The requested URL /index.php?mnu=opere&chLang=EN&opera=POSI was not found on this server. My Trans-America Challenge in 2012, a journey of 3,256 miles from Santa Monica, California to New York City in 35 days, was incredibly hard but also an opportunity to experience the United States of America from a unique perspective. The challenge took me from the shores of the Pacific Ocean, to climb the 14,500ft (4,419.6 m) high Mount Whitney, running across Death Valley (the hottest place on earth), crossing the Sierra Navarda mountains, riding over the Painted Desert and Route 66, traversing the vast Great Plains, and kayaking on one of the largest lakes in the world. Finishing in New York on October 11, 2012, I had completed  the distance and become the first person to achieve this epic challenge using four different disciplines. The first person with Parkinson’s to achieve this feat! On the way I encountered not only the enormity of North America but also the strength, kindness and selfless generosity of the people that live there.

There’s a sense that the pioneer spirit still survives in the American psyche. This was truly evident in the support and moments of human kindness that I experienced along the way and from the assistance and belief of my support crew and sponsors. In the jungle, everything is trying to survive. In  2013 I headed to the Peruvian Amazon at the invitation of the Peruvian tourist board. Beyond the Ultimate had a race series and challenged me to compete in the Jungle Ultra. This 200+ kilometre race through the Amazon rainforest was brutal. Encountering a variety of wild animals (Puma, wild boar), traversing a course with over 70 rivers including many with rapids and most of which had to be crossed on foot, plus all the snakes, Hornets, and billions of insects, all I had to do was survive. With significant changes in altitude (climbing and descending out of the cloud forest at 3,800m), a backpack weighing 14 kilos and heat coupled with humidity often at 100%, brutal is the only word I can use to describe this adventure.

Three weeks after the jungle, I flew to Italy to take on the Lavaredo Ultra Trail Four weeks after Italy and I was running in the Beyond the Ultimate Mountain Ultra; a 240 km race across the Colorado Rockies, which was tough. With significant climbs at altitude, a competitive field of runners, and the cumulative impact of racing ultra distance events so close together, this was six days of pain.You cannot place a new order from your country. Our final Global Test article has been published at Backpacking Light! This is something that Kristin and I first starting talking about in late 2009, and we approached the publisher in early 2010 with our pitch. They liked it, and our Global Test series began. We thought it would be two or three articles, but it turned into 4 Global Test articles, plus a dozen photo essays, 4 reports for ISPO (Outdoor Sporting Convention in Munich), and numerous product reviews. Here is the final installment as we belatedly wrap up our series (the article was lost in a staffing transition more than a year ago) :

Global Test Conclusion: Honeymooning in the Backcountry @ Backpacking Lightbackpack skullcandy rasta Is this the end to our relationship with BPL? targus 17 xl laptop backpack notebook carrying backpackStay tuned . . .frozen backpack dctc Backcountry skiing on the Rosetta Altoplano, Dolomite Mountains, Italy.ogio rebel 15 laptop backpack review OMM Kamleika Race Smock, Jacket, and Pants Review @ Backpacking Lightherschel classic backpack cyan This is the day backpack that I used for backcountry skiing all last year. rilakkuma backpack malaysia

Could have been a pretty good pack, but there were some serious flaws...nado backpack CAMP X3 600 Ski Pack Review @ Backpacking Light It has been a challenging winter for us backcountry skiers. We've had to be patient through the dry periods, and then chase the storms for fresh snow. The risks are higher as new snow can increase avalanche danger, as well as make the roads treacherous (of the two, the latter is really the bigger risk). As much as we try to plan our weekends, we've also had to be flexible with our trips. Two weeks ago, we were set to ski the whole weekend, staying at our friend's house in Truckee (Thanks again Treesh!). However, the start of the storm was warm, dropping rain instead of much-needed snow. Moreover, visibility was minimal and winds were up to 100mph. We delayed our trip for one day, hanging out at home while the rain poured down here, hoping it was turning to snow up there!

Sunday morning came and we woke early. Not exactly with delight, but with a half-hearted determination. After several hours of driving, we finally parked at what we thought might be our destination: Deep Creek. We didn't have good directions, there were no road or trail signs, and I couldn't pull up a map on my iPhone as I had no reception. However, there were two other cars parked there, and ski tracks heading up the first hill. Whether or not this was the right place, we were going anyways. Skinning up was not easy as the slope was steep and snow was sticking to our skins, reducing their grip. Deep Creek is located on the west side of 89, less than 5 miles south of highway 80 and Truckee. The trail starts with a few switchbacks, zigzagging up the hill. Then the trail flattens out and continues westward along the drainage, adjacent to the namesake creek. At this point, most skiers turn south and skin up the ridge, until they get to where they want to descend. We didn't know this and so continued along the creek's edge until we met some other skiers returning to their car.

They were very helpful in pointing us in the right direction. We did two big laps on the north side of the mountains. It was very, very challenging getting up the mountain, and the skiing down was difficult in it's own right.  Deep snow, steep slopes, dense tree growth, and most importantly - poor planning. The trip would have been much easier had I done more research beforehand. Too often, that is the story. Somehow my amazing wife puts up with my ineptitude! (Or is it laziness?) What is she looking at? Oh that's right, the incredible skiing conditions! This was one of the few open areas to ski. You can see our skin tracks on the far right. This was much more representative of our day - weaving around the trees. The hard work was worth it though. After our first run, K. agreed to do a second lap as long as we could take a break by building a snowman. The second lap was harder than the first, but also that much more rewarding. Sunday night we ate two dinners.

Amazingly, K worked for two hours so that we could spend the night in Truckee and ski the next morning. Monday morning rolled around, we had a light breakfast and drove to Pole Creek (one drainage south of Deep Creek). We skied half an hour uphill before agreeing that this was dumb. The snow had gotten warm the day before and then froze at night, so now it was crust. Backcountry skiing would be miserable. We skied back to the car, drove a few miles south, and spent the next 90 minutes skiing the mostly empty slopes of Alpine Meadows. It was fun to ski a few long runs WITHOUT having to work for it! Top of Alpine Meadows with Lake Tahoe behind me. Next weekend we are skiing at Kirkwood resort for one day, then backcountry skiing into the Bradley Hut where we'll stay for two nights. This will probably be our last ski trip of the year. Look for the trip report and photos next week. 1 Year Ago: Hiking in Chamonix, France 2 Years Ago: Saying Goodbye to Bogota, Colombia