-covered halls of higher education. Nowhere perhaps is tunneling more prevalent than at Colorado University in Boulder.
Denver to Host American Alpine Club Annual Meeting - Several of the world's foremost climbers, including Stevie Haston and David Breashears, will headline the American Alpine Club's 96th Annual Meeting, November 13-15 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center and the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colo.
No Mountain Too High - Andrea Gabbard's book, "No Mountain Too High, A Triumph Over Breast Cancer," is the story of the 17 breast cancer survivors of Expedition Inspiration, a climb of Argentina's 22,841-ft. Aconcagua in February 1995 to raise awareness of breast cancer and generate funding for research and patient education. The author and entire team will be at LL Bean in Freeport, Me. on Aug. 22 for a book signing event and team reunion.
MEDIA MATTERS
Explornography - That's the new term coined by New York Times staff writer John Tierney in his Sunday magazine cover story of July 26 subtitled, "Going Where a Lot of Other Dudes With Really Great Equipment Have Gone Before." Tierney chronicles his soft adventure trip to Ellesmere island with polar explorer Paul Schurke and a group of other amateurs.
Because It's There, Sort Of - The premiere July/August issue of Brill's Content magazine says moviegoers to the Everest IMAX film may not notice one of the last lines to appear after several screens' worth of credits: "Some climbing scenes were recreated and filmed in the USA." Says Alec Lorimore, a producer of the film, "We wanted to be honest" about filming some of the scenes off Everest, "but we haven't gone out of our way to call attention to it."
EN RELOCATES
EN has relocated three miles south to the Connecticut river town of Rowayton, 45 miles northeast of New York City. We look forward to our new periscopic view of the scenic Five Mile River, which, alas, has already been explored, charted and descended. Our new address is 137 Rowayton Avenue - Suite 210, Rowayton, CT 06853. Tel. 203 855 9400; fax 203 855 9433.
EXPEDITION CLASSIFIEDS
EverestNews.Com - Check out www.EverestNews.Com for daily updates and news about Everest climbers. Read several interviews with Everest climbers and reports from other expeditions such as K2. Be sure to check out the daily reports during the 1999 Everest climbing season for information found nowhere else but EverestNews.Com.
WWW.Trailshead.Com - Features up-to-the-minute reports from expeditions around the world and commentary from the industry's best. Our members make and build some of the world's finest technical gear. And Trailshead is the only place on earth you can get it for free! Our biweekly giveaways feature products from We-no-nah Canoe, Crazy Creek, Herman Survivors, Horny Toad, Perigee, Rail Riders, Last Chance, Test Pilot, Misty Mountain, Granite Gear and more. But you can't win if you don't visit www.trailshead.com. Get there soon, come back often! WWW.Trailshead.Com
EXPEDITION BATTERIES- High powered, lightweight, disposable lithium batteries. Power your gear with the most reliable and versatile power source available. Durable, compact, and easy to carry, biodegradable EXPEDITION BATTERIES operate effortlessly in all harsh and remote environments. From the depths of the South Pacific to the summits of the Himalayas - film crews, outdoor adventurers and scientific researchers plug in EXPEDITION BATTERIES to two-way radios, power base stations, satellite phones, fax machines, laptops - any and all types of film and video equipment. Unique situation? We customize. Worry no more about your power needs - use EXPEDITION BATTERIESr. Automated Media Systems, tel. 800-472-2248; fax 617-787-4438; www.automatedmedia.com
The World of Zegrahm Expeditions - Adventure travel to intriguing destinations on earth, undersea and space, ideal for the inquisitive traveler. Small group expeditions guided by leading naturalists and experts are operated year-round with great care for the environment, fragile wildlife areas and cultures. Join ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS in its eighth year exploring Antarctica, the South Pacific, Arctic, Indian Ocean and other frontiers. With ZEGRAHM DEEPSEA VOYAGES, board a variety of deep-diving submersibles to search for rare marine life, fascinating geological formations and remote shipwrecks. At the forefront of space tourism is ZEGRAHM SPACE VOYAGES, offering a 7-day space experience travel program featuring a space flight to 100 km above sea level - official "astronaut altitude." For reservations and more information: Zegrahm Expeditions, 1414 Dexter Avenue N. #327, Seattle, WA 98109 U.S.A. Phone: 800-628-8747, 206-285-4000; Fax: 206-285-5037; E-mail/Web site: zoe@zeco.com/www.zeco.com. Space and DeepSea Voyages phone: 888-772-2366, 206-2853743; Fax: 206-285-7390; E-mail/web site: zsv@ spacevoyages.com/www.spacevoyages.com.
EXPEDITION NEWS is published by Blumenfeld and Associates, Inc., 28 Center Street, Darien, CT 06820 USA. USA. Tel. 203 855 9400, fax 203 855 9433, e-mail editor@ExpeditionNews.com. Editor/publisher: Jeff Blumenfeld. Copyright © 1999 Blumenfeld and Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: US$36 /yr.; international postal rate US$46/yr. Highlights from Expedition News are also located at www.mountainzone.com/news/expedition where you can order a subscription to the full edition with your credit card.