Video: Altai - The Road and the River

This past summer, expedition kayaker Chris Korbulic traveled to the Altai Mountains of Russia to explore the wilderness and paddle the rivers found there. This short film shares that adventure with us, delivering some amazing images from that remote place, mixed with some impressive paddling on rivers that are seldom seen by outsider. Chris and his team discovered some epic whitewater along the way, with massive waterfalls, narrow canyons, and some truly wild destinations. This is a truly great piece of filmmaking with some breathtaking shots on and off the water.

Altai - The Road and the River from chris korbulic on Vimeo.

Video: Kayaker Drops 35 Meters Over Keyhole Falls

Professional Kayaker Aniol Serrasolses recently traveled to British Columbia, Canada to paddle the amazing looking Keyhole Falls. His hope was to drop this legendary waterway, which features an approach down a narrow canyon, and whitewater that gushes over the falls at more than 3000-cubic meters per minute. The video below captures that 35 meter (114 foot) drop in stunning fashion and from multiple perspectives, including from within the cockpit. Not for the faint of heart, this one will certainly get your heart pumping.

Video: Mexico Kayaking Vacation

The best way to describe this video is five minutes of pure kayaking porn. It was shot by paddler/filmmaker Ryan McAvoy and friends on a recent trip to Mexico, where they discovered some amazing whitewater. The short film shows the group paddling through narrow canyons, dropping waterfalls, and generally having a great time on some impressive looking rivers. It looks like they had a lot of fun along the way.

My Mexican Vacation from Ryan McAvoy on Vimeo.

Video: Journey to the Stikine and the Sacred Headwaters

The Stikine River of British Columbia is considered one of the best whitewater destinations on the entire planet. This short film takes us to that amazing place with a group of kayakers who are looking to explore that remote and beautiful destination. But the Stikine is under threat from developers who want to dam the river or mine the landscapes that surround it. The documentary not only shows us how amazing the Stikine is, but also how endangered it is as well.

Journey to the Stikine and the Sacred Headwaters from Mountain Mind Collective on Vimeo.

Trio of Adventurers Ready to Launch New Zealand 9 Expedition

Last year, a trio of adventures – Ben Southall, Luke Edwards, and Pat Kinsella – took on an incredible feat of endurance by trail running and climbing to the top of the highest peaks in each of the eight Australian states in just eight days. It was a tough challenge not only for the physical aspects, but also the logistical ones as well.

In June, the same team announced that they were preparing to take on a similar challenge, this time in the land of Kiwis. They call their latest expedition the New Zealand 9, as they'll not only be attempting complete all nine of New Zealand's "Great Walks," they'll try to do it in just nine days.

All told, the journey will cover more than 545 km (338 miles), as Ben, Luke, and Pat trail run for more than 400 km (248 miles), and travel by kayak an additional 145 km (90 miles) along the Whanhanui River. They'll begin the challenge in the extreme south of New Zealand, where they'll kick things off on the Rakiura Track (32km/19.8 miles) located on remote Stewart Island. From there, they'll head to the Routeburn (32km/19.8 miles), Milford (53.5km/33.2 miles), Kepler (60km/37.2 miles), Heaphy (78.4/48/7) and Abel Tasman (55.2km/34.2) tracks on the South Island. Once finished there, they'll then take on the Whanhanui River Journey (145km/90 miles), Tongariro Northern Circuit (43km/26.7 miles), and Lake Waikaremoana (46km/28.5) on the North Island.

If successful, the NZ9 team will set a new speed record for completing all of the Great Walks. It won't be easy however, as they'll have to average more than a marathon per day on foot, and that doesn't even include the kayaking leg of the expedition.

You can follow the team's progress at TheGlobalAdventurers.com, and learn more about them, as well as the challenge ahead, in the video below.

New Zealand 9 - Where adventure lives from Ben Southall on Vimeo.

Video: GoPro Cam Catches 70-Foot Drop Over Outlet Falls

Ever wondered what it feels like to go over a 70-foot waterfall? If you're a sane person, the answer to that question is no! But, just in case, we have this video to help us experience that feat from the safety of our homes. It features pro kayaker Rush Sturges as he drops over Outlet Falls in in Washington state. At the time the clip was shot, it appears that the river was swelling with the spring melt off, and the water is rushing at a fast pace. Paddling a freezing river over a big waterfall isn't my idea of fun, but I'm glad Sturges had his GoPro along for the ride.

Video: Kayaking the Verzasca in Switzerland

Here's a fun little paddling video that features kayakers Sam Sutton and Sven Lämmler taking on the wild whitewater found on the narrow confines of the Verzasca River in Switzerland. It gives us a great view of this roller coaster ride through the Swiss mountains. The Verzasca is a mere 30 km (18.6 miles) in length, but it offers plenty of excitement for such a short river. Looks like a blast!

Verzasca from Sven Lämmler on Vimeo.

Video: Kayaking Kerela, India

Earlier this year, kayakers Sam Sutton, Bradely Lauder, and Mire Kodada traveled to the remote Kerela region of India to explore opportunities to go kayaking in the largely unexplored and untouched part of that country. What they found was some of the best whitewater that they had ever seen, on rivers that few – if any – other paddlers had ever descended. The video below shares some of that adventure, with some amazing footage from this beautiful part of the world.

Blind Kayakers Wrap Up Grand Canyon Paddle (With Video)

A few weeks back, I posted a story about blind adventurers Erik Weihenmayer and Lonnie Bedwell launching their bid to paddle the length of the Grand Canyon. At the time, the two men – along with their support team – were just preparing to embark on their expedition, which was expected to take about three weeks to complete, covering the entire 277-mile (445 km) stretch of the Colorado River. Earlier this week, they wrapped up that incredible journey, both both Erik and Lonnie paddling the challenging stretch of water.

The treacherous whitewater found inside the Grand Canyon can be difficult to run even for those who have the ability to see the river. For these two blind kayakers, it must have been both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Both trained diligently for the trip, and had lots of experience on other rivers, but their accomplishment is impressive and inspiring none the less.

For Erik, this is just another big adventure that has allowed him to remind the rest of us just what we can accomplish in life, no matter what barriers are thrown up in front of us. As you probably already know, Weihenmayer is the first, and only, blind person to summit Everest. He has also climbed the other Seven Summits, ridden his bike across Vietnam, competed in adventure races, gone backcountry skiing, and more.

Lonnie has a similarly inspiring story. He was Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard submarines. He lost his sight due to a hunting accident, but took some time before he started pursuing adventures of his own. Bewell eventually taught himself how to kayak on a lake on his Indian farm, before he started paddling rivers. In 2013, he made a descent of the Colorado in the Grand Canyon as part of team of military veterans.


The team has left the Grand Canyon and are all on their way home now, their mission a success. Congratulations to everyone who took part in this endeavor. It will certainly serve as an inspiration to others for a long time.

To get a better sense of what the journey was like, read the expedition dispatches at KayakingBlind.org. Then, check out the video below, which highlights some of the whitewater they encountered along the way.

No Barriers Grand Canyon Expedition White Water Highlights from Erik Weihenmayer on Vimeo.

Expedition 1000 Update: Kayaking Journey to Helsinki Done!

The last time we checked in on British adventurer Dave Cornthwaite, he was just setting off on the latest leg of his Expedition 1000 project. This time out, he was attempting to travel a thousand miles from Oslo, Norway to Helsinki, Finland in a pedal-powered Kayak from Hobie. Yesterday, Dave wrapped up that adventure by arriving at his destination after 48 days out on the water, and covering 1000.5 miles (1610 km).

Dave's course took him out of Oslo south via the Oslo Fjord and along the Swedish Bohuslan Coastline to Gothenburg. From there he began paddling east, fighting the current of the Gota Alv River for a couple of days, before crossing Vanern, the largest lake in Sweden. Passing through the Gota Canal, he eventually arrived in Stockholm for a brief time, before making an open water crossing to Aland. The final stage of the trip saw our intrepid adventurer island hopping along the Finnish archipelago, before wrapping up his journey yesterday with his arrival in Helsinki.

The tale of the tape on this adventure is an impressive one. Over the course of his travels, Dave crossed through three countries (Norway, Sweden, and Finland). His total time out on the water was 303 hours and 35 minutes, traveling at an average speed of about 3.5 miles per hour. It took him approximately 1,093,900 pushes of the pedal to cover the 1000 mile distance. He also camped on 24 individual islands along the way.

This was the 11th leg of Expedition 1000, in which Dave is attempting to complete 25 individual journeys of 1000 miles or more, without the use of motorized transportation. Previous expeditions have taken him down the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard, through the Atacama Desert on a wind-powered bike, and across Australia on a skateboard. Dave still has 14 more journeys to complete before the project is finished, and as always, it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with next.

The video below will give you a taste of what this adventure was like for Dave. Throughout the expedition he posted these excellent clips of his travels, and they really do give you a sense of what it was like to make this journey from Oslo to Helsinki.

Congrats to Dave on another leg of Expedition 1000 in the books. Well done my friend.

Video: Paddling in Africa to Save the White Nile

The legendary White Nile River in Uganda is under threat by the construction of a new dam, which could alter the paddling scene, not to mention the environment, there dramatically in the years to come. In an effort to raise awareness of this situation, two adventurous young women – Mariann Sæther and Nouria Newman – have gone to Africa to run some of the iconic rapids, and to show support for the kayaking industry that has sprung up along the river. An industry that is being threatened as well. The video below shares their story and gives us a glimpse of what it is like paddle the dramatic whitewater of the White Nile.

Blind Adventurers Launch Grand Canyon Paddling Expedition

A team of kayakers that includes two blind adventurers has launched an expedition to paddle the length of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The journey will take them down 277 miles (445 km) filled with some of the most challenging and iconic rapids in all of North America. The Canyon's unpredictable whitewater can make for a wild ride for paddlers who have perfect vision, but for the two men on this journey who lack sight, it will be a completely different experience altogether.

The two blind paddlers are Erik Weihenmayer and Lonnie Bedwell. Weihenmayer's name is no doubt familiar to Adventure Blog readers, as we have been following his preparation for this trip for some time. He is no stranger to outdoor adventure having staked claim to being the first – and only – blind person to ever climb Mt. Everest. Erik's adventures have also taken him to the top of the other Seven Summits, on a cycling journey across Vietnam, and mountain biking and skiing in various locations, amongst other pursuits. Bedwell is a former Navy Petty Officer and submariner who lost his sight in a hunting accident. He too continues his favorite outdoor pursuits, and has already paddled the length of the Grand Canyon in the past. His experience will be helpful to the entire team.

Joining Erik and Lonnine on this journey will be kayakers Seth Dahl, Chris Drew, Steven Mace, Timmy O'Neill, Rob Raker, and Harlan Taney. Each of them has a great deal of paddling experience that will prove invaluable to the expedition as well. The entire journey is being filmed by a production company too.

The team, which consists of nine paddlers, launched from Lee's Ferry yesterday, and will now spend the better part of the next three weeks descending the river. They are attempting this excursion to not only continue to show what visually impaired people can accomplish, but to also inspire others to take on the biggest challenges in their life as well. You can follow their progress at KayakingBlind.org. Good luck to Erik, Lonnie, and the entire squad.

Kayaking Blind Grand Canyon Teaser from Erik Weihenmayer on Vimeo.

London2London Update: Sarah Begins Cycling Stage Across North America

It has been quite some time since we last checked in on Sarah Outen and her London2London Via the World Expedition. You may recall, Sarah set out from London, England back  April of 2011 on her attempt to circumnavigate the planet completely under her own power. She started by rowing down the River Thames, then crossing the English Channel by kayak, before riding her bike across Europe and Asia. Upon reaching Japan, she then attempted to row across the Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2012, only to be caught in a tropical storm that damaged her boat, and left her stranded on the water. She returned to the Pacific last summer, finishing the row by reaching Alaska's Aleutian Islands just as the fall weather was about to make things very difficult for her.

In May of this year, Sarah resumed her journey exactly where she left off, and she has been making steady progress ever since. She, along with companion Justine Curgenven, first completed a massive kayaking stage along the Aleutian Islands that covered more than 1355 miles (2180 km) over 101 days. That consumed almost the entire summer for Sarah, who made landfall in Homer, Alaska back on August 15.

Of course, that impressive kayaking journey was just to get her back on dry land so she could start riding her bike again. Sarah has now returned to her two-wheeled mode of transportation, and launched her ride across Alaska last Saturday. She has already ridden all the way to Anchorage, and of course that is just the start of her big ride. She'll now travel by bike across the U.S. and Canada, making her way towards New York City. Once there, she'll return to the water once again and begin a row across the North Atlantic, which will eventually take her home. She now expects to wrap up the London2London journey in September of 2015. That's a bit off her original schedule, but it will still be a great achievement on her part.

Sarah is an inspiration for would-be adventurers for a number of reasons. First, her determination and will to complete this journey, no matter what hurdles get put in her way, is admirable. She has faced adversity numerous times, and experienced things that would put an end to many expeditions, and yet she picks herself up, dusts herself off, and just keeps moving ahead. But on top of that, you have to love her adventurous spirit. After rowing across the Indian Ocean back in 2009, she wanted to find other adventures to keep her occupied. She came up with this idea of circumnavigating the globe under her own power, and she set off to do it. It is easy to plan for an adventure, but it is hard to actually go out and execute it. She is doing just that.

The ride across North America should be a relatively easy one for Sarah. The roads are good, towns are plentiful, and she'll probably get good support from the locals wherever she goes. There are still a lot of miles to cover however, and I'm sure there will be times when it'll be a challenge. But ahead lies the Atlantic Ocean, and another difficult water crossing. I'm sure she isn't anxious to get back on the water again anytime soon.