// What is Adventure? // Nanga Parbat First Solo Ascent - Reinhold Messner 1978 // In nature there is danger and that is where adventure lives // Expeditions // 7 Summits // Everest // K2 // Global Explorers //

Nanga Parbat First Solo Ascent - Reinhold Messner On Nanga Parbat Summit August 9 1978

What is adventure? 

In this short documentary interview with Reinhold Messner he explains his view on adventure, he explains - when you are exploring where you are far from human civilization or rescue support. It is less about the 7 highest summits to climb in the world, and more about remote locations where you go to self-survive the nature because in nature is danger and the art of surviving it is where adventure lives.

Reinhold Messner is a mountaineer, adventurer, explorer, and author from the Italian autonomous province of South Tyrol. [Wikipedia] He became famous as a lumberjack style mountaineer who chose to climb 14 8000 meter + peaks like Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. On December 30, 1989, Messner crossed Antarctica to the South Pole on skis with his partner Arved Fuchs. He speaks of the dangers of exploring, where nature and you meet face-to-face and surviving those conditions while exploring is the simple definition of what adventure means to him.

What is controversial about "World First Expeditions?" Even Reinhold Messner refutes the importance of completing the First/8000+ meter summits, while including the 7 Summits in his interview, lesser mountain First Ascents 6000+ meter peaks still remain - So, I ask the same question what is adventure? Messner suggests it's going places on your own remote from civilization, local support or chance of rescue and surviving all the inherent dangers that can occur in nature - alone. Nearing the human limits, this is definitely where adventure can end a journey to the soul. Few will ever risk their lives to experience this first hand.

[Authors notes] Reinhold Messner is acclaimed as one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. He was the first person to climb all 14 8,000-meter peaks—the tallest mountains in the world—and one of the first to climb Mount Everest without any supplemental oxygen. Hear Messner recount what it was like to climb Everest and what drives his passion for adventure.[National Geographic]

A TransAm bicycle tour // Recumbent cycling through Wyoming USA // Adventure Cycling in America // Deserts of China // The Himalayas on tour //

Cycle touring across the Taklamakan Desert in 2011 [Perich travels, Korean-World]. This tour was awesome, I started on the slow boat to China from South Korea. And continuing from Beijing, I took a train to Urumqi in northwest China [Turkestan] and cycled the deserts first along the southern Silk Road before entering the Aksai Chin and returning to Kashgar. I continued my trek through Sichuan (western Tibet) and Yunnan Provinces via Chengdu, Kangding, Xicheng, Lugu Lake, Lijiang, Deqin. 3200 kilometers or 2000 miles later, I lost 53 pounds (24 kilograms) preparing and riding the tour. [Video from HimalayasX2011]



I discovered some great cycle touring video collections, this one covers the Trans American route across Wyoming, United States and seeing the scenery reminds me of motorcycling there 1994-1996.
[Authors notes:] I rode my bicycle self supported across the USA in the summer of 2011. This is a little video series that highlights parts of my trip.


Adventure Cycling Association just published this great short film on bicycle touring the American TransAm route. Videos like this are inspiration to go out and ride anywhere. [Authors notes:]With the incomparable Madison Range as a backdrop, cyclists explore the backroads, farmer's markets, and small towns of Big Sky Country using pedal power alone.

Jammin India // Jay Kannaiyan // RTW Round the World by Motorcycle // Introduces his Suzuki DR650 known as sanDRina // 100,000km+ around the world // Jupiter Traveller

[From Yahoo Travel] Starting April 29, 2013, biker Jay Kannaiyan will go on an 8,000-km ride from his parents' hometown Chennai to Kanyakumari and thereon to Kashmir and eventually New Delhi in the second week of June. Follow him exclusively on Yahoo! India Travel. In this video, Jay introduces sanDRina, his beloved Suzuki DR650. Follow Jay @ Jammin Global @ Yahoo Travel @ Ted Simon Foundation

Jammin Global South Trip Stats

Days on the road*: 1186

Countries Visited: 33

Ridden: 100,655 kms / 62,557 mi

CouchSurfed: 315 nights

Flat Tires: 6 | Oil Changes: 17

Chickens Sacrificed for Curries: 56

Passport Pages Used: 48

Photo: Jay Kannaiyan at the foothills of the Indian Himalayas

Special Feature: Living Bigger with Colostomy - Paul Riome's Trekking and Awareness Expeditions in the Himalayas of Nepal

[Photo courtesy: Paul Riome of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar, Nepal]

Paul Riome shows there is much work still to do, he informs and inspires others while sharing a personal message about IBD (what is IBD? Inflammatory Bowel Disease... is a chronic (long-term) disease of the gut, that requires medical surgeries or expensive medications to treat or care for.

Reference for a scientific classification of the disease

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammatory_bowel_disease

Learn more from the IDEAS foundation

(from reading Paul's recent posts...In developed countries, many receive the treatment and live better lives afterwards. In developing countries, the treatment is too expensive or unavailable, and those IBD sufferers often die.)

It's a serious disease and it can either take life, or as Paul shows, create inspiration when he has a chance to overcome it. Paul is very fortunate and shares inspiration while trekking in Nepal to Everest Base Camp and other Peaks. Read more about his preparation and reflections on IBD, and reports for Nepalese supporting his expedition. 

http://www.livingbiggerwithcolostomy.com/2012/03/nepal-summit-kala-patthar.html

Brians Adventures in the World of Bicycling and Expeditions!: HIMALAYAS X 2011-2012 / EXPEDITION SHORT 6.5 MINUTE

HIMALAYAS X 2011-2012 / EXPEDITION SHORT 6.5 MINUTE

HIMALAYAS X 2011-2012 / EXPEDITION SHORT 6.5 MINUTE from Brian Perich on Vimeo.

HimalayasX2011 banner with foundations, IDEAS and ETE

Mountain bike expedition in the Aksai Chin Mountains of western China

Fully-loadedd Mountain bicycle touring (custom build)

Bicycle mechanic, shop owner, AN DAE GI @ Gangneung Bike Mart, South Korea

Building an expedition mountain bike, start with a hard tail frame and 26" wheelsets

Local shop where you can build trust and relationships

Lugu Hu Lake on the border between Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, China 3000 meters above sea level

The majestic and difficult to be seen on a cycle, Himalaya Mountains

Tibetan Buddhists prayers scripted in stones

Tibetan Buddhist Stupas used to reach for the Heavens

Crossing the Taklamakan Desert, HimalayasX2011

Meeting friends along the journey, and the lone cow.

Sichuan summer vacation for these students.

Landslides caused by earthquakes in southwestern Sichuan, China. Group helping me through here.

A rural doctor in Sichuan Province who came to help me pass the landslides.

Exotic, challenging, political and cultural regions combine in the Himalayas of Asia.

MTB: Mountain Biking in Daegwallyeong, Gangwon-do, South Korea & Expeditions across China's Himalayas 2011

Two perspectives of MTB (mountain biking). The first is using a mountain bike as a Touring Bicycle and riding across western China (Xinjiang/Uyghur Autonomous Region), the Himalayas, the Taklamakan Desert, Borohoro ranges of the Tian Shan, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces all in less than 60 days. 

 Northern Himalayas of Xinjiang/Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

Rivers running directly out of the snow water melted Himalayas, mighty old mountains, a place of beauty and majesty is up there while riding on a bicycle of any kind. A place to experience and to enjoy!

Solo 60 day Mountain bicycle touring adventure

Meeting a Sino-Tibetan family with their yak herd and cabin, hammering down rough roads in Sichuan, climbing over the landslides in Jolong, climbing peaks, riding through valleys, and meeting smiling people throughout the journey are all highlights of expedition travel.

These are raw photos and a video of the expedition. Enjoy! [Music: Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson]

I supported IDEAS foundation
Intestinal Disease Education & Awareness Society
http://nogutsknowglory.com

And a second non-profit, ETE
Education Through Expeditions, UK
http://www.etelive.org

Find out more, check those links. Thank you & hope you enjoyed the video.

Brian Perich

Cheers!

The second perspective is traditional mountain bicycle riding as pictured here in Gangwon-do, Daegwallyeong, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea in winter. Bicycle touring requires a heavier frame, a hardtail or motionless rigid bicycle frame. Mountain biking, Cross-county (XC) or downhill (DH) in this case requires a lighter, stronger, dual-suspension bicycle equipped with shock absorbing attachments at either the front fork or integrated into the bicycle frame itself. Cross-country (XC) mountain bikes use Carbon, Aluminum, Titanium, Scandium, or Steel frames. Most have hydraulic or cable disk brakes, calipers, and steel rotors attached directly to the wheel hubs ranging in size from 160-203mm. Some mountain bicycles are equipped with 185mm front rotors and 160mm rear rotors for sufficient braking power. While 203mm rotors are reserved for Downhill bicycles that tend to be heavier, with longest travel suspensions, equipped with the strongest wheel sets, often with solid axles.

 An Dae Gi  - local sponsor of the HimalayasX2011 expedition, Gangneung Bike Mart owner and operator invited me (and my 1994 Kona Explosif, built and maintained by  An Dae Gi) on an 1100 meter downhill session finishing with some Cross-Country (XC) riding at the end of the day. I am wearing a Joe Jocket Ballistic jacket, make for motorcycle touring, with Kevlar foam inserts for protection, great in all recreational sports and insulated for winter use as well. I wear Pearl iZumi Overmits for warm fingers and a pair of cycling gloves for comfort/grip underneath in winter conditions.

The Daegwallyeong, Pyeongchang-gun MTB experience is worth the trip from Seoul or other areas of Korea. Cycling is a way of life, a way of freedom and personal expression and a way to connect with your community or the environment all around you. Enjoy the rides!

Handy: Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook, 2nd Edition: Worldwide Cycling Route & Planning Guide

Expedition notes: HimalayasX2011 - A cross country travel experience in the People's Republic of China

by Brian Perich on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 4:29pm

Expedition notes: HimalayasX2011 - A cross country travel experience in the People's Republic of China 

A brief chat with Ken Roberts Across Continents RTW Expedition 

And a photo gallery of the HimalayasX2011 expedition of western China (Part 1)

Brian:

AH, cool! I went to Tianjin/Beijing by 30-hour ferry and 2 hour train, then from Beijing-Urumqi, Xinjiang province 3240km away in 36 hours by train, cycled across the Taklamakan, G314 north and south of desert after crossing, a few days in the N.Himalayas and back to Kashgar, fly to Urumqi and Chengdu and cycled through SIchuan and Yunnan finally at Deqin I completed the expedition (returning via Shangri-La, Lijiang, Dali, Kunming overland, flight to Beijing, and Korea) in 60 days.

3,200km cycling, 500km hitch hiking, 3240km train (standing all the way to the hospital in Urumqi), 1028km bus...

Ken:

Urumqi I know well - but no hospitals for me - nothing serious I hope!

Brian:

blood clotting in feet and ankles, fortunately nothing serious (if not stopped sooner, I would of been in serious condition)

I thinned my blood clots on aspirin for several weeks, rested for 3-4 days and hit the road, and big! Cyclists in Korea, most competitors ignore my updates, but it was truly a risky adventure for me and true to expeditions

Brian Perich:

lost u!

okay, i'll talk to u later

Ken:

Sorry, went off to check on laundry as am Warmshowering for the night - clotting definitely doesn't sound good - Warfarin an alternative although tricky without blood testing?!

Brian:

yeah, the Chinese doctor didn't want to prescribe anything, I sprayed Yunnan Baiyao (tonic with herbal ginseng extracts) and took aspirin self-prescribed, blood rushed to the surface and later peeled off when the swelling went down, the train cost $49, I had no idea it was 3240km away although I knew it was 36 hours. 

no toilet either, no food ingested except a few nan breads and plenty of water since i was sweating the entire time, hot and tiring...expedition right there, ride the train - my first updated album on FB...next update coming soon!

Ken:

Will take a look - hope you are ok now!

Brian:

Oh i recovered and am eating plenty to compensate, in your blog the cyclist friend of yours withthe kitchen in her panniers, I wish I traveled with her, I ate Nan bread, oatmeal and a few raisins crossing 900km in several sections of my routes...start preparing 95kg, finishing 75kg and back up to 85kg with home rest, nourishment o'plenty

Ken:

Good stuff - and your next adventure?!

Brian:

Alaska next summer, loop Yukon, NWT and back through BC - Northwest Expedition 2012

Ken:

Not sure how well you know the area - Alaska and Yukon specifically - but happy to share what I've learnt - places to stop etc... - you'll obviously see quite a lot unfold on the blog, but do fire away to me if there's anything you think I can help with!

Brian:

Hey that would be great! As you can see - i plunge in, but planned a great deal as far as equipment went and failed before launch, I rode a $50 used frame with all mountain parts built by a friend at a local Korean bicycle shop 9 hours before launch to China. An epic adventure in just 60 days!

(Credit: Sponsor - An Dae Gi, KEVIN BICYCLES, PONAM-DONG, GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA)

1. Details in notes (photos blocked by Facebook encryption)
2. $49, 3005km train to Urumqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China (stand-room only)
3. Ticket of no-return. 1-way to Urumqi!
4. Ben Bndr - support for the expedition and tour around The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
5. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
6. Meeting internationals with France, Canada, Germany represented. The couple in middle are Canadian cyclists from Quebec riding 1/2 way around the world on Kona's!
7. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
8. Cycling in China - Yes!
9. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
10. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
11. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
12. 
13. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
14. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
15. The Summer Palace, Beijing, China
16. The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
17. Oops, maybe this train idea was a big mistake?
18. Stacked to the walls
19. High Fives! Expedition begins to reach out!
20. Everyone chatting, keeping positive it will soon be over
21. This was the overnight section of the train journey
22. Fully loaded 'train' touring in China
23. Sweaty and tired but positive about moving forward on this train, get to me the start of the HimalayasX2011
24. New light, 29 hours away from Beijing, 7 more hours to go!
25. New light, day 2 of train ride
26. Music DJ - on the train caravan to Urumqi
27. HimalayasX2011 supporting nonprofits
28. Coming from...going to...
29. Expedition cycles
30. Open thoughts, open roads
31. High mountain desert is what you will find south of Urumqi. Further west along the Tian Shan ranges you will find glaciers and water
32. Camping is majestic
33. Bicycle build by An Dae Gi - KEVIN BICYCLES, GANGNEUNG, KOREA - Recycled parts, frame has 13,000km now
34. I captured this with a Sony Handycam
35. Sock change
36. Riding high top, rebar load being transported to Aksu on G314 which is China's extension of the KKH Karakoram Highway
37. Won Jen Gwon, Picked me up without water or resupply available for 50km
38. Flat top southbound
39. Campsite in the Tian Shan
40. Tian Shan Mountains cut into the blue skies of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (with Beijing administration)
41. Rest on the road, daily nap sessions under the shade of highway signs, no other shade available, 100km a day on the bike
42. Lifted before getting hit in a sandstorm
43. Uyghur cultures and big smiles
44. PetroChina smiles
45. Tourist information center out in the middle of ???
46. PetroChina workers outside Luntai, last settlement before crossing Taklamakan Desert (455/522km)
47. HimalayasX2011 expedition supporting IDEAS http://nogutsknowglory.com and ETE http://www.etelive.org
48. Taklamakan Desert crossing north-south (note: sandstorms occur at night regularly)
49. Haligul at Toksun. She is a nurse at a local hospital and her town is divided by the mighty G314 highway intersecting with a river for irrigation of the local farms and households
50. Last stop for food! Nan bread for the entire Taklamakan Desert crossing, call me crazy, you're right! Carried only 6 loaves across 5 days of desert until reaching Min Fung This is real, here's the Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarim_Desert_Highway
51. Meeting more Uyghurs in Luntai, the friendly family invited me to free watermelon with their friends and children
52. Watermelon for free, grown locally on the edge ofthe desert using irrigation methods of old and the roadways are lined with Poplar trees for shade and to protect the areas from desertification
53. Last settlements
54. Entering the Tarim Desert Highway linking G314 and G315 (northern and southern Silk Roads) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarim_Desert_Highway
55. Cut by bicycle tools, ate by hand
56. Expedition is fully-loaded Taklamakan Desert, Cudi Himalayas, Chengdu to LuguHu Lake, Sichuan to Deqin/Baima Snow Mountain, Yunnan
57. Good morning Taklamakan, fully positive I can do this entire ride and live to tell friends about it!
58. Schwalbe Marathon Tour Plus tires, the only way to ride!
59. Getting across the line, the finish, the expedition is only started and the positive energy is running through me. Thanks to all my friends (James Penlington, Tim Copeland, Mi Sung, Mom and Dad, Chris, Rob Hill, Antony Jinman, An Dae Gi, Mechel Kai, Lee Engdahl and friends I met on the road that made this an incredible experience in survival, endurance, and personal achievement.