The plan was straightforward: Pack bags, travel to remote valley, hike to virgin peak. Climb! So was the plan for my recent expedition into the remote Naar-Phu valley in Nepal, which came together on short notice. But just when you think its simple, it always turns...
Nepal, what a magical country- With delight my thoughts go back to my recent trip to this wonderful country. In April this year I found myself in the Khumbu valley (the area in northern Nepal which encompasses Mt Everest). The goal: To hike to Everest Base Camp...
It’s a while that I have posted on my website – and I hope that my dear readers haven’t come to conclusion that procrastination or even early retirement had set into my life. Far from it – let me tell you more about my most recent expedition. An adventure that...
We live in very special times – all over the world specialists, professionals and volunteers are battling to keep our healthcare and the lifes our loves ones alive. One thing the COVID-19 pandemic makes us more aware of are the countless professionals all over the...
This morning the post brought an unexpected surprise: Two certificates acknowledging Esther and myself as new Guinness World Record (GWR) holders. A little summer project – visiting the major touristic sites of Belgium and the Netherlands in a day has been awarded the...
How far would you go to pick up some trash? Sacrifice your free Sunday? Rappel down a cliff face? Ever since launching the PollutionmapHK.com back in early 2018, there was discussion about what would be the best next action step. Mapping trash along Hong Kong Islands...
Last week was “ground zero day”. The first time my right foot touched the ground since my accident back in December. And while it was just a tiny small step (I still need crutches to take most of my weight) it was huge leap for my recovery - despite the long way still...
Monday, 17 December 2018 Beautiful blue skies are greeting Esther and me as we hike towards Sharp Peak in Sai Kung Country Park (Hong Kong). I have been fascinated by the peaks steep, rocky West Cliff since years and over the last year we have made multiple attempts...
Wadi Rum, a mythical area of sandstone mountain in midst the Arabian desert have fascinated me for years. I ended up there on a trip through Jordan and Syria back in 2005 with my good friend Armin. Sadly we had no time to climb any of the impressive rock towers This...
The howling of the engine was overshadowing everything as Kevin pressed the throttle down – we were speeding with 30knots + towards the Hong Kong harbour. The owner of HK operation Zoomribs had kindly agreed to give us a lift to the tiny island of Kau Yi Chau, thats...
It was on my Dive Wish List for a long time - to see a hammerhead shark - this truly spectacular fish, in its natural habitat. These sharks with their very distinctive heads prefer strong current and can only reliable seen in a few places around the planet. Two...
Back in spring, when we set out on the "Round the Island" adventure we set our goal to create Hong Kong's first pollution map. 9 months later, having recorded 163 trash hotspots and having taken 51 water measurements - we finally present all the findings on:...
"Round the Island" is continuing to make news. Sending over a great thanks for the guys at Red Bull for featuring the adventure: https://www.redbull.com/au-en/coasteering-hong-kong
A long held dream of mine - to climb the entire coastline of Hong Kong Island, will soon come true. End of May I will start together with my wife, to a unique adventure that will see us coasteer - climb, scramble, swim, jump - around the entire 85km coastline of Hong...
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: The mountain ranges of East Tibet, part of Sichuan province, China, were described by the legendary Japanese explorer Tomatsu Nakamura as the “Alps of Tibet” and are considered as one the last frontiers of mountaineering. Inspired by his work...
In the early morning of 8 August 1786 two tired Frenchmen ventured onto the summit of Mont Blanc – with 4810m the highest Mountain in Western Europe right on the border of Italy and France. Its white top, endless glaciers and rocky spires dominate the western end of...
The misty fort of Jaisalmer, like a gigantic sandcastle rising out of the desert, marked the end point of our rickshaw journey. With its last breath of life, both vehicles managed to get over the finish line. It was with mixed feelings that we handed over the keys and...
Checking my Facebook Update the last few days I realised a lot of friends are posting their year… in photos. Now here is my opportunity to give a quick review for Tim. Tim arrived in my postbox exactly 365 days ago - to clarify: Tim is my...
Final day in Garzi Town, last hotpot, shower and nice bed for at last two weeks. Tomorrow its time to climb a mountain!
"Today the map has no more secrets.” Idle minds repeat that parrot phase. But who knows all Tibet, or its far-away frontier on western China? Even its own prayer-muttering tribes know only their own bleak, wind-swept valleys"-
Remember the following Star Wars scene: Luke showing Obi Wan Kenobi, a hologram of Princess Leia asking for help? This afternoon I had a true glimpse into the future and the hologram became. Together with a several fellow students I made my way into the hills of the...
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes!” (Marcel Proust) What are mankind's largest challenges? – here at SU we define them around the following areas: Energy, Water, Security, Poverty, Space, Environment,...
“Stall, Stall, Stall!” There was urgency in the voice that was coming through my headphones. I pushed the rudder down, gave it a little bit of throttle – beneath me the last metres of runway were passing by... But all too late! With a kaboom my Boeing 747 hit the...
As I am writing these lines I am about to land in San Francisco. In a few hours I will start my next BIG adventure – however, this time its not so much a physical one (no mountain to be scaled, no ocean to be crossed), but rather an adventure of the mind: I will...
Its been a while since i last posted a few words... You might have already started wondering whether i have given up adventuring- rest assured, the opposite is true! Indeed so much has been happening in the last six weeks, where shall i begin? - I have visited seven...
On 26 October 1942 the steamship SS Coolidge- the largest merchant ship ever built in the US up to that date - fully loaded with troops and supplies, was taking course on the island of Espiritu Santu in the South Pacific, where a large supply base for the American...
Vanuatu? Not sure what or where it is? Your ignorance may be forgiven – its really not the most obvious place I had chosen for a short last minute trip. Located a thousand kilometers east of Australia in the midst of the South Pacific, Vanuatu is a tiny (but...
“Ah, Kosciusko its easy – you can drive to the top!" That should have sent my alarm bells ringing - no mountain, rock or hill is ever easy – its always a function of conditions. And well, the ones that look soo simple are the easiest to underestimate. The pile of...
I was twelve when I saw for the first time the movie “Gorillas in the Mist” - I remember very clearly how fascinated I was, not by Sigurney Weaver, but by the amazing mammals, and in particular the Silverbacks - the king of the jungle. 24 years later I realized a...
Mud, mud, mud....and a bit of hail and a long, long way to trek...we are finally back in (sort of) civilization (=a place where they serve beer) after hiking eight days into the midst of the heart of Africa. It all started in Kilembe, a small Ugandan mining town,...