SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - Remember Tough Guy last year?

Over 4,000 people brave mud, ice cold water, and flames to prove that they are tough. The Tough Guy race in the west of England, takes place over a two-mile long obstacle course designed by a former Grenadier Guardsman. Competitors must wade through energy-sapping mud, negotiate flames, smoke bombs and taunting marshalls.

Well, Reuters have posted an excellent Slideshow of this years event.

Last year I said I’d do it this year. Maybe next year!

-Robin-

(Image Credit: Reuters Tough Guy Slideshow by REUTERS/Darren Staples)

HEATHROW, UK (Team Geared Up) - This post was written while in the airport, I’m now posting it I’m back online! Jumping out of a plane and landing without a parachute. Is it one of the most ridiculous things you’ve ever heard? Yes. Thanks to Alan Masterson for mailing in this story! It’s great!

Three groups of skydivers reckon wing suits have gotten advanced enough to be able to land on the ground in one without a parachute. The challenge is on to be the first person to land one without killing yourself, my question is, how do you practice for this? It’s not like you can abort a landing if required. It is you who is aborted!

The current record is the ability to reduce their vertical descent to 30mph (with a 70mph horizontal speed). There are 3 methods being attempted.

1/ Snow-slope. Just like a ski-jumper lands these guys will come in at the exact same angle as the slope meaning there should be zero vertical speed when they touch-down, just a lot of forward speed! They intend to skid to arrest.

2/ Two Million Dollar runway to land on. This runway will also be angled at a slope but also built to slow down the diver correctly. You really would want to be accurate though. The jumper will be slowed by a change in angle to uphill I believe.

3/ Vertical suit. I’m unsure how, but this suit allows the jumper to transition to a vertical standing position to allow them to land on their feet. Preusmable with some landing carriage or skis.

Nuts! Watch this video courtesy of the New York Times. It’s very good.

-Robin-

(Image Credit: Axel Koester for The New York Times, left; Perry Trowbridge/AFP)

BANGKOK, THAILAND (Team Geared Up) - So our incredible “When does Base Jumping Get Too Dangerous” post when viral, hi UKClimbing.com, hi AcidDog Forums, hi others! You brought a lot of traffic! Based on this obsessing, I’ve done a Top 5 worst Base Jumping Accidents videos to join our Top 5 Mountain Biking Crashes, Top 5 Bungy Jump Accidents & Top 5 Snowboarding Alternative Crashes.

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At #5 - When your mate opens their chute underneath you - it will never be pretty.

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At #4 - Very low jump from an Aerial. Not much room for error here!

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At #3 - When cycling off a cliff, remember to actually pull your chute. Winded? Broken Ribs?

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At #2 - This is not safe for work (NSFW), but here’s what happens when you get blown into a dam you’ve just jumped off. Amazingly he crawls out. Notice the similarities in sounds - winded? Broken Ribs?

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At #1 - Scary! But clearly the commentator is a very experienced BASE Jumper “After the rescuer clips her into his harness, if her chute rips, they’ll both die”… how so!?

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**TGU Bonus clip** - The Lowest Base Jump Ever!

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Now, how was that? Heart going a little faster?

-Robin-

(Image Credit: Craig)

NEWBRIDGE, KILDARE (Team Geared Up) - O.k., so I was meant to be doing some ‘proper’ work and then this ended up in my Google Reader feed. Shred or Die, a new video site that’s been promoted by skater Tony Hawk, is live and kicking with a pile of extreme sports videos, mainly skateboarding and biking.
I’m avoiding the urge to spend the next hour watching random people land on their head, perform ridiculous stunts, and general adsurdity like above. Can you avoid it? ;) let me know in the comments!

Note: from the couple of videos I’ve watched, if you’re squeamish about blood…..you have been warned!
Courtesy of Mashable

- Neal :) -

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - I’m not sure what you call this form of base jumping, but it’s about as extreme as it gets. We’ve written about these wing suits before and their ability to direct the jumper out away from the rock first Base Jump from the Grand Jorasses in the Alps. But this next video you are going to see is ’sick’… that’s sick in a ‘I feel physically sick’ way rather than the R&B “that’s sick dawg” sick.

Just how close can you go?

Thanks to AllClimbing who picked this up Twitter.

-Robin-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog)- The expedition earlier this year, by a large team of doctors, to place members of their team on top of Everest and also take blood samples along the way will be shown as a documentary on BBC. Tonight (23/9)the first hour long part will be on BBC2 at 8.00pm and the second part next Sunday(30/9) at the same time. The highest blood sample was taken at 8400m. How cold would that needle have been? The expedition was to examine human performance at extreme altitudes and to research hypoxia(low oxygen levels).

“This two-part special follows a team of doctors conducting a series of groundbreaking experiments as they climb Everest, the world’s highest peak.

From their laboratory tents, pitched in -25 degC conditions, the experts use their own bodies for medical tests. They push themselves to the limit to better understand the human body’s behaviour in a low-oxygen environment.

The team hopes their work will lead to new, life-saving treatments for intensive care patients suffering from hypoxia, a shortage of oxygen in the body.

-Eoinod-

(Image Credit: UKClimbing.com)

LONDON, UK (Team Geared Up) - Remember this story we did in January Extreme Mountain Biking Cliffs Of Moher, we had the photos but no clue who did it or if they were photoshopped. In March we uncovered a video to prove it wasn’t fake, and found out it was Hans Rey in the footage.

Well now we’ve found out how they did it, the secret was found in a small Irish newspaper article. Not only is it speculated they are wearing parachutes on their backs, but also had helmets with gyroscopes in them (that hold their heads upright) to prevent them going off the edge sideways with veritgo. Clever boys!

It’s a good story anyway! Discuss!

-Robin-

(Image Credit: Scan from the Irish Mirror)

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - K2’s west face has finally been climbed been the Russian pairing of Andrew and Vadim with neither using supplementary oxygen. More than 200 people have climbed K2 this season with all previous summits before todays coming on either the Abruzzi spur or the Cesen route. K2’s North and East faces still await a first ascent!

At 6:15 pm, local time the sumiteers have reported safe and sound from C6. Back from the summit, Andrew and Vadim had rested for some time in C7.

Earlier this morning, the Russian climbers on the west face of K2 woke to red storm clouds, poor visibility and 30/50 mph winds. In a 10 am radio call, Shabalin and Tukhvatullin were reported holding in C7 (8400 m), while Mariev and Popovich were out scouting above the camp. Four climbers were holding in C6 at 8150 m after a wrecked attempt to ascend further. The Jannu climbers were meanwhile approaching the high camp 6 as well. Serguey Penzov is still descending, and is now between C1 and ABC. None of the climbers is using supplementary oxygen.

-Eoin O’Driscoll

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Polar Madness grips scientists! New Research possibilities for space travel.

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Solar Powered Beard Trimmer / Shaver. Good for extended basecamp sessions.

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The Magic Wheel. It’s sort of a bike wheel for your foot. Crazy! When will the 4×4 off-road version appear?

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Are you a scuba diver? Are you a fashionable one? Suggest you get some modded fins then! Try High Tide Heels.

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Now this is Extreme Kayaking! This piece of video featured on Top Gear not so long ago. It’s a kayak fitted out with a engine.

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Patagonia have their own blog. The Cleanest Line. Nice too.

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-Robin-