Duggars March For Life And More

The Duggars will be in Washington D.C. later this month for two events. Here are the details:

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 8am-9pm
Students for Life of America National Conference
Duggars to speak and receive the 2013 Defender of Life Award

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar will speak at the event, as will Josh Duggar, their oldest son. The family has not yet decided whether any other Duggars will be in attendance.

Tickets purchased ahead of time are $50 for students and $70 for other attendees ($45 and $60 if you register by December 31st). On-site registration is $60 for students and $70 for other attendees.

First Baptist Church of Glenarden
(one of the largest African-American churches in the D.C. Metro Area)
600 Watkins Park Dr.
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20774

Click here for more details about the award.
Click here to register.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 12:00pm
Duggars to attend the 2014 Rally and March for Life in Washington D.C.
Rally takes place on the National Mall from 12pm-1pm; March follows at 1pm 
March ends at the building of the Supreme Court of the United States on Capitol Hill
Click here for more information 

Video: China Jam - Big Wall Climbing In The Tien Shan Range

Back in October, I posted a story about an expedition to China to climb big walls in the Tien Shan Range that was dubbed China Jam. In a nutshell, three Belgians, Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse and Stéphane Hanssens, and one Frenchman, Evrard Wendenbaum, traveled to the Chinese-Kyrgyz border to put up the first ascent of Kyzyl Asker, a 5842 meter (19,166 ft) tower with a 1220 meter (4000 ft) exposed face. It took the team two weeks to complete their objective, but eventually they were successful.

The team is now hoping to complete a documentary of their climb and they recently attempted to raise funds on Indiegogo to help complete the project. Unfortunately, those efforts did not succeed, but they aren't giving up just yet. A new site for taking contributions has popped online, giving us all another chance to help fund the film of this expedition. For a sample of what the footage looks like, take a look at the very impressive images in the video below. It looks stunning and I'd love to see this film get completed.

China Jam - Trailer from Evrard Wendenbaum on Vimeo.

Everest 2014: The Cost Of Climbing Everest

We may be just a week into 2014, but it is never too early to start thinking about the spring Everest climbing season. As many of you already know, year-in and year-out, one of the best sources of information on all things having to do with Everest is Alan Arnette. Each year, Alan provides excellent insights into what it takes to climb the mountain, while providing regular updates on conditions on both the North and South sides, while closely tracking the locations of the numerous teams attempting to scale its impressive slopes. Over the past few years, Alan has kicked off his annual coverage by first giving us a run down of just how much it costs to undertake an Everest expedition, and each year it is an interesting read. Yesterday, he posted the 2014 version of that report, and for those unfamiliar with the expenses of a major climb in the Himalaya, it can sometimes cause sticker shock.

As usual, the costs for climbing Everest have increased on both the North and South side of the mountain this year. But what's different for 2014 is that while the guide services at the high end of the spectrum have mostly held steady, it is the low-end companies that seem to have hiked their rates for 2014. He is also quick to point out that this type of expedition is not one in which you want to go cut-rate, but with prices ranging from $30,000 - $100,000 it can be confusing to decide to who to go with.

Alan breaks down the costs into different categories, giving readers estimates on climbing solo vs. as part of an organized team. He also discusses the differences in teams as well, which include Sherpa supported climbs, Sherpa guided expeditions and Western guided options. Each of those provides a different level of service, with some willing to spend less to do more on their own, while others pay considerably more for a safer, more full-service attempt on the summit.


With guided climbs costing in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $65,000, it is sometimes tough to see where the cost differences come from. Alan points out that sometimes it is just in the form of profit to help pay the overhead required to operate on the mountain, but it also often comes at the expense of services such as Sherpa support on the upper slopes or no bottled oxygen included in the price.

One of the more interesting elements of Alan's report is his comparison chart of the companies that operate on Everest. It gives the name of the organization, average team size, types of guides, previous summit success and of course the costs. The prices range from as low as $28,450 for an expedition on the North Side with Summit Climb, to $89,000 with AlpenGlow on the South Side that includes Western guides.

If you've ever considered climbing Everest yourself, then Alan's Cost to Climb guide is a must read. It'll give you all the information you need for selecting the right guide service for your own climb, while weighing in all the factors to think about, including safety considering, which route to take, which company to go with and much more.

It also serves to get the adrenaline flowing for a new Everest climbing season. For fans of the mountain, April can't come fast enough!

Winter Climbs 2014: Settling Into Base Camp And Close Call On Nanga Parbat

The focus of the winter climbing season in the Himalaya remains squarely on Nanga Parbat this year, with several teams attempting to complete the first winter ascent of that mountain. While conditions were less than favorable around the start of the New Year, things have improved somewhat now and acclimatization rotations have begun. The mountaineers have a considerable amount of work ahead of them in the weeks ahead, although one team narrowly averted disaster already and have had their decision to leave the mountain reaffirmed.

Last week I reported that German climber Ralf Dujmovits had decided to abandon his attempt at a solo summit on Nanga. While surveying the route, he noticed that there were two ice towers hanging over his intended path and he realized he would spend more than a day and a half climbing in their shadow. The two towers looked very precarious, as if they could collapse at any time, so Ralf decided he risk just wasn't worth the effort and decided to pack up his things and go home. Just a day after making that decision, Dujmovits and Polish climber Darek Zaluski narroly avoided an avalanche on the Diamir Face. Ralf wrote to Stefan Nestler about the incident saying that the duo were "very lucky" to have escaped unharmed. The two men descended to BC safely and are now presumably on their way back home.

Over on the Rupal Face, the team of Simone Moro, Emilio Previtali and David Gottler have been in BC for a bit over a week now. Simone and David have both spent a night at Camp 1 as they begin their acclimatization process, while also shuttling gear up the slope. In a recent update to their blog, they reported on the journey to BC, where they indicated that security on the road leading to the mountain is quite high. Following a high profile attack by terrorists in the Nanga Parbat Base Camp this past summer – during which 3 Pakistani soldiers and 10 foreign climbers were killed – officials in Pakistan are keen to make sure everyone is safe moving forward. To that end, the climbers received a military escort to the mountain, and a guard station with ten soldiers now sits along the road that leads to the peak. That level of security will hopefully allow the teams to climb without fear of another attack and simply concentrate on the mountain itself.


There have been few updates from the Polish "Justice For All" team in the past week. In the last report, they were preparing to fix ropes up to 6000 meters (19,685 ft), with several team members already acclimatizing above 5000 meters (16,404 ft). Whether or not those rope fixing efforts have been successful has yet to be determined, but it seems likely that they would have completed the task by now, provided the weather has been cooperative.

Finally, Italian climber Daniele Nardi is preparing to arrive on Nanga Parbat soon. He'll attempt a solo summit along the Diamir Face starting in late January. After properly acclimatizing, he intends to climb in alpine style, while avoiding any sense of competition with any of the other teams.

It interesting to see so much attention focused on a single mountain this winter. With all of the other 8000 meter peaks now climbed in winter – save K2 – it seems Nanga is the prize that most are interested in. Considering the number of fatalities during the winter season in recent years, it would appear that unless there is a potential first ascent to be had, most climbers have decided the risks just aren't worth the rewards. If Nanga Parbat is finally climbed in the winter, the same level of attention could then be focused on K2, a mountain that is far more treacherous to climb at any time of the year.

Stay tuned for more updates as warranted.

Gear Closet: Icebug Anima2 BUGrip Winter Running Shoes

Considering the nasty weather that is sweeping across much of the U.S. and parts of Europe this week, it seems appropriate that I share my thoughts on the Anima2 BUGrip winter running shoes from Icebug. If you're a runner who refuses to move inside for the winter, but routinely has to deal with snow, ice and cold temperatures, then these are definitely the shoes for you.

Icebug is a Swedish company that designs excellent athletic shoes for dedicated outdoor enthusiasts. The company is relatively new to North America, but they are making a big move into the market now. You may not have heard much about the company in the past, but I'm willing to bet you'll be hearing a lot more about them in the future.

At first glance, the Anima2 running shoes look a lot like many other running shoes you'd find on the market. They are a bit on the flashy side, but regular runners are use to unique color combinations on shoes that really make them stick out in a crowd. These shoes have an aggressive sole that makes them well suited for trail running in all kinds of conditions, and the waterproof uppers keep your feet warm and dry, whether you're running on snow, slush, ice, mud or even dry trails. In short, they're an excellent trail shoe that is comparable to just about anything else you'll find on the market.


But what really sets the Anima2 shoes apart from the competition is the patented BUGrip system, which integrates a series of steel studs into the rubber sole to provide unprecedented grip in slick conditions. In the case of these shoes, there are 19 such studs, each working independently of one another to provide traction as needed. It is an impressive and sophisticated approach for giving runners the absolute best grip possible in some of the worst conditions imaginable.

Over the holiday break, I had the opportunity to put these shoes to their paces in a variety of unique conditions, including snow, ice and slush. Icebug's BUGrip system performed extremely well in each of those circumstances, providing a sure grip no matter where I went. When paired with the waterproof uppers, my feet stayed warm and dry, even in ankle deep snow, and I ran more surefooted than I had previously thought possible. For runners who often take on poor winter conditions, this is certainly a shoe you'll want to have in your closet.

On top of the excellent performance the Anima2 shoes bring to the table, they also happen to be quite comfortable. The shoes have thick padding that cradles the food nicely, providing yet more support for runners on the road. It's a rare combination of shoes that provide this kind of performance and are also comfortable on the foot.

As much as I really like these shoes, I have to say that I mostly preferred them in the bad conditions. When I ran on a dry trail with these shoes, there was something about the way the spikes felt that just didn't quite jive for me. On a regular trail, I'd still prefer a pair of regular trail shoes. But in the slop of the mud, ice and snow, there is no question I'd much rather have the Anima2's on my feet.

Also, I'd recommend getting a pair of gaiters to wear over these shoes, as they don't keep the snow and slush out of the top all that well. Aside from that, they are just about perfect for foul weather running.

MSRP: $155

Video: Adventure Is A Way Of Life

The title of this video pretty much sums up how I feel. Adventure is most certainly a way of life. The clip below, which comes our way courtesy of Garchois Films, features some stunning images that are sure to inspire a sense of adventure. Welcome to 2014!

adventure is a way of life, welcome to 2014 from Laurent Jamet on Vimeo.

Video: Kayaking The Zambezi River

Looking for a healthy dose of adventure to jump start your week? Then look no further than this video, which follows kayaker Mat Dumoulin as he paddles the amazing Zambezi River in Africa. The scenery is quite spectacular and the white water looks insane. What more could you ask for?

Kayaking the Zambezi river - Mat Dumoulin from Dumoulin mathieu on Vimeo.