If you are one of Chris Burkard’s 3.3 million followers on Instagram, then you undoubtedly have a steady feeling of FOMO hitting your feed daily. There is no other way to describe it. Burkard posts some of the most incredible outdoor photography out there today, and it seems like his life is one big adventure. Well, spoiler alert. It is. Check out the article Burkard wrote for Resource Travel about how adventure is his biggest inspiration.

But, not everything always lines up perfectly in Burkard’s globe trotting life. Sometimes, the 32-year old photographer from Pismo Beach, California has those trips that don’t exactly work out as planned. But for Burkard, the stakes are always higher, as much of his travel is for large adventure brands.

Such was the case when I ran into Burkard in Patagonia last April. He was shooting a campaign called #SpiritOfExploration for the Montblanc 1858 Collection, and I was in the wild and remote region co-leading a month worth of workshops with my friend Colby Brown. Just as our first team departed from El Chalten, Argentina, a massive storm system rolled through. Suddenly, the postcard views of Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre were no where to be found, instead replaced with a wall of white. A thick wall of white. And that wall had a lot of rain. Sideways rain. And wind. Oh man, that wind. We got a taste of the real Patagonia, one of the most brutal and extreme environments in the world. 

To give you some context as to what is behind that wall, here is a photo I took at sunset shortly before the storm system came through. 

Well, as that storm rolled through, so did Chris Burkard. Needless to say, this wasn’t the conditions that he nor the film crew was expecting or hoping for. But, impressively, they took the cards they were dealt and told an engaging and beautifully filmed story about how the spirit of exploration can live on, even when the weather is your worst enemy. I sat down with Chris Burkard in between his adventures to follow up with him about his time in Patagonia, how the story of the film changed over the course of the harsh nearly two-week period, and about how he finds inspiration to keep shooting, even when the things aren’t going his way. We were also lucky enough to get some behind-the-scenes photos of the adventure from Ryan Hill.

We have talked extensively about your film ‘Under an Arctic Sky’ where things didn’t quite go as planned, but somehow in the end, the final adventure was even more exciting then the original plan. In this short film for Montblanc, it seems that lucky break you got in Iceland never materialized in Patagonia. With so much riding on this project, how do you keep yourself inspired when another day goes by without that lucky break? And more importantly, when it was all over, did the thought of ‘what could have been’ haunt with you when you returned home?

Dealing with adversary, especially bad weather days, is something that I’ve become very accustomed to on projects over the years. Almost so much to the point where they seem like a necessary part of the process, as it makes those lucky breaks so much more rewarding when they happen. I find that when things aren’t going the way I envisioned, my inspiration turns from what’s actively happening to what could be. It gives you time to really think about how you’re going to capitalize when things turn around, how you may approach things differently, and making sure your fully prepared for when it happens. Focusing on those things keep me inspired and help me stay positive.

I would lying if I didn’t say I thought of what could of been, but that’s a natural part of any creative process. Looking back I’m really satisfied with what the project embodied because I feel it really showcased the raw elements of exploration. We didn’t try to sugarcoat the experience or make it something it wasn’t. It was an honest look at what happens when things don’t go to plan.

In the film, you spend time in a mountain home with a very photogenic local farmer. Who was this man? And is meeting him an experience that may be would not have come to be if the weather did go as planned?

He is an old time sheep farmer turned alpinist and a bit of a local legend in Patagonia as he was the first porter in the region that helped guide the likes of Yvon Chouinard and a lot of the original pioneers of climbing in Patagonia. Our local guide is a long time friend of his and had told us a few stories about him so when we had some extra downtime due to weather we knew we had to meet him. It was pretty crazy being able to hear about the early days of climbing in Patagonia and what those guys went through in the pursuit of progressing climbing. That encounter is a great example of something that wasn’t originally planned for but ended up being one of my favorite memories of the trip.

I am imagining the final film concept wasn’t what the original storyboard looked like, but to me, the final result lives up to the #SpiritOfExploration campaign even more so than the original concept. Was there ever any doubt in your mind that the film would have told an original and inspiring story?

The exciting part of embarking on any type of expedition like this are the elements that are unknown. You can plan as much as you want but when you are dealing with such fickle things like weather you never really know what is going to happen, or if anything will even go to plan. But that is what the spirit of exploration is really about. It’s about not knowing. It’s about coming face to face with and acknowledging that risk and deciding to go anyway.

I was less concerned about telling an inspiring or original story than I was about really authentically capturing what I feel is the spirit of exploration. For me that was what took precedent. Embracing those highs and lows and showcasing what that rollercoaster really looks like was what I was most focused on and what I think we were able to convey.

In the film you said “A trip like this humbles you. If everything goes perfect, you walk away completely unchanged.” When all was said and done, how did this far from perfect and challenging expedition to Patagonia change you?

More than anything this trip inspired me to want to get back to Patagonia. The raw force of the conditions there were nothing like I’ve experienced before so I’m dying to get back and see more of the region. It has such a rich history of exploration and my experience there really just reinforced how many stories there are to be told there.

See more from Chris Burkard on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

See more from Ryan Hill on his website and Instagram.

The post Braving The Extreme and Merciless Weather of Patagonia With Chris Burkard appeared first on Resource Travel.

So when Phoenix based storm chaser and photographer Mike Olbinski woke up on July 9th in Blyth, California, he knew he had to rush home based off the weather models he checked first thing in the morning.

Olbinkski detailed the chase on his Facebook post.

I kinda had the entire day mapped out before breakfast based on models and how this same deal happened on July 29th, 2016…and sure enough it played out the same way.

 

Except BETTER. Because this time the storms were early. And we had 150 miles and hours to stay in front of a churning, dense haboob. From driving through it near Stanfield, to a gorgeous haboob approaching Vekol Road, then it was to Gila Bend and after that is when it really came to life and was a dream to chase all the way to Yuma.

 

Better yet was the fact that this wall of dust was so thick, NO traffic came from the east for at least an hour. All it was was about 5-7 storm chasers leapfrogging each other, jumping out along Interstate 8, hootin’, hollering and high-fiving.

It’s no secret that we are big fans of Olbinski’s storm chasing photos and time-lapse films. In fact, we have brought you along for the ride in 12 of his previous storm chasing experiences, and all are as beautiful and fascinating as the ones before. So when I saw this incredible moment on his Facebook post, I had to sit down with Olbinski and get the story.

That is one big haboob! Is this the biggest one you have ever seen?

No, it’s not the biggest, but I’m definitely ranking it #2 all-time now! The best will always be July 5th, 2011. That was the first time-lapse I ever did of a haboob and it went viral within an hour of sharing it online. One that size won’t be seen out here again I don’t think, but this one from July 9th, 2018 was absolutely stunning.

When the wall is quickly approaching, is there ever a fear of the unknown about being inside of one?

No fear for me really. I’ve been in countless dust storms, and they vary in intensity and strength. However, we could definitely tell this was a dense one and if you got stuck inside for too long, it would be very hard to get back out with the low to zero visibility. For a time-lapse guy like me, I usually let it hit me, wait about 20 seconds, then race out of it as fast as possible. The good thing about this one is that it was so dense, we really had no cars to worry about on the interstate because they’d all pulled over behind it.

Some of your footage looks to be taken from inside the haboob. After it would descend on you, what was the game plan?

That footage was in Yuma and was basically when it was dark and we decided to call the chase. So we pulled into a lot and waited it out. The wind and sand was so intense. I think my windshield may have thousands of tiny little dings in it now from what I noticed today. Once it passed, we went back east towards home to hopefully catch some lightning, but it ended up just being rain and wind.

How long were you chasing this one?

The storms that really helped spawn on this hit around the Casa Grande area, as well as rolled through Phoenix around the same time. So I was on it from the start west of Casa Grande around 4:30pm. The last video was shot at 8:30pm when we gave up, so a solid four hours. It was a dream to catch it with all that time and daylight left. I’ve done two similar chases the past two years, both of them were AMAZING haboobs, however, they came after dark or right at sunset too early, and the chase west to Yuma was so dark that the photos were impossible to do much with. But July 9th…150 miles of chasing and tons of stops and fun photos along the way. Great times.

Your friend Greg McCown has a photo of you and fellow chaser John Sirlin standing outside as the haboob seems mere meters away. Did he snap those pics and then you immediately ran for cover in the vehicle?

I think the haboob was further away than it looked! Those are monsters, being nearly 3000-5000ft tall. So while it looked close (and it still in reality was), it wasn’t a “shoot and run” situation completely. However, I’m sure within the next five minutes of those pictures, we were packing up. Sometimes you get in front long enough to time-lapse for half an hour, sometimes a mere 5-10 minutes.

Any advice for amateur storm photographers on how to safely photograph one?

If you see one, and you’re new, definitely keep ahead of it. Don’t wait for it to hit you. And be very cautious if you are trying to punch one to get to the other side. You never know who might have stopped in the middle of the road because of low visibility and didn’t pull off to the side.

What was it like to experience this incredible moment with your kids?

Well, my kids probably just love being with dad, on the road, getting snacks and being on their iPad…but we do have a ton of fun watching these storms, and while they don’t always understand it all, they definitely let out a few “wows” for this dust storm. And I got some cute shots of Eli on top of my truck, a selfie with them together and a dust storm behind us and my daughter was shooting BTS video all day which I loved. Hopefully someday in life they will look back with fond memories on all this, because for me it’s already amazing now.

So there you have it. Another day, another incredible storm chase with Mike Olbinski. Look out for his upcoming completed time-lapse film of this entire storm on an upcoming feature on Resource Travel.

See more from Olbinski on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post See the Massive Dust Storm That Swallowed Southwest Arizona appeared first on Resource Travel.

When I landed in Las Vegas and arrived at our hotel, the beautiful W, I was shocked to see that Sony had brought out many of my journalist friends for this trip. I knew at that moment that the industry leader in mirrorless cameras had something big to announce. And indeed they did. On Monday at 5pm PST, Sony gathered us all together at the Industrial Event Space to show off their latest full-frame mirrorless camera, the A7III, which is the third generation of the one that started it all. I have always thought the A7 and A7II were the perfect cameras for those who wanted to either wanted to step up their game from a point and shoot, or if they were already DSLR users, the perfect all around camera to enter into the mirrorless universe.

So naturally, I was excited to get my hands on the A7III. But, being a travel photographer, I am usually not used to taking photos of models in elaborate sets (although I got some great shots of them too), so when I learned that Sony planned to strap us in some open door helicopters with Las Vegas based Maverick Helicopters, I was excited. Being that it’s much easier to drop things out of an open door helicopter, we were told we wouldn’t be able to change lenses during the flight, so I opted to just board the chopper with the A7III and the insanely versatile Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens, tightly strapped around my neck, of course.

*Editors Note: I had finished this article on the afternoon of Sunday March 11th, just hours before the tragic helicopter crash in New York City. While our flight with Maverick Helicopters was doors off, we did not have the type of harness systems that was on the helicopter in NYC. I am fully confident that in case of emergency, I would have been able to quickly get out of my ‘seat belt,’ which was released with a strong turn of a wheel positioned over your stomach. While the type of belts used by Maverick do not allow for the type of free movement that the harness does, I was easily able to put my camera out of the helicopter (and even my head) to get the shots I desired. I decided to publish this article to show that, while there is always danger involved in experiences like this, the safety record of helicopter tour operators is very high, and I think it is important to tell the story of our incredible tour, one which I always felt safe, and would do again in a heartbeat. Our condolences go out to the victims and the families affected by the NYC tragedy. 

So off we went to McCarren Airport, where my group met our pilot Danny Green, a man who could have easily been cast as Iceman in the original Top Gun if he was only 30 years older. Danny was the lead pilot who would navigate our squadron of four ECO-Star EC-130 helicopters for the 30 minute flight to the rugged and beautiful Valley of Fire State Park. Luckily, my friend Ted Forbes from The Art of Photography was in my helicopter to capture the incredible video above, which really shows how surreal the experience was.

As soon as we were off the ground, the famed Las Vegas strip, with giant buildings packed into minimal square acreage, became seemingly as small as a toy model. We quickly reached our cruising altitude of 1,000 feet and barreled towards Valley of Fire at 100mph. Although it was late afternoon, the sunlight was still harsh, making it hard to get the photos I had envisioned. But, really, from this altitude, the scenery looks unique an interesting in any time of day. So I started snapping. Even though I wasn’t at the open door for this part of the flight, I was still able to get some great views.

But the real magic started happening as we made our approach over the Hidden Valley Ridge and the bright red rocks of Valley of Fire began to come into view. 

While the majority of helicopters out of Maverick’s base travel to Arizona’s Grand Canyon, a select few pilots are tasked with bringing the adventurous visitors to Valley of Fire. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of Maverick’s most experienced pilots, as the landing into the State Park is tricky, technical, and insanely exhilarating. Having visited Valley of Fire before by the not as fun means of transportation known as the car, I figured we would be landing the helicopters somewhere on the park’s floor, in a nice wide open space. I was pleasantly surprised to find this was indeed not the case. Danny approached a large rock cropping, told us to get ready for the fun and made a hard bank left as we quickly descended towards the rocks.

As we inched closer and closer to the top of this stunning mountain made of rock, I was amazed at the concentration and precision that went into Danny’s landing. Being able to see the ground below me, I had no clue how he was going to pull this off, as there really isn’t much ‘flat’ area to get his landing skids. But after about 60 seconds of slight maneuvers, we touched down. The other three choppers followed suit and impressively found their own minuscule spots to land, and we jumped out onto the rocks with a feeling of excitement and amazement.

Danny informed us that we had about 45 minutes to enjoy the view, so I started exploring with my Sony A7III in hand.

As we packed up to head back to Las Vegas, I noticed the light hitting the rocks was getting much softer and more attractive than when we had flown out, so I gladly took my seat on the open door at the back left of the chopper. We took off and made our way back to Las Vegas.

As we flew over the Hidden Valley ridge, we noticed the winds had picked up considerably, adding a little more excitement to our return home. But, this wasn’t going to be a standard return home. Danny had a surprise in store for us.

Allright guys…so I have checked our fuel level, and we are doing pretty good. So I want to take you guys on a little side mission. Have you ever seen the Hoover Dam? Even if you have, there is no better way to see it then from the sky!

Now this was an awesome addition to an already incredible experience. While I actually HAD seen the Hoover Dam from above (I skydived over it many many years ago), I didn’t have a camera at the time. Nor a vivid memory of the experience. Because, Vegas. To get to the Hoover Dam, we had to fly by Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity. The soft light made for great photos of the clear blue water and the setting sun cast an eerie shadow of the mountains on the land just off the lake’s edge.

As we approached the Hoover Dam, I adjusted my position to hang my camera slightly out of the door to get exceptional views of 82 year old engineering marvel, now the second biggest dam in the United States. The pilots made two circles around the dam, giving both sides of the chopper a great view. For the approach where I didn’t have a view of the dam, I was greeted with the rugged looking Colorado River, weaving through the landscape as it made it’s retreat south from the Hoover Dam. 

When we made our final pass over the Dam, Danny informed us that is was time to head back. But, as I glanced out of the open door, I could see the setting sun casting an almost unreal light on the approaching landscapes and the Las Vegas strip in the distance. This is where I would put in the hardest, and most painful, work of the trip. To get the photos of the bright sun setting behind the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, I had to put my head completely outside of the helicopter. The brutal cold force of the winds as we approached the strip at 100 miles an hour felt like hundreds of needles being stabbed into my face, but the resulting photos were worth the pain.

As we approached the strip, I returned to my position fully inside the cold, yet, less windy helicopter as we flew parallel to the Las Vegas strip. As we slowly made are final approach to McCarron, I couldn’t help but think of all of the unique stories unfolding in the casinos, restaurants, bars and hotel rooms below. While I had spent much of my many trips in Las Vegas making those memories below, it was a welcoming and refreshing feeling to be making a new memory of Las Vegas. One from high above the chaos, where a peaceful feelings replaced the usual madness that Las Vegas is known for.

A big thank you to Sony  and Maverick Helicopters for this unforgettable experience! Preorder your Sony A7III today. First orders ship in April. 

The post Flying In An Open Door Helicopter From Las Vegas to Valley of Fire appeared first on Resource Travel.

Last week was extremely cold. February 28th, 2018 set a recored for that day as the coldest in history, breaking the mark set over a century ago, in 1904. It’s crazy to experience this kind of weather here while some of my friends in Norway and Iceland are having warmer weather. Temperatures around -10c at night and still below zero during the day combined with extreme winds that go on for days seemingly make everything freeze up, especially the coastlines. Even the famed canals of Amsterdam froze over, making it possible to ice skate on them. This has not happened over the last 6 years! Seeing my country like this as a photographer is beautiful. I normally only see these crazy ice shards and sculptures when I travel to the Arctic. It has been quite a unique winter.

So I thought it would be interesting to compare some of my photos from this frigid winter with the same scenes taken during the much warmer spring and summer months. As I put this compilation together, even I was shocked by the extreme differences a season makes.

The famous Prinsengracht with the Westerkerk (West-Church) as a backdrop. Last time ice skating was possible here was 6 years ago. Cruises stopped going temporarily because of the ice.

Chunks of ice in the Leidsegracht. The boats are still going here hitting the ice every time.

Shards of ice near the coast of Harderwijk. This is not a real crashed plane. It’s a memorial that commemorates the 117 Allied airmen who were killed around Harderwijk in World War II. Many of their aircraft crashed in the IJsselmeer-lake, which was partly frozen last week.

The lighthouse of Marken had some crazy ice formations forming because of the extreme winds and very cold temperatures.

Another iconic location at Marken are the Icebreakers. Icebreakers are to protect the coastline of large water areas against upcoming ice in winter. This pier will soon be completely gone because of the weather. It was extremely unstable when I got there last week and as can be seen on the before/after pictures it’s already missing a few elements.

A tree lane near my house with no leaves and frost on the trees.

The famous Speulder Forest. All in all it was a beautiful winter. Here are some other shots I took this winter and the year before.

The frozen Markermeer looks like the Arctic. Below, a couple ice-skating on the Markermeer. This lake is extremely big and almost never freezes. You can see a silhouette of Almere in the background.

Ready to skate! Me putting on the ice skates during a nice cold evening ready to skate on the frozen canals.

Last year around the same time we were able to skate on the waters near the famous Kinderdijk. At that time the canals in Amsterdam were not frozen.

A few months earlier this year we had a lot of snow in Amsterdam. This also has not happened since years. All in all this winter has been pretty crazy for our standards.

Extremely frosty day last year made all vegetation frozen.

A very cold morning in the countryside with pastel colours last year.

Surreal scenery with an intense sunset and frozen trees, also taken last year.

Hope you all enjoyed this new ‘Dutch’ series of pictures. Please also check my other series from my own country:

Purple Dream

Forest Wonderland

The Beauty of the Netherlands in 20 pictures

For gear I use, check HERE.

Follow Albert Dros on his website and on his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and 500px.

The post See The Extreme Difference Between Summer and Winter in The Netherlands appeared first on Resource Travel.

When both returned home, the talked about different ideas that they could collaborate on to tell an adventure story. Woodward  doesn’t remember when the idea of running across Iceland came up, but once it did, there was no turning back. There was only one problem. Whittle was not much of a runner. In his life, he had finished a couple 5k and 10k runs, and even a marathon five years earlier, but by no means was he a ultra runner. But once the idea was hatched, they couldn’t get their minds off it. To make it even more interesting, the team applied to make this a Guinness World Record attempt.

Whittle didn’t want to do this just for himself though. The 28-year old and his family suffered a devastating loss when Whittle’s nephew Sonny lost his battle to a rare form of cancer at just one year old. Whittle was determined to accomplish this challenging feat in Sonny’s name and to help raise awareness and donations for CLIC Sargent, a UK-based organization that supports families of children with cancer.

With all of the high level work done, the team started planning the details of the run. They would cover 450 miles of roads (both paved and dirt) as well as hiking trails. The Dyrhólaey lighthouse in the south was the desired starting point and the Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse in the north was where the team wanted to end their adventure.

When they arrived in Iceland, the typical Arctic weather already began to throw a wrench in their plans. Heavy rain had washed out a bridge just 80 miles from the starting point at the Dyrhólaey lighthouse that, if not repaired by the time the team got there, would end their quest for the Guinness World Record. Once the clock starts, there is no stopping it, even if your route is blocked. Making a last minute decision, they decided to flip the route and start at the Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse in the north and work their way south, which should give them enough time to arrive at the bridge after it was reopened. Once in the north, the team started the stopwatch and Tom Whittle began his run across the desolate Icelandic landscape.

The film is a beautiful look into the journey, and Woodward wrote an exceptional blog post about the details of the run over on the Backcountry website, who sponsored their ambassador’s bold attempt to run across Iceland on foot. The film is painful to watch at times, as us viewers can literally see the athlete’s body giving out throughout the course of the run. Even though they had brought multiple pairs of shoes for Whittle, they didn’t anticipate that his feet would grow over a full size throughout the journey due to the extensive swelling that running 40-50 miles a day would cause. But that wasn’t the only challenge the team faced, as the film shows, but they endured. Ten days, 13 hours, and 11 minutes after they started, Whittle channeled enough energy to jog across the final couple hundred feet to the Dyrhólaey lighthouse.

It is hard to put into words how inspiring this feat was, and especially for the reason why Whittle was compelled to achieve it. Eager to know more about the challenging journey, we sat down with Woodward to talk about this amazing accomplishment and his stunning film and photos that brought us along for the ride.

This story is truly remarkable. You have done some pretty cool stuff on your travels. Where does this adventure stack up?

This adventure was one of the most unique that I’ve been on. While many have an objective, few have had the cumulative number of moving pieces that we had to manage each day that this proved to challenge us with. This trip was also amazingly special in the goal, not just crossing Iceland, but honoring the passing of Sonny, Tom’s nephew.

At any point were you fearful that Tom wouldn’t be able to finish the route?

Absolutely. The first days were by far the hardest. The night before we were meant to start, the rain flooded the field we camped in, and continued on into the morning as we headed to our starting point. Whipping winds and cold rain chased us the entire first day, and by day three we were almost a full day behind our schedule. As Tom’s body adjusted slowly, the third day we were concerned that his knees wouldn’t hold out for the remainder. But each day we started he hobbled from his tent, ate breakfast in the truck, and began slowly down the path.

We can see in the film what the hardest parts for Tom was, but, as the filmmaker, what was the most challenging aspect of this record attempt?

We all shared many roles on this attempt. Mandy was in charge of logistics, Jason handled driving and most meal prep, and my main focus was filming and shooting, but that quickly changed to assisting during the transitions where Tom would need to change shoes or socks, as well as restocking food and water in his pack. We quickly realized that his feet would need medical attention each day, and that landed on my shoulders as well. As much as we wanted to document the journey, I was torn between the tasks that would help us towards the finish line and those that would allow us to do more than just write the story when it was finished.

What inspires you most about what Tom, and the team behind him, accomplished?

I think the most inspiring thing for me is how willing the team was to jump into the unknown. Tom wasn’t a long distance runner, we weren’t a trained support team. We all braved a lot during the trip that tested our limits to act at the edge of our comfort zones. It taught me to never assume that just because you may not have all the answers ahead of time, that it doesn’t mean that the risk isn’t worth taking. We learn the most about ourselves when we take a chance to find the limits to what we can accomplish.

The story is remarkable, and we applaud Whittle, Woodward and the addition team members Mandy Marr and Jason Sivyer for fighting off weather, pain, fatigue, and doubt to complete this challenge. And most importantly, to help raise awareness about childhood cancer and help support the families affected.

See the rest of the incredible photo essay below. 

See more from William Woodward on his website, Instagram and Facebook. 

The post Running 450 Miles Across Iceland For A Good Cause appeared first on Resource Travel.

When Thueson arrived on a clear and beautiful January day, he was amazed at the banked slopes that jutted out from the desert floor. But then, he saw something moving fast up the steep 100 foot climb. It was a dirt bike rider, seeminly testing fate byflying up the slopes until banking at the last possible minute to coast back down to the desert floor. Thueson had seen photos of riders at this location before, but when he drove through, he wasn’t sure if he would be lucky enough to capture them himself. But sure enough, riders Jesse Gross and Mike Pettingill were out this day, and they put on a great show for Thueson, and thanks to his photos and video, us as well.

Follow Mike Thueson’s adventures on his Instgram, @knowledgeableidiot

The post See An Adrenaline-Charged Dirt Bike Adventure in Factory Butte, Utah appeared first on Resource Travel.

Winter is settling in across the land and as many of us bring our snowboards and skis out of the attic for another season of powder shredding, we can watch the new film ‘Tsirku’ and realize that we are nothing but amateurs in this world.

‘Tsirku’ is a three-part big-mountain adventure ski series from Sherpas Cinema
and The North Face. Three North Face Athletes set out to locate and ski and snowboard down the fabled Corrugated spine lines of the Tsirku Glacier.

The Tsirku Glacier is situated in the remote Saint Elias mountains where Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon converge. Being that this is one of the most remote, challenging, and dangerous locations to ride in the world, only a small handful of athletes had done it before. But snowboarder Ralph Backstrom and skiers Hadley
Hammer and Sam Anthamatten were excited, and slightly nervous, for the challenges that lay ahead.

Reaching the spines was no easy task, however. On April 1, 2016, the team left Haines Pass in the Yukon and started the sixty-kilometer trek on snowmobiles across the massive glacier. While this may sound easy, it is not. The route is littered with crevasses, seracs, severe wind and avalanche zones. It took nearly two weeks to move all of the gear and get set up at the Corrugated basecamp due to inclement weather. But once we first lay eyes on the prize, we understand why the team went through the challenges.

The spine lines that the athletes plan to conquer are intimidating to say the least. The spines appear to be almost at a perfect 90-degree angle downward, with a massive amount of snow packed on top. Even if the athlete’s team was able to somehow navigate downward, the scene looks like an avalanche waiting to happen, yet the team moves forward.

We found ourselves transfixed on this brilliant piece of filmmaking for all of its 20-minute run time. The visuals are spectacular, and the action and adventure that is conveyed had us feeling as if we were right there on the ledge with them, feeling the snow give way below our skis. Chances are, none of us will ever conquer the Corrugated spine lines of the Tsirku Glacier. But with masterful filmmakers like Sherpas Cinema and skilled and brave athletes like Backstrom, Hammer and Anthamatten, we can live the heart racing experience in 4k from our warm and safe couches.

Follow Sherpa Cinemas on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photos and quotes kindly provided to Resource Travel by Sherpas Cinema.

The post Skiing the Remote and Dangerous Spines of the Tsirku Glacier appeared first on Resource Travel.

But, Chris Burkard wasn’t always ‘Chris Burkard.’ In Burkard’s early career, he photographed surf competitions. But as he describes in the new film  ‘#LifeChangingPlaces’ by Vincent Urban Film, the work soon became boring and uninspiring.

Wifi Everywhere, high rise hotels and crowded beaches. I knew there was something missing.

Burkard started looking into more remote places to find his inspiration and take himself out of his comfort zone. He soon found the place that would change his life. Norway’s Lofoten Islands. The ‘Islands of the Gods’.

Burkard documented surf in the last place you would expect surf to thrive…the Arctic Circle. At Unstad Arctic Surf,Burkard found what he was missing.

Three and a half years ago, I was lucky enough to visit the Lofoten Islands myself. And what was even better than seeing this incredible slice of frozen paradise? I actually got to visit with Chris Burkard. At the time, I was working in marketing at SmugMug, and I had helped Burkard set up his SmugMug site. We had just started the now popular SmugMug Films, and I was chosen to travel with filmmaker Anton Lorimer to be second camera and document the making of the film in a photo essay.

For 8 days, we followed Burkard as he photographed pro surfers Brett Barley and Patrick Millin in blizzards, freezing water, and powerful winds. We road tripped through the region, standing in awe as we looked over small Nordic fishing villages at the foot of jagged snow covered mountains. And after 7 nights of thick cloud cover, we finally witnessed an incredible northern lights show that lasted hours.

The resulting film was something that we were incredibly proud of.

That trip changed my life. Not only had I seen one of the most stunning places on the planet, but I also learned how to be humble bad ass, as Burkard is indeed one of the best photographers in the world, but you would never know it when you meet him. Quiet and softspoken, Burkard will rarely talk about himself, but rather show genuine interest in what passions you possess. It even took a bit of prodding to get Burkard to talk about himself in his popular guest post for Resource Travel, ‘Adventure is my Inspiration.’

The short film is a beautiful look into how Burkard fell in love with being uncomfortable and how putting himself in challenging situations created the images he is so famously known for today. It all started back on the frozen soil of the Lofoten Islands. And I was lucky enough to experience it also, and incredibly lucky to see first hand how it changed Chris Burkard’s life.

Below is a selection of photos from our trip to Lofoten with Chris Burkard. You can see more on my website. 

Standing on shore, Chris captures a cold arctic morning surf session as Anton films from afar.

On our first night in camp, the blizzard hit fast and furious. Always looking for a dramatic photograph, Chris walks in search of another night shot in the blistering snow.

The post Traveling With Chris Burkard to the Place That Changed His Life appeared first on Resource Travel.

Best and an expert fisherman, an ecologist, and studying geologist set out in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta to locate three indicator species of a fresh water ecosystem. What does that exactly mean? Well, fish and bird life are the barometers with which we measure the health of our planet’s ecosystems and sensitive natural habitats. So by studying various endemic species such as the American dipper bird, bull trout, and pure-strain westslope cutthroat trout, scientists are able to give an update on the health of the planet, essentially.

But as Best said, if you are going to be studying these species in such beautiful terrain, you may as well have fun doing it. “Getting outside and experiencing our wild places reveals what we have and what there is to protect.”

After the team wrapped up their adventure, they all headed home to their families and every day lives. Little did they know, however, that all their lives would drastically change. Chad Kendrick, founder of Treeline Outdoors and a close friend of Best arrived home to be with his wife as she gave birth to their first child, a boy appropriately named River. But only three months after his son was born, Chad went to the doctor to discuss a rapid loss of strength and mobility in his arms and legs. Soon after, the heartbreaking news came back.

Chad Kendrick had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS.

His family immediately began investigating treatment options, and found some hope in stem cell treatments in a California. They started a GoFundMe campaign which has allowed Kendrick to begin treatment. But as anyone who knows someone with ALS is aware, the road is difficult to say the least.

That’s when this film became more than a conservation film to Best. He became obsessed with helping his friend and getting the word out about the devastating effects of ALS. I sat down with Best to discuss the film, his relationship with Kendrick, and how this has changed his approach to becoming a father.

You made this film with Chad, without knowing his future diagnosis with ALS. After you found out about Chad’s condition, how did that change what this film meant to you on a personal level?

Everything changed. It’s hard to describe and perhaps I am over feeling during these types of moments. I describe Chad’s personality and love for life as extremely contagious. He’s one of those humans that you just have to be around. He loves this planet we’re on and humbly takes care of it. You could almost say I try and take him farther into the world than he wants to be, as he never wants to be a face. For his brand, for a movement, for anything. He does however want to lead by example and does. Therefore, even if this question could be answered in a thesis, it’s been the journey with Chad that makes this hard for me. It’s hard for me to even type these words, just know it’s affected my life in every way.

It is quite obvious that Chad’s diagnosis with ALS is in your mind all the time. You have been a huge advocate of the Kickstarter campaigns to help him get the experimental treatment that could stop the disease’s progression and you even started a clothing line where all profits will go to the Kendrick family. Where did that idea come from? Have all the efforts been able to help at all?

The hats were a friend’s idea. Then the idea of #CapForACause kicked off to help Chad, but then will morph into helping many other causes we are passionate about. We’re really just trying to be creative. Chad is part of this amazing outdoor community and is too humble to ask for anything, so taping into this industry was a way to spread the message of his diagnosis and ALS as a whole. There have been many fundraisers all over the world by people he’s touched. We’ve collectively raise a lot, but it’s never enough. His newborn son River has never been held by his father which is so heartbreaking when you really think about it. So I vowed that while I have full use of my body, I’m going to use it to help keep a good human on this planet.

The last scene of the film shows Chad after the diagnosis and the effects of ALS had set in. It shows Chad in his element, fishing…enjoying the outdoors. It is obvious from this clip Chad is a fighter, and will continue to fight to return to his home in the great outdoors and to his wife and son. Tell us a little about Chad’s personality and how he has been since his fight began.

Chad is all heart. Days are tough, and there’s no sugar coating it. However, due to his steadfast and free flying soul he’s taking this journey in stride. He fights for his son, for his wife, his family, and this beautiful world. A couple examples: As I’ve served him dinner, helped him dress, or held water to drink from his straw, he looks at me and says, “If and when I get past this, I’m going to be a force to be reckoned with, boy.”

 

Chad has carried me across many rivers while filming him and during my last trip to see him I returned the favor. When picking him up out of his boat I reminded him of this past and told him it was my turn. He laughed and reminded me to remember of my sexual orientation. Never a dull moment with this guy!

 

There literally aren’t enough words to describe the inspiration that Chad has given me over the years , not to mention the hundreds of emails coming in from people sharing how he’s impacted their life one way or another. It’s powerful.

You are about to be a father. I can’t imagine that this project and fighting alongside your friend as he battles hasn’t changed your perception on life. How has the last 8 months changed your approach to your travel schedule, work/life balance and fatherhood?

Yup, indeed I am about to be a father. It sounds so strange, but I’m stoked. It just means I have to be better. The last 8 months of my life just about claimed my life. I’ve been battling many things, but this little lady is going to pull me from the fire. I’m gearing up for an exciting next chapter that the whole family will be part of. Travel is part of my job, but there will be many new opportunities to travel as a family. The last two years living on the road, working in beautiful places all over the world, dealing with every stimulation imaginable, has really shown me that life is fleeting. There’s never the perfect answer…just do it. I’ve shifted gears and started getting into the sport side of the job. I grew up an athlete and am going to be diving into many new things in the coming years. All to get to where I want to be in life, spiritually and mentally. Most importantly, I can’t wait to show my little girl that you can be a badass, powerful, strong woman in this crazy world. And that no matter how many times you get knocked down, there is always going to be fight left in you. She will give em hell, just like my dear friend Chad is.

Follow Andy Best’s adventures on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

All photos provided by and used with permission from Andy Best.

The post How a Conservation Film Became a Mission to Save an Outdoorsman From ALS appeared first on Resource Travel.

On June 12th,  I broke down into tears. Minutes earlier, I had been outside my truck, leaning against it, head buried in my arms, frustration and failure washing over me. I wanted to quit. I got back in the car and as I drove, the pain got the better of me and the tears came.

This past spring was a tough one. Supercell structure and beautiful tornadoes had been very hard to come by. In fact, the tornado in the opening of this film was the only good one I saw this entire year. I had been on the road longer than ever before. Driven more miles. I was away from my family for 12 straight days at one point, and when I got home, I had to tell them I was going back out 24 hours later for June 12th.  It was just too good to pass up. It promised to be a day that I could get everything I had been hoping for this spring and I had no choice. My wife understood, even though I knew she wished I stayed home. And I wished it too.

I knew right where I wanted to be that day. But this year I struggled with confidence in trusting my instincts. Maybe it was because the lack of good storms this spring made me question my skills, or maybe it was something else inside of me. Whatever the case, I let myself get twisted and unsure, and found myself 80 miles away from where I had wanted to be when the tornadoes started to drop and the best structure of the year materialized in the sky. The photos from Twitter and Facebook started to roll in and I knew I had missed everything.

It may not be easy to understand why, but when you work as hard as I did this spring, a moment like that can break you.  I felt like I let my wife down. But mostly I let myself down. I forgot who I was and that’s not me. Or it shouldn’t have been me. I failed myself.  And it seemed like the easy choice to just give up and head for home.

But I didn’t. I’m not sure why, but the pain slowly began to subside. I realized it was only 4pm and the storms were still ongoing. Maybe if I could get in front of them the day could be saved. Ninety minutes later, I got out ahead and saw some of the best structure I’d seen all spring and a lightning show that was so incredible it’s one of the very last clips of this film.

And that’s why this film is called “Pursuit.” Because you can’t give up. Keep chasing, keep pursuing. Whatever it is. That’s the only way to get what you want.

I learned something about myself on June 12th which carried over to the final few days of chasing this spring. I trusted myself again and those days were incredibly rewarding, even though I had felt that all was going against me until then. I learned that even when you are down, you are never out. There will always be another storm to see, but you won’t if you don’t continue to chase it. If you give up and don’t continue the ‘pursuit’, you will never get to that moment you are working so hard for.  This was who I’d been all along but had forgotten.

The work on this film began on March 28th and ended June 29th. There were 27 total days of actual chasing and many more for traveling. I drove across 10 states and put over 28,000 new miles on the ol’ 4Runner. I snapped over 90,000 time-lapse frames.

I saw the most incredible mammatus displays, the best nighttime lightning and structure I’ve ever seen, a tornado birth caught on time-lapse and a display of undulatus asperatus that blew my mind. Wall clouds, massive cores, supercell structures, shelf clouds…it ended up being an amazing season and I’m so incredibly proud of the footage in this film.

I wanted to do something new this year, so I worked with composer Peter Nanasi to develop a custom track for Pursuit. I’m super excited about it and loved the process of exchanging ideas and building the song as the editing of the film progressed. I am so thankful to Peter for what he came up with, I’m in love with this track!

Technically I used two Canon 5DSR‘s along with a Canon 11-24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm and Sigma Art 50mm. The final product was edited in Lightroom with LR Timelapse, After Effects and Premiere Pro.

The time away from my family turned out to be over a month all told. I’m always and continually blessed by a wife who supports what I do and backs me completely. But not only do I have her to thank this spring, but also her parents who hung around for a good chunk of May and early June, to help out wherever needed, watch the kids, run errands and generally be there for Jina. I don’t have enough words to convey how appreciative I am for them being around while I was gone.

My family helped me remember what inspired me. And I cannot wait to do it again next spring.

See more from Olbinski on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Blu-Ray discs available here: mikeolbinski.com/shop/
Music by Peter Nanasi, find his work here: peternanasi.bandcamp.com/

A weak tornado drops southwest of the town of Littlefield, Texas

A tornado drops just over this hill southwest of McLean, Texas

An explosive, cloud-crossing lightning strike exits from the updraft of a powerful, tornado-warned storm northeast of Alliance, Nebraksa

The lightning was intense with this microburst near the town of Tappen, North Dakota

A severe thunderstorm over the Cedar Point Wind Farm north of Limon, Colorado

As the the sun went down, some weak storms rapidly strengthened into supercells northwest of the town of Perryton, Texas.

The post Dramatic Film Shows the Pursuit of the Perfect Storm appeared first on Resource Travel.

Dros knew that moment that this was a scene that he wanted to capture. But what if he could capture the lava-spewing volcano with the Milky Way in the background? Determined, Dros pulled out his favorite photography planning app, PhotoPills, and began planning. Dros talks in more detail about the specific mindset and planning that went into this adventure on the website Lonely Speck.

With his plan in place, Dros traveled to Antigua in late March, when the Milky Way looked to line up perfectly from a vantage point on neighboring Acatenango volcano, which, luckily is dormant. After a steep hike, Dros was in place.

When I finally saw Fuego erupt up close, combined with the power of its sound, I was paralyzed with awe. It was amazing. It was one of the most impressive things I had ever seen in nature.

Throughout the night, Dros waited for the darkness to descend and the Milky Way to rise, hoping his luck with clear skies would stay intact. And then, just as his planning told him, the Milky Way was in the perfect position at 2 A.M.

While this photo alone made the trip worth it, Dros wasn’t done. On Lonely Speck, he talks about his secondary shot. A close-up view of the Milky Way and the eruption.

I really wanted a close up of the erupting volcano with the Milky Way. My best opportunity was that morning. I put my camera in position for the early blue hour when the Milky Way would still be visible. At that time, a very faint crescent moon had risen in the sky, giving me some extra light on the foreground. I set everything up and waited for the right moment. I just needed that right eruption. And then it happened.

With a lot of planning and a little luck, Dros got the shot he had envisioned for months. I asked him how he would feel if things didn’t go as planned.

RT:You talk alot about the luck factor in getting shots like this. Say your luck ran out, and you weren’t able to get clear skies and visibility to get the shot you envisioned. How do you think your mental state would have been if you left with photos that didn’t meet your expectations.

I would be sad but not devastated. Planning a shot and not getting the right circumstances in the end often happens. If I wouldn’t get a decent shot and the weather or eruptions would totally let me down, I’d try again a few days later. I planned 2 weeks in Guatemala and went straight to the volcano on my arrival. I got my shots the first try, so I calculated extra time incase things wouldn’t go as planned.

Dros has had many incredible photography adventures, but I was curious how this one stacked up in his lifetime.

This had to be my most rewarding and incredible photography experience to date. I really think it is the most impressive thing I have ever seen in nature. Living in the Netherlands, I usually don’t see many spectacular natural events, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

The post See the Milky Way Behind an Erupting Volcano in These Incredible Photos appeared first on Resource Travel.

The stories of explorers of centuries past—think about early Everest climbers and Antarctic trekkers—are reminders that there are a few of us, very few of us, who will brave any condition, who will venture past any line, out of the safe space, right into the danger zone, and stage a battle of wills between the human spirit and the humans-dare-not-tread spaces.

Enter Cory Richards. Cory belongs to that crowd of explorers who, through sheer will alone, find themselves facing down the terrible and frightening forces of natural destruction. His photography, of course, needs no real recommendation from me, or from you, or from anyone. Skill speaks for itself. But what sets him apart is the impression one gets from this video that even if Cory were born in centuries past, before the age of cameras, he would be there anyway. He’d be in the middle of the battle, face toward the wind, daring life to send him more. An explorer first, it feels at times like he’s not venturing for the camera. The camera just came along for the journey and, through it, so can we.

To see more on Cory Richards, follow him on instagram, facebook, or his website

The post A Tribute to Discomfort: The Work of National Geographic Photographer Cory Richards appeared first on Resource Travel.

Usually, most people, including myself, would have a problem keeping focused through a five-minute video of nothing but travel clips, but Kolder’s incredible cinematic style mixed with Hyperlapse and some crazy good After Effects transitions is captivating. Add to that the sheer number of beautiful and dramatic looking locations and Kolder creates one of the best travel ‘reels’ we have seen in quite a while.

Hard to believe the skill level that Kolder possesses now. We are beyond intrigued to see where he is 10 years from now.

Follow Sam Kolder’s 2017 adventures on his YouTube, Instagram  and Facebook.

The post Sam Kolder’s Year in Travel Was More Epic Than Yours appeared first on Resource Travel.

Some visitors have chosen to stay a safe distance while capturing the dramtic scene like Jack Fusco did while capturing this incredible time-lapse film. Others have treaded dangerously close while capturing GoPro footage, as Signson has done in the past, as shown in the below compilation below.

USGS geologist Janet Babb, who works at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, told SF Gate in an earlier interview about the ‘Lava Firehose’:

It’s super-heated steam laced with hydrochloric acid from the interaction with the seawater and has shards of volcanic glass. It’s something to be avoided.

We just saw the danger and unpredictability of the hot shelf, which is weakened from the 2,000-degree lava. Now, we have established that this is incredibly dangerous, and most, if not all, of the 6,000 people daily who witness the lava do so by not swimming next to it in very rough sea conditions. But, is it illegal to be that close to the lava?

After all, famous adventurer Allison Teal paddled close to the lava last year, but she was easily behind the waves’ break.

Resource Travel has reached out to John Broward, head Ranger at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park for comment, but have yet to receive a response.

So what do you think? Should this act, as crazy as it is, be legal? Let us know in the comments!

The post Hawaiian Swims Dangerously Close to Massive Lava Flow appeared first on Resource Travel.

But a new video by Lava Ocean Tours, INC, captured by guest Russell Fry, reminds every trespasser that it’s – in Frusco’s words – “just not worth it” to pass the ropes. At any time, Mother Nature can decide to let a freshly made lava bench collapse into the sea. That’s not something any human being wants to be a part of.

If you can watch it from a safe distance, however, it’s pretty spectacular. If we would have been on the same boat as Russell Fry and his boat companions, we would probably also be shouting out “oh sh*t!” and “oh my God!” A different perspective is visible on pictures from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. See that tripod? There’s no way the photographer was allowed that close to danger. So let that be a lesson. Always be weary of increasing instability! And listen to the park rangers – they’re there for a reason.

The post Video Shows Why it is Important to Keep Your Distance When Lava-Watching appeared first on Resource Travel.