New expeditions are on the go for Mike!
Next week, Mike leaves for the Makalu Expedition. At 8463m, Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world, and it is situated at the border of Nepal and China.
Mike will attempt to summit Makalu mountain with Valasian climber Fred Roux.
Today Mike tested out some parapentes designed by David Getaz.
Weather permitting, Mike will try and use a parapente for the descent of Makalu.
Will the game be won in the mind?
He had said: 'I would like to thank the support staff especially Mike Horn who joined us at the start of the tournament and was there for our last couple ..
Never run from reality, Its easier to face it.
N'essaye jamais de fuir la réalité , il est plus simple de lui faire face
The Mundologia Festival for travel presentations and photography is the biggest of its kind in all of Europe. Ten years ago it started as a small series of presentations in Freiburg, Germany, and now – 10 years later – it counts more than 20.000 visitors every year. Alexander Huber, Rüdiger Nehberg or Reinhold Messner have been amongst the speakers and reported about their climbing and mountaineering adventures. Besides them, there is a huge variety of speakers that take the audience on journeys to Bhutan, China, South America, New Zealand and many other places.
This year, the Mundologia presented a new form of talks: To also attract younger people, Jule Holland, Saskia Bauer and Simon Straetker got the chance to give a presentation about their experiences and work with the Pangaea Project. As the first presentation was soon sold out, the three Young Explorers did a second one as well.
Talking about their expeditions with Mike Horn to New Zealand, the Magnetic North Pole and Florida, and presenting their projects in South Africa and Serbia, was a perfect mix of adventure, exploring and acting. The people in the audience were often staring at the screen with their mouth open of disbelieve and fascination. Already during the break in between, people asked questions and congratulated the YEPs on their projects and initiatives. After the presentation, the feedback was overwhelming and showed Jule, Saskia and Simon that there are people out there who want to do something, who want to act for the environment! These kind words full of excitement encourages the members of the Pangaea Project to further continue their work and motivate more people to participate as well! We hope to present our projects and expeditions to an even bigger audience next year. In the meantime, we will keep ourselves busy with new actions in Israel, Serbia and the Black Forest in Germany!
True luxury is found in simplicity!
My New Year’s celebration of 2013/14 was the best I have ever celebrated.
I am from Australia, but this year, I was on an exchange, in which my host sister (Nora) took me to the best country in the world- Switzerland. As she did the year before, we came to Switzerland to meet with the others and go on an adventure to the top of a 2000m mountain for New Year’s celebrations! As I am from Australia, this was an experience full of firsts for me. My first time in Switzerland, first time to see snow, first time to climb an Alp, my first time to experience all the wonder Switzerland has to offer. I met all of Nora’s wonderful YEP friends, all who proved to be so helpful on the first day as I struggled to trudge up the seemingly large mountain. But due to their encouragements and help, over the next two days, I improved greatly and managed to reach the top of a 2000m mountain! (Normal for them, but extraordinary for me) I also met others who were not part of the organisation, but came along for the adventure. As we sat around on the first night together for dinner, I looked around and saw community and friendship. The people who I spent New Year’s with- although I didn’t know any until 2 days before- were people whose company was thoroughly enjoyed, and who I am so pleased to have met.
The first day that I arrived, just a small group of us climbed the mountain right outside one of the group members’ house. Being my first time up a snowy mountain, this was a wonderful adventure, where I saw so much beauty as far as the eye can see. In this climb, I also got to know the wonderful people who helped me, even when I was unbelievably slow; I’m sure, to reach the top. The second day we climbed another mountain, in which I got a bit better and prepared for the next day.
On the 31st December, the last day of 2013, I spent it surrounded by the beautiful snow covered mountains, and saw my last, but most beautiful, view of the year. My favourite memory of Switzerland, is- by far- when I arrived at the top of the mountain and looked out over the entire trail I had covered, I forgot about my aching back, I forgot about the fact I hadn’t showered in days, I forgot about my wet feet, I forgot about everything else but the unfathomable beauty that engulfed me. I was awestruck, and the photos I took will never live up to what I really saw that day, nothing will.
That night, as the celebrations were warming up, I enjoyed card games and conversations with the others as we all were counting down the hours. Finally, at 11:59, we went outside (with only 15 seconds to go) and counted down to the start of a New Year. At the strike of 12:00, our screams and celebrations could be heard over all of the mountains in Switzerland, I’m sure. For the next hour, we sat together in a circle and contemplated on last year and the year ahead, reflecting on our time together and dreaming of our New Year.
As people went inside to sleep off the last year, I stayed outside with Nora and a few others, in which we had a snow fight and just lay in the snow. I am so happy that I spent the first few hours of the New Year in this wonderful country with these wonderful people. Something about this time, the unbelievable beauty that surrounded me- with the smooth snow beneath my feet and the great mountains around me, breathing in the clean Alp air and seeing all the stars above- was my absolute favourite experience of my life.
As I said my goodbyes and headed back down the mountain on the first day of the New Year, I carried a 10 kg rucksack, but also the memories that will last a lifetime. I am so thankful for what I was able to achieve, the friendly and genuine people I met and the absolute beauty I was able to experience. This time, was by far the best of my life, and I will carry only but good memories of it for the rest of my life. How was my time in Switzerland, you may ask?
Better than I could ever explain.
Larissa Purins,
16, Perth, Western Australia
A happy little climber.
I have never feared animals like I feared humans…
This is where I find my inspiration for 2014. Wishing all of you an exciting and adventurous new year. If your dreams don't scare you they not big enough! — at On Pangaea Atlantic Ocean Brazil.
Brasilian magazine 'Velejar' write an amazing article about the Pangaea Expedition in their recent edition.