Living not far from the south coast of France we regularly stare out across the azur Mediterranean and wonder where, in this idyllic looking environment, is the best place to scuba dive. There is scuba diving where we live, offshore of the Bay of St.Tropez, but the island, Porquerolles and Port Cros, are much more interesting.

Port-Cros has been a National Park since 1963 and the entire island is strictly protected (no cars or bikes) including the sea where there is a magnificent variety of marine life including seaweeds, sea urchins, sponges and grasses, and fish including damsel fish, octopus,moray eels, cardinal fish and rascasse. Swimmers and divers can follow a planned route to see the underwater spectacle.

However, when the east wind blows (which is not often) the sea is dirty and not an inviting environment to don your fins, mask, regulator and bottle. So where else can you go?

Now the Med is quite a big sea -

With no fewer than 21 countries sharing the Med as part of their coastline and many thousands of islands there must be some good places but don’t forget those 21 countries empty into the Med and there is only the 9 mile gap between Morocco and Spain where the sea can drain in and out of the Atlantic. The Med is in effect landlocked and therefore a good flush of clean water is not going to happen. It has an average depth of 1,500 metres and at its deepest point in the Ionian sea (which is between southern Italy and Greece)  it is 5,267 metres.

Where to go – we are researching the subject because our daughter is returning from Boracay where she has been learning to dive and wants to continue her diving education in the Mediterranean this summer. Now Boracay is in the Philippines – warm waters, coral and plentiful marine life. We think the Mediterranean may prove somewhat disappointing after Boracay…….time will tell. Due to the salinity and water temperatures the Med cannot support coral and therefore the marine life is limited.

Our research has come up with some of the better dive sites to visit in the Med – over the next few days we shall try to give you the best – often rated number 1 is the Zenobia , a huge wreck just off the coast of Cyprus at Larnaca.

The Zenobia

The pristine wreck of a huge roll on, roll off ferry which lies in 40 m of water just outside Larnaca harbour in Cyprus.  You reach the wreck at about 15 m which then goes all the way down to 42 m. Fabulous, fabulous dive. Probably the best shipwreck dive in the world at recreational depths. There are some great swim-throughs and you need many dives to see anything like all of it.

The Zenobia is a 178 metre long ferry that went down in 1980 with over 100 large vehicles onboard, giving this dive plenty of exploration.  The ship lies on its port side.  Visibility is usually quite good; some days it stretches to 35m.  Experienced divers can penetrate the wreck to see the interior, including two trucks still hanging upside down from their chains, but visibility can drop drastically in the confined spaces.

The ships engine room is also spectacular but it is difficult to find and you need to be a competent diver to reach this destination

Though the wreck is the main attraction, triggerfish, barracuda and enormous grouper can also be spotted here.

The video from sirelak gives a good representation of what the dive is about.

We shall continue with this series over the next few days.

Greece is a country which has far more to offer than one imagines. The land of magical islands and fascinating history and historical sites, is fast becoming a land where extreme sports abound. It is affordable too, which adds to its attractions…

The other day we talked about ski-ing in Greece, and today we will touch on the subject of paragliding, with thanks to left1976 for this great video from Mount Falakro in the Kavala and Drama region. With a height of 800m, wind direction S/SW and good launch and landing areas it is a perfect place to start:

Thessaloniki also has a wide choice of paragliding destinations and several of them have a local club from which you can get advice and guidance.

Edessa in the north, near Yugoslavia, is a gem of a site  with perfect launch and landing sites, although paragliding between November to March is not recommended. There are a lot of cross country possiblities with distances of about 60kms in all directions, apart from North.

Florina is another region with plenty of choice – 8 different sites to my reckoning.

In a nutshell, most paragliding clubs can be found in the Peloponnese, Epirus and Macedonia areas. They offer their members all the equipment they need and the paragliding activities are conducted in safe conditions.

The months when you should not consider going to Greece for a paragliding holiday are July and August – the winds are very strong and it is very very hot; and the weather is generally considered too stable between December and February. Apart from that it’s pretty well perfect. However, it is worth noting that the winds can be strong in June and early September -perhaps more suitable for experienced flyers and not beginners.

At the moment, paragliding in Greece is controlled by the general rules of aviation. Flying on the islands is possible but you wont find any local Greek pilots flying there.

If you want more information or would like to contact some clubs in Greece directly I suggest you follow the link to www.paragliding.gr and continue from there…

I cannot believe I did this whole article, scheduled for release in May, only to find that on Friday, 12th March,  the Health and Safety Department in England have, in their wisdom, cancelled this hundreds-of-years old event – fearing for the safety of spectators as the event grows in popularity!!! Can you believe it?

I might as well broadcast the now-cancelled event anyway, and perhaps the Healthy and Safety department can see a way around their dilemma…

We’ve profiled this off-beat and wacky English competition once before, but this is the best photograph I’ve seen of it (courtesy of Will de Freitas)… Despite the many videos we’ve shown, it has been difficult to get through to you, our audience, exactly how steep this hill is. And NOW you know. The guy upside down here ended up in hospital…

I think he lived!

Hey, what’s life if you can’t take a risk or two?

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling is proud of its more than 200 year old tradition. A 3.5 kg round cheese is chased down a vertiginous hill by hilariously mad, possibly drunk, idiots. A fun day out for all! Certainly a good spectator sport.

The festival was originally held at midsummer but was moved at some time to Whitsuntide, and now takes place annually on on Whit Monday. In 2010 this will be the 31st May.

Cooper’s Hill as viewed from the bottom and the top.

So what’s it all about then?

There are 5 downhill races, one is for ladies; and 4 uphill races for boys under 12’s, girls under 12 and men’s and women’s open with staggering prize money of £10 for the downhill race and £5 for the uphill one.

A master of ceremonies escorts an invited guest to the top of the hill and helps him/her to sit on the precipitous slope holding the cheese. At his command:

• one to be ready
• two to be steady
• three to prepare…

… at which stage the guest ‘roller’ releases the cheese. And at…

• four to be off

…the competitors, anywhere from 2 to 20, hurl themselves off the edge in hot pursuit. The first person to the bottom takes home the cheese. The second and third placed get £10 each… or so.

The slope has a gradient that is in places 1-in-2 and in others 1-in-1. Its surface is very rough and uneven and it is almost impossible to remain on foot for the descent. Injuries incurred are usually minor and competitors (particularly the successful ones) enter again year after year.

The 5 downhill races are held at twenty minute intervals.

The uphill race does obviously not include a cheese although the winner does receive a small one.

A Double Gloucester cheese, the real thing, is the prize and always has been, apart from a brief rationing period between 1941 and 1954 (not many people are aware of how long rationing continued in England after the Second World War). During this period the game was not forsaken, but a wooden substitute was used with a small niche cut into it which included an equally small piece of cheese!

This is a day out in true mad-dog-an-Englishman style… with much to recommend it and if you’re still doubtful, you might like to have a preview of the 2009 race (SoGlos):

As event organisers say: “You do not need any type of application form to enter. There are no qualifications and no entry fee. All you have to do is arrive at the top of the hill, make the decision (possibly check that your ‘Last will and testament ‘ is up-to-date!) make sure that you won’t need that pair of jeans ever again and ……… GO!!!!”

What are you waiting for?!!

… well, now you’re waiting for the Health and Safety Department to allow the event to continue!

OK, so that may sound a little grand. After all, we’ve talked about the Tour de France, the Coast to Coast in South Africa, the 508 Furnace Trail in California, but to cycle the Iditerod trail? In winter? Surely the most extreme cycle challenge in the world (akusport)!

Our congratulations to Kathi Hirzinger Merchant for becoming the first female cyclist to finish the 1100 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race from Knik to Nome, Alaska.

So…. what more can I tell you about this race?

Not much. Facts appear to be elusive.

Although cycling the Iditerod does appear to have crossed it’s centenary. There are accounts of extraordinary rides in 1898 and 1900…

Winter cycling in the Arctic predates the verse of poet Robert Service…

“The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights…”

Bicycles were used as a serious means of transportation in Alaska before the automobile.  In ‘Wheels on Ice, Bicycling in Alaska 1898-1900′, editor Terrence Cole compiled many original accounts and photographs of men who drove bicycles instead of dog teams during the Klondike and Nome gold rushes.  In 1901 the Skagway newspaper estimated there were some 250 bikes on the Dawson trail and predicted that the pre-eminence of the dog team would soon be over.  Several journals recounted incredible 1000-mile rides along the frozen Yukon River from Dawson to Nome, and one translated the comment of a native North American, unfamiliar with the new technology: “Whiteman sit down, go like hell.” Sadly the comment still applies; most people in Alaska, as in the Lower 48, soon began their love affair with cars and roaring snowmobiles!

So, we know that bikes were used by many “stampeeders” in the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. Their accounts of thousand-plus mile journeys fill the short, magazine-sized book  ‘Wheels on Ice’ (Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, Anchorage). What’s interesting about these stories is how casually great hardships are matter-of-factly recorded. “It was the only night on the trail I didn’t have a blanket. My food had run out so the next morning it was a situation of ride 35 miles to lunch.”

But where do these extraordinary cycle rides fit into the present?

Many years later, five Anchoragers decided to organise a bike ride up to Nome on the famous Iditarod dog sled trail, some 1,049 miles long. And so began The Iditabike race. It began as a mere 170 miles  ride, and was conceived as a ’shakedown training run’ to test equipment and stamina. It was first run in 1982. Three years later, Dan Bull, Les Matz, Roger Cowles and Mark Frise made a successful run to Nome in 22 days.

Patti Brehler who participated in the 1990 February race said, “Anybody can mountain bike on a wooded trail. For a real challenge, try pedaling through two feet of snow with a 20-lb pack in minus 40 degree temperatures.”

“I rode the trail for only about two miles, and had to push my mountain bike the other 50 miles,” she adds. “It took me 37 3/4 hours to travel 52 miles, and sometimes it seemed more like a survival test than a mountain bike race.”

One of  only 23 cyclists to finish the race, which began with 58 entrants, Brehler credits her achievement to a regimented cross-training fitness program. She began training seriously for the cold-weather conditions of the Iditabike in November by keeping the heat off in her home and by training in Michigan’s 10 degree F winter weather in t-shirts, shorts and lightweight tights.

1990 was a particularly warm year which turned the snow and ice to slush. Bad for cyclists and ultimately the race was nicknamed the ‘Iditapush’. After that, Iditabike combined with Iditaski, an older race formerly held a week earlier on the same course. Skiers love soft snow but have trouble with the hard, icy snow best for cycling. Thus it was reasoned that if competitors could choose their weapon on the start line there would never be a year in which nature dominated completely. Just to be sure, snow shoe, foot race and triathlon categories were created with a shorter 80-mile length and the event was restyled Iditasport.

Way back in  ‘82, the first year they ran the race, Laddy Shaw bragged  “Cowards won’t show and the weak will die.” Laddy proceeded to drop out of the race, inspiring the creation of the Laddy Shaw Award for the loudest braggart most humbled by the race… history relates a few others!

“I’m not at all sure I really enjoyed that…” famous last words, but this competitor survived to tell the tale. That’s the Idatbike for you, or should I say ‘The Iditasport’.

So what exactly has the Iditasport boiled down to?

Well, it’s an Alaskan Human Powered Ultra-Race with four different divisions: Ski, Bike, Foot, and snowshoe. The trail is snow-covered and packed down for travel. It is marked for both day and night with brightly colored and reflective markers. The trail crosses wooded, rolling hills and frozen rivers and lakes.

There are 3 divisions:

The traditional Iditasport 130, which runs 130 miles from Knik, Alaska to Finger Lake, running along several portions of the famed Iditarod trail.

The Iditasport Extreme, which runs 350 miles up and over the Alaska Range. No roads – support by snow machine and airplane only.

Finally, the beyond category Iditasport Impossible, which runs 1100 miles up the entire Iditarod Trail to Nome. This is the ultimate. Dan Bull says “You will not find a more envelope-pushing, on the edge, out there, life-changing adventure race anywhere! This race is designed for the serious racer looking for the that one-in-a-lifetime adventure experience” … and we couldn’t agree more.

This is Dave Norona doing the Iditarod Impossible in 2000 looking cool, collected and comfortable.

The interesting thing is that I cannot find any record of the race after 2001 – is it still being run? Can anyone tell me?

This great race, the last great race in the world, is underway. It is “a race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.” An extreme race without compare.

This is a race that is over 1,150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. The mushers and their dogs have to contend with jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.

From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover the mileage in 10 to 17 days. thanks to AssociatedPress for the video.

Dick Wilmarth won the first Iditarod in 1973 with a time of 20 days 0 hours and 49 minutes. In 1974 Emmitt Peters took the Iditarod into the world of faster racing with a time of 14 days, 14 hours and 43 minutes. Rick Swenson was the first to break the 12 day time with a winning run in 12 days 8 hours and 45 minutes. After that there was talk within the mushing community about whether or not the Iditarod could be run in 10 days. Martin Buser answered that question for us in 1992 with a winning time of 10 days 19 hours and 17 minutes. It is worth noting that since 1992 the Iditarod has always been won in ten days or less. Doug Swingley broke the nine day barrier. And in 2002 Martin Buser ran the fastest Iditarod ever with a winning time of 8 days 22 hours and 46 minutes.

A thousand miles traveled by sled dogs in 20 days, down to 8 days and 22 hours.

How can it have become so fast?

The basics from the earliest Iditarod are still the same, it’s still about the dogs. But a lot of time, effort and experimentation has gone into learning more about how to take care of dogs and to help them reach their top performances. (DiscoveryNetworks)

Mushers have learned more about caring for sled dogs and canine nutrition by working together and sharing their knowledge with other experts in that field and, with the help of dog food manufacturers and veterinarian researchers, better foods and feeding practices have been developed.

Dog harnesses have improved dramatically. In the early days they were made of materials that froze once wet. Mushers worked with harness designers to develop harnesses made of materials that didn’t freeze and were more comfortable for the dogs. This process is still going on today.

Changes in dog booties has definitely led to faster race times. When the Iditarod started booties were primarily used to help a dog that had developed a foot problem whereas now booties are used by all dogs to keep their feet from ever getting sore and to protect them from abrasive trail conditions. The materials that the booties are made from has also improved dramatically and newer “high tech” materials that don’t collect snowballs and are lightweight so as to not slow the dogs down have been and still are being tested.

Over the years there have been huge changes in equipment from storage of gear that you take with you, to quicker and more economical cooking methods, to hi-tech dried and frozen foods, to better headlamps for night vision, to hugely improved cold weather clothing, and then, of course, some fairly major improvements to the sled itself. One of the most important   innovations in sled technology is the quick change runner plastic system invented by Tim White, an early Iditarod racer. The invention uses an aluminum dovetail device to quickly slide different types of runner plastic on to the runners of the sled. Not only was this a faster way of changing runner plastic to keep a slicker running surface but it also allowed mushers to change to different types of plastic for different trail and snow conditions.

A major innovation and a huge contributing factor to racing technology.

All these inventions and improvements, along with improvements to the trail,  have been brought about by the mushers themselves, sometimes with the help of outsiders.

If you add all of the changes that have been developed over the years, it’s easier to understand how today’s Iditarod gets from Anchorage to Nome so much faster.

Reports about the trail this year are that there are light snow levels running up into the Alaska Range but enough for a safe, manageable trail. Snow continues to fall up in the Finger Lake, Rainy Pass area.  On the north side of the range there are reports of snow on the areas out of Rohn that often have some of the toughest trail conditions, but there is a short area of trail on the way to Nikolai that is reported to have no snow, just grass and frozen bare ground.

The Iditarod Insider will be providing live, streaming coverage of the Restart around the world beginning at 1:45 pm (AT). The Iditarod Insider Tracker will begin deploying From Willow Alaska as the teams leave the starting line. To find out how to become an Insider, click here.

Good luck to all…

The FIS Junior World Champs Snowboard and Freestyle competition is to be held in New Zealand in August,2010.

All three of Wanaka’s ski areas, Cardrona, Snow Park and Treble Cone, will share the spotlight for this August’s 2010 FIS Snowboard & Freestyle Junior World Championships.

High mountains and extensive terrain, reliable snow and powder days, Lake Wanaka Winter Resort has it all and is the most preferred skiing and snowboarding resort in the Southern Hemisphere.

Typically, FIS World Championships are staged during the Northern Hemisphere winter, but with New Zealand’s growing reputation as a world-class snow sports destination, organisers are confident they’ll be able to attract full fields for the event, which is expected to include a range of off-snow events and attractions in Wanaka. After all, last year’s World Heli Challenge in Wanaka  was a huge success attracting more than 40 top snowboarders and skiers from around the world.

This event, scheduled for 19-31 August, marks the first time a FIS World Championship will be staged in New Zealand, and also marks the first time that snowboarding and freestyle skiing will share the same stage in a World Championship.

“For two weeks in August, Wanaka will be centre stage for a major international ski and snowboard competition,” said Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Ross Palmer. “It’s a great opportunity for the local ski resorts and for elite junior freestyle and snowboard athletes to showcase our sports and the region.”

Snow Park will host the slopestyle competitions for both skiers and snowboarders; Treble Cone is set to host the snowboard parallel giant slalom and snowboard parallel slalom; Cardrona will stage the ski and snowboard halfpipe, ski- and snowboard-cross and snowboard big air competitions. All three resorts are just 30 minutes drive from downtown Wanaka.

The inclusion of slopestyle competitions in both skiing and snowboarding is one of the major breakthroughs for the event. FIS has never staged a slopestyle competition for skiers and only this year staged their first snowboard slopestyle competition at the World Cup level.

“Securing the FIS Junior World Champs is a coup for our reputation as a snow sports destination, with Wanaka offering arguably the best skiing and snowboarding in New Zealand across 4 ski areas and extensive heli-ski terrain,” said Lake Wanaka Tourism General Manager James Hellmore. “Hosting these up-and-coming athletes and future stars is a great opportunity to showcase the Wanaka region, with interest from worldwide media likely to be huge. While skiing and snowboarding are key reasons for people to visit Wanaka, the whole of the Wanaka region will benefit hugely from this event.”

A finalised schedule will be announced in the next week, and posted on the Snow Sports New Zealand website (www.snowsports.co.nz).

Thanks to Aussiemystic for this great video showing the resorts of Treble Cone and Cardrona…