The Death Valley Run Is Done

Last week I posted a story about ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Will Laughlin, who were preparing to run across Death Valley. The journey would start at the national park's northern boundary and would continue to its southern border, a distance of 300km (180 miles), through one of the harshest and hottest places on Earth. Yesterday, the two men completed their run, although it was even more challenging than they had expected.

I received an e-mail directly from Ray last night letting me know that they had finished their expedition. He noted that it took them 15 hours longer than they had expected and that temperatures often ranged in excess of 120ºF/49ºC. He also said that that the terrain was incredibly tough, turning the run into more of a hike. In fact, he said that is 4.5 days in Death Valley were equivalent to the worst sections of the Atacama Desert, which he ran across earlier this year.

The expedition's official website has been updated with video and photos from the run, with more coming soon. The video that I posted below is from the first two days of the expedition and demonstrates the conditions that Ray and Will had to deal with while in Death Valley. In the end, their GPS showed that they covered 260km (162 miles), while consuming 25 gallons of water along the way.

Next up for Ray is an impossible2Possible Youth Expedition to India in October, followed by an attempt to run across the deserts of Saudi Arabia in January. This Death Valley run helped him to test some new technology and gear that he plans to use on those expeditions as well.



Death Valley Expedition - Day 1 & 2 Video from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Running Across Death Valley

On Friday of this week, Ray Zahab, the man who hasn't met a desert he won't try to run across, and Will Laughlin, will set out to traverse Death Valley on foot. The two men will begin at the northern boundary of Death Valley National Park and won't stop until they hit the southern boundary, some 300km (180 miles) later.

All told, the expedition is expected to take about four days to complete, and it will serve as much as a testing ground for new gear as a hot summertime adventure. The two men will carry all of their emergency supplies with them, as well as their food and water, and will meet with their support crew about every 20-30km (12-18 miles) to receive a resupply. They hope to cover approximately 75km (46 miles) per day in heat that is likely to exceed 43ºC/110ºF each and every day.

The Death Valley Run will give Ray the opportunity to prepare for a couple of planned runs later this year and early next. His impossible2Possible organization is planning another youth expedition to India in October, and Ray has set his sights on running across Saudi Arabia in January. With those two adventures looming, Death Valley is the perfect proving grounds for testing gear, new technology, and expedition foods as well.

You'll be able to follow Ray and Will on their run at the expedition's official website, where they'll be posting dispatches, video and audio updates, and photos. They'll also be carrying a GPS tracker of course, so we'll be able to see where they are at all times, as they travel on foot across the hottest and lowest place in the Western Hemisphere.

Good luck guys. Stay cool out there!

The Furnace Creek 508 Bike Race Is This Weekend

Billed as the "Toughest 48 Hours In Sport," the Furnace Creek 508 begins tomorrow and will run into Monday. The event is an ultramarathon of cycling, sending riders across a non-stop 508 mile course through some of the most demanding terrain in North America.

This year marks the 27th running of the race which is renowned for its length and challenge. The race begins in  Santa Clarita, California and runs northeast to the northern most point of Death Valley. From there, the riders will turn south, traversing the length of DV before moving through the Mojave Desert and ending in Twentynine Palms, California. Along the way, they'll face tough mountain climbs, wild open desert, and over 35,000 feet of vertical gain. That makes this race the equivalent of riding four mountain stages in the Tour de France. Back-to-back, non-stop. Ouch!

To be declared an official finisher of the race, the riders must reach the finish line in under 48 hours. That means they'll have to average about 10.5 miles an hour, which any cyclist will tell you doesn't sound too bad. But throw in that vertical gain, not to mention the heat of the desert, and hours and hours of riding, and you begin to see the challenges that these endurance athletes will face. The race is extremely demanding and many of the cyclists say that it is the toughest thing they've ever done.

So? Anyone care for a little bike ride in the desert this weekend?

Death Valley Round II: Todd Headed Home, Death Valley Wins Again

Rough new from Todd Carmichael's home team this morning as the explorer has been forced to call it quits on his second attempt to trek solo across Death Valley. This time it was continued equipment failure that brought the expedition down.

According to the latest dispatch from his site, Todd has covered more than 80 miles on his journey, enduring 110ºF days, while dragging nearly 500 pounds worth of gear, water, and other supplies behind him in his specially designed cart. That cart, which he refers to a "the Pig," was suppose to be his lifeline for getting across the desert, but it was also his biggest cause for frustration. Apparently, Todd has exhausted his supply of spare tires, and all of the ones that he's been carrying with him are now beyond repair. Without good tires, the Pig goes nowhere.

This was Todd's second attempt to cross Death Vally solo and unassisted. Last year he was forced to abandon the expedition due to problems with the cart and the incredibly rugged conditions. This year, he returned with a renewed enthusiasm and a redesigned Pig that he hoped would endure the hardships of the journey better, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

This morning's dispatch says that Todd is disappointed that he once again won't be able to reach the finish line, but that he is already planning ahead for next year. It sounds like Death Valley hasn't heard the last of Todd Carmichael. We'll look forward to Round III next year.

Death Valley Round II: Todd's Working Hard In The Desert

Ten days ago Explorer and adventurer Todd Carmichael returned to Death Valley where he is once again attempting to make a solo, unassisted trek across that brutal desert. Carmichael, who once set a speed record for traveling to the South Pole on foot, made a similar attempt last year, but was turned back by large rock fields, has vowed to beat the desert this year no matter what, and while it has been tough going so far, he does continue to make progress.

Todd has been sending regular dispatches back from the field, including audio files, that have kept us up to date on his progress, and judging from his reports thus far, Death Vally: Round II hasn't been much easier than his first attempt. That said however, he remains focused and determined, despite the fact that he is a bit off his schedule and has struggled with covering the miles. On an expedition like this however, small victories go a long way, and over the weekend Todd was happy to find that the tires on his cart, lovingly dubbed "the Pig," had survived the night without going flat.

That may sound like a minor thing, but the Pig is Todd's lifeline on this expedition, as the specially designed and built cart, carries his food, water, and gear for the entire journey. When fully packed, it weighs in excess of 400 pounds, but allows for carrying the all important water that keeps Carmichael alive and moving forward in the hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America.

In his most recent dispatch, sent this morning, Todd reports that he had a brutal night last night. He has been traveling in the dark when he can to help avoid the hot sun, and he had set a goal for himself to cross out of an extremely rocky zone and onto a flatter, easier area. It was a major bump in his road, but one he managed to conquer along the way, even in the dark.

There is still a considerable distance to go at this point, but Todd seems in great spirits, despite his hardships, and I have little doubt that barring some unforeseen circumstances, he'll finish up the expedition in a successful fashion.

Death Valley Round II: Todd Carmichael Returns To The Desert Tomorrow

American explorer Todd Carmichael is set to return to Death Valley tomorrow, as he sets off on his second attempt to become the first person to make a solo, unsupported crossing of that desert. Many of you will recall that Todd attempted a similar crossing last year, only to be stopped by terrain that was impassable at times. In his latest dispatch however, he vows to cross Death Valley on his hands and knees if he has to.

Located in California, at the heart of the Mojave Desert, Death Valley is famous for being the lowest, driest, and hottest place in all of North America. At its lowest point, Death Valley falls 282 feet below sea level and temperatures have been recorded at 130ºF+ at times. The terrain throughout the region is rugged and challenging to say the least, with rocky outcroppings, sand dunes, and desolate salt flats, which makes it an incredibly difficult place to travel through on foot.

Because DV is so dry, Todd will need to carry all of his water, along with his food and other gear, behind him in a specially designed cart that he lovingly calls the pig. Last year, the cart performed about as well as could be expected, especially considering it is hauling several hundred pounds of supplies, but Carmichael has modified it somewhat this year in order to meet the demands that he knows are waiting for him.

Sometime tomorrow, the man who once walked to the South Pole in record time, will begin another adventure in an environment that is the polar opposite (pardon the pun!) of the one he conquered at the bottom of the world. Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll see if he can tame this one too.

Todd Carmichael Gears Up For Death Valley Round 2!

American explorer Todd Carmichael is preparing to make another attempt on Death Valley, and he'll hit the ground there on September 20th, as he once again goes for the first unsupported traverse of one of the most hostile environments on the planet.

Regular readers may recall that Todd attempted this journey last year, only to face a multitude of challenges, not the least of which was the daunting terrain that was, at times, impassable. Last year, he was pulling a cart, that he had dubbed "the Pig" behind him that was loaded down with his gear and supplies, and he regularly was forced to offload gear, in order to continue making forward progress. How he intends to deal with these conditions this year remains to be seen.

In his first dispatch for the new expedition, Todd says that he is returning with a newly designed Pig, which will once again carry his food, water, and other supplies, totaling nearly 500 pounds of weight, behind him as he makes the traverse from North to South across the desert. He'll get underway just as summer is coming to an end, in the hopes of missing at least some of the heat that Death Valley is known for, but even in the fall the place can be very hot, and that will be just one of the challenges he'll be facing.

Can Todd succeed where he failed last year? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Personally, I wouldn't bet against a guy who became the first American to make a solo journey to the South Pole, and set a speed record in the process. Good luck Todd! We'll be following your adventure!

The 2010 Badwater Ultra is Underway!

The first competitors in this year's Badwater Ultramarathon have hit the trail this morning and are already running through the early morning heat of Death Valley. Ahead of them is one of the toughest, most challenging courses in all of endurance sports, and most will spend the next two days completing the event.

The Badwater is one of the biggest races in all of the ultra endurance events. It is 135 miles of suffering, beginning in Badwater, California, located in the heart of Death Valley. Competitors begin at 280 feet below sea level, and will run mostly non-stop until they reach the Mt. Whitney Portals, located at 8300 feet up that mountain. Along the way, they'll pass over three different mountain ranges, and gain more than 13,000 feet of elevation.

As if all of that wasn't bad enough, they'll also have to endure the blast furnace temperatures that Death Valley is famous for. Over the next few days, temperatures are expected to hover around the 100ºF mark, although it is not uncommon in July for the temps to climb above 120ºF.

For most of the racers, it will take around 40 hours or so to complete, although the fastest runners will complete the entire 135 mile course in just 24 hours. That's more than 5.6 miles per hour, over a full day, in extreme heat and conditions. Very impressive stuff!

The Badwater is once again doing a webcast of the race, but it sometimes offers spotty coverage of what is going on. For instance, at the moment, it appears to be someone's empty hotel room. Hopefully we'll get better coverage as the race continues.

Skiing Death Valley?

Men's Journal has a great article on their website about a team of skiers who went in search of snow in Death Valley, and came up with one of the best kept secrets in backcountry skiing anywhere in the U.S.

The eight members of the team set out to find skiable snow in the Mojave Desert, which, in and of itself, sounds like a crazy idea. But when they stopped to think about it, there was only one place that could offer what they were looking for — Telescope Peak, Death Valley's highest mountain.

Telescope Peak stands 11,049 feet in height, and due to its unusual location next to Death Valley, which actually plummets 282 feet below sea level, it offers some unique and interesting challenges. For instance, the mountain offers more vertical rise than any other found in the lower 48 states, and as the article points out, it requires a longer climb than any of the 14ers in Colorado, or even Whitney and Rainier. It also happens to be snow covered on its higher ridges, despite the fact that it regularly hits 100ºF in the desert below.

The climb to the summit, while not technical, was a challenge in and of itself, and the ski team was racing against time. When that warm sun got too high above the horizon, it would turn the powder into slush. After putting all that effort into the trek, they wanted to experience some good snow. The result? One of the best runs that any of them had ever made, in part because they really had to earn it, and in part because it was so unexpected, remote, and wild.

This article is a great read, and it'll get you thinking about making your own exploratory ski run. Really fun stuff.

Death Valley Solo: A Post Expedition Update

Todd Carmichael has written a new dispatch today that gives us a bit of insight into the struggles that he faced while attempting his solo trek across Death Valley. Of course, the post is well written and informative, which is the norm for Todd, but in this case, the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words is all too true. The image posted her is what Todd was facing while out there in the desert, pulling a cart that had 30+ gallons of water on it, as well as the rest of his gear.

Todd talks about how the first few miles were deceptively easy, almost daring him to drop supplies so that he could go faster, but it wasn't long before the true challenges began, including soft sand and silt that made pulling the cart very difficult, seemingly endless, challenging ruts, caused by rushing water carving the surface of the Earth, and large rocks like those in the photo. Oh yeah, and of course the dry, desert heat too.

Reading the description of his experience, it is easy to understand why Todd elected to abandon the expedition and come home. But, he shows his adventurers spirit when he says that he isn't through with Death Valley quite yet. It seems that Todd sees this little patch of land as a personal challenge, and he vows to solve the puzzle and conquer the desert once and for all. This experience seems to have strengthened his resolve to complete this trek after taking a step back and considering the unexpected issues that have arisen. Knowing Todd, he'll probably be back to work on these issues by the end of the weekend.

Death Valley Solo: Todd Pulls The Plug For Good

Yesterday we had reports from Death Valley that Todd Carmichael was calling off his solo expedition across that desolate place, only to be told later that he wasn't quite finished yet. Today we get another update, this time confirming that the expedition is indeed finished.

Todays update comes courtesy of Todd's home team once again, with Brian Hart telling us that after a long night of soul searching in the desert, Todd has decided that his quest for the self supported long distance trekking record would be nearly impossible, as would be his double traverse of Death Valley along his intended route. With that realization in mind, he has decided to circle back to where he started, where his long time friend and partner will pick him up. He is expected to be retrieved from the desert around noon local time on Thursday.

Brian promises that Todd will update us with more details in the near future, and I'm sure that the long distance trekker is disappointed that he won't be continuing on. Knowing what kind of heart Todd has, I'm sure it is safe to say that he gave it his best, and he definitely knows when it is time to call it a day and head home. You can bet there will be a root beer float waiting for him when does head back to civilization.

Death Valley Solo: Not Over Yet!

Okay, despite the fact that earlier today Todd Carmichael called in to tell us all that he was heading out of Death Valley, it seems he has indeed had a change of heart, and will now continue the expedition after all. Check out the latest post on his blog, in which we are told by Brian Hart, part of Todd's home team, that Todd gave him a call and has put off going for that root beer float. Apparently, the way ahead looks clearer, and that has embolden him to carry on. Brian says we can expect an audio update from Todd soon, where I'm sure he'll fill us all in on his progress and status.

Great news! Glad to hear that Todd has decided to continue. Like I said in my earlier post, he showed incredible tenacity in Antarctic expedition, and he is showing that once again here. Lets wish him good luck and godspeed on the rest of the expedition.

Death Valley Solo: The Expedition is Over

If you've been following Todd Carmichael's progress on his Death Valley Solo Expedition, you no doubt have already been wondering how he was going to make it across the 430 mile course that he had planned for himself. Today we got our answer, as his latest dispatch indicates that he is headed home, defeated not by the oppressive heat or the length of the course, but by impassable terrain made all the worse by an endless series of bad washes.

Todd set out, on schedule, last Friday, and immediately was beset with troubles. In his first dispatch, he noted that that it was slow going thanks to the terrain and the heat. He encountered soft ground which made pulling his cart, nicknamed the Pig, very difficult. Todd was forced to offload some of his gear and water, shuttling between two points, effectively covering the same ground twice, in order to make progress.

The sand and silt hampered progress, as did the 115º F temperatures, which caused Todd to fall behind his schedule early. But anyone who followed his Antarctic expedition knows that he is not one to give up easily, and he continued to soldier on through the desert, battling the elements and pesky horse flies that swarmed in when tried to take shelter in the 100º F shade, and wait out the heat of the day.

Finally, today, Todd made the decision to go home. In his most recent update he had this to say:

There is only one way to know if something is possible - and that is to try it. Since crossing Anatarctica I've wondered if "man hauling" Death Valley was possible. Today I found my answer. Not for the furnace like heat or the distance or the snakes and such, but for the endless maze of washes blocking the path. Hundreds of them every mile, feathering from the main wash, all lined with melon sized stones and cliffs on either side.

Unwilling to accept the obvious, I continued to cross wash after wash, unloading, crossing, reloading - like an ant. Now I find myself walled on all sides - ahead an amazing dry fall, either side 25 foot walls and behind me the ugliest terrain I have ever crossed. Stuck, I scaled the wash and found the surface outside to be impassable - a bed of large stones as far as the eye can see, broken every 35' with wash after wash.

Manhauling this desert? along the road yes, but not open land.

It is not always easy to ask these sorts of questions, for they require pressing the limits - and all too often the limit is this side of accomplishment.


For now , it is time to go home, back track through that fierce terrain, onto the road, and some 40 miles to Baker California - with my answer.

They have an A&W there - I fancy a root beer float.

Rock on!

Todd

Enjoy the root beer float Todd! You've earned it. We'll look forward to your next adventure!

Death Valley Solo: ExWeb Interviews Todd Carmichael

On the eve of his expedition to Death Valley, Todd Carmichael sits down for an interview with ExWeb in which he talks about everything from why he chose Death Valley for his next big adventure, his approach to trekking across the lowest and driest place in North America, and what he thinks his biggest challenge will be.

Late last year, Todd made a solo trek to the South Pole, setting a speed record in the process. This year, he was looking for a different kind of trek, and obviously one with more heat. The plan is for Todd to cross Death Valley on foot, and then cross it again, returning to where he started from. In all, he hopes to cover more than 430 miles, going self supported all the way. To accomplish this, he'll be carrying all of his supplies with him, including all the necessary food, and 33 gallons of water.

In the interview, Todd talks about "the Pig", the cart that he has designed just for this expedition. The two wheeled buggy will carry the load of his gear and supplies, as he drags it along through the desert. He went through several designs before settling on this one, which he claims he can jog with once the load becomes light enough.

Todd will also be carrying the latest in communications gear, so he intends to send back regular updates on his progress with photos and video from Death Valley as well. We'll also be able to track him through the use of a SPOT Messenger as well. If all goes according to schedule, he should be heading to the region on Thursday and getting underway on Friday.

Death Valley Solo: Todd's Ready To Roll

A fresh update from Todd Carmichael today as he is busy putting the finishing touches on his Death Valley Solo expedition. In today's dispatch, he reveals that he has now sent his gear, including his food and "The Pig", off to Las Vegas, where he will retrieve them next Wednesday before setting off to Baker, California. The small town will be the launching pad for Todd's next adventure.

During the double traverse across the harsh Death Valley terrain, we'll be getting daily updates from Todd at roughly high noon local time. Death Valley falls into the Pacific Time Zone, so expect the updates to come late afternoon for most of us. Carmichael expects he'll be resting under a tarp, trying to avoid the hot sun, during those times, and he's hoping that his equipment performs a bit better than it did in Antarctica for sure.

He also talks about the dangers that will threaten the expedition as well, citing heavy rains, heat exhaustion, and wildlife as the ones he's looking out for. One doesn't associate heavy rain with Death Valley very often, and that's not the case here either. But if it does rain hard in the nearby mountains, it can cause flash floods in the Valley. Heat exhaustion is easy to understand, and he'll be monitoring his health very closely, and as for the critters? Lets just say there are some snakes and bugs he'd rather avoid out there.

If all goes as planned, the expedition should officially get underway at the end of next week, and will last for an expected 48 days and cover 430 miles in the process.

Death Valley Solo: Route Revealed!

Adventurer Todd Carmichael continues his preparation for his solo and unsupported double traverse of Death Valley, which is scheduled to get underway in just a few weeks time. Over the course of the expedition, he'll cover more than 400 miles through some of the harshest terrain on the planet, in the hottest and driest place in North America no less. And now, ahead of his departure, Todd has decided to share his route with us, so we can see his intended path.

In order to check out the route, you'll need a copy of Google Earth, which is an amazing piece of software that you can download here. Go ahead! It's free after all, and you probably should have it installed already anyway. Once you do have it installed, you can import Todd's route from a file that you can download here. You can also add the route to your GPS unit, just in case you want to follow it yourself, by using the file available here. (Note: the first file should download automatically when you click on it, the second one may require you to right-click and "save as")

Examining the path you'll see exactly how remote Todd's route is. There is practically nothing in the vicinity of where he intends to go, which is, of course, exactly how he likes it. He'll be avoiding all roads and other paths along the way, so as to get the true solo trekking experience, and he'll need to carry all of his supplies, including his water, with him as well.

This Google Earth version of the route is just the beginning. Once the expedition officially launches, we'll be able to follow Todd's progress via a SPOT Messenger device that will send updates of his location every ten minutes, and giving us an opportunity to be a part of the journey like never before. Can't wait!

Death Valley Solo: Todd Unveils "The Pig"!

Last week I wrote about Todd Carmichael's next big expedition, which will be a solo and unsupported trek across Death Valley that will commence on October 9th. In his first dispatch for his departure, Todd let us in on his plans, which include not just traversing the valley once, but twice, and he mentioned his companion on the journey, which he lovingly dubbed "The Pig".

In today's pre-expedition update, we get our first glimpse at the cart that Todd has designed, built, and tested to accompany him on the trek and carry the most important item of all - his water! As you can see, The Pig is a big, two wheeled cart that can carry a number of water jugs to keep our intrepid explorer hydrated and running at peak condition in the heat of Death Valley. In fact, the cart can carry as much as 33 gallons of water, along with food and other gear, which Todd figures ought to be enough to see him traverse the desert, twice, and cross more than 400 miles in the process.

For those that don't know, Death Valley, which is found in the southwest United States along the borders of California and Nevada, is the lowest, hottest, and driest place in all of North America. Its lowest point falls 282 feet below sea level, and the hottest temperature ever recorded on the continent was take at the appropriately named Furnace Creek, which rung in with a 134ºF back in 1913. The region is known for its harsh conditions and stark beauty, which were both reasons that Todd chose it for his next challenge I'm sure.

Expect to hear a lot more about this expedition as it ramps up, and gets underway in a few weeks time. Todd promises all kinds of good updates from the field, including regular dispatches and video too. Lets hope the equipment is more reliable than the stuff he took to the South Pole not so many months back.

Todd Carmichael Gears Up For Death Valley!

Todd Carmichael will soon be trading the colds of Antarctica for the heat of Death Valley. In his most recent dispatch he talks about his next project, which will get underway on October 9th, when he will set out to not only traverse Death Valley, but actually cross it twice, mostly just because no one else has ever done so.

In the pre-expedition post, Todd talks about not only going for the DV traverse, but a new solo distance record as well. He discovered that the longest ever self-supported trek was 399.5 miles over 37 days. He means to go 400 miles in just just 18.5 days, and then extend that record another 30 miles just for good measure.

To accomplish this ambitious goal, he'll need to carry all of his supplies, gear, and water along with him. In total, he expects to take more than 450 pounds of supplies with him on the trek, and to do so, he's built a special cart to accompany him on the journey. Todd says that he's on his fourth design of what he calls The Pig, and he now feels it is ready.

He has a route planned out. One that is designed to have a low impact on the environment and avoid roads altogether. He's now in the final stages of preparation. Physically he is nearly ready to go, and he's even overcome the monumental task of convincing his wife to let him hit the road once again. Soon, he'll be off on another adventure, through one of the harshest, hottest, most inhospitable places on the planet. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

Good luck Todd. We'll be following along! :)