National Geographic Announces 2018 Adventurers of the Year

While I was away exploring Arctic Europe last week, National Geographic announced its list of the 2018 Adventurers of the Year. As usual, the winners of this prestigious award are names that we've shared on this blog in the past, with some obvious choice from last year, mixed in with a few nice surprises too.

Two of the names that would have been easy to predict making the list include climber Alex Honnold, who stunned the world with his free solo of El Capitan last summer, and Kilian Jornet, who managed to summit Everest twice in a span of five days. They're joined by surfer and humanitarian Emi Koch, ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson O'Neill, mountain biker Rajesh Magar, photographers and scientists Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, as well as stereotype-breaking ultrarunner Mirna Valerio.

As usual, all of these adventurers have great stories to share and each is deserving of making the cut. This year's list is a bit smaller than in year's past, but I think that helps lend an air of exclusivity and prestige to the winners. Unlike in years past however, it does seem that Nat Geo has done away with the "People's Choice" award.

Normally these awards would be announced in November or December as a recap to the year that had just passed. When the announcement failed to come last fall, there were questions as to whether or not the Adventurers of the Year program had gone away. I had several of you email me to see if I knew anything, but I didn't have anything to report. In the past, I was honored to have been asked to submit some suggestions for nominees, but that didn't happen this year either. In the end however, I'm just glad to see these deserving men and women get their moment to shine and to know that we'll see more adventurers get the nod in the future too.

Find out more about this year's class of adventurers by clicking here.

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The Adventure Podcast Episode 8: More Adventure News!

The latest episode of The Adventure Podcast is now available for download. Like last week, this is a solo effort that strays from our usual format. It is also shorter than most of our other episodes as well, concentrating on just four or five important news stories that took place in the past week.

As usual, you can listen to the show online, or find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. I've also embedded the episode below for those who don't use any of those formats. We're currently working on getting the show syndicated in Spotify too, but we are still in the process of getting approval.

Last week our show as an abbreviated one because my co-host Dave Adlard had a few things to deal with on his end. This week, I have been dealing with some family issues as well, which prevented us from being able to record at our regular time. Next week, both of us will be traveling, but we may do yet another short "news" episode before hopefully getting back to our regular routine after that. Thanks for your patience and for listening.

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Video: Kilian Jornet's Path to Everest

Last spring, mountain runner Kilian Jornet completed his Summits of My Life project by reaching the top of Mt. Everest not once, but twice. Now, a documentary film about that expedition is about to be released and we have the teaser trailer for it below. That's really all the set-up you need. Can't wait to watch the full film.

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Video: How to Train Like Kilian Jornet

Want to know how to train like the best mountain runner in the world? This video can help! It gives us an intimate look at how Kilian Jornet trains for the events and expeditions that he takes part in, providing some insights into how he is able to accomplish the things he does. As Kilian himself says at the beginning of the clip, he is 30 years old and has essentially been training for 30 years. That's because he was born in the mountains and they have always been his playground. Still, there is plenty of dedication, determination, and hard work that goes into his preparation and planning too. Find out more below.

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Video: Kilian Jornet Trains in the Northern Lights

We've been getting a steady stream of videos featuring Kilian Jornet recently, all of which have been outstanding. This one is fantastic as well, taking us once again to Norway where we join the Spanish mountain runner on a night training session with the Aurora Borealis gleaming overhead.

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Video: The Ridge with Killian Jornet

Those who can't get enough of Kilian Jornet's exploits are going to love this video. It follows the mountain runner up a tight, narrow ridge along Kyrkjetaket, a 1439-meter (4721 ft) peak located in Romsdalen, Norway. Not for the faint of heart, the ridge that approaches the summit is rather scary, with dramatic drop-offs on either side. The drone footage captured on this clip is exceptional, with outstanding scenery all around.

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Video: Speed Climbing Cho Oyu with Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg

This past spring, mountain runners Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg set out to climb an 8000-meter peak as quickly as possible. With their busy schedules, neither of them had the time to spend two months climbing in the Himalaya, so they elected to try a radical new method of acclimatization and preparation that would ultimately cut down the time needed to summit Cho Oyu to less than two weeks. In this video, we find out how they did it and see these two top athletes in their element in the mountains.

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Video: Kilian Jornet's Speed Ascent of Everest in His Own Words

On his way to the summit of Mt. Everest a few weeks back, Kilian Jornet wore his Suunto watch, which tracked his movement along the route. In this video, we see the path he took while Kilian himself tells us about the experience. This one-minute clip isn't super detailed, but it does provide some context of the climb with the Spanish mountain runner explaining his approach in his own words.

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Video: Suunto Celebrates Kilian's Double-Summit on Everest

By now, we're all well aware of Kilian Jornet's exploits in the Himalaya this spring. This video was put out by Suunto – one of his sponsors – to celebrate and congratulate him on his accomplishments. It doesn't really share anything new, nor does it have footage from his Everest summits, but it does remind us of what an exceptional athlete Jornet truly is. Speed records and double summits without oxygen are impressive enough, but the fact that he does these things with humility and grace is something special too.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: More Summits But End of Season in Sight

It has been a long and very eventful spring season in the Himalaya, that much is certain. Over the past few month we've seen drama, intrigue, tragedy, and triumph. Now, the season is coming to an end, but it will be one that will be remembered for years to come without a doubt.

This past weekend marked the final pushes to the summit by several teams who had waited patiently for their opportunity. And while not everyone was successful, a number of climbers stood on top, closing down the season in style. High winds made the final push more difficult than expected. The forecast has called for clear skies and calm winds, but the jet stream is now moving into place and likely won't shift again until fall.

Amongst those topping out was Adrian Ballinger, who summited without oxygen after having to turn back just short of the top last year. He was accompanied by Corey Richards, who did have to put on an oxygen tank for the final push up. They of course climbed with Alpenglow, which also saw another successful season come to a close by putting seven on the summit.

By now, most of you have probably already heard that Kilian Jornet summited for a second time in less than a week, this time taking 17 hours to go from ABC to the top of Everest, which isn't a record but is damned impressive indeed. It seems Kilian is now the first non-Sherpa to summit twice in the same season without using bottled oxygen. It is nearly impossible to convey just how amazing that feat truly is.

It was also a good season for women climbers from India. Anshu Jamsenpa also had a record setting year on Everest. She also managed to summit twice in five days, earning her the distinction of the fastest time by a female climber between a double summit. Meanwhile, Anita Devi became the first Indian woman to climb Everest from the North Col route and the first to scale the mountain from both sides.


Unfortunately, Ralf Dujmovits wasn't successful in his attempt to nab his 14th 8000-meter peak without oxygen. This past weekend he turned back from the summit in part because of the high winds. Dujmovits has said that this would be his last go at Everest, so this was a disappointing end to his efforts. Perhaps next year he'll reconsider.

In another record setting effort, Kami Rita Sherpa topped out on Everest, claiming his 21st summit of the world's tallest mountain. That ties him with Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa for the most summits of all time.

At this point, both the North and South Sides of Everest are all but deserted. The teams that climbed over the weekend are packing up and heading home at long last. The one climber who was hoping to summit today or tomorrow was Nobukazu Kuriki of Japan, but it appears that he may have packed it in as well due to the shifting winds. I'm still waiting on confirmation on that, but with Kuriki preparing to leave the South Side, the season will now officially be over.

Considering that few teams climb in the fall, and the Chinese are making it difficult to get permits from the North Side, it seems likely that we won't see any climbers on Everest until the spring of 2018. That's a long wait, but if this season is any indication, it should be worth it once again.

Congrats to everyone who successfully summited during this very busy season. Travel home safely and revel in your accomplishments.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Jornet Summits Everest for Second Time in a Week

It is a long holiday weekend here in the States at the moment, so as a result I won't be posting a full round-up of stories today. That said, I did want to share this story before getting back to a normal schedule tomorrow.

On Saturday (May 27), Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet added to his already impressive accomplishments on Everest. Last week he set a new speed record by running from Base Camp to the summit in 26 hours, all without oxygen, fixed ropes, or Sherpa support. Now, he's done it again, bagging a rare second summit in a single season, once again without the uses of bottled oxygen.

For his second summit bid, Jornet set out from Advanced Base Camp, and traveling to the summit in 17 hours, which is just shy of Hans Kammerlander's record of 16 hours, 45 minutes. But while this isn't a speed record, to be able to summit a second time in such short order, and without using oxygen, is an impressive accomplishment nonetheless.

In a statement sent out to the media Kilian had this to say:“I’m so happy to have made the summit again! Today I felt good although it was really windy so it was hard to move fast. I think summiting Everest twice in one week without oxygen opens up a new realm of possibilities in alpinism and I’m really happy to have done it”

While making his fast attempt last week, Jornet suffered stomach cramps and vomiting on his way up the mountain. That slowed him down considerably, and forced him to stop at ABC while making the descent. He had hoped to go all the way back to Base Camp. While recovering throughout the week, we started to hear rumblings that he might try a second summit bid, and try to go even faster. He wasn't able to quite set a new speed record, but very few climbers are ever able to summit twice in the same season, let alone do it without supplemental oxygen.

Now, the spring climbing season is winding down, and the teams are wrapping up their work. Most have left the mountain although Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is still on the South Side and attempting a final push to the top, weather permitting.

I'll post a full update on the final weekend tomorrow, along with an update Kuriki's position as well. It has been a long, eventful, and exciting season to say the least, but it is almost time to close up Everest for another year. More to come soon.

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Video: Kilian Jornet Tells Us Why Everest is So Different

While we're all still marveling over Kilian Jornet's latest accomplishment on Everest, and waiting to see what he does next, this video comes our way to help explain the challenges he faced in preparing for Everest and making his epic speed ascent of the mountain. Obviously shot before he left, the clip gives viewers some insists into what makes this mountain so different from others.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Preparing For Another Go at Everest?

Once again, I know we've been posting a lot of news from the Himalaya lately, and already have one article about ongoing expeditions there from earlier today, but considering the general interest in this story, I thought it was worth giving it its own post.

Yesterday it was widely reported that Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet has set a new speed record on Everest. While that record comes with a number of qualifiers, there is no doubt that Kilian's 26 hour ascent is an impressive feat to be sure. Especially when you consider that he began having stomach issues at around 7700 meters (25,262 ft), but pressed on anyway. But, it seems Jornet might not be down with the mountain just yet, despite having already put on such an amazing performance.

On his descent, Kilian still suffered from his bout with the stomach illness, so rather than going all the way back to Base Camp, he stopped in Advanced Base Camp for some much deserved rest. While there, he ran into Adrian Ballinger, who reported on the encounter on his Facebook page. This is what Adrian had to say.

"#pro - if you don't follow @kilianjornet, stop reading this caption and go follow him. I'm lucky to be surrounded by some amazing athletes on a daily basis. But Kilian...wow. Today he made a 26-hour push from Base Camp to the summit of #Everest, without supplemental oxygen. This is superhuman. But three things make it even wilder. First, he suffered gastro distress throughout the summit push but somehow suffered through and still stood on top. Second, he thinks he can do it faster and hopes to recover in time to make another attempt before this season ends. Third, after 30+ hours awake and enduring real suffering, he still graciously signed autographs in ABC before sleeping or eating. I am so blown away, humbled and inspired for my attempt. Congratulations Kilian! #everestnofilter #everest201"

In other words, it looks like Kilian is already thinking about making another run at the summit and improving on his time. But, he's not thinking about coming back in the fall or returning for Spring 2018, but will instead try to recover now, and if the weather window is good, make another attempt at the speed record in the next few days. If that happens, it would be even more remarkable than his first summit.

Before he can do this, he'll first need to rest and fight off the gastro distress he's been dealing with. With high winds on the mountain today, he wouldn't be able to go up anyway, and with massive summit pushes now underway, it would probably be best for the endurance runner to wait for the crowds to clear out. That would make Friday or Saturday a perfect time for another push, provided he's feeling up to it. Will it happen? We'll just have to wait around to find out.

Stay tuned!

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Jornet Summits Everest without Oxygen and in Alpine Style

There has been a lot of news coming out of the Himalaya this past weekend, and it'll likely take a few days to get caught up on everything that his happening. That said, I thought that this story definitely deserved its own post, especially since I know so many people have been following the expedition.

Kilian Jornet has closed out his Summits of My Life project in epic style by climbing Mt. Everest from the North Side in alpine style and without the use of supplemental oxygen or fixed ropes. The Spanish mountain runner set out from the Rombuk monastery at 10:00 PM local time on May 20, at an altitude of 5100 meters (16,732 ft) and reached the top of Everest (8848 m/29,029 ft) at 12:15 AM on May 22, taking roughly 26 hours to complete the ascent in a single push. He then descended safely back to ABC for a total roundtrip time of approximately 38 hours.

Kilian says that he was moving well for most of the climb but once he hit 7700 meters (25,262 ft) he began to have stomach problems, which slowed him down some. Still, he was able to continue upwards to reach the summit nonetheless and set an impressive time in doing so. Most climbers who will be following in his footsteps on the next summit push, will likely take 3-4 days to complete the same route.

Following his success on the mountain, Kilian is claiming another FKT (fastest known time) on for the climb. It would be pointed out however that Hans Kammerlander made the ascent without bottled oxygen from Base Camp in 16 hours and 45 minutes back in 1996. Presumably he did it using fixed ropes however, so there may be some room for interpretation of the true "FKT."

This brings an end to Jornet's Summits of My Life challenge, which over the past couple of years saw him setting new speed records on Kilimanjaro, Denali, Aconcagua, Mont Blanc, and the Matterhorn. During that time, he has proven himself to be one of the most adept mountain runners – and now climbers – of all time and he likely has another project already in the works. But for now, he's going to savor his accomplishments on Everest and enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation.

Congrats to Kilian on finishing this epic quest. It has been a joy to follow along and we can't wait to see what you'll do next.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Rope Fixing Team Retreats on Everest, Kilian Speed Climbs Cho You

Just a quick update from Everest today, as it seems that the rope fixing team on the South Side was forced to retreat to Camp 2 yesterday before reaching the summit. Reportedly the weather there is quite good, and should remain so for the next several days, but heavy snow on the upper slopes of the mountain have made the process of installing the lines on the mountain more time consuming and exhausting than expected. As a result, the Sherpa team was able to add to the route yesterday, extending it up above the balcony, but after spending several days above 8000 meters (26,200 ft), the squad simply had to descend to regain their strength and get some much deserved rest.

This delay in getting the ropes into place will likely cause the teams that are currently at or above C2 to retreat to Base Camp as well and wait for the work to be completed. Most of the climbers are now fully acclimatized and are simply waiting for the lines to be installed and a proper weather window. Once access to the summit is granted, there is likely to be a mad dash for the summit, provided the weather allows.

Reports indicate that there is plenty of snow on the upper flanks of Everest this year, which is welcome news for the climbers. Most would rather climb on snow and ice rather than bare rock, and it seems that will be the case this season. Not only is it easier to make the ascent over the more technical sections of the climb, it is also safer too. Often the wind clears the snow from the upper sections of the mountain, but this year it looks like it will remain.

So what does this mean for the climbing schedule? It now looks like the ropes won't be fixed until late this week, which means summits attempts will be pushed into next week. The forecast continues to look good, although winds do pick up some over the next couple of days. If everything holds however, we can now expect possible summits by next week this time, although even that could fluctuate some. So far, everything is still going as schedule, and nothing is really out of the ordinary, but until the rope fixing is completed, the teams remain in a holding pattern.


Elsewhere, Kilian Jornet has posted an update on his efforts on Cho Oyu, and as you would expect they are impressive. He and Emelie Forsberg set out to make a speed climb on the mountain in much the same way as Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington did last year by using oxygen tents to pre-acclimatize before ever arriving in the Himalaya. As a result, Jornet and Forsberg were ready for a summit push in just nine days.

A few days back they launched their attempt and were reportedly climbing very fast in good conditions. At the Yellow Band – located at 7700 meters (25,262 ft) – Emelie turned back as it looked like the weather was starting to take a turn for the worse. For her, this was her first climb above 6000 meters (19,685 ft), so it sounds like she made an impressive effort all around. Kilian pressed on, and as he neared the top it began to snow heavily, making it difficult to see. He reached what he believed was the summit, but because there are few features on Cho Oyu, and the snow was coming down hard, he isn't sure if he did indeed top out. He says that he didn't see a way to climbing any higher, but that he still isn't positive he reached the summit.

From there, both he and Emelie descend back to BC and left camp. She is going home to train for the running season ahead, while Kilian will now head to the North Side of Everest in Tibet to prepare for his speed attempt on Everest.

So how fast was the Cho Oyu climb? Reportedly it took Kilian just 14 hours to go from Camp 1 to the summit. Not bad at all, and a good indication that he is now ready to take on the Big Hill soon too.

That's it for now. More to come soon I'm sure.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Jornet Reveals Plans, Sherpa Injured on the Everest

It has been a very busy couple of days since I last shared any updates from the Himalaya. The spring climbing season is proceeding pretty much according to plan, with teams now settled in their respective base camps across the region and now diligently working away at becoming acclimatized. This particularly true on Everest, where the squads are stretched out from BC to Camp 2, and everywhere in between. This is all part of the process of course, and later in the week I'll provide a more detailed update on where some of the bigger teams currently stand, but in the meantime we have some other news that is of particular interest.

I know a lot of people have been waiting to hear what Kilian Jornet is up to this spring. We know that he intends to go for a speed record on Everest, and that due to permit issues on the North Side he was forced to move his expedition up from late summer as he had originally planned. But other than that, we haven't heard a lot of details. Over the weekend, that changed some.

In an email sent out to members of the media yesterday, the Spanish mountain runner indicated that he would first travel to Cho Oyu with partner Emelie Forsberg where the pair will attempt a summit on that 8201 meter (26,906 ft) mountain. This will serve as acclimatization and training for Kilian, who now intends to head to the North Side of Everest in mid-May to attempt his speed record. The benefits of doing it from that side of the mountain being smaller crowds and a more direct route that doesn't include the Khumbu Icefall.

Jornet just left for Kathmandu yesterday after competing in one last race before setting out to the Himalaya. He and Forsberg will likely spend a few days in the Nepali capital before heading out to the mountains.


Meanwhile, The Himalayan Times is reporting that Sherpas working on the South Side of Everest have now fixed the ropes all the way up to the South Col. That means teams are now free to goal high as Camp 4 once their bodies are prepared to handle the altitude. It also means that everything is on schedule to complete rope fixing up to the summit ahead of the final push that will begin in a few weeks time.

The Times is also indicating the a Sherpa was injured in an avalanche on the South Side as well. Climbing guide Furba Rita Sherpa was struck by ice when a serac collapsed near Camp 1 as he and several other porters were making their way up to C2 to drop gear and supplies. He reportedly suffered a broken hand and multiple injuries to his head and wrists as well. Fortunately, others were there to immediately lend a hand and Furba was quickly evacuated back to Kathmandu for treatment. He is reportedly doing well and already recovering nicely. 

That's it for today. More detailed info to come once I've caught my breath from returning from Oregon. 

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Video: Kilian Jornet Takes on Seven Summits of Romsdalen

We haven't heard much from Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet since he returned from his speed attempt on Everest this past fall. But of course we all know he wasn't just standing still and resting on his laurels. In this video, we follow him as he attempts to complete the Seven Summits of Romsdalen in Norway in a single day. This tough 77 km (47.8 mile) route features 9000 meters (29,527 ft) of vertical gain and takes mere mortals like the rest of us the better part of a week to finish, particularly in the winter. Can Kilian conquer the course in record time? You'll have to watch the video below to see how he fares.

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Video: Kilian Jornet's Everest Summit Dreams Live On

Yesterday the news broke that Kilian Jornet has abandoned his plans to make a speed attempt on Mt. Everest due to very poor weather conditions on the mountain. Deep snow made him cancel that attempt, but while his dream of a speed ascent may have been postponed, they are no over. Clearly he will return again in the future to have another go at the world's highest peak.

In this video we get a bit of a recap of what Kilian has been up to over the past couple of years. It is a review of his Summits of My Life project to date, with a bit of inspiration to help us all move forward. It is a nice tribute to one of the greatest mountain athletes on the planet today, and definitely worth a look for those who follow his exploits.

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Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet Cancels Everest Speed Attempt

One of the current Himalayan expeditions that we've been watching closely has come to an end before it ever even had a chance to really get started. It was announced earlier today that Spanish ultrarunner Kilian Jornet has pulled the plug on his attempt at a speed record on Everest due to poor weather on the North Side of the mountain.

In a quote that was sent out via a press release a few hours ago, Jornet says “During the first few weeks we were acclimatising well and the conditions were good. However, when we were getting ready to prepare the attempt the weather began to change. There were some heavy snow storms and a large accumulation of snow. As a result, although we were in good physical shape, there was a high risk of avalanches and in the absence of good safety conditions it was impossible to climb.”

Apparently, the expedition was actually nearing its conclusion when the decision was made to go home instead. There hasn't been a lot of news from Kilian or his team, but it seems acclimatization was going very well, and he was extremely happy with his progress. Unfortunately, heavy snow has been falling on the mountain over the past couple of weeks, and that was making the route much more dangerous. So much so that they made the wise choice of cancelling the summit attempt and going home instead.

Kilian says that he has learned a lot from the experience and will now return to Spain where he'll evaluate how this expedition went, and decide from there how to proceed. He has already indicated that next time around he'll do a few things differently both in preparation and acclimatization once on the mountain. He had spent three weeks training at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) which will give him a better understanding of the Everest environment the next time around.

Honestly, an attempt in the spring would probably provide more stable weather conditions, but Kilian would then have to contend with a lot more people on the mountain. For most of the time that he was there, he had Base Camp all to himself. We do know that Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is also there for a solo bid on the mountain, but he didn't arrive until last week. It is unclear whether or not the heavy snow will impact his attempt to summit Everest, which will be his sixth time trying to accomplish that feat.

For now, we'll have to wait to see how Kilian does on Everest. Remember, he's never climbed an 8000 meter peak before. Hopefully he'll get another crack at it in the future. It will be interesting to see what an athlete of his caliber can accomplish there.

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Himalaya Fall 2016: Japanese Climber Nobukazu Kuriki Heading Back to Everest

We're in a bit of a lull in the mountaineering scene right now. Yes, Kilian Jornet is in Tibet and preparing for his speed record attempt on Everest, but for the most part this is the time of year when there is a brief pause between the summer climbing season in Pakistan and the fall climbing season in Nepal and Tibet. Most of the teams that are preparing for a Himalayan summit in the next few months are waiting for the monsoon to subside before heading to the mountains. Once that happens over the next few weeks, we'll begin to see climbers arriving in Kathmandu once again.

In recent years, the fall season in the Himalaya has mostly concentrated on 8000 meter peaks other than Everest. A lot of mountaineers use this time of the year to gain valuable experience ahead of an Everest attempt next spring, so you're more likely to see expeditions to Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, or even Ama Dablam. But, there are still some climbers who will focus on the world's highest peak, most notably Japanese Nobukazu Kuriki.

If that name sounds familiar it is because this fall Kuriki will be making his sixth attempt on Everest, once again looking to summit solo and without oxygen. He has tried this same feat in the past, and it hasn't always gone well for him. Back in 2012, the Japanese mountaineer ended up getting stranded high on the mountain and head to be rescued, but not before he suffered severe frostbite in his hands and feet. He ended up losing parts of nine fingers in the process.

That hasn't deterred him from attempting Everest however. He climbed on the South Side last year and made a valiant effort before ultimately having to call it quits. This year he'll have a go at the summit from the Tibetan side of the mountain, where he hasn't climbed before. It is unclear whey he decided to make the change, but it could have something to do with Nepal's recently discussed new restrictions, which ban solo climbers altogether.

Kuriki, who is a popular figure back home in Japan, has crowdfunded his latest expedition, easily surpassing his goals to get the money he needs for this climb. He'll now prepare to head back to the Himalaya this fall, most likely sometime in September. That's about when Jornet hopes to be wrapping up his speed attempt, so the two might not even be on the mountain at the same time.

As German adventure sports writer Stefan Nestler points out, there hasn't been a successful fall summit of Everest in nearly six years. That's when Eric Larsen topped out along with five Sherpas as part of the Save the Poles project. Lets hope Kilian and Nobu have more luck this year.

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