DOUBLE DISAPPOINTMENT... BRITAIN'S OMM CANCELED

Photo: prlog.org

Original Mountain Marathon A NoGo...

STORY BY: MICK LORD

Last weekend I was all packed, tent, rucksacks packed with the lightest gear I could find, car ready to go bed early on Friday evening for a very early start Saturday to arrive at the Original Mountain Marathon Lite early on Sat morning ready to go.

Checked the website for any last min stuff as I got up on the Saturday to find the following message posted on the site:-

Dear Friends

It is with great regret we announce the cancellation of this weekend's OMM Lite and OMM Bike.

We will provide a full refund to all participants, however, for those of you who wish to join us the camping is free for the weekend and the meal for Sunday is also free. Hopefully you can then enjoy this beautiful part of the country as individuals rather than as an organised event.

All of us at OMM are incredibly disappointed that this has happened and wish to extend our sincerest apologies to all of you who have been inconvenienced.

We are in he process of personally calling all entrants to fully inform them of the situation. If you have any questions then please place a comment and we will answer as soon as possible.

Thank you for all your support

The OMM family,

Andy, Tom, Matt, Stu, Iain and Giles


We were really disappointed, but know that cancelling any event is not an easy decision, so we were left with a free weekend at the last moment.

On the Sunday we went to participate in a 3hr navigation trail race in the South Yorkshire Hills so all was not lost, we covered a very hilly 22k and would have been a bit more had it not been for a big dog that didn't want to let us through his field. Our course for the 3hr event http://connect.garmin.com/activity/314915831.

I had also arranged during the week to take a flight in a hot air balloon but this was also cancelled due to the high winds :(

Myself and Jack have another 2 day mountain marathon coming up in early July in the beautiful Lakedistrict area of the UK, we will let you know (hopefully) how we progress on that one. http://www.slmm.org.uk/ We will be doing the BEDAFELL CLASS for parents and their children.

OUTLOOK: 2013 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

NOAA Predicts Active Hurricane Season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an "Active to Extremely Active" Hurricane Season for 2013.

As a surfer on the Texas Coast, hurricane season is a chance for world class waves. As an Emergency Manager (my day job), hurricane season is a nightmare. So I'm torn between two worlds here. Nonetheless, with warm water temps, no El Nino, and the African monsoon, it could get interesting one way or the other.

NOAA is giving a wide prediction of 13 to 20 named storms, 7 to 11 of which could become hurricanes, with 3 to 6 becoming major storms rated Category 3 or bigger.

READ ABOUT IT HERE

Who knows what will happen... but one thing is sure, we will put a "Hurricane Tracker" on the blog when the season starts so you can keep up to date and stay prepared... for either surf or evacuation.

Peace Out!

PRAYERS GO OUT TO OKLAHOMA...

Photo Courtesy AOL Weather

Prayers Go Out To Oklahoma Tornado Victims

HSA would like to extend our prayers to the victims and survivors of, what is being touted as "The most destructive tornado in human history", that ripped through Oklahoma on Monday.

Oklahoma holds a very personal sentiment for me as my father and several other family members reside there... fortunately none were in the path.

As a kid I grew up fishing, camping, and hunting with my cousins in the blackjack oak groves and rolling hills of Oklahoma. Swimming in the cold waters of Turner Falls and Sulphur. Later, I was stationed for a time at Ft. Sill and learned to water ski on Lake Latonka.

This summer, Oklahoma is one of the filming locations of the upcoming HSA adventure documentary.

So, to all Oklahoman's... Our prayers are with you. Stand strong. We will see you this summer.

MICK LORD AND SON TO RUN BRITAIN'S MOUNTAIN MARATHON...

Mick Lord and son Jack

HSA Blogger Mick Lord and Son Jack to Run Britain's Original Mountain Marathon

Featured Guest Blogger Mick Lord returns... this time Mick and his son Jack will take on England's Original Mountain Marathon.

Here is Mick's take...

"This weekend 18th-19th May will see myself and my son Jack taking part in the 2 day Mountain Marathon in the Peak District National Park in the heart of England.
This is (by us) being looked at as an entry level multi-day Mountain Marathon as Jack who is 15 (nearly 16) has never run one, it is seen as an entry level because we don't have to carry all our gear with us there will be a static over night camp, we just have to carry the essentials, water, food, spare clothes and waterproofs.
We have entered the short course, this is 5 hrs Saturday and 4 hrs Sunday to visit as many check points as possible during that time, this is a step up for Jack as the longest race he has taken part in before has been 3 hrs so we will need to conserve some energy, and get our eating and drinking right.
I will send a short write up after the event to let you know how we get on."

The OMM Lite is a 2 day pairs event that will provide a good season opener for experienced competitors and more accessible entry to Mountain Marathon running for newcomers to the sport. Sharing an event center with the OMM Bike,competitors returning to camp will only need to carry navigation and safety equipment.

Here is a link to the OMM... http://theomm.com/event-series/omm-lite

Get ON it Mick... We look forward to your write up after the event!

VIDEO: GRYLLS INTERVIEW WITH FREE-CLIMBER KEVIN JORGESON...

Video: Bear Grylls Interview with Free-Climber Kevin Jorgeson

The Discovery Channel's "Adrenaline Lab" hosted by Bear Grylls interviewed free-climber Kevin Jorgeson about taking on El Capitan.

Check it out below...

POLL: BEAR vs LES... YOU DECIDE

Image courtesy: thelulznews

Poll: Bear Grylls or Les Stroud

For several years now, there has been an ongoing, sometimes heated debate about televisions ultimate survivalist. Is it Bear, or is it Les? This debate is not without merits on both sides, and will go on as long as either of them has any significance in today's modern TV era.

The only way to truly end the debate would be to drop them both, buck-naked, together into an extreme situation, with no cameras, no water, nor anything else, and see who makes it back alive. Even still, if either is the survivalist we all think them to be, they would quite likely band together and return with both alive.

You've all heard the arguments... you've all heard the rhetoric... You all have your opinions. So for the sake of doing it one more time, who do YOU think is better?

Vote in the poll below, then leave your comments, but please keep them clean.

VIDEO: FREE-DIVING IN THE CAVES OF OAHU...

Free-diving in Oahu's North Shore

Cave diving has always produced amazing imagery in photo's and video.

The light plays beautiful games with the shadows and colors to create something that always feels surreal... maybe even alien... to the eyes of the viewer.

Below is a video shot by Makai Creative that definitely gives us a wonder view of the underwater world of Hawaii's North Shore.

You've seen the North Shore is many a surf video, now experience it's splendor and beauty from below... 

The Ocean Is My Playground: Cave Diving from Makai Creative on Vimeo.

HSA's FACEBOOK GRAB BAG GIVE AWAY...

Help Us Reach 250 Likes on Facebook...

Did you know that Human Spirit of Adventure has a Facebook page?

HSA is trying to reach a goal of 250 "Likes" by August 1.

If we reach this milestone, HSA will give away a grab bag of goodies to one of the 250 fans. The fan will be chosen at random.

"What's in the grab bag..." you ask?

We keep adding things to it all of the time, but currently we have included such things as a surfboard key-chain  a couple of bars of surf wax, a bunch of different stickers, a koozie, and a flashlight... there will be much more accumulated before the August 1 deadline.

Will you be the lucky winner? The only way to have a chance is to "Like" our Facebook page.

Get ON it!

COAST TO COAST - Part 2... Adventures of Everyday People

A Breezy Start

Coast To Coast - Part 2

BY MICK LORD

Way of the Roses 3rd-6th May 2013

We set off from Morecombe on the West Coast of the UK at 11am on Friday 3rd May, myself and my wife Julie had in reality not really done much training for this. We were enthusiastic to share a small adventure and explore some of our fantastic countryside that we had not been to before.

The route should have been 270km however some slight mistakes found us doing just 20km further our total route 290km, our total route can be accessed here:- Way of the Roses by mick2991 at Garmin Connect - Details

Fri 3rd 11am we start from a cool and breezy Morecambe on the flat following the river Lunn out to Lancaster and then begin to climb out onto the Forest of Bowland. We were so busy chatting at this point that we missed the turning adding the extra 20k onto the route, not a good start.

We cycled up into the hills along quiet country roads and lanes passing through beautiful villages and countryside, stopping at a couple of tea shops along the way. Our aim that day was to get to Malham just the other side of Settle where our B&B was for the evening, we were tired as we got to Settle 5 or 6 hrs of up and down hill riding.

As we got into Settle thinking wow about 10k till we can rest at Malham we saw the hill that we had to get up "it was huge", we set off up in the saddle but quickly realised we had to get off and push for 45mins till the top, once at the top we had a nice freewheel into Malham for a quick bite to eat and then flop into bed exhausted. READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

SAILOR DIES, ANOTHER INJURED DURING AMERICAS CUP PRACTICE...

Photo: Associated Press

Sailor Dies in America's Cup Practice

One sailor has died and another was injured as an Artemis Racing sailboat capsized in San Francisco Bay while practicing for the America's Cup race.

36 year old Andrew "Bart" Simpson died after being trapped and held under the catamaran for approximately 10 minutes. Rescuers were unable to revive him after he was brought ashore.

"The entire Artemis team is devastated by what happened," CEO Paul Canyard said in a statement posted on the team's website. "Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew's wife and family."

You can read the full article HERE

CAMPING - The Rite of Passage

CAMPING – The Rite of Passage

Ahhh summer is drawing near. The air is getting warm, school will soon be out, and millions of families will answer the call of the wild and brave the great outdoors in the ritual known as camping.

Growing up, my mom and dad would gather us up; load up the car and off we would go on an exciting journey. As kids we looked forward to cooking hotdogs and roasting marshmallows on the open flame, hiking all day to a nice and cool swimming hole, and tell ghost stories around the fire.

As adults, when we look back, we forget the snakes, scorpions, bugs, and mosquitoes, but we remember the time that dad fell in the water and mom forgot the popcorn. Summer camping is a ritual, a rite of passage that is fun, memorable, and at times disastrous.

So as summer descends on us, whether we are backpacking through the outback, or car-camping in a campground, let us not forget certain essentials that will make the trip more bearable and fun, and give great memories that will last a lifetime.

Below, we have compiled a list of some essentials… this is a broad list that can be narrowed down for solo backpacker, or expanded for the car-camping family of city-slickers... Oh yeah, don’t forget the popcorn!

CAMPING LIST AFTER THE JUMP...

HSA FOUNDER HONORED...

HSA Founder Honored in Feature...

Human Spirit of Adventure's founder and managing partner, Joe Vulgamore, was honored this week when he (and HSA) was chosen as the "Featured Participant" by The GoWorld GoPro Project. 

"I first ran across The GoWorld GoPro Project on Facebook. They were releasing trailers from a past movie as promotion for their upcoming movie, IGW2013. I thought their concept was so cool... they were uniting people from across the world using a common theme, which is exactly what we at HSA wanted to do as a 'community blog'. One thing led to another and we became fast friends and I'm honored that they chose me for the feature, and even more proud to say that their ideas have been a huge influence on HSA... Thanks Mike, for everything!" 

We ask all of our readers to check out The GoWorld GoPro Project at: http://thegoworldgoproproject.com

Also check out their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-GoWorld-GoPro-Project

Visit them often...

As the time draws closer for the IGW2013 movie premier, we will have an interview with Mike and you can get to know them better by reading the story as Mike sees it.

We can't wait...