Adventurers Are "Artists of Life"

My friend DSD has a very thoughtful piece on her Summit Stones & Adventure Musings blog today entitled "Artists of Being Alive..."in which she philosophizes about those people who are "adventuring for another reason." She only has to point to her own blogroll to give examples of what she means, as it is filled with people who are pursuing the passions of their lives, such as climbing, paddling, or cycling, usually with some other goal or bigger cause in mind. Those people are striving to change the world through their own personal adventures, and that makes them "Artists of Life," a term I came to love the moment I read it.

The inspiration for DSD's post today is a quote from J. Stone which simply reads:

"The most invisible creators I know of are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible... Their medium is their being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They are artists of being alive..."

That's very thought provoking and inspirational quote if you ask me. How many of us know people that fit that description? If you're lucky, you know more than a few. I'm fortunate in that I've had the unique opportunity to interact with a number of people who could be described that way, and I can say that my life has been made better for knowing them.

While you go about your day today and move on into your weekend, think about the "Artists of Life" that you know, and consider how you can paint your own canvass.

April Fools Day On The Internet

Well, it's April 1st, which is quite possibly my least favorite day on the Internet all year. Be warned, throughout the day today, you'll see plenty of fake stories that will try to fool you into believing their true. Some are done in good fun and are worth a chuckle at least.

Over at Gadling we're running a series of fake travel stories all day long. Being a good team member, I contributed to the proceedings as well, offering up this story about a guy who wants to ride his mountain bike (a Huffy no less!) up Mt. Everest. I had a little fun with the story, especially when he talks about catching big air off the Hillary Step. Tongue was definitely planted firmly in cheek when I was writing however. I'm not sure if I like it more or less than my contribution last year, that was a commentary on the race to be the youngest on top of the mountain.

There are a few others getting into the spirit as well. Alpinist, for instance, has changed up their site for the day, offering some climbing stories with a...um... different slant. The scantily clad girls in bikinis probably will help traffic today!

Also, the boys over at the Cheap Tents Blog have a review of the latest hiking boots, Dutch Clogs. They'll have you so convinced that it's a good option, you'll probably be scrambling for your credit card, just looking for a place to buy a pair for you next outing.

Wend Magazine has also joined the party with this post on a fetus setting a new record for the youngest to summit Everest. It was almost believable too, but everyone knows that summit bids won't begin for another six weeks at least. ;)

I'm sure there will be plenty of other very funny stories as well. Keep your eyes peeled, and share them in the comments section below. :)

New Adventure Links!

I've been meaning to give a tip of the hat to a couple of new websites that are offering adventure news and views for some time, and with the holidays upon us, I'm sure we'll all be looking for good things to read over the next few days. So, if you haven't found these sites yet, you'll definitely want to add them to your book marks.

First up, we have Extreme Adventure News, which may be a new site, but it is being run by an old friend. EAN is the new venture from Jason Hendricks, who was the editor of The Adventurists for several years. Jason took a bit of a sabbatical from the online adventure scene, but is back and providing good content and updates once again. You can also follow his Twitter feed at: @adventurenewz.

The other site that has recently launched and is already offering great content is Exceed Possibility. This site went up a few weeks back and is already carving an interesting niche for itself amongst the adventure sites on the Internet. Site editor Tom Evans is a university student in the U.K. who already had plenty of adventures in his young life, cycling across the country at 18, climbing Kilimanjaro at 19, and visiting Everest Base Camp at 20. His blog offers excellent insights already and includes historical perspectives as well.

I'd like to welcome Jason back and Tom to the adventure community. Keep up the great work guys!

ExWeb Becoming A Subscription Site?

Most of you reading this blog are very familiar with the website Explorers Web or ExWeb as we abbreviate it on a regular basis. I link to the site often, as they generally have some very good news and information on various expeditions taking place in the mountains, oceans, rivers, and other unexplored areas of the world. ExWeb has been around since 1998 in one form or another, and today they took the bold move of going to a subscription service that will charge $3.99/month for access.

A post to the site earlier today explains the change in strategy, which involves the continued growth of ExWeb and the writing/support staff. It also gives the history and evolution of what we now know as Explorers web as well, which sprang from the mind of Tom and Tina Sjogren, who built it up from a blog of their Everest climbs to what is probably the top adventure news site on the web.

You can find out everything you need to know about the new subscription model by clicking here. Subscription costs run $3.99 on a per month basis, $11.83 for 3 months, $19.91 for 6 months, and $36.50 for 12 months. Additionally, 5% of all subscriptions costs will be donated to the Himalayan Helicopter Rescues.

So? What are your thoughts on this? Will you pay to access ExWeb content? They note that subscriptions include "full access" to the site 24/7, expanded coverage of big stories, alerts on breaking news, and access to the content on your smartphone. Whether that means basic content will be locked down for non-subscribers has yet to be seen.

This is a sign of the time I suppose. Should be an interesting move to see how this model fares. As always, I wish the ExWeb team nothing but the best.

Are You Ready To Climb For Change?

A few days back I received an e-mail that introduced me to a website that I didn't even know existed, and after spending some time checking it out, I wanted to share the link with you as well. The site is ClimbForChange.com which has been designed to be an online meeting place for mountaineers and trekkers who are hoping to make a difference in the world through their adventurous endeavors.

The site offers some great info for people like us who not only live their own adventures but also enjoy following those of others as well. And often times, as readers of this blog already know, many of those adventurers are off doing some amazing things while also working hard to change the lives of the people around them or protect the environment or bring awareness to another great cause. Climb For Change wants to help spread the word about those projects and give us a central hub where we can share our ideas and efforts.

On the site you'll find a listing of featured climbs that includes a map showing the location of current and upcoming projects. Clicking on the push-pin that represents those projects presents you with more information about them. There is also a directory of outdoor links which is still being populated as well as a nice blog, dubbed the Campfire, which shares similar stories of outdoor adventure as my site.

All in all, a very cool website that has a great purpose in mind, namely to bring together like minded outdoor enthusiasts who want to affect some kind of change and make a difference in the world. Sounds like a great idea to me.

Ocean Advocates Weigh In At TakePart.com

Yesterday was World Ocean Day, and I shared my own thoughts about the topic in this post. Personally, I think the threats to our oceans are one of the biggest dangers to the planet and our continued existence on it, and World Ocean Day was meant to spotlight some of those concerns, especially as events in the Gulf of Mexico continue to unfold.

I wasn't the only one talking about the plight of our oceans yesterday however, as a number of far more qualified people that me weighed on the subject over at TakePart.com. Topics ranged from global climate change, oil in the Gulf, and more.

Contributors included the likes of Philippe Cousteau, who said that he felt that increased levels of carbon are the biggest threat to the oceans today. Roz Savage shared her thoughts as well, pointing to the high levels of plastic that are now found in our waters. And our friend Jon Bowermaster, who has been filming along the Louisiana coast, discusses the chemical run off that has created a dead zone in the water at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Each of the articles also includes some ideas on how we can "get our hands wet", or in other words, how we can all pitch in and help on an individual or grassroots level. I may be pointing these suggestions out a day after World Ocean Day, but it's never too late to start helping out.

While you're over reading the various essays, be sure to checkout TakePart.com more fully as well. The site is dedicated to tackling the biggest environmental issues today, and finding ways that we can all "take part" in making the world better place. Think of it as social networking with an eco-friendly slant.

Want To Blog Your Way Around the World?

Come on! Admit it! You've surfed on over to this blog on more than one occasion and thought "This whole blog thing doesn't look all that tough!" Well, now is your chance to find out for yourself with the new Blog Your Way Around the World Contest, which will send eight lucky winners off on some amazing trips to far flung corners of the globe, and let them write about their experiences as well.

Enter the contest is a simple affair. Simply go to this page and fill out the online application. That application includes a 400-word essay explaining why you should win, and how you would blog from the road if you are amongst the lucky few chosen. After that, you need to rally your friends and family, and get them to vote for you, with the top vote eight vote getters winning the prizes. The deadline for entry is December 31st of this year.

The trips that are up for grabs are definitely worth blogging about. The options include rafting the Salmon River courtesy of OARS, a cycling trip through the Czech Republic and Austria from Backroads, a heli-hiking adventure from Canadian Mountain Holidays, and a journey north to view polar bears from Natural Habitat Adventures. The other four include a visit to Costa Rica from Off the Beaten Path, a Galapagos expedition from Lindblad, a luxury cruise to Borneo from Orion Expedition Cruises, and a custom safari from Micato Safaris. All of these sound like amazing trips, and to make them even better, you'll receive all the gear you'll need on your adventure as well.

Once the winners have been selected, they'll have until 2014 to take their trip, and they must agree to write about their adventure before, during, and after their journey. But, they will get to bring a friend along too, with all of their airfare and tour costs covered.

Seems like a great opportunity to me. I'd be happy to blog any of those trips! If you would too, then fill out your application now, and get started. Good luck everyone!

Thanks to the National Geographic Adventure blog for the tip!

Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Two Months In, Andrew Answers Your Questions!

Long distance ultralight hiker Andrew Skurka launched his Alaska-Yukon Expedition nearly two months ago, and during that period he has hiked, skied, and snow shoed over more than 1100 miles of remote Alaskan backcountry. During that time, he has seen some dramatic changes to the conditions in which he is traveling, and although spring has arrived up north, it hasn't always made his journey easier.

In a recent post to the National Geographic Adventure Blog, where Skurka is keeping us all informed of his progress, he says that spring has brought cold and wet conditions, replacing the sub-zero temperatures and snowfall, with 30º, rainy conditions instead. The change in weather has kept him cold and wet most of the time, which has not made it easy for him to function under those conditions. He also adds that spring runoff tends to dump water on top of already frozen rivers and lakes, making them very cold and treacherous to ford. Andrew says that he expects much of the spring to be like this, and the fall as well, and he looks forward to the warmer summer weather that is not too far off at this point.

All told, the expedition is expected to take about seven months to complete, and will cover more than 4700 miles in total. During that time, Skurka will pass through six U.S. and two Canadian national parks and hiked the remote Alaska and Brooks Ranges. An adventure such as this one would be a once in a lifetime affair for most people, but for Skurka, it's just another hike to add to his growing list of accomplishments, which include 7778 mile coast-to-coast hike across the U.S. and Canada, as well as a 6875 mile jaunt through the Western U.S.

Ever wonder how Andrew does it? Well, The Nat. Geo Adventure Blog is giving you your chance to ask him yourself. The long distance hiker is due back into civilization tomorrow, and he has agreed to answer any and all of your questions. Simply go to this post on the NG Adventure Blog, and post your question in the comments section. Andrew will log on over the next few days, and answer you personally. So, if you've got questions about the gear he uses or how he plans these big expeditions, head on over and post them. This is a rare and unique opportunity to have those questions answered by an expert on the subject.

Cyclist Sets Out To Ride For Haiti

While we're on the subject of long distance endurance events done for a cause today, I want to mention one more adventurer who is in the midst of his own active endeavor. Back on March 16th, 25-year old cyclist Cole Starkey set out on a 3000 mile long Ride for Haiti that he hopes will continue to raise awareness of the ongoing relief efforts that are taking place in that country.

Cole is peddling down much of the Atlantic Coast of the U.S., beginning in Glenside, Pennsylvania and continuing on to St. Augustine, Florida. From there, he'll keep heading west, continuing on into Louisiana, and ending the journey in New Orleans. The route is a combination of AdventureCycling.org's Atlantic Coast and Southern Tier Routes.

The ride is expected to take roughly four weeks to complete, and Cole has already been blogging from the road. You can check out all of his entries for his first week on the road by clicking here, but he hasn't posted any updates for this week just yet. On his daily posts he records the number of miles for the day, and how far he has traveled from the start, along with the good things he experienced (Roses) and the things that worked against him. (Thorns). As of Monday, his 7th day on the road, he had already ridden more than 745 miles.

The intrepid cyclist has a cause that he he is raising funds for as well. All donations are going to the Vermont Haiti Project , which has an 18-year history of service in that country. The organization has always taken a grassroots, volunteer approach to working Haiti, but their efforts are stretched even thinner at the moment considering the widespread effects of the crisis.

Good luck to Cole as well, and thanks to his friend Rebecca for passing this story along to me. Rebecca has a cool blog of her own, which focuses on reminding New Yorkers about all the options they have when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. You can check it out here.

Everest 2010: Tweeting From Everest

As he so often does, Alan Arnette has managed to once again put things into perspective when it comes to Mt. Everest. In his latest update, entitled Tweeting From Everest, Alan talks about how far we've come in terms of being able to communicate to and from the mountain, and how it has changed the way the mountaineers approach their expeditions, and how we follow along back home.

Alan notest that when he first went to Everest, he was able to send brief messages back to the world at $1 per character. His "Hi, I’m back safely" note set him back $19 just to be able to tell friends and family that he was down and in one piece. He also says that without his satellite phone, he'd be lost on his major expeditions, and that underscores how vital a connection back to the "real world" is to today's climbers. In the old days, it was practically a media blackout while climbing for two months. Now, with the Internet virtually everywhere, it is another good way to pass the time while in BC.

Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter have certainly changed the way we can stay in touch while we travel or follow along with teams as they climb. Alan also points out that nearly every climber and/or team has a blog that posts regular updates from Everest to keep those back at home informed and in touch. A far cry from years passed when climbers literally disappeared off the grid for two months.

The article is really an interesting one, discussing how communications and the Internet have had an impact on everything revolves around everest, including how First Ascent used the whole expedition to promote their new gear. Alan goes on to talk about the top places on the web for information on the expeditions (Thanks for the shout out Alan!) and how that has effected our perceptions of what is happening at any given time on the mountain.

Another nice article, and further sets the stage for the season ahead. It's going to be an exciting one.

Website Delivers Armchair Adventure For Everyone

One of the great things about writing this blog, and using the Internet, is that I have the opportunity to connect with others who share my passion for adventure in all of its forms. Sometimes I get to chat with climbers who have gone up Everest, sometimes it's polar explorers who have been to the South Pole. But I also get to interact with average, everyday adventurers who simply enjoy reading stories about exploration, often from the comfort of their easy chair.

That's where the website Armchair Adventurista comes in. The site was founded by Amy Wilson Maroney, who finds herself drawn to true adventure stories, like Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. Throw in a little frostbite, starvation, or an attack by a grizzly bear, and she's a happy reader.

To channel this self described obsession with adventure stories, Amy launched this site to post book reviews, share news on the what's going on in the world of adventure, and to link to adventurers who are out there exploring right now. She hopes to feature the best of true adventure stories, seek out and spotlight women adventurers, and promote the connection between adventure and sustainability.

Armchair Adventurista launched back in January, and has plenty of good content already in place. It seems that it is already turning into another place for fans of adventure, both armchair and otherwise, to get their fix. Welcome to the neighborhood Amy, and keep up the great work. :)

Mike Libecki Goes Climbing In Fantasy Land

Climber Mike Libecki has been all over the planet, tackling some of the most challenging and interesting big walls around. He's been to Greenland, Baffin Island, Venezuela, Antarctica, and more. And while each of those places has offered amazing opportunities to climb, his recent expedition to Socotra Island off the coast of Yemen, may be amongst his most favorite destinations of all.

Mike went to Socotra with his friend and climbing partner Josh Helling and is now teasing their story in the Hardwear Sessions blog on the Mountain Hardwear website. Mike described the landscapes on Socotra as if they are something out of a fairy tale, saying the following:

an island that is home to ancient granite towers and over 300 endemic species of plant, animal and insect life, with a culture that has not changed its ways for thousands of years, a fantasy land, that, for today's day of explorers is still (at least it was!) virgin, unseen, and holds the variable that adventure cannot exist without: Mystery. Even Sinbad the Sailor is rumored to have been here and battled huge dragon-like birds as they destroyed his ship.

And honestly, judging from the photos that accompany the story, it is hard to dispute his claims. Mike and Josh were the first two climbers to visit the island, and in the process they put up new routes on the two largest towers there. Towers that he says are surrounded by "utterly-lost-world ambience".

The climber promises that we'll see much more on the expedition soon, in the form of a more in depth story and a movie that chronicles the expedition, both of which will appear on the Hardwear Sessions blog in the near future. Judging from the photos, it sounds like it'll be amazing, and I can't wait to see it all in motion on video too.

Best Hike Goes To The Himalaya: Days 11-16

For those interested in the details of a trek through the Himalaya, Best Hike Editor Rick McCharles has continued to post a day-by-day account of his recent journey through Nepal, which saw him hiking to Everest Base Camp, and other areas of the Khumbu Valley.

On Day 11, Rick set out to conquer the Kongma La Pass, a hike that would require nine hours on the trail, but he says is a moderate hike once you're well acclimatized. The hike is punctuated by amazing views of glacier fed lakes and very remote wilderness.

When Days 12 and 13 arrived, Rick found himself sick once again, but still had needing to continue his trek, this time heading towards Lobuche. Upon arrival, amidst spectacular weather, he stayed in a local tea house, and was forced to spend a day of rest and recovery, while getting over his sickness.

Rick was feeling much better on Day 14, when he set out to cross the Cho La Pass, which he describes as "seriously dangerous". It is a place that often requires the use of an ice axe to make progress and even the Yaks have a difficult time crossing. It was another beautiful, and scenic hike, but also very demanding and difficult, and the second of the Three Passes of Everest trek.

Day 15 was spent preparing for the Renjo La, the third and final pass of the trek. Rick met a guest at one of the tea houses named Doug Benn, a professor visiting the area to study the effects of climate change on the glaciers there. He also took a side trek that day that would take him up to the Sacred Lakes of the Gokyo, a place that is holy for both Hindus and Buddhists alike.

On Day 16, Rick spent a long and grueling day on the trail to return to Namche, by passing the Renjo La in the process. The long trek brought him back to what passes for civilization in the Khumbu, allowing him to pass the night in a tea house, and in a room that was used was once used by former American President Jimmy Carter.

Each of Rick's entries includes a set of great photos from each day of the trek and of course his personal insights into what each day was like on the trail. For long distance hikers considering a go at the Everest region, these posts are very insightful and helpful in preparation for the trip. Great stuff as always from Best Hike.

The Cost of Everest (2009 Edition)

Alan Arnette posed another story to the Outside Blog yesterday, detailing the costs of an expedition to Everest for 2009. Everyone knows that it is not only expensive to make such a climb, it also requires a great deal of time committed to training and preparation, not to mention that two months required to be in the Himalaya as well.

The story includes a handy chart that shows exactly what the top guide services are charging this year and who will be leading each of the teams. The prices are broken down on both the North and South sides of the mountain, with Rainier Mountaineering Inc. topping the list with a price of $74,000 for climbing on the Nepali side of the mountain. On the Tibetan side, the costs are a bit more modest, with the top climb running $32,250 from Summit Climb. And the cheapest climb? That would be from Asian-Trekking, which charges $30,000 and $21,757 on the South and North sides respectively. (Quite the bargain!)

As Alan notes, the main differences in the cost include the number of western guides on the trip, and the ratio of guides/Sherpa's to climbers. The cheaper climbs have few or no western guides, and just the minimum number of Sherpas to assist climbers to the summit.

All in all, a very good read from a man who knows his stuff. Not only has Alan been covering the Everest climbing season for years, he's also been on the mountain on three occasions as well. Now if I can just save my pennies, I should be able to make a climb of my own by the time I hit 80.

Alan Arnette Explains Why He Climbs

As I mentioned last week, Alan Arnette has started blogging for Outside Online, giving his perspectives on mountaineering and adventure in general. Today, he posted a great article in which he explains why he climbs and what it means to him in his life.

Alan notes that for non-climbers, the question of "why do you climb" is an incredibly difficult one to answer. How do you put into words what it is like to be on the mountain, to share experiences with life-minded men and women, and to push yourself to your physical and mental limits. Some people understand that, while plenty of others do not.

The article is, as always, an interesting one, and eloquently what drives someone to challenge themselves in ways that some people can't relate to, even as they admire the person who is going after their own personal summits. Alan acknowledges the dangers involved and doesn't dismiss them lightly, as he shares his own brushes with disaster. While every climber has to answer the question of "why do you climb" for him or herself, Alan seems to have an understanding of what drives him personally, and that will be important as he goes for the Seven Summits in 2010 and 2011.

Lots of insights in the story, but either you get it, or you don't. Maybe this piece will help a few more to understand.

Alan Arnette Blogs For Outside!

Alan Arnette, whose Everest coverage I mentioned yesterday, has big plans for 2010. The mountaineer has turned his sights on the Seven Summits, and perhaps an even bigger goal, in raising $1 million for the Alzheimer's Association, a cause that is very near and dear to Alan's heart.

As he prepares for the first of his Seven Summit climbs, Alan has also started blogging for Outside Online, offering up his first entry yesterday. In this initial post, Alan introduces himself to a new audience over at Outside, while outlining his plans for what he'll be writing about, which will include his own climbs, analysis of the Everest climbing season, and mountaineering news in general. Personally, I can't think of a better person to make these contributions to the Outside Blog, and Alan's writing will make an already great source of news and information even better.

Alan's Seven Summit bid will begin next July, when he'll start with Kilimanjaro and then move on to Elbrus the following month. From there, he'll climb Vinson in the fall of 2010 and Aconcagua, which he's already summitted, in early 2011. He'll tackle Everest in the spring of that year, before returning to Denali that summer. He'll finish up on the technical Carstensz Pyramid sometime in 2011 as well, and while in the neighborhood, he'll head to Australia and stroll up Kosciuszko too. The best part of this adventure is that we can all be a part of it. You can help Alan reach that $1 million goal by clicking here, and you can join him on one of the climbs by clicking here.

Congratulations on the new gig at Outside Alan, it is much deserved, and good luck on the Seven Summits. You know I'm behind you on that endeavor as well.

Adventure Travel On A Budget

I'm happy to report that I was a featured guest blogger today over at NileGuide, an excellent travel site with plenty of great resources for any traveler, including a very unique trip planning service, and one of the best travel blogs around.

My post actually appears on that blog today, and it is a piece I wrote on budget adventure travel, which I note in the article are three words that you don't generally see next to one another. Lets face it, adventure travel can be very expensive, so using the term "budget" means that you have to qualify exactly what you mean by that. Still, that doesn't mean that there aren't deals to be had in the adventure travel space, and I give some tips on how to save some cash when planning a trip. I also happen to believe that you'll be able to get some really great deals throughout the rest of this year and into next. The economy may finally be starting to turn around, but the majority of us aren't starting to travel just quiet yet. That means good deals for those of us that are!

I'd like to thank NileGuide for inviting me to contribute to their great site. I had fun writing the piece and I am honored that they would invite me. If you're not familiar with NileGuide, I highly recommend you go take a look. If you're planning a trip soon, you definitely need to check out their system for creating your own travel guide, which allows you to customize it to your own liking, and for your personal itinerary, rather than buying a guide book from one of the big travel publishers, that is packed with pages on places you'll never visit. NileGuide's system is intuitive, easy to use, and provides lots of great info. As an example, check out their guide to Cusco, Peru for an idea of the service.

I hope everyone enjoys the article and finds something interesting and useful in it. :)

Blog Action Day: Global Climate Change

Today is Blog Action Day 2009, an event that has grown in popularity over the past few years as a number of bloggers from around the Internet join together to discuss a common cause. The topic for this year's Blog Action Day is Climate Change, something that we've all heard a lot about over the past few years. This is definitely a subject that we should all take an interest in, as protecting the environment and our natural resources has a direct effect on all of us. But considering the nature of this blog, and our obvious love for the outdoors, I think that this is a topic of particular interest to me.

When I started to think about what I would write about in regards to climate change, I started to think about a story I read a few days back about how global warming is effecting Everest. In the story, climbers report that for the first time ever, insects have begun to appear in base camp, which sits at 5360 meters, or roughly 17,585 feet on the mountain. Specifically, the mountaineers found common house flies in their tents during the spring climbing season, at an altitude where it was previously thought that bugs couldn't survive.

The arrival of insects isn't the only indication of climate change in the region. The spectacular glaciers of the Khumbu Valley have been receding for years, and it is estimated that they lose between 10-20 meters in length each year. The loss of those glaciers has caused a shortage of water in the area as well, and many villages now find that they have to trek substantial distances just to get a daily supply of drinking water.

If that wasn't bad enough, mountain guide Dawa Sherpa is quoted in the story above as saying that the summit of Everest has begun to shrink too. In years past, as many as 50 people could stand on the summit at the same time, but now fewer than 18 are able to occupy that because of the reduction in size of cornice at the top of the worlds tallest mountain.

Clearly climate change is taking place all around us, and it is difficult to explain exactly why it is happening. Experts are split on the causes, with some blaming it on man's abuses of the environment, while others say that it is a natural process that we have little impact on at all. Perhaps most frustrating of all is how political the topic has become, with debate raging about who is to blame and what the economic impact of making changes could be.

No matter what you personally believe about global climate change, and what is the cause of it, one thing we can all probably agree on is that it has raised the awareness of the health of the environment and our impact on it to a new level. Personally, I think that is a very good thing. Even if the human race is not causing these changes, it is still important for us to do what we can to protect the planet.

Many people will tell you that we are destroying the planet with our short sighted approach to the use of natural resources and reckless disregard for the amount of trash that we produce. I'm here to tell you, however, that we are not killing the planet. We are instead killing ourselves. The planet will be just fine. It has survived far worse things than what man can do to it, and eventually it will heal itself. But if we stay on our current path, it is doubtful that man will be around to see it.

The North Face Launches Planet Explore

In what appears to be an increasing trend, the North Face has launched a social networking site called Planet Explore. The online community is designed to connect people with outdoor activities, which of course they'd prefer we do while wearing their clothes and using their gear.

Planet Explore has all of the usual things you'd expect from a social networking site, including blogs, podcasts, and videos. It also offers a nice online calendar of events for your favorite activities, such as hiking, camping, climbing, and more. You can even narrow your search to a few select locations as well, and connect with other people who are interested in the same activities.

The site has an impressive list of partners, such as the American Hiking Society, the Sierra Club, Outward Bound, and more. It's nice to see these outdoor and conservation focused groups join the community at such an early stage, and perhaps that bodes well for the future.

While the site is operated by The North Face, they are thankfully not over the top with the marketing of their equipment. The question is however, do we need another "online community" or "social networking" site? There seems to be plenty out there already, and I know I personally don't need to join another.