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Ryan is a tremendous athlete,north face coat, and a super person overall. Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, he is an engineer by training, but his passion is for ultrarunning. Clearly, there is no lack of talent there. We watched the day pass while running across the Sahara, chatting about the upcoming US elections, life in South Africa, family, the future, basically, life. When the sun set the moonless sky was filled with stars like neither of us had ever seen before. It was simply amazing, like being in an observatory We were first to arrive at the finish and we crossed the line side-by-side, the 100 km slipping by as pleasantly as could be expected for a rather long run across the soft sand and heat of the Sahara.
Tomorrow, we run a short stage around the famous Pyramids of Giza. And then it’s on to the hotel for a swim in the pool, where I’ll be supplying my own poolside beach with the sand that’s accumulated in my hair. And it won’t be a small beach!
Today we ran through an area known as the Qarawin dunes. north face coats ，Right in the middle was a small oasis brimming with water and, of course, the token palm tree. It was like the scene from a Hollywood movie, only it was real (or I was hallucinating, which is a distinct possibility).
Ancient Roman ruins were everywhere and a mummy’s located just to the left of the oasis (reportedly as a reminder to visitors’ of how unforgiving the terrain can be). Though, when you’ve been running through it for hours in 115 degree temperatures and no breeze, there’s not much need for a reminder.
My run today was dreadful. Legs felt like lead, only heavier. Pretty much just grunted through it. So, instead of boring you senselessly with the details of my floundering performance, I’ll talk instead about the luxuries we’re afforded out here in the Sahara. The list really isn’t that long, actually. In fact, it’s just one item: water (and not a whole lot of it). Basically, you’re allotted 1.5 Liters per check point during the run, of which there are usually three, and when you arrive at the finish (should you be so lucky), you are given 4.5 Liters of water for the night and following morning. Oh yeah, you can also have the water heated for you.
Heated water in the Sahara Desert you ask? It’s to “cook” your dehydrated food. You know, freeze dried food, the stuff that the astronauts eat. Unless your British. In that case, you use the hot water to brew your tea. There’s no need to reconstitute your meal, because you subsist on small packets of Parmesan cheese. The Italians don’t need hot water either, because they live on test tubes filled with Olive oil. Light is right. What you strive to achieve is the maximum amount of calories with the minimum amount of weight. Simple math, carbohydrates and protein supply 4 calories per gram, fat 9 calories. Fat has more than twice the calories by weight, so foods high in fat are the standard (e.g., oil, nuts, dried cheese). Yes,the north face coats , it’s a regular smorgasbord out here in the desert.

Today I managed to climb The Promise at Burbage North for its second ascent. On my initial inspection two days ago on rappel,north face coat, I didn't even try the moves. The original beta just seemed completely out of the question 1.
Returning today, looking at the chalk on the holds, I visualized a new possibility for the beta and gave it a try. This involved turning a right hand pocket to an undercling, which as a result shortened the reach to a bad sloper. I quickly did the moves with the new beta on top rope, rested, and climbed it clean on top rope 1. After figuring out how to place the slider nut, which was surprisingly bomber 2, I was ready to go. I climbed up, placed the piece and returned to the ground. On the lead, there always seems to be some unplanned decision to be made. For me, it was the position of my right foot on a key hold relative to the rope. This unplanned decision resulted in me placing my right foot a little wrong, requiring a readjustment. Once in place, the crux move felt quite a bit harder than I was anticipating. Luckily, there was enough tolerance in the move that I was still able to stick it. The whole process took about an hour.
The obvious question that arose was regarding the grade.north face coats ， After climbing Parthian Shot, The New Statesman, and The Promise and having spent two days on Equilibrium and one on The Groove, my opinion is that the grade falls at E8, 5.13c/d R 4. The reason for this is that a fall from the crux would not result in a ground fall, assuming the gear holds. Regarding the gear, the only way that it would fail is if the cables broke 3. After bounce testing the piece while clipped directly into my harness, I was confident that it would hold 2. It should also be stated that I placed two crashpads at the base of the climb 5. All in all, the route climbs wonderfully and would highly recommend it to anyone 6! On a bit of a tangent, but very related, I was reading about Kevin’s ascent of The Duel, a 25ft wall at Hueco that he graded V10/E10 and was protected by 17 pads. Using many, many pads to protect short (less than 45ft) solos seems to be the way that things are heading in the US, effectively making great big highballs, with big soft landings (just to confirm, this is not in direct reference to The Duel which from what I can gather has a particularly nasty landing, but US highballing in general). In many ways this makes perfect sense. The technology to make these problems safe(r) is there, so surely it is foolish not to use it.
So what about the Grit? If 2 pads can make such a difference to a short route like The Promise, then imagine what 17 would do. If 17, why not 18, if 18 why not 20, if 20 why not... I know I am exaggerating a little, but you get the point. For a rock type where the level is often defined by the danger (I know that’s not the whole truth but I’m trying to simplify) how would using a protection device that’s protectional ability is almost unquantifiable work? It would never be black and white, but many shades of grey!
It was for reasons like this that I decided to stop using pads until the murky waters clear. I do not know the answer; in fact I barely understand all the questions. the north face coats ,But what I do know is things are getting more and more confusing and blurred for each day that passes.

Competitors are delivered to each stage by special boats called Zodiacs.north face coat, Zodiacs can only be used in moderate winds. If the katabatic winds become too intense, competitors will have to wait on shore until the winds calm before returning to the ship. All equipment must be transported in waterproof bags, as ice cold water can sometimes splash into these small transport boats.
Are not human. The only spectators in Antarctica will be the ever-friendly penguins. Competitors will see thousands of penguins and other forms of wildlife as they conquer The Last Desert. Penguins reside in the exterior of Antarctica and not the interior, such as at the South Pole. On my last trip to the interior of Antarctica, I saw no wildlife whatsoever, so it will be nice to see the course this time lined with our little waddling friends.
Special biodegradable bags are used to mark the course for The Last Desert race. These bags are filled with snow and designed so that no wind can blow them away. The bags are dyed a bright pink color keeping with the pink marker color used in all 4 Deserts races.
In an effort to immerse you in the experience, north face coats ，I thought it might be helpful to describe what it takes to get to Antarctica.
From the West Coast of the US, I boarded a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina (via Atlanta, GA). Travel time to Buenos Aires was 17 hours 15 minutes. From there, I caught another flight to the tip of Argentina, Tierra de Fuego. Travel time was 7 hours 23 minutes (with 1-stop at El Calafate). I’ll overnight in Tierra de Fuego. Tomorrow, we’ll board a ship in the port of Ushuaia bound for the frozen continent, a two-day journey across one of the most treacherous causeway on the planet, Drake’s Passage (it’s been reported that 98% of the prior participants in The Last Desert race suffered from some form of seasickness).
The ship we are traveling on is called The M/S Professor Molchanov. She was built in Finland in 1982 for polar research and has been refurbished for expeditions to Antarctica. The Molchanov carries a maximum of 52 passengers. While the crew is mostly Russian, the official language on the ship is English.
That’s what’s involved in getting to Antarctica. You have to work almost as hard to get here as you do to run the race (with the seasickness part being especially taxing).
Now to dispel a widely held myth, there are no polar bears on Antarctica. There are plenty of penguins, and there are these terrifying creatures called leopard seals, but no polar bears. For those of you interested in reading a great adventure book about penguins, leopard seals, survival and leadership, I would highly recommend: ‘The Endurance,’ the story of Ernest Shackleton’s legendary Antarctica expedition. While us participants in The Last Desert race signed up without duress, the north face coats ,Shackleton recruited his men for the expedition with the following post:

As for my performance,north face coat, I managed to bag the coveted 4 Deserts Series Championship crown, my overall performance during the deserts races throughout 2008 putting me in first place. There will be an awards dinner held in San Francisco for winning this title. I’m honored to have captured this award as it was a lengthy and hard-fought battle that required consistent performance stage after grueling stage, across a multitude of climates, terrains, environments and settings. You really couldn’t have a bad race, there was just no margin for error. That said, the 55-hour boat ride back to Argentina from Antarctica was an endurance event which paralleled any stage. The Drake Passage is one of the most treacherous waterways on earth, and it shined in all its glory for us. There are distinct bands of winds across the world’s latitudes. The equator has the ‘trade winds,’ which are fairly consistent and moderate. Moving out from the equator toward the tropics, you have the notorious ‘doldrums’ in which the wind may be nonexistent for days or weeks at a time. The doldrums are sometimes referred to as the “horse latitudes” because early sailors used to push their horses overboard with a tether line attached so that they could tow their boat out of this windless confinement. Moving further out toward the world’s poles, you have distinct latitudinal bands of wind that become progressively more intense the closer you get to the poles. First it’s the ‘roaring forties,’ then the ‘furious fifties,’ and finally the ‘screaming sixties.’ Explorers to Antarctica had a saying, “Beyond 50 degrees south there is no law, Beyond 60 degrees south there is no God.”
The wind on the boat ride home howled as if coming from an enraged Cyclopes, whipping the ocean into a frothy torrent of white and kicking up massive swells of mythical proportions. Only,north face coats ， there was no mythology involved, those gigantic liquid mountains outside our portholes were real. We made the crossing on a modern research vessel with all the latest technology; still, it was a harrowing experience. I couldn’t imagine what the early explorers a century ago must have gone through. During that heroic era, it’s been said that ships were made of wood and men of steel. I couldn’t agree more.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest, place on earth (the coldest temperature ever recorded, negative 126.8 F, was recorded on Antarctica). Because the cold receives much of the attention, the katabatic winds are sometimes overlooked. They shouldn’t be. Routinely they gust to near hurricane strength, literally flattening everything in their path. When the katabatic winds kick in, it’s time to run for cover. And after Stage 4, that’s precisely what we did.
It’s just that a boat isn’t exactly the ideal place to seek refuge. For the past two days, there’s been lots of moaning and sounds of anguish onboard as we tossed about violently like a cork in a washing machine. All of us on the ship can run, but riding out a storm in a small vessel is a different story. Never have I been so happy to place my foot on solid ground. If they ask for my suggestion on where to hold the awards banquet in San Francisco, I’m definitely not recommending a harbor cruise.
For those of you who have followed my progress throughout the year, it’s been a tremendous ride which I am both relieved and saddened to see come to a conclusion. The 4 Deserts races have been grueling, arduous, and incredibly rewarding. If you’ve ever considered a race of this format (i.e., 250 km, six-stage, self-supported), I would say give it a try, you’ll never forget the experience. Racing the Planet (the organization which hosts the 4 Deserts events) does a superb job; I have been extremely impressed with how well these races have been coordinated in some of the most remote and exotic places on earth. As exhausted as I am after completing all four races this year, I’m already eying a couple of the new deserts they’re planning on adding in Africa and Australia. the north face coats ,Who says all good things must come to an end?

Again in Namche after 2 days trekking down from Chukhung 4730 m.north face coat, We used a horse to transport our load because we didn’t found porters in so short time. We are going back to Kathmandu where our friend Nima is trying to organize big helicopter to Tashigaon (where our expedition load are with our cook and kithchen boy) and than to Makalu BC. We have no news about Nima but we hope he is finding a solution with the one of the 2 big helicopter working in Nepal. Since the beginning of expedition I’m fighting with my new modem Thuraya. I can have only 5- 10 minutes internet and than the modem stop to work. That time is just enough to rush in sending you the daily reports. I would like to post also videos but I need a longer time and modem actually doesn’t give more. I’m in contact with Thuraya to solve also this problem.
A winter expedition is always a night mare. Always!! What yesterday I was worry that could happen, it happen!! The porters stop their work in transporting all the loads to Makalu base camp and refused to continue. Due 1 meter of fresh snow and difficulties in braking trail, they decided to run back! Jagat Limbu, my cook and sirdar, phoned me by thuraya (thanks God I gave him one to be in touch daily) updating me about that bad news and asking me a prompt answer….north face coats ， I told him that I understand the situation, that I located them on the Makalu map that I have with me and convince the porters to go back with their individual load and not empty!! If they should leave all those gear in the deep forest it should mean that the expedition is finished and everything lost.c
Of course before this decision I tried to convince the porters offering more money and reduce the time of daily work but with no positive result. After 6 hours of that talk I received another from Jagat. All the porters and all the load are safe in the last village of Kauma. Now I’m thinking a solution and Nima Nuru Sherpa, leader of Cho Oyu trekking is offering all his support. In Nepal there are only 2 big Helicopter and they are always busy. Their prices are crazy… We will see what we will do. In the meantime I and Denis are in the upper Khumbu acclimatizing but my mind now is quite far looking for a positive solution for my expedition. We will see… (Tomorrow I will tell you about the problems that I daily have with the sat connection)
Today it had been the most beautiful due the fantastic sunny weather. During the walk from Deboche to Dingboche we saw with any clouds, some of the highest mountain of the planet and many other famous peaks of the Khumbu valley. In Dingboche we will spend the night in a cute and small lodge with a nice veranda where we can enjoy the fantastic warm of the sun protected from the wind. Tomorrow we will go in Chhukung at 4800 m and we will stay 2 days. the north face coats ,We will walk over 5000 meters towards Chukung Ri and the next days we will look for highest point to reach…

Welcome to Dispatch 11 Ghetto Birds.north face coat, After our burl-gnar first ascent on Mochito which entailed nearly every size of crack known to man in it's 900 feet of suffer ascending, Renan, and I were worked. Stanley had sat the adventure out, and packed up his base rig for his dream mission the next day...the first ever wingsuit of El Mocho for the third ever basejump in Patagonia that we know of. On a wing and a prayer, Stanley jumped off of El Mocho. He took off like a rocket and literally flew over us as we jammed with the Glacier Allstars on the glacier below. When his parachute opened he was whisked higher than his exit point by unwieldy Patagonian wind turbulence and for over ten minutes was cast adrift above the glacier...leaving us all rather gripped that he may never come down. When Stanley touched down safe and sound we were all very very relieved. What a bad ass stunt!!
north face coats presented by Gore-Tex was on the mountain slopes of the Grands Montets, in Argentière, over the Chamonix valley. And this week end , Europe’s premier contest for young freeskiers enjoyed a record crowd of 63 young freeskiers participating. Twenty one additional qualified boys and girls will compete in the final in to maybe a sponsoring contract and get help to become pro riders and change their ski lives !
The event was back in the famous valley of Chamonix and enjoyed in this region a popularity that sees French, Swiss, English and Belgian riders come to participate in the event. On the hills of the Grands Montets, the event had two wonderful and full of action days. Plan Joran & Breakfast For All !
The Compagnie du Mont Blanc helped us prepare the park, Dynastar in its test center invited us for breakfast on the Plan Joran plateau. Early start, early inspection in the shadow of the world mountains of Chamonix and at around 10:30 the event started. The park in Chamonix is split in two separate parts and the jury decided to take one run in the upper section of the park, the north face coats,designed for less experienced riders and two runs in the lower part, with bigger jumps.