Hiking and Expedition news March 2021

Another Arctic balloon just got popped

I've only just picked up on the news that ski expeditions to the North Pole have been canned for the third year in a row, reports ExplorersWeb. Putting aside the obvious environmental factors - reduced pollution and disruption to Arctic wildlife - this is a huge blow for the planned 2021 expeditions. Right now there's a backlog of teams that has accumulated over the last three years and this logjam is getting bigger.

The obvious answer would be to increase the number of teams allowed on the ice, but Barneo, the floating ice station built every year by the Russians, can only support a relatively small number of explorers.

Add in the annual price hike for the journey and it would be fair to say that many people will either cancel their planned journeys, or find themselves priced out of the expedition game.

 

But chin up - there are plenty of other destinations that can be reached for less than the massive 46,000 Euros guides are charging. A solo ski to the South Pole will set you back around $60,000 and a self-supported expedition (not ski-tour, important difference) will cost about $30,000.

Food for thought there.

A new Garmin watch has been discovered

Garmin dominate the sports watch market right now with a vast range of options for every imagineable activity: from triathlon (https://trigearlab.com/best-triathlon-watch/) through to hiking (treksumo.com/best-hiking-watch/). And now another scoop (although not mine): a diving watch. the5krunner.com  has already provided a nice little writeup which I won't repeat.

If you're an interested salty seadog, take a look at 5krunner for a sneak peak.

Will Garmin ever stop trying to corner every... well, corner of the sports watch market?

Delicious new rucksacks have been spotted on the trails

I've been a huge fan of Berghaus for many years. I've still own a Berghaus Roc which is now about 30 years old and still going strong - awesome quality, tough as old boots. During my ski to the North Pole in 2016 I used Berghaus thermal layers to keep me warm (and my nether regions were very grateful).

Their gear if good.

So when I hear of new equipment launches I tend to start salivating. Uncontrollably. 

"What's new?' I hear you say.

This: the Trailhead 65 rucksack. As you can see on the product listing, the ruck already has some good reviews and I'm looking to picking one up soon. My current go-to rucksack is a Dueter 50+10, which I love, but I do feel the urge for a trip down memory lane (and to see if Berghaus have maintained there quality standards.